IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL SWITCHES to be as follows:
Year: 1884

page_text: We WILLIAM BROOKS SAYERS of Belgrave Road Birmingham in the County of
Warwick Electrical Engineer and GEORGE HOOKHAM of New Bartholomew Street
Birmingham, aforesaid Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL SWITCHES to be as
follows:-
"
When it is desired to couple an electric generator with a storage battery or
accumulator for the purpose of charging the latter, or when running a generator
and storage battery parallel it is requisite that means should be provided for
preventing the loss and possible damage that would ensure if from any causė
the generator should cease to supply a current of a certain electro-motive
force (E. M. F.).
In order to prevent this we connect directly one pole or terminal of the generator
with one pole or terminal of the battery in the ordinary way, the other con-
nection we make through an automatic switch or contact-maker constructed as
follows:-
--
On a horizontal stand or table we fix a vertical bar electro-magnet having a
core about five inches in length and three quarters of an inch thick. The lower
end has rectangular polar extensions to right and left. The central portion is
wound with wire of comparatively high resistance, say N° 22 B. W. G. and over
this one or two layers of wire of much lower resistance, say N° 10 B. W. G.
These two coils are so connected with the generator and the battery that if the
current is from the generator to the battery, the inner coil is short-circuited, and
the current passes through the outer coil with but slight fall of potential, but if
the current is reversed, the circuit through the outer coil is broken, and the current
passes through the inner coil of high resistance. If, in the former case, the lower
pole is positive, in the latter it is negative. The upper pole is continued a short
distance vertically, and to it.is hinged by means of a pin passing through it from
front to back a bent or horseshoe electro-magnet. The pin passes through the
central point of the bent magnet at right angles to the plane passing through
the axes of its limbs; and consequently the axis of the vertical bar magnet will
lie in the same plane; in which also the bent magnet is free to swing to a limited
extent to right or left. The bent inagnet is hereinafter called the swinging magnet.
The two limbs of this magnet are wound with a large number of turns of very fine

page_text: wire, say, N° 30 B. W. G, and have a very high resistance. The winding is similar
in every respect on the two limbs; and when no current is passing through any
part of the system the swinging magnet will balance about the pin on which it is
hinged. This magnet is so wound that its poles have opposite names, the central
point being neutral; and as the current always passes through its coils in the same
direction, each pole always remains the same. We prefer to make the swinging
magnet with two straight limbs and a curved central portion, this portion not
being wound with wire. The length of the limbs is such that the two poles of
the bent magnet swing level with the lower pole of the vertical fixed magnet, and
they have rectangular poles to match the lower pole of this magnet. When one
pole of the swinging magnet is touching a pole of the bar magnet, the other pole
of the swinging magnet is a short distance, say inch, removed from the other
side of this pole. It is clear that if we cause the current to pass from the generator
to the battery, one pole of the swinging magnet will be attracted and the other
repelled, and vice-versa. The parts of the swinging magnet that are wound
with wire are about the same length as the wound part of the bar magnet; and
it will be observed that the inter-action of the upper parts assists that of the
lower.
We will now describe the connections the swinging magnet is connected with
a contact making arrangement or switch, preferably in such manner as to ensure
a rubbing action when contact is made. The coils of the swinging magnet are
connected to the battery or generator as a shunt or derived circuit. The inner
coil of the vertical magnet we call the "feeler" coil, the other the main circuit coil.
The feeler" coil completes the circuit between the generator and battery and is
so connected that when the EM F of the generator exceeds the E M F of the
battery the current through it will produce a polarity in the vertical bar magnet
such that the swinging magnet will take up the position in which contact is made
between the generator and battery terminals through the main-circuit coil; the
feeler" is then short-circuited, and the current through the main-circuit coil
suffices to maintain the swinging magnet in position. If however, the E M F of
the generator should fall below that of the battery, the current through the main
coil will be reversed, and the reversed polarity of the vertical magnet will cause
the swinging magnet to move over to the other side and so break the main circuit.
As soon as the main circuit is broken, the "feeler" coil again comes into play and
maintains the swinging magnet in this position until the E M F of the generator
is restored, when it causes the main circuit to be re-established in the manner just
explained.
"
We do not confine ourselves to the special forms of magnets described, other
shapes may be given to them, e. g. one limb of the bent magnet may be dispensed
with.
The coils of the swinging and fixed magnets may change places.
The arrangement is applicable when it is desired to run two or more generators
parallel.
W
at confine summalizas to one'nantianlou dimensions

