IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC LAMPS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Mackean at the Offico
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th October 1882. Communicated
to him from abroad by Albert Kryszat of Moscow in the Empire of Russia.
ALEXANDER MACKEAN of Cannon Street in the City of London IMPROVEMENTS
IN AND CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC LAMPS "n communication to me from abroad
by Albert Kryszat of Moscow in the Empire of Russia
"6
This Invention relates to that class of Electric lamps in which the light is
produced on what is known as the arc system. The invention consists in the
arrangement construction and combination of parts all as hereinafter more fully
described and set forth. The lamp may be described as being formed in two main
parts The base of the upper part composed of suitable nonconducting material
such as slate, or marble carries upon it a number of pairs of carbon holder arms
formed of suitable cylinders or clamps The outer ones being fixed and the inner
ones provided with elbow joints held in position by springs.
The carbon holders do not touch eachother even in the pairs, the outer ones in
all the sets are however connected by a suitable chain or by links. The lower
part of the lamp contains all the necessary mechanism and moving parts and these
are surrounded by a metal drum or case which protects said parts and also may be
made to increase the resistance of the contained electro magnet or induction coil
Pivoted between the upper and the lower part of the lamp is a small metal disc
capable of rotation and carrying on its lower side as many rolls or cylinders as the
lamp has pairs of carbon holders. Around the disc at given distances are separately
fixed to the non conducting base of the upper part as many metal segments or bows
as there are carbon holders. These segments are secured to the upper part of the
lamp by screws or pins which pass through the non conducting base and into the
jointed end of the corresponding carbon holder In the space between the revolving
disc and the fixed segments is fixed a metal spring one end of which is attached to
the disc while the free end glides from segment to segment when the disc is
rotated
To obtain the rotation of the disc the before referred to electro magnet on
induction coil is employed and is placed in the base of the lamp The hollow core
moves easily within said coil in suitable guides or glands
A hooked or bent piece in connection with the hollow core has its free end resting

page_text: on one of the rolls or cylinders beneath the rotating disc, said hooked piece is kept
from the coil by means of a spring
As the current passes through the coil the core is drawn in and the hooked piece
moves the roll or cylinder, one division, at the same time the metal spring glides
from one of the before mentioned segments to the next. The current enters and
leaves the lamp by means of suitable conductors one of which is in direct contact
while the other is in connection with a metal bridge carrying contact springs
which touch the rotating disc.
.
A second but smaller induction coil of similar construction to that first described
is placed in the lamp, its function being to automatically interrupt the flow of the
current through the main coil and this is effected by means of a spring and pin
connection-This second coil is secured to the non conducting base of the upper
part of the lamp and is connected with the links or chain of the outer circle of
carbon holders by means of a suitable connecting piece A connection is also made
between the isolated conductor and the two coils
The lamp can be used for continuous currents in which case the carbons should
be of different diameters or for alternating currents in which case carbons of the
same size may be used. At the bottom of cach pair of carbons is placed a collar
of non conducting material which will readily burn (such material as paper may
be employed) and will also tend to keep the carbon holders in a parallèl position.
At the top, the carbons are "sprung" together and beld by a combustible cap of
paper or other suitable material until the arc is formed:
--
-
But one induction coil need he used, but under these circumstances there would
be a loss of power-when the carbons are burning. It will be-understood, that the
action of the lamp. is automatic and in case one pair of carbons are burnt out or
broken the current is immediately conducted to the next pair while as the carbons
do not move during burning a steady light will be obtained