Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1893-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
I, HENRY CRUDGINGTON, Traveller, residing at "The Limes," Church Road,
Moseley in the City of Birmingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention pertains to electric are lamps, and has for its object certain
improvements in the feeding mechanism of the carbons which gives to the said
carbons a constant uniform and gradual feed movement, and also maintains them
during their consumption.
The arc lamps to which this invention particularly refers are those having
carbon feeding devices consisting for the most part of a brake wheel, carried upon
the rotating axis from which are suspended, by pullies and cords, the holders con-
taining the carbons, around or in a groove upon the periphery of which said wheel
encircles or is located a chain or band controlled by a series and a shunt coil
operating a common soft iron core and electro magnet.
It is in the means for controlling this brake wheel, which is operated through the
gravity of the carbon holders and the electro-magnets, wherein the invention
resides, and the simplicity and effectiveness of the said means, so as to render a
cheap production of the article and a constant and uniform balance and feed of
the carbons, which forms the advantages of this invention over any other feeding
devices for the carbons now in use.
According to this invention the brake-wheel, which may have either a plain or a
grooved periphery, is mounted upon and carried by a rotating axis, carrying the
suspension pullies of the carbon holders, chains or cords passing over the sail
pullies in the ordinary manner. The brake-wheel and suspension axis is sup-
ported within pillar supports or brackets attached to the top face of the cylindrical
disc-like head of the arc lamps frame, and the movable carbon holder or holders is, or
are, so weighted as to exert a rotary movement upon the said axis through the
intervention of the suspended cords and pullies before mentioned. Close to the
brake wheel is arranged the electro-magnet or magnets of the series and shunt coils,
and mounted upon a bracket or its equivalent upon the cylindrical head, as afore-
said, so that its one end comes within the attractive field of the electro-magnet or
magnets is the long arm of a rocking lever, which constitutes the brake lever and
part of the medium for connecting the said magnet or magnets with the brake
wheel. The short arm of this brake lever has connected rigidly but adjustably to
it the one end of a chain or band, which passes around the periphery of, or lies
within the groove of, the circumference of the brake wheel, the other end of the
said chain or band, after passing four fifths of the way round the brake wheel,
being connected rigidly to a small pulley or drum, fitted with a balance weight or
a volute spring so as to exert upon the said pulley or drum a winding-up or pulling-
in tendency in respect of its chain, cord or band.
This pulley or drum and its winding-up means is, preferably, loosely mounted
upon the fulcrum pin of the brake lever, and has a freedom of movement apart from

page_text: the short arm of the brake lever in a paying-out direction of the chain or band,
but is connected to the said short arm and limited to a part of the latter's movement
when the said drum or pulley exerts a winding-in action upon the cord or band.
The connection means between the winding-up and paying-out pulley or drum and
the brake lever may be either a projection upon the one and an adjustable set pin,
having a locking nut upon its shank, upon the other, or any other suitable device
which will allow of an adjustment so as to limit the movement of the paying-out
pulley or drum in order to instantly free the brake band or chain from the periphery
of the brake wheel at the required period.
The brake lever's short arm is, for the purpose of this invention, the equivalent
of a pulley or a segment of a pulley mounted upon the axis of
the paying out pulley or drum and connected by a rising and falling
arm, which partly rotates it, with the electro magnet, and
its arrange-
ment is such as to ensure the larger pulley only revolving about one half
the distance of the smaller or paying-out drum or pulley, in consequence of which
the connection part of the smaller pulley soon leaves the connection part of the
larger pulley or short end of the brake lever.
In working, a constant frictional brake pressure is obtained by reason of the
winding-in and paying-out pulley or drum over-running, as it were, the short arm
or pulley like end of the brake lever, and keeping by means of its winding up
device the chain or band unformally tort as well as imparting to the brake lever
a greater sensitiveness in respect of the electro-magnets. When the points of the
carbons are properly distanced to strike the arc, the paying out pulley or drum
is quite independent of the brake lever other than its tendency is to wind-in or
pull the chain or band around and onto the periphery of the brake wheel from the
short arm or pulley-like end of the brake lever to which the one end is attached.
but immediately or slightly before the brake wheel is freed by the reverse rocking
movement of the brake lever the connection part of the paying-out pulley or drum
comes against the connection part of the brake lever as a stop, and all their further
movement is in common; the brake wheel by this common movement being freed
and allowed to rotate.
The axis of the paying-out and winding-in pulley or drum can be independent
of the fulcrum of the brake lever, but these parts must be connected at some point
in their movement whilst at other times they are made to be independent except
through the medium of the chain or band connection.
Dated this 1st day of Walm
1000
improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
I, HENRY CRUDGINGTON, Traveller, residing at "The Limes." Church Road,
Moseley, in the City of Birmingham, 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:-
This invention pertains to electric arc lamps, and consists in certain improve-
ments in the feed mechanism of the carbons which have for their object to give to
the carbon points a more uniform, gradual and steady feed than hitherto.
The arc lamps to which this invention particularly refers are those having
carbon supporting devices consisting, in the most part, of a brake wheel, carried

page_text: upon a rotating axis, from which are suspended, by pullies and cords, the holders
carrying the carbons, around or in a groove upon the periphery of which said
brake wheel encircles a chain or band controlled so as to grip onto or free the brake
wheel by a feed mechanism which in its turn is brought into and out of action by
series and shunt coils operating a soft iron core or electro-magnet.
It is in the construction of the feed mechanism for controlling the "slip" and
"grip" of this brake wheel, which is rotated through the gravity of the carbon
holders, wherein the invention resides, and the simplicity and effectiveness of the
said means, so as to render a cheap production of the article and a constant and
uniform balance and feed of the carbons, which forms the advantages of this in-
vention' over any other feeding devices for the carbons now in use.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings Figs. 1 and 2 show the feeding mechanism
according to this invention applied to a suspending means for the carbons of the
kind herein before referred to, the said figs. showing respectively the positions
of the parts when the arc is properly struck and the brake wheel "gripped," and
when the current has been shunted and the brake. wheel "slipped."
In these figs. the brake wheel a, which may have either a plain or a grooved
periphery, is mounted upon and carried by an axis a² suitably supported and
carrying suspension pullies and carbon holders, chains or cords a passing over
the said pullies for the suspension of the said holders in the ordinary manner.
The carbon.holders carrying the carbons therefore exert a rotating tendency upon
the axis a².
Close to the brake wheel a is arranged the electro magnets of the series and
shunt coils c, c², and mounted upon a bracket or its equivalent, d, upon the
cylindrical, head d², of the arc lamps frame, and so that its one end ³ comes
within the attractive field of the magnets is the long arm e of a rocking lever e,
which constitutes the actual brake lever and the particular part for connecting the
said magnets with the feed mechanism and the brake wheel. The short arm e' of
this brake lever has connected rigidly, but adjustably, to it the one end g² of the
chain or band, g, which passes round the periphery, or lies within the groove in
the circumference, of the brake wheel the other end g³ of the said chain or band,
after the latter has passed four fifths of the way around the brake wheel, being
connected rigidly to a small drum i fitted with a weighted end 22 or its equivalent
so as to always exert upon the said drum a winding up or pulling in tendency in
respect of the particular end of the chain or band surrounding it.
This drum and its winding up means is loosely mounted upon the fulcrum pin
of the brake lever, and has a perfect freedom of movement apart from the short
arm, et, of the brake lever in a paying out direction of the chain or band, but is
connected to the said short arm and limited to a part of its movement when the
said drum or pulley exerts a winding in action upon the cord or band and when
the chain or band momentarily slips the brake wheel by becoming slightly loose
over it. The connection means between the winding in and paying out drum is an
adjustable set pin n which is carried upon the short arm of the brake lever. This
set pin passes vertically through the said short arm and its end n³ comes in the
path of a projection, 23, rigidly carried by the drum i, the said projection taking any
suitable form which will impinge against the set pin's end as a stop in order to
instantly free the brake band or chain from the periphery of the brake wheel at
the required period.
The brake lever's short arm & is the equivalent of a segment of a drum of
larger diameter than the drum i, and is mounted independent of the last-named
drum and connected with a rising and falling arm which is operated from the
electro magnets.
The positions of the parts according to this invention in Fig. 1, show the long
arm of the lever e attracted by the series electro-magnet, and as a consequence
the short arme which is the equivalent of the larger drum, pulled down to
rotate the brake wheel and strike the arc between the carbon's points. In striking

page_text: the are the end g2 of the chain or cord is pulled down a certain distance and,
must, of necessity, be paid out by the drum i. This paying out from a smaller
drum causes the said drum and the projection and the weighted end ² to
travel at a greater rate than does the short arm, and therefore the said pro-
jection to quickly leave the set pin end n², the frictional brake
pressure all the time being constant by reason of the uniform winding-
in tendency of the drum i, the chain or band being thus uniformly taut.
It will be obvious from Fig. 1 that the paying out drum is at this time quite in-
dependent of the brake lever other than its tendency is to pull the chain or band
tight round the brake wheel against the attractive force of the series coil.
When the carbon points separate sufficient to shunt the current, the weighted
end of the drum i gradually overcomes the attractive force of the electro magnet
on the long arm e2 and rocks it into the position shown in Fig. 2, the said drum
and the projection moving at a multiple rate to the movement of the short arm e³,
and in consequence the said projection overtakes the end of the set pin n and
momentarily tips the lever carrying it. This tipping looses the band or cord
and "slips" the brake wheel until sufficient of the carbons is fed, when the long
arm of the lever e is again attracted by the series electro-magnet and the arc is
struck. The position of the parts when slipping the brake wheel to feed the car-
bons is shown in Fig. 2.
Instead of the weighted end winding up the chain on the drum i, a volute
spring may be used, and the set pin may be carried upon the projection
with an equal effect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is―
First. In are lamps of the kind referred to in which a brake wheel and a friction
chain or band is used, controlling the "slip" and "grip" of the brake wheel by
devices which are connected to the chain's free ends or terminations, and which are
so arranged in respect of each other that the one device moves at a greater rate
and through a larger space than the other device and overtakes it and constitutes
a tipping medium thereto for the purpose of momentarily slackening the chain or
band, substantially as described.
Second. In an electric arc lamp, the combination with the carbon's suspending
means, the brake wheel a, and the friction band g, of a brake lever e having
attached to its one end one of the ends of the friction band and which carries an
adjustable stop n and is mainly controlled by the series electro-magnet, a winding
up and paying out drum i having the other end of the friction band connected to
it and being provided with a protection such as 2 and a winding up means, and
which is so arranged that it and the parts it carries move at a quicker rate, in
proportion to the amount of the movement of the brake band, than does the lever
end carrying the other extremity of the friction band and constitutes the tipping
media to momentarily free the brake wheel, for the purpose substantially as
described and set forth.
Third. The general construction arrangement and combination of the parts con-
stituting the slip" and "grip" mechanism of the brake wheel a substantially
as described and set forth.
ર
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London and Manchester,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.