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
1
Improvements in Automatic Electrical Switches.
We, WILLIAM BROOKS SAYERS of Belgrave Road, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Electrical Engineer, and GEORGE HOOKHAM of New Bartholomew
Street, Birmingham, aforesaid, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL SWITCHES," and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
When it is desired to couple an electric generator with a storage battery or
accumulator for the purpose of charging the latter, or when running a generator.
and storage battery parallel it is requisite that means should be provided for
preventing the loss and possible damage that would ensue if from any cause
the generator should cease to supply a current of a certain electro-motive'
force (E M F).
In order to prevent this we connect directly one pole or terminal of the generator
with one pole or terminal of the battery in the ordinary way, the other connection
we make through an automatic switch or contact-maker constructed as follows:-.
.On a horizontal stand or table we fix a vertical bar electro-magnet having a
core about five inches in length and three quarters of an inch thick-The lower
end has rectangular polar extensions to right and left-The central portion is
wound with wire of comparatively high resistance, say, N° 22 B. W. G, and over
this one or two layers of wire of much lower resistance say N° 10 B, W, G.
The upper pole is continued a short distance vertically, and to it is hinged.
by means of a pin passing through it from front to back a bent or horse shoe
electro magnet-The pin passes through the central point of the bent magnet at
right angles to the plane passing through the axes of its limbs; and consequently
the axis of the vertical bar magnet will lie in the same plane; in which also the
bent magnet is free to swing to limited extent to right or left-The bent magnet
is hereinafter called the swinging magnet-The two limbs of this magnet are
wound with a large number of turns of very fine wire, say N° 30. B. W. G, and
have a very high resistance-The winding is similar in every respect on the two
limbs; and when no current is passing through any part of the system the
swinging magnet will balance about the pin on which it is hinged-This magnet
is so wound that its poles have opposite names, the central point being neutral;
and as the current always passes through its coils in the same direction, each pole
always remains the same-We prefer to make the swinging magnet with two
straight limbs and a curved central portion, this portion not being wound with
wire The length of the limbs is such that the two poles of the bent magnet swing
level with the lower pole of the vertical fixed magnet, and they have rectangular
poles to match the lower pole of this magnet-When the stop on one pole of the
swinging magnet is touching a pole of the bar magnet, the other pole of the
swinging magnet is a short distance, say inch, removed from the other side of

page_text: this pole-It is clear that if we cause the current to pass from the generator to the
battery, one pole of the swinging magnet will be attracted and the other repelled,
and vice versâ The parts of the swinging magnet that are wormed with wire are
about the same length as the wound part of the bar magnet; and it will be
observed that the interaction of the upper parts assists that of the lower.
We will now describe the connections-The swinging magnet is connected with
a contact making arrangement or switch, preperably in such a manner as to ensure
a rubbing action when contact is made-The coils of the swinging magnet are
connected to the battery or generator as a shunt or derived circuit-The inner coil
of the vertical magnet we call the "feeler" coil, the outer the inain-circuit coil-
The feeler" coil completes the circuit between-the generator and battery and is
so connected that when E M F of the generator exceeds the E M F of the battery
the current through it will produce a polarity in, the vertical bar magnet such
that the swinging. magnet will take up the position in which contact is made
between the generator and battery terminals through the main circuit coil; the
feeler" is then short-circuited, and the current through the main circuit coil.
suffices to maintain the swinging magnet in position-If however the E M F of
the generator should fall below that of the battery, the current through the main
coil will be reversed, and the reversed polarity of the vertical magnet will cause
the swinging magnet to move over to the other side and so break the main circuit-
As soon as the main circuit is broken, the "feeler" coil again comes into play and
maintains the swinging magnet in this position until the E M F of the generator
is restored, when it causes the main circuit to be re-established in the manner
just explained.
We do not confine ourselves to the special form of magnets, other shapes may be
given to them, e. g. one limb of the bent magnet may be dispensed with.
The coils of the swinging and fixed magnets may change places.
The arrangement is applicable when it is desired to run two or more generators
parallel-We do not confine ourselves to any particular dimensions.
We will now proceed to describe the invention with reference to the Drawings.
Referring to figures 1, 2 and 3-a is the horizontal base-b the vertical magnet-
c the swinging magnet-d a contact maker actuated by the swinging magnet c, by
means of the lever e-f is the "feeler" coil-m the main circuit coil, and 8 s the
shunt coils The ends of the "feeler" coil are joined directly to the terminals t t¹-
One end of the main circuit coil is joined to the terminal t, and the other to onc
side of the contact maker d-The other side of the contact maker d is joined to
the terminal t-One end of the shunt coil s s is joined to the terminal t¹-the
other to terminal t?.
. Referring to Figure 4, d is a diagramatic representation of the dynamo b of the
battery, c the automatic switch coupled ready for working-One pole of the
dynamo connected direct to one pole of the battery at a, the other pole of
the dynamo is connected to one end of the "feeler" coil f, and one end of. the
main circuit coil m; the other end of the "feeler" coil f is connected direct to the
battery wire k, the other end of the main circuit coil m is connected to the mercury
cup p The battery wire is connected to another mercury cup p-It. will be seen
that when the current flows from the dynamo through the battery, and the coils
are connected so as to give the polarity indicated by the letters n, ns; s, s, 8, n,
the position of the swinging, magnet will be such as to make the fork h dip into
the mercury cups p p₁, and so complete the low resistance circuit through the
coil m-If the current is reversed the polarity of the vertical magnet becomes s at
the top; and n n at the bottom, causing the swinging magnet to lift the fork hout
of the mercury cups p p', breaking the low résistance circuit, and leaving. the
." feeler," coil in action ready to complete the low resistance circuit. when the
current is again in the right direction..

page_text: Having particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention-We
claim not the employment of an electromagnetic arrangement operating a contact
breaker-mercury or otherwise, but we claim
An electromagnetic system, having magnets wound with shunt coil or coils,
main circuit coil or coils, and a coil or coils described herein before, and called
"feeler" coil or coils--the magnets arranged so as to mutually assist one another
actuating; by means of levers or otherwise a contact breaker or switch, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.