Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Incandescent Electric Lamps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM EMERY NICKERSON, of the United
States of America, and ADOLPH BERRENBERG, of Somerville, County of
Middlesex, Massachusetts, United States of America, Engineer.]
Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Incandescent
Electric Lamps.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent
Agents 45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 apparatus by which a large number of lamps are
exhausted of air at the same time, and in which an influx of air into the vacuum
system from the breaking of a lamp globe or other cause, would injure the heated
filaments.
The object of this invention is to automatically cut out the current of electricity,
from incandescent lamps that are "running on the pumps" when from any cause
from inadvertent
air flows into them as may happen from breaking or
manipulation.
This object is attained by means of the mechanism shown in the accompanying
drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is a drawing mainly diagrammatical, which serves to illustrate one
method of putting this invention in practice.
Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views, enlarged, of a manometer, showing two
methods of using an electric magnet circuit.
Figure 4 is a view in section and elevation showing a device that may be sub-
stituted for the manometer, that is, the aneroid form of barometer is used instead
of the mercurial.
In the drawings, Fig. 1, L-L represents a number of incandescent lamps
connected by forks to the vacuum pipe V by means of the socket pieces V1-V₁ and
put in multiple arc" circuit by the lines C, C¹ with the dynamo D.
<<
The device for cutting out the current from the lamps L-L consists of two
terminals S, S', put into the main lines C¹, and a switch piece S³; this switch
piece S2 is mounted on a drop lever S³ hinged at St and so arranged that when
unsupported by the tilting bar M³ pivoted at M³, it will drop and break the circuit
at S, S', cutting out the lights L-L.
The switch device above described may be operated by means of an auxiliary
circuit, either from an independent generator, a battery B for instance, or by a
shunt current taken from the main line.
Another way to operate the switch piece S2 is to use an aneroid direct as
illustrated in Figure 4.
For operating the cut-out by an electric current the following described device
may be used: An electric magnet M is connected to the battery B and the
manometer G, all in series; now so long as the mercury in the manometer G stands
as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, (that is in the position that it will stand when
there is very nearly a vacuum in the lamps) the ends of the wires mm² will be
immersed in the mercury, an electric current will be maintained and the swinging
armature M will be held in place, which in turn will hold the tilting lever M²
in place, and through it the switch S' in contact with the terminals S, S', thus
maintaining the electric current through the lamps.
If air Hows into the lamps from any cause, then the mercury in the
manometer G falls from the ends of the wires m m², and the auxiliary circuit is
broken and the armature M' is drawn away by the spring Mt. This movement

page_text: of the armature releases the tilting lever M2 (pivoted at M³) and allows the
switch lever S³ to fall, taking with it the switch piece S2, thus cutting out the
lamps L L from the main electric current.
The above described form embodies a closed circuit, but by slightly modifying
the armature M' and the lever M², an open circuit may be used in which case the
mercury in the manometer (Fig. 3) makes a contact for the wires m m² by flowing
up the vacuum branch of the manometer, the wires m m² being placed as shown
(Fig. 3), the action of the inflowing air being the same as before.
A method of operating the switch piece S2 by means of an aneroid is
illustrated in Fig. 4. This method consists in holding the switch piece S² in
place by means of a lever A³, pivoted at A, to the bracket A. This lever A'
is locked in a vertical position by a notch formed in the weighted lever A²
(pivoted at a). The inner end of the lever A² rests on a stud A' extending
from the centre of the movable diaphragm T of the aneroid A. The action is
as follows:-The aneroid A is connected to the vacuum system by means of the
socket piece G2 in the same manner that the manometer would be attached ;
now if the air flows into the vacuum system, that is, into the lamps and con-
sequently into the chamber of the aneroid A, the diaphragm T will at onc
acting through the stud A throw the inner end of the lever A upwards, and
the notched end downwards so as to release the holding lever A³, which being
actuated by the spring A³ will swing on its axis A and allow the switch lever S³ to
drop and break the main circuit. The switching lever A has a handle H, by
means of which it may be operated by hand when desired. Two forms of
aerostat are shown, the mercurial manometer and the aneroid, other forms
can be used.
It is not intended to confine the invention to any particular mechanical means as
its allows of any variations in construction.
In brief, this invention is for a vacuum gage in which an increase of pressure of
air above a minimum standard operates, a device by which the electric current
passing through the lamps is cut out, thus preventing the filaments in the lamps
from injury while "running on the pumps."
We use the expression "vacuum system" to designate a series of lamps that are
being exhausted, and such parts as may be required or used for connecting the said
lamps to the exhaust pump.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is :-
In combination, one or more electric lamps connected to an exhaust apparatus, a
main circuit for flashing the filaments of said lamps, a local circuit, including a
circuit closing device operative upon admission of air to the exhaust apparatus, and
a cut-out for the main circuit controlled by said local circuit, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
1
TA
1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.