IMPROVEMENTS IN CURRENT- REGULATING DEVICES FOR USE IN THE CIRCUITS OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR OTHER APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"
'We SYDNEY FERRIS WALKER, and FRANCIS GERVASE OLLIVER, both of
195 Severn Road, Cardiff, in the County of Glamorgan Electrical Engineers do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CURRENT-
REGULATING DEVICES FOR USE IN THE CIRCUITS OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR OTHER
APPARATUS to be as follows:-
"
1
.
Our present invention is designed to further provide for the regulation of electric
currents by means of apparatus somewhat similar to that described in the specifi-
cation of our former Letters Patent dated March 29th A.D. 1884 N° 5690 but
differing therefrom in respect of the principle of its regulating action as will appear
from the following description.
Our said invention is designed for such purposes as preventing the flickering
or irregularity of are lamps, or the derangement or destruction of incandescence
lamps, or the heating of wires in electric circuits. It is very advantageous for
circuits in which both arc and incandescence lamps are used, and is applicable
for the regulation of lamps or other instruments arranged either in series or in
parallel or branch circuits. It is also very advantageous for electric motor circuits
to counteract the effects of irregularities, that is to say, it is generally applicable to
any of the systems or arrangements of circuits for electric lighting or other purposes
in which it is necessary or desirable to maintain a constant current.
E
By our said invention we provide for the automatic regulation of the current in
a circuit by varying the resistance at any convenient portion of the same:—that
is to say, we take advantage of the principle involved in the well known law
expressed by the formula C = in which E is the electro-motive force R the
resistance and C the strength of the current. Our invention consists chiefly in
novel means for causing the variations or Huctuations of the electro-motive force,
or of the resistance of the lamps or other apparatus, to produce variations in the
resistance of the regulator so that any slight or momentary increase or decrease of
the E. M. For difference of potential between the terminals of the circuit, or in the
condition of the lamps or other apparatus included therein will be accompanied by
a simultaneous corresponding, or adequate, decrease or increase of the resistance of
the regulator, therefore by virtue of the law above referred to, although the E. M F
or the resistance of the lamps or other apparatus in the circuit may vary, the
current will remain practically constant or invariable,

page_text: The apparatus we use for effecting the object of our said invention comprises an
electro-magnet or solenoid included in the circuit to be regulated, and an armature
or lever carrying a contact piece arranged in combination with a fixed contact
piece.
The principle of action of this apparatus is as follows viz-in the normal
condition of the current in the said circuit the two contact pieces are kept in
contact, with a pressure properly calculated and adjusted to the requirements of
the circuit, but by any increase or diminution of E M F the electro magnet or
solenoid will act with increased or diminished force upon the said lever and thereby
vary the pressure which its contact piece exerts on the fixed contact piece. In
some instances the said apparatus may be so arranged that one magnet or solenoid
counteracts or prevents an increase of current, and another magnet or solenoid
prevents diminution of the current in the said circuit, the result in either case
being the maintenance of a practically constant or unvarying current in the circuit.
And in some instances wo employ, in combination with the said apparatus, an
electro magnet or solenoid in a shunt between the terminals of the machine.
One very simple and convenient form or modification of our apparatus is as
follows, that is to say-an electro-magnet of low resistance has one of its ends
secured to a plate or bracket and connected to one terminal of the main; near the
other end or pole of the said electro-magnet the armature lever, is arranged; tho
said lever is fulcrummed in a plate or bracket. It is insulated from its fulcrum
pin and is in electrical connection, through a wire and the plate or bracket, with
the magnet coil. The armature lever is provided at its free end with a tubular
holder in which is fixed a short rod or pencil of carbon or other suitable
material.
Opposite this holder is arranged a fixed holder in which a similar pencil or rod
of carbon is secured, and to this fixed holder is connected the other terminal of the
main. An adjusting screw is arranged in combination with the said armature
lever to regulate and limit its movement. At the other end of the armature lever
we provide a spring to counteract or resist the attraction of the magnet upon the
said lever. This spring is connected with an adjusting screw whereby its tension
may be regulated.
In another form or modification of our said invention we add to the electro-
magnet, armature-lever, contact-pieces and spring above described a second electro-
magnet. The latter, which is coiled with fine wire and has a comparatively high
resistance, is arranged to act on the same end of the lever as the spring and to
act with the said spring against the attraction of the first or low-resistance magnet.
In this arrangement the said low-resistance magnet acts to diminish the pressure
of the contact pieces, thereby increasing the resistance to compensate for, and
counteract, the effect of increased electro-motive force upon the current, and the
second or high-resistance magnet acts to increase the pressure of the contact points
thereby diminishing the resistance and preventing a diminution of the current in
consequence of a decreased EM F.
It is obvious that in either form or modification of the said apparatus either of
the electro-magnets may be replaced by a solenoid or coil encircling.& cord or
rod attached to the armature lever, without necessitating any changes in the other
parts of the said apparatus.
"

page_text: We, SYDNEY FERRIS WALKER, and FRANCIS GERVASE OLLIVER, both of 195
Severn Road, Cardiff, Glamorganshire, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the
nature of our invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CURRENT REGULATING DEVICES
FOR USE IN THE CIRCUITS OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR OTHER APPARATUS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
Our present invention is designed to further provide for the regulation of electric
currents by means of apparatus somewhat similar to that described in the specifi-
cation of our former Letters Patent dated March 29th, A.D. 1884, No. 5690, but
differing therefrom in respect of the principle of its regulating action, as will appear
from the following description.
Our said invention is designed for such purposes as preventing the flickering or
irregularity of are lamps, or the derangement or destruction of incandescence lamps,
or the heating of wires in electric circuits. It is very advantageous for circuits in
which both arc and incandescence lamps are used, and is applicable for the regulation
of lamps or other instruments arranged either in series or in parallel or branch
circuits. It is also very advantageous for electric motor circuits to counteract the
effects of irregularities of the speod, that is to say, it is generally applicable to any
of the systems or arrangements of circuits, for electric lighting or other purposes, in
which it is necessary or desirable to maintain a constant current.
E
By our said invention, we provide for the automatic regulation of the current in
a circuit by varying the resistance at any convenient portion of the same, that is to
say, we take advantago of the principle involved in the well known law expressed
by the formula C, in which E is the electro-motive force, R the resistance, and
C the strength of the current. Our invention consists chiefly in novel means for
causing the variations or fluctuations of the electro-motive force, or of the resistance
of the lamps or other apparatus, to produce variations in the resistance of the
regulator, so that any slight or momentary increase or decrease of the E. M. F. or
difference of potential between the terminals of the circuit, or in the condition of
the lamps or other apparatus included therein, will be accompanied by a simul-
taneous corresponding or adequate decrease or increase of the resistance of the
regulator; therefore, by virtue of the law above referred to, although the E. M. F.
or the resistance of the lamps or other apparatus in the circuit may vary, the
current will remain practically constant or invariable.
The apparatus we use for effecting the object of our said invention comprises an
electro-magnet or solenoid included in the circuit to be regulated, and an armature
or lever carrying a contact pieco arranged in combination with a fixed-contact
piece.
The principle of action of this apparatus is as follows, viz-In the normal con-
dition of the current in the said circuit, the two contact-pieces are kept in contact
with a pressure properly calculated and adjusted to the requirements of the circuit,

page_text: but, by any increase or diminution of the E. M. F., the electro-magnet or solenoid
will act with increased or diminished force upon the said lever and thereby vary
the pressure which its contact-piece exerts on the fixed contact piece. In some
instances, the said apparatus may be so arranged that one magnet or solenoid
counteracts or prevents an increase of current, and another magnet or solenoid
prevents diminution of the current in the said circuit, the result, in either case,
being the maintenance of a practically constant or unvarying current in the circuit.
And, in some instances, we employ, in combination with the said apparatus, an
electro-magnet or solenoid in a shunt between the terminals of the machine.
One very simple and convenient form or modification of our apparatus is illus-
trated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of the said apparatus.
Figure 2 shews a modification of the same.
Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating its arrangement in an electric lighting circuit.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
A is a plate or base of wood or other suitable material. a is an electro-inagnet;
6 an armature-lever having its fulcrum at c. d is a contact piece of carbon or other
suitable material carried by the said lever. e is a similar contact piece carried in a
fixed holder f.
The electro-magnet a is of low resistance. It has one of its ends secured to a
plate or bracket a¹ and at this end is connected to one terminal g of the main, the
armature lever 6 being arranged near the other end or pole of the said electro-
magnet as shewn. The fulcrum of the said lever is supported in a plate or
bracket a². The lever is usually insulated from its fulcrum pin and is in electrical
connection through a wire h and the plate or bracket a² with the magnet coil.
The armature-lever 6 is provided at its free end with a tubular holder b¹ in which
is fixed the carbon or other contact piece d, which, for convenience, is made in the
form of a short rod or pencil as shown.
Opposite this holder is arranged the aforesaid fixed holder in which the pencil
or rode of carbon is secured; to this fixed holder is connected the other terminal
of the main. An adjusting screw i is arranged in combination with the armature-
lever b to regulate and limit its movement. At the other end of the armature-
lever, we provide a spring j to counteract or resist the attraction of the magnet
upon the said lever. This spring is connected with an adjusting screw j¹ whereby
its tension may be regulated as desired.
In another form or modification of our said invention, we add to the combination
of parts comprising the electro-magnet a, armature-lever b, contact-pieces d, e, and
spring above described, a second electro-magnet / see Figure 2. The latter, which
is coiled with fine wire and has a comparatively high resistance, is arranged to act
on the same end of the lever as the spring ), and to act, with the said spring,
against the attraction of the first or low resistance magnet a. In this arrangement,
the said low resistance magnet acts to diminish the pressure of the one contact piece
upon the other, thereby increasing the resistance to compensate for, and counteract
the effect of, increased electro-motive force upon the current, or of diminished
resistance in the lamps or other apparatus in the circuit; and the second or high
resistance magnet & acts to increase the pressure of the contact points, thereby
diminishing the resistance and preventing a diminution of the current in con-
sequence of increased resistance in the circuit.
It is obvious that, in either form or modification of the said apparatus, either of
the electro-magnets may be replaced by a solenoid or coil without necessitating any
material changes in the other parts of the said apparatus. The said solenoids would
be attached by brackets or otherwise to the base of the apparatus, and suitable cores
or rods would be pivotted to the lever so that they could move freely within the
solenoid coils.
The diagram figure 3 shews four arc-lamps in series with the said apparatus.
The form, proportion or relative arrangement of the parts of the said apparatus
need not be precisely as in the drawing, these details being subject to modification

page_text: according to the precise purpose for which it is to be used, but the apparatus shewn
is a practical illustration of our invention in a form that will be found very
generally advantageous.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is
The improvements in and relating to apparatus or devices wherein the attractive
force of an electro-magnet or solenoid, arranged in combination with contact pieces
included in the circuit to be regulated, tends to cause the separation of the contact
surfaces in opposition to a force which tends to cause their approximation, thereby
varying the resistance and regulating the current in the circuit, as, and for the
purposes, specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicants.