Circuits and Generators of Electricity.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Jan., 1889
Circuits and Generators of Electricity.
I, AUGUST BERGHAUSEN of Elberfeld, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire,
electrical engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for determining the poles of
electrical circuits and generators of electricity and the objects of my invention are to
can easily and distinctly find out the positive and the negative poles in any electrical
circuit as also in dynamos or accumulators or any generator of electricity. Such
instrument will be very valuable and even indispensable for anybody who has to work
with electrical apparatus of any size and will in most cases replace the galvanometer
heretofore used.
The apparatus is shown on the annexed drawing.
A glass tube is filled with a greasy fluid and closed at both ends by means of caps.
The caps are so arranged that they can easily be screwed and unscrewed on the
glass tube and are provided with a packing so to close the glass tube entirely air
tight.
The caps also bear outwardly extending screw pins which are provided with nuts
and which hold the wires of the circuit or apparatus to be tested.
The
Inside the glass tube two platina pins are also fixed on the caps and reach into the
greasy fluid. As soon as the current passes the wires the fluid on the negative pole
will appear in a rose-colour as the pole wire itself receives a coloured cover.
circuit is then immediately broken by removing the wires and the whole apparatus
shaked, whereby the rose colour will entirely disappear and the fluid again have its
former clear-as-water-colour.
The apparatus can then be used for any further test.

page_text: BACCAL
Circuits and Generators of Electricity.
I, AUGUST BERGHAUSEN, of Elberfeld, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for determining the poles of
electrical circuits and generators of electricity, and the objects of my invention are to
easily and distinctly find out the positive and negative poles in any electrical circuit,
as also in dynamos and accumulators or any generator of electricity. Such an instru-
ment would be very valuable and even indispensable for anybody who has to work
with electrical apparatus of considerable size, and will in many cases re-place the
galvanometer heretofore used.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, I now proceed to describe
the same in relation to the drawing hereunto annexed, reference being had to the
letters marked thereon.
The figure shows part sectional elevation of my improved pole indicator.
Within a glass chamber A are situated the two poles a and b of the circuit to be
tested, immersed in a greasy solution. The constitution of this solution is composed
of an oily substance such as glycerine or the like mixed with a chemical substance
which is colourless in a normal condition, but from which is caused, by the passage of
the electrical current, a determination of colour at or about one or other of the polės,
according to the nature of the substance employed; and there is further added to the
mixture another constitutent to effect the re-absorbtion, after agitation, of the said
colouring matter formed at one of the poles. Water or alcohol may be added, as
desired, to render the mixture more liquid, or to alter its electrical conductivity. The
glass tube containing the mixture is closed at both ends by caps B, C, which may be
conveniently attached to the glass by shellac. The two poles are of platinum or
platinised wire. The circuit wires D and E are connected to their respective caps by
the usual set screws, or in practice'may be made to merely touch the said caps. The
ends of the glass tube are bedded against their caps by an india rubber ring.
I may conveniently use a greasy fluid of the following composition :-In chemically
pure glycerine (concentrated) dissolve sulphite of soda, either by agitation or rubbing,
until saturation, and filter the resulting liquid. To this solution add, according to
requirement, a solution of chemically pure phenolphthalein, prepared in the same way.
If this liquid is required to react with a current of comparatively small tension,
water may be added to the solution; the resistance of the liquid is thereby reduced,
but the development of gas during the passage of the current is increased. Upon
the current being passed through the platinum or platinised poles a b, and through
the liquid surrounding them, a red or rose colour about the negative pole will be
produced.

page_text: Or, I may use a mixture as follows-with pure glycerine mix a small proportion
of alcohol, and to this add a small quantity of iodide of potassium and caustic soda.
With this solution, when the current passes, a yellow brown colour is shown at the
positive pole, whilst white bubbles are shown at the negative pole. The conductivity
of this mixture can be largely increased by adding more caustic alkali. It is obvious
that I may use various modifications in these respective mixtures, to produce similar
effects, though of diverse colour, at either one or other of the poles without departing
from the essence of my invention.
After the coloured indication has been given and the current broken, the colouring
matter may be re-absorbed into the solution, by the strong alkali present, upon shaking
or agitating the mixture, so as to restore the liquid to its original colour and clearness,
when the apparatus is again ready for a further test.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1st. A pole indicating apparatus in which the poles, separated by a space, are
immersed in a greasy fluid, one constituent of which shall determine a distinctive
colour at one of the poles upon the passage through the apparatus of an electrical
current, substantially as described.
2nd. In such a pole indicating apparatus, the composition of the greasy liquid,
surrounding the poles, such that one of its constituents shall be capable upon agitation
of re-absorbing the said indicative colouring matter, so as to restore the liquid to its
original colour, substantially as described.
3rd. In such a pole indicating apparatus, the composition of the greasy liquid
consisting of an admixture of pure glycerine, sulphite of soda and phenolphthalein,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
4th. In such a pole indicating apparatus, the modified composition of the greasy
liquid, consisting of an admixture of pure glycerine, alcohol, iodide of potassium and
caustic soda, substantially as and for the purposes described.
5th. The construction of the pole indicating apparatus consisting of a transparent
vessel containing an oily liquid having metallic caps from which extend points or poles
of platinum or platinised wire into the liquid contained in the said transparent vessel,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
1
11 1
1000
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.