Electrical Heating Apparatus.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 7th Dec., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by H. W. JOHNS MANUFACTURING Co., 87, Maiden
Lane, in the City and County of New York, a Corporation duly organized
and existing under Laws of State of New Jersey.]
Electrical Heating Apparatus.
I, VICTOR ISIDORE FEENY of 60 Queen Victoria Street in the City and'
County of London, Chartered Patent Agent 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 relates to an improvement in electrical devices having special
application to electric heaters, and has for its object the more perfect regulation
of the current caused to pass through the heater whereby heating of the rheostat
or regulator is avoided, and also no loss of current is sustained.
The device invented and herein set forth is inexpensive to manufacture, small
in size handsome in appearance. and simple in construction being therefore well
adapted for the purpose.
"
It has heretofore been customary, when necessary to regulate the amount of
electric energy or current passing into structures of the character of an electrical
heating device, to do so by what is commonly known as a "resistance on some
part of the current between the source of supply and the point of use.
This
resistance is usually divided into two or more parts, into one or more of which the
current is directed by proper and well known methods and appliances, the arrange-
ment thus combined being known under the technical name of "Rheostat."
The function of the rheostat being to act as an obstruction to the passage of.
the electric current, the energy barred or dammed against passage through
the circuit, of which the rheostat is a part, is dissipated in heat, the result of
which is that the rheostat becomes more or less heated, and in some cases and
under some conditions, to a degree that makes manual manipulation impossible and .
renders it a source of danger.
From an economical standpoint, it is obviously injudicious to generate energy
that accomplishes no useful purpose and that can only be disposed of by a
transformation into waste heat.
To overcome the difficulties and dangers attending the use of the rheostat, the
present invention has been made, by which its use is obviated and all the heat
generated in the wires of the heater is utilized and conserved.
The arrangement, combination and operation are shown and described in the
accompanying drawing, in which―
Figure 1 illustrates a perspective of a flexible electrical heater, showing the
device as a whole, einbodying our invention.
Figure 2 illustrates a partially sectioned view of our invention.
Figure 3 illustrates an elevation of the operative interior parts of the invention,
showing the switch in one position.
Figure 4 illustrates a view the same as Figure 3, excepting that the position of
the switch is changed.
Figure 5 illustrates a view the same as Figures 3' and, 4, excepting that the
switch is in still a different position.
Figures 6 and 7 illustrate modified constructions.
A is the body of the flexible heater, which need not here be described, because
7

page_text: a
such devices are now comparatively well known. It comprises, generally speaking,
woven fabric, the warp threads whereof are composed of asbestos or other
suitable insulating and non-conducting material, and the filling threads are
composed of asbestos or other like material having continuous metallic wires or
strands forming part of and woven with them. The fabric, as above set forth, is
ordinarily enclosed within an exterior casing of suitable flexible inaterial, waich
gives a finish and additional protection. to the same; other ways of constructing
the body of the heater may be adopted.
A part of the invention consists in the special method of making the flexible
woven material, that is to say, the filling threads have incorporated with them,
two, three or more separated and insulated conducting wires. These wires, of
course, follow the course of the filling thread, are looped upon themselves at the
selvages of the cloth andrare. continuous throughout the fabric from end to end, so
that the fabric can be cut across at any desired point, to make a larger or smaller
heater,. and the: ends of the wires at the place of cut, being brought out at the
edge of the material, may connect with. the circuit wires as desired. In the
drawing in question, three separate wires, B,..C and D are illustrated, each of them.
enclosed in a wrapper E, F and G, of asbestos or other non-conducting: material,
whereby. they are insulated from each other.. The three strands are woven all
together, forming, the filling of the fabric..
Ln. Figure. 1,, these. filling threads are simply indicated as looped upon. tliemselves,
the warp threads are indicated as an upper and. lower sheet for the purpose. of
making the drawings more clear; they are, however, in fact, preferably interwoven
with the filling, threads as usual in the fabrication of woven goods of this general
class. His the contact plug; I is a two-strand cable, which connects. the plug
with the switch J; K is a three strand cable, composed of the strands L, L'
and. L. The strand L. is connected with. the induction end of the heater and all
three of, the wires B, C and D are connected with the wire or wires in. the
strand L. The strands L' and L2, however, connect with the eduction end of the
heater, and one of them, L',. connects with a single wire E of the filling, and
the other L connects with two of the wires F and G.
At the switch the cable I, as shown in Figure 2, enters through an insulating
plug. M and inside of the switch one of the strands L passes straight through the
switch and proceeds to the induction end of the heater; the other strand N
connects with the return contacts within the switch and completes the circuit.
O is a rotary metallic circuit-closing device, which is provided with three contact
points, best seen in Figure 3; they are-P, P', P²; Q is the ordinary insulated
thumb nut for turning the device O. The parts, P, PI, P, during the rotation of
the circuit-closer, connect respectively with spring contacts R and R', and the
strand L of the cable K which carries the return wire E, connects with the
contact R; and the strand L' of the cable K, which carries the return wires F
and G, connects with the spring contact R. S (see Fig. 2) is a spring which
confines. the circular-closer O when the circuit is broken.
In Figure 6, is shown a modified construction of the invention, in which the two
induction wires C and D, and consequently the two eduction wires F and G are
combined into one having double the current capacity of a single wire, the
operation of the parts in all respects is the same as in the other case.
In Figure 7 still another modification is shown. In it, the induction, wire
marked B, C and D (since it. takes the place of these three wires in Figure 1) is
shown as passing into the heater and the return wires are shown respectively as
single and double-they all connecting with the induction wire at one end and
with the appropriate contact of the switch at the other; the wire E acting singly
for a minimuin current and the wire F, G, which connects with the double or looped
wires, of course, acts with double the current conveying and consequent heating
effect as the single one E.
The operation of the device is as follows: the current passes from the source of
supply through the plug H and strand L of the cable I and K, to the induction

page_text: end of the heater, where it connects with all the three wires B, C and D., When
the circuit-breaker O is in the position shown in Figure 2, the circuit is broken?
bicanse it does not engage with either one of the spring contacts R or R. When,
however, the circuit-breaker is turned a quarter turn into the position shown in
Figure 3, then the contact R and the single wire E, which is carried by the"
strand L of the cable K is put into circuit; consequently one of the three wires
in the heater is. heated by the passage of the current through it, and a moderate
or mild heat is generated in the device.
Upon turning the circuit breaker another quarter turn, in other words, making"
a half revolution, as shown in Figure 4, then the contact surface. P is moved away
from the spring contact R, but the contact surface P¹ is brought into contact with.
The spring contact R', and this spring contact connects with the strand L³ of the
cable K, which carries the two wires F and G; consequently these two. are now
thrown into circuit, and a greater heat is generated in the device.
Upon turning the device another quarter turn, in other words,, three-quarters.of
a complete revolution, then the surface of the circuit closer makes contact with the
spring contact finger R and the contact surface P¹ still retains its connection with '
the spring finger R¹ because the surface P is made somewhat in the form of a
cam, that is to say, it is partially concentric with the shaft of the circuit breaker ;
consequently both of the strands L' and L* are thrown into the circuit and all
three wires, E, F and G are in circuit and the device is heated to its maximum
degree. Now, upon giving the circuit breaker another quarter turn, in other
words, completing its revolution, it is returned to its position as shown in Figure 2,
in which no part of it engages with either the spring contacts R or R' and the
circuit is broken. It will readily be understood by those who are familiar with
this art, that the foregoing is one form only in which our device may be con-
structed. We regard it as good a form as any other, because of its compactness,
simplicity and handsome appearance, but we do not limit ourselves to the same.
It will be understood that any number of wires may be incorporated in a heating
device, upon the principle above explained by us-we show three wires only because
that is sufficient under ordinary circumstances, but any number from two up, may
be employed, the necessary modifications being made in the circuit breaker and
co-acting parts, and in the wire connections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is―
First. The combination in an electric heater of two or more continuous and
separately insulated conductors, embodied within and extending throughout the
heater, an induction current conveyor which connects with them all and a plurality
of eduction current conveyors, one of which at one end connects with one of said
conductors, and the other or others with more than one, and at the other end with
a switch constructed and arranged to make and break circuit with one or more of
said current conveyors, as desired, for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination in a switch for electrical apparatus of a movable
make and break circuit device having the following contact surfaces; two laterally
projecting pins in different longitudinal planes, one of them made in the form of a
cam, so as to continue contact with its contact spring during at least a quarter
revolution of the switch, thus constituting in effect a third contact point; and two
or more stationary contact surfaces, said devices being so arranged relative to each
other that upon rotation of the switch, different circuits will be closed or opened
as desired, for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination in an electric heater of two or more continuous and
separately insulated conductors, which are embodied within and extend throughout
the heater, an induction current conveyor, which connects with them all, and a
plurality of eduction current conveyors, one of which at one end connects with one
of the said conductors and the other or others with more than one, and at the

page_text: other end with separately insulated, stationary contact points in a switch, and a.
movable make and break circuit device in the switch having projecting contact
points located in different longitudinal planes, and one of them made in the form
of a cam, for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. The combination in an electric heater of two or more continuous and
separately insulated conductors woven into the fabric of the heater and extending
throughout substantially its entire area, and induction and eduction current,
conveyors, for the purposes set forth.
Fifth. The combination in an electric heater of two or more continuous and
separately insulated conductors of different current carrying capacities woven into
the fabric of the heater, and extending throughout substantially its entire area
and induction and eduction current conveyors, for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. The combination in an electric heater of two or more continuous and
separately insulated conductors, some of them being single wires, and some double
or looped, and all connected with the induction wire at one end, and engaging
directly or indirectly with the switch at the other end, for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 19th day of September 1895.