IMPROVEMENTS IN , APPARATUS FOR INDICATING CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS FOR LIGHTING OR OTHER PURPOSE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Percy Ruskin Allen of Victoria Works Belvedere Road
Lambeth in the County of Surrey for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
, APPARATUS FOR INDICATING CONTROLLING AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Percy Ruskin Allen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1883.
PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN of Victoria Works Belvedere Road Lambeth in the
County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING CONTROLLING
AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS FOR LIGHTING OR OTHER
PURPOSE
My Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for indicating controlling
and regulating the flow of Electric Currents for lighting or other purpose and
consists as follows:-
The first portion of my Invention relates to a method of indicating in the central
station the extinction of any Lamps upon the circuit or the closing of any switches
or alteration of translating devices which may be operated in the main circuit.
This I may accomplish by means of a modification of what is known as the
"Wheatstone bridge" the unknown resistance being in the Lamp circuit the
known resistance being in the Engine House
When the current is completed through the unknown resistance in the Lamps
the balance is disturbed in the central station and a contact maker is caused to
automatically move over contacts connected with known resistances until a balance
is again arrived at when the instrument stops. When the balance is disturbed
and the Contact starts off a bell is caused to ring to attract the attention of the
Attendant. The bell may be caused to ring by a deviation from the main circuit,
by the action of a spring released by the current or by mechanical means. If the
Lamp goes into action again automatically as sometimes occurs when a piece of
Carbon breaks off and the rod feeds gradually down, the balance is again disturbed
and the Contact pointer continues to travel round till it comes to." zero" where it
remains until another extinction takes place
In applying my Invention to a set of Lamps working in Series "I run an
independent circuit formed by a pair of small wires throughout the Lamps and

page_text: place a resistance Coil say, in each Lamp box, which resistance coil is in the circuit
formed by the small wires-In the ordinary course of events there is not a
complete Circuit through the small wires but the circuit is only completed when
a heel piece in a "Brush" lamp or its equivalent in other species of Lamps is in
such a position that the Lamp is extinguished. When this is done the circuit is
completed through the resistance coil of the Lamp that is extinguished-Now if
there be forty lamps on one Circuit and in each Lamp there is a resistance coil
of 4 ohms placed in the small wire leads, it is obvious that the total resistance in
the small wire leads, if the circuit be completed in the last lamp would be
160 ohms so that if the bridge be used with equal arms and the fine wire circuit
was completed through the last lamp it would require 160 ohms to be inserted at
the other arm of the bridge to restore the balance and the attendant would then
know that it was the 40th lamp that was extinguished but if instead of being
completed through the 40th lamp the fine wire circuit was completed through the
19th lamp it would only require a resistance of 76 ohms to balance in the station
and thus it would indicate that the 19th lamp was out. Instead of a galvano-
meter to indicate the flow of the current from either side of the bridge I prefer to
employ a Solenoid or electro Magnet which becomes active by the passage of the
current through it and either directly puts the Contact mechanism into gear or
indirectly directing a current through an electro Magnet or solenoid For actuating
the contact mechanism I find a very good way is to drive a finger carrying a
spring contact by means of suitable gearing from off the axis of the machine or
some portion of the shafting but in some cases it is convenient to employ a spring
or weight which is wound up from time to time or a small electro motor driven off
a "shunt" to some portion of the circuit But where it is desirable to have the
Indicator in some other portion of the circuit it is generally convenient to employ
an electro motor or a clock mechanism. The resistance coils in the station may be
coils which correspond exactly to those in the Lamps or the resistance may be
made up of a wire bent round the edge of a slate disc or twisted on a Cylinder and
the balance obtained by turning the disc or Cylinder round the Contact arm.
Where the lamps are extinguished on the Circuit at certain hours of the night
either automatically or by hand this can be compensated for in the station by the
insertion of corresponding resistances in the measuring arm of the bridge, or the
switch which extinguishes the Lamp may be so arranged that in the action of
turning the Lamp out, it prevents the circuit being completed through the coil, the
contact being made only when the Lamp is put out accidentally It will be readily
understood that instead of a modification of the "Wheatstone bridge" being;
employed a differential galvanometer or a differential electro-dynamometer may boo
employed and instead of completing the Circuit through a small return wire the
circuit through the resistance coils may be put to earth or completed on to the
main lead wires supplying the current to the Carbons, but I prefer to use an
indicating circuit consisting of two independent wires as it much diminishes the
chances of leakage and accidental breakdowns The current for actuating this
circuit may be derived from any convenient source some form of primary battery
a secondary battery which is kept charged from the mains or the current may be
taken as a shunt to some portion of the circuit where this is done I sometimes put
the two ends of the indicating circuit as a shut to an arc Lamp or lamps in the
station of course in this case the extinction of these Lamps would not be indicated
on the dial but the extinction of these lamps itself would attract attention
Instead of the balance being disturbed in this indicating circuit by means of
the extinction of a Lamp the alteration of the switches or commutators may be
made to effect the same purpose and this would be found useful in places where
portions of the current flowing in the main leads are occasionally diverted from,
the main channel such for instance in the case of where secondary batteries are
being charged. Besides the use of this indicating circuit for making known the
changes that are taking place in the Lamps or Commutators outside it may also
be employed for controlling switches or commutators or relays which are on the

page_text: Lamps themselves or in any other portion of the circuit. For instance where
there are a number of Lamps on the same circuit which it is desirable to turn on
or off from the central Station-I fit these Lamps with Switches constructed on the
principle of the Lock known as the letter Lock. It case it was desired to operate
the switch of each Lamp separately each switch would be set so that it would form
a different combination. This latter combination I prefer to actuate by means of
an electrical escapement resembling that. in use in the receiving step by step
instruments of Wheatstone, Siemens and Brequet and when it is desired to actuate
a particular lamp a succession of impulses are passed through the indicating circuit
until the requisite combination has been arrived at then a direct current is sent
through which causes an electromagnet or solenoid to act and release or manipulate.
the particular switch of which the combination is released-It will be understood.
that all these switches respond to the impulses but it is only the one in which the
combination is released that is enabled, to operate the act of sending the direct
current through to unlock the switch may be made to put all the combinations
back to zero and thus if it is desired to operate another switch another set of
impulses of a determined number is sent through the circuit The indicating circuit'
already referred to may be employed as this controlling circuit also or in some
cases it is advisable to use a separate circuit entirely For transmitting these
impulses I employ any suitable form of transmitter giving alternating currents,
such as Wheatstones Siemens, or Brequets or a transmitter giving a successive
continuous current which actuates suitable ratchets or instead of making the switch
in the form of a letter lock I sometimes prefer to use small pins after the nature
of a musical box-In this case when the Cylinder is revolved in a certain position
it is brought by an electro magnet or its equivalent against a series of tongues all'
these tongues will be acted upon by the pins and the switch moved, but, if the'
proper combination has not been arrived at some only of the pins will be acted.
upon and the switch will not be released
"
:
1
"")
Instead of pins I may sometimes employ chains like those known as "Diggles
chains which are used in fancy patterns and weaving or a series of depressions or
raised surfaces upon the Cylinder. By employing a polarized Magnet to actuate
the switch when the proper combination has been formed it is possible to actuate
the switches or translating mechanism in both directions as when the right'
combination, is arrived at the switch can be moved in either direction depending
upon the direction of the current through the polarized Magnet.
.
The portion of my invention which relates to time switches is intended to'
extinguish a certain number of Lamps at a predetermined time or change the
direction in which the current is flowing so that for instance the current may be
diverted from the Lamps to the accumulators I arrange a switch so that a spring
or weight acting upon it has a constant tendency to pull it over in one direction.
To start the Lamps the switch is set over and is prevented from flying back.by
means of a pawl or catch which is released when the hands of the clock come
round to a certain position-I preferably arrange 'this' so' that a recessed Cam is'
used in combination with an ordinary alarum mechanism and the alarum is set so.
as to go off and release the switch at a predetermined hour, but, where it is desired
to actuate a number of switches from one clock a series of contact pins completing
a local circuit and actuating the various switches may be employed.
In combination with this clock switch I employ a train of wheels resembling
the dials of a gas meter or speed counter and cause the current when it is flowing
through the apparatus to the benefit of the consumer to hold the train of wheels
in gear with the clock by means of an electro-magnet or solenoid. When the
current is not flowing the clock revolves without turning the Index thus a record
is kept of the number of "Lamp hours" or hours by which the consumer benefits
by the supply

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Percy Ruskin Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1883.
PERCY RUSKIN ALLEN of Victoria Works Belvedere Road Lambeth in the
County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR INDICATING CONTROLLING
AND REGULATING THE FLOW OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS FOR LIGHTING OR OTHER
PURPOSE
"
My Invention relates to improvements in apparatus for indicating controlling
and regulating the flow of Electric currents for lighting or other purpose and
consists as follows :-
The first portion of my Invention relates to a method of indicating in the central
station the extinction of any Lamps upon the circuit or the closing of any switches
or alteration of translating devices which may be operated in the main circuit
This I may accomplish by means of a modification of what is known as the
"Wheatstone. Bridge" the unknown resistance being in the Lamp circuit the
known resistance being in the engine House. When the current is completed
through the unknown resistance in the Lamps the balance is disturbed in the
central Station and a contact maker is caused to automatically move over contacts
connected with known resistances until a balance is again arrived at when the
instrument stops. When the balance is disturbed and the contact starts off a bell
is caused to ring to attract the attention of the Attendant. The bell may be
caused to ring by a derivation from the main circuit by the action of a spring
relieved by the current or by mechanical means. If the lamp goes into action
again automatically as sometimes occurs when a piece of carbon breaks off and the
rod feeds gradually down the balance is again disturbed and the contact pointer
continues to travel round till it comes to zero " where it remains until another
extinction takes place.
In the
In applying my Invention to a set of Lamps working in series as illustrated by
the diagram Figure 1 I run an independent circuit formed by a pair of small
wires a a throughout the lamps and place a resistance coil say at a³ in each lamp
box which resistance coil is in the circuit formed by the small wires a a
ordinary course of events there is not a complete circuit through the small wires a
but the circuit is only completed in the said small wires a when a heel piece in a
Brush Lamp or its equivalent in this, or other species of Lamps is in such a
position that the Lamp is extinguished. When the said piece is in this position the
circuit through the fine wires a is completed through the resistance coil of the
Lamp that is extinguished. Now if there be 40 Lamps on one circuit and in each
lamp there be a resistance coil of ohms places in the small wires a it is obvious
that the total resistance in the small wires if the circuit be completed in the last
Lamp would be 160 ohms so that if the bridge be used with equal arms and the fine
wire circuit through a was completed through the last lamp it would require
160 ohms to be inserted at the other arm of the bridge to restore the balance and
the attendant would then know that it was the 40th Lamp that was extinguished
but if instead of being completed through the 40th Lamp the fine wire circuit was
completed through the 19th lamp it would only require a resistance of 76 ohms to
balance in the Station and thus it would indicate that the 19th lamp was out,
Instead of a Galvanometer to indicate the flow of the current from either side of
the Bridge I prefer to employ a solenoid or an electro magnet as at b which becomes
active by the passage of the current through it and either directly puts the contact
mechanism into gear or indirectly directs a current through an electro magnet 6*

page_text: (or a solenoid) For actuating the contact mechanism I find a very good way is to
drive a finger c carrying a spring contact by means of suitable gearing from off the
axis of the machine or some portion of the shafting but in some cases it is
convenient to employ a spring or weight which is wound up from time to time or
a small Electromotor driven off a shunt to some portion of the circuit. As shewn
in the Drawing the worm shaft d is driven off the machine X the said shaft being
mounted to turn on a fulcrum at d² so that when the armature d³ on the said shaft
is attracted by the magnet 62 the said worm gears with the worm wheel c* on the
axis of the finger c until the corresponding amount of resistance is put in thereby.
Figure 2 represents a modification wherein the motion of the contact finger c is
obtained by means of a pawl e² attached to a lever e and engaging with the
ratchet c. The said lever e is connected to an eccentric e³ on the shaft et provided
with a clutch e the shifter ee of which is provided with the armature d³ of the
electro magnet 62 in the fine wire circuit so that when the said armature is attracted
the clutch is engaged with the box on the driving wheel e' driven from the machine
and the eccentric is then operated to move round the contact finger c (or its
equivalent.)
Where it is desirable to have the Indicator in some other portion of the circuit
it is generally convenient to employ an Electromotor or a clock mechanism. The
resistance coils in the Station through which the finger c makes contact may be
coils which correspond exactly with those in the Lamps or the resistance may be
made of a wire (say of platinum) as at c³ bent round the edge of a slate disc c or
twisted on a Cylinder. The balance may be obtained in this case either by turning
the disc or cylinder round the contact arm or the reverse.
Where the lamps are extinguished on the circuit at certain hours of the night
either automatically or by hand this can be compensated for in the Station by the
insertion of corresponding resistances in the measuring arm of the bridge or the
switch which extinguishes the Lamp may be so arranged that in the action of
turning the lamp out it prevents the circuit being completed through the fine
wire a the contact being made only when the Lamp is put out accidentally.
It will be readily understood that instead of a modification of the "Wheatstone
bridge being employed as described and shewn a differential Galvonometer or a
differential electro dynamometer may be employed and instead of completing the
circuit through a small return wire as at a the circuit through the resistance coils
may be put to earth or completed on to the main lead wires supplying the current
to the carbons but I prefer to use an indicating circuit consisting of two inde-
pendent wires as shewn because it much diminishes the chances of leakage and
accidental breakdowns The current for actuating this circuit may be derived from
any convenient source such as some form of primary battery or secondary battery
which is kept charged from the mains or the current may be taken as a shunt from
some portion of the circuit where this is done. I sometimes put the two ends of the
indicating circuit as a shunt to an arc Lamp or Lamps in the Station of course in
this case the extinction of these lamps would not be indicated on the dial but the
extinction of these lamps itself would attract attention Instead of the balance
being disturbed in this indicating circuit by means of the accidental extinction of
a lamp the alteration of the switches or commutators may be made to effect the
same purpose and this would be found useful in places where portions of the current
flowing in the main leads are occasionally diverted from the main channel such for
instance as in the case where secondary batteries are being charged the use of this
indicating circuit for making known the changes that are taking place in the lamps
or translating devices outside and it may also be employed for controlling switches
or commutators or relays which are on the Lamps themselves or in any other portion
of the circuit for instance where there is a number of lamps on the