Method of and Appliances for Preventing Excessive Heating or Undue Expansion of Electric Mains or Service Conductors through Excess of Electricity, and for Utilising such Excess.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1890-Accepted, 30th Aug., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Appliances for Preventing Excessive Heating or
Undue Expansion of Electric Mains or Service Conductors
through Excess of Electricity, and for Utilising such Excess.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM ENGELBACH of 11 Howley Place Maida Hill London
Gentleman, and EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT of 31 Golden Square London Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to prevent the undue heating or expansion of the
electric mains or of the service conductors that occur when alternating dynamo-
electric machines or transformers connected with them or other dynamo machines or
batteries are employed, owing to the frequent differences in the electricity produced
and used; such differences being caused by the varying degree of consumption and
the variations in the speed of the engine or engines and the dynamo-electric machine
or machines attached.
Our invention works automatically and therefore avoids the employment of special
skilled labour to watch the varying requirements of the electric mains and service
conductors and also the expense and inconvenience arising from destruction of safety-
fuses (or "cutouts") connected with service conductors.
In carrying out our method we employ the following appliances
1st. A metallic slide bar, (if necessary insulated), attached to the rod of the
governor of the engine driving the dynamo-electric machine, is so arranged that it
is lifted or lowered by the rising or falling of the governor. The slide bar is
electrically connected to one pole of the dynamo-electric machine and makes contact
successively with a series of metallic springs insulated from one another. If the
apparatus is used simply to neutralise any excess of electricity in the electric con-
ductors the springs are electrically connected to the other pole of the dynamo-machine
but the size of the conductor. from each spring is such that each spring acts as a shunt
between the two poles of the dynamo-electric machine; thus gradually increasing the
proportion of electricity diverted from the electric mains or service conductors as the
governor rises.
This apparatus is in preference employed in a similar manner to divert the surplus
electricity from an overcharged electric main to one or more other electric main or
mains in which an additional supply is needed and will thus save needless waste
whether electric lighting is carried on by "alternating current" or by "continuous
ourrent" dynamo electric machines.
When the slide bar rises and comes in contact with the spring or springs or
other suitable conductors it also brings into electrical connexion by an electrical
shunt or shunts of very small capacity, receiving current enough to ring an electric
bell or bells and to act upon an indicator or indicators in the engineers or electricians
department, or other convenient place calling attention to the electric circuit to which
there is an excess of current being temporarily passed.
Either the rising of the slide bar may of itself automatically transfer to another
electric main conductor the surplus electricity or this may also be effected by an
electric switch being moved by the engineer or electrician in charge on the warning
being thus automatically given.
2nd. The shaft of the dynamo-electric machine may, if preferable, in like manner
have attached to it a governor with the slide bar connected with such governor as
aforesaid and having similar electrical arrangements either to neutralise surplus
electricity or to divert it from one electric main or service conductor to another.
3rd. Readily expansible metals or fluids are also utilised by us with the foregoing
object and with such appliances-viz.: a column of mercury or other fluid raises a

page_text: float, to which is attached a slide bar, on undue heating of the electric conductor or
service wire against which the column of mercury is placed by the heating of which
it is automatically affected. The metallic slide bar is thus brought successively into
contact with a spring or springs similarly to the slide bar described in the 1st and
second appliances of our invention either neutralising the excess of electricity by 5
making contact between the positive and negative electric mains or service conductors
by a series of graduated "shunt" wires; or else diverting the surplus electricity
indicated by the undue heat in the electric main or service conductor into another
main electric circuit or service conductor, as the case may be, or else indicating
automatically by an electric bell and tell tale, as previously described, such overheating
to those in charge of the switches or shunts so that the surplus electricity may be
diverted into whichever electric circuit they find desirable.
Readily expansible rods of metal or springs in contact or sufficiently close to the
electric mains or conductors are also utilised by us in connexion with the previous
appliance, their expansion being similarly employed in connexion with the springs 1
with which they successively come into contact in a series either to neutralise or else
divert the excess of electricity into another circuit. The expansible rods or springs
being similarly attached to or sufficiently near to the electric mains or service
conductors to make the requisite contact or contacts (electrically) with the springs
connected either with the opposite pole of the dynamo or making between the 2
expanding rods (or springs) and the contact springs a connection with another
circuit as previously described. For the same purpose we also employ bi-metallic
rods or springs composed longitudinally of two metals expanding unequally by heat
so that the more readily expansible metal on one side thrusts forward the less
expansible to make contact electrically-one by one-with a similar series of springs 2
or contact points in electrical connection as in the previous appliances with the
dynamo-machine or electric mains or service conductors the connections as described
before either neutralising the excess from the mains or conductors or diverting such
excess by shunting it into another electric main or service conductor.
In this appliance as in the others warning is given automatically by an electric bell 3
and indicator to show the circuit affected to those in charge.
(4th) We also employ a further appliance, with the same view, as follows:-
We attach a disc or wheel to the spindle both of the ammeter and the voltmeter
which revolves gradually with the indicator.. A connection is made with the spindle
with a shunt-wire. The disc or wheel is made of insulating material such as ivory but 3
a small segment leading from the spindle to the circumference of the disc is of a
conducting metal, preferably platinum. A spring, also preferably platinum rests upon
the circumference of the disc or wheel and is so arranged in position that the
conducting segment comes into contact with the spring upon any excess of power
carrying the indicator either of the ammeter or voltmeter beyond that required for 4
the circuit. The spring is connected either to the other end of the shunt or it may be
passed through an electro-magnetic coil and such coil by the attraction of an armature
at both poles makes a connection by shunt either between the electric mains so as to
either divert the surplus electricity, as previously described, into other mains or if
this is not requisite to neutralise such excess by making a short circuit through the 4
shunt. This electro-magnetic coil may be employed at the same time to ring a bell
and give warning on an indicator or indicators to show the circuit to which attention
is required.
Dated this 10th day of October 1889.
F. W. ENGELBACH.
E. B. BRIGHT.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Appliances for Preventing Excessive Heating or
Undue Expansion of Electric Mains or Service Conductors
through Excess of Electricity, and for Utilising such Excess.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM ENGELBACH of 11 Howley Place Maida Hill London
Gentleman and EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT of 31 Golden Square London Civil
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
Our invention is a modification of, and an addition to, our joint patent No. 11,705
dated 23rd July 1889 in which the object was to prevent the loss of surplus
electricity from "continuous-current" dynamo-electric machines by automatically
diverting such surplus electricity into storage cells or "accumulators." The
principal object of the present invention is to divert automatically any excess of
electricity from one electric main conductor when surcharged into another main if
undercharged, or from one service wire when becoming surcharged to another-so
as to avoid needless waste or injury to the apparatus or lamps. Also to divert
automatically the surplus of alternating currents into a separate circuit, by which.
such surplus actuates an electric motor machine which turns a continuous current.
dynamo-electric machine, and thus converts the surplus alternating current into a
continuous current for electric lighting, storage, power, or other purposes.
Our invention applies whether alternating currents or continuous currents are
employed.
To carry out our improvement we use the apparatus shown and described in the four
figures of our said Letters Patent of 23rd July 1889 with the following alterations and
additions:
We connect the shunt wires 9, 9, described under the said Letters Patent to another
main conductor h, or service wire, or lead to an electric motor, as is shown in figure 1
so as to transfer any surplus electricity from the one to the other, and instead of the
other pole of the dynamo-electric machine being connected to storage cells or
"accumulators," it is joined to the other main conductor (or service wire or electric-
motor as the case may be) so as to divert and immediately utilise such surplus
automatically.
We also divert a small proportion of such surplus current through an additional
minor shunt connected with a bella, or bells, or other form of indicator, so as to
automatically call the attention of the employés to the fact that a surplus is being
passed over.
In Fig. 2 the warning of any excess of volts (or ampères) is automatically given to
those in charge by means of shunt wires q, q', being brought into connection by the
movement of the spindle of the voltmeter or ammeter in the following manner :
A disc o. o (or wheel) of insulating material such as ivory or ebonite is attached to
each spindle but a small band, s, leading across the circumference of the disc is of a
conducting material preferably platinum, springs t, t¹ (also preferably platinum) touch
the circumference of each disc and are so arranged in position that the metallic band s
comes into contact with the springs t, t¹ upon any excess, either of volts (or of
ampères as the case may be) carrying the indicator either of the voltmeter or of the
ammeter beyond that required for the circuit.
The springs t, t¹, are connected to one pole of a shunt A, and to an electro-
magnet w, the other end of which is connected to the other pole of the shunt A
as shown. Two movable armatures (on spindles) y, y¹, face the poles of the electro-
nagnet. y, is connected with one pole of another shunt B and thence on being
attracted and coming in contact with contact point z through a bell z, or bells, or
indicators to the other pole of this other shunt B so as to call attention
automatically to the excess."
The spindle of the other armature y' is connected to one pole of the dynamo-electric

page_text: machine viâ C, the other pole of the dynamo being connected to one end of the main
conductor or service wire circuit, or electric motor to which any excess is to be
transferred.
The armature y' has a contact point opposite its lower arm in connection with the
other end of the main conductor or service wire circuit or electric motor via D, and
on y being attracted (similarly to y) to the electro-magnetic coil, w, it makes contact
with and thus diverts the surplus automatically into such main or service conductor
or electric motor. The same will also apply in connecting y¹ to a short circuit in
cases where the object is simply to neutralise and not to utilise the excess in this
case y' is connected to one end of the short circuit, the other end being joined to one
end of the main conductor or service wire.
On the contact arm of y' making contact (through the armature being attracted to
the electro magnet) with the contact point, at the other end of the main or service
wire, a given amount of the electricity is neutralised by passing through the short
circuit. The movements of y, y' are regulated by adjustable points p, p, and
springs r, l.
Conducting bands may also be fixed to these discs, or others, on the spindles of the
voltmeter and ammeter, with springs pressing on other parts of the circumferences of
the discs, so as to call attention similarly to any undue failing off of volts or ampères.
The conducting band, s, may also be arranged to be movable or adjustable on the
disc if required, so as to vary the maximum or minimum point.
When continuous currents are employed and it is desired to store any surplus
current, instead of the contact point z being joined to the main or service wire, we
connect it with one pole of the storage cells or
" accumulators."
The armature y' is connected to one pole of the dynamo-electric machine, as before,
the other pole of the dynamo being connected to the other pole of the storage cells.
Instead of employing a disc with a conducting band in connection with the electro
magnet, w, as previously described we also connect w to a shunt circuit on the main
conductor or service wire, and regulate the armatures y, y' by adjustable springs.
Attention is thus called to any excess of current by y being attracted to the electro
magnet with sufficient strength to overcome the regulating spring and at the same
time any surplus is automatically diverted by the attraction of y₁ to the other pole of
the electro magnet, either into another main conductor or service wire as before: or
if preferred into storage cells or "accumulators," by means of connection with the
dynamo-electric machine as.last described.
i
By this apparatus a deficiency of electricity is also automatically provided against,
while the warning of the deficiency is at the same time given. This we effect by
regulating the adjustable springs of the armatures y, y', so that the proper working
current passing through the shunt connected to the electro-magnet w overcomes the
regulating springs, but on the current becoming too weak the springs draw the
arinatures y, y away from the poles and bring their contact arms against the contact
points p, p, which are connected to B and D instead of z 1. p thus calls attention to
the deficiency and p' is connected to another dynamo electric machine or to storage
cells or "
accumulators or to another main conductor or service wire, so as to supply
automatically the deficiency.
"
A set of such electro magnetic coils with armatures y, y¹, y², y³ (etc.) may be
employed connected as above, with their regulating springs adjusted so as to come
successively into operation either as the surplus or deficiency increases. The arrows
in Figs. 2 and 3 indicate the currents on contact being made."
Fig. 3 shows a method of effecting the same purposes as in Fig. 2, but by means of
a balanced arm on the spindle of the voltmeter, or ammeter and making the requisite
contacts by means of metallic points dipped successively into metallic vessels containing
mercury.
We prefer to make the points in pairs, dipping into two vessels side by side so as to
avoid making any electrical connections through the spindle. Each pair of mercury
vessels is separately connected to electro-magnetic coils each acting as in Fig. 2
in connection with a bell or alarms and to introduce or cut out more or less storage

page_text: cells (or accumulators) to increase or diminish the force or quantity of the current,
i.e., the volts or ampères or both combined. Also when necessary to divert surplus
current into other mains or service wires or storage cells, when continuous currents
are employed or also to divert such surplus current into a separate circuit, by means
of which any surplus current (either alternating or continuous) may be applied either
to lighting, heating turning motors, or other purposes. Finally in the case of
alternating currents to act upon any suitable apparatus either to change the alternating
current by direct action to a continuous current, or to effect this purpose indirectly by
a motor driven by the alternating current which actuates a continuous current dynamo
machine. s is the spindle of the voltmeter or ammeter. o, o, the balanced arm on
the spindle, 9999 the double contact points which may be varied in number as
required. rrrr the connecting vessels containing mercury. w 1, 2, 3, 4,
electro magnets with armatures and connections as in w Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The methods herein described for automatically diverting surplus electricity
from one electric main to another or others, or from one service wire to another or
others.
2. The employment of shunt wires from the main conductors or service wires in
connection with an electric bell or bells or other indicators, to give warning
automatically of any excess or deficiency of electricity substantially as described.
3. The employment of discs, or wheels, with conducting bands; or of balanced
arms with conducting points, attached to the spindles of the amineter and voltmeter,
or other measuring for electricity-such conducting bands, or conducting points, being
brought at given points of their movement by the spindles into electric connection
with conductors, such as metallic springs or vessels containing mercury, and thus
giving automatic warning of any excess or deficiency substantially as described.
4. The methods of automatically diverting any excess of electricity or of auto-
matically utilising any such excess or supplying any deficiency of electricity in a
main conductor or service wire, or transferring such excess of electricity to an electric
motor, or continuous currents into storage cells, by connecting the conducting band
or bands or arm, attached to the voltmeter or ammeter spindle, to an electro magnetic
coil, or coils with armatures making the requisite connections substantially as
described.
5. The employment of a shunt circuit or circuits from the main conductor or service
wire, in direct connection with an electro-magnetic coil (or coils) and armatures, with
the same object as in claim No. 4.
F. W. ENGELBACH.
E. B. BRIGHT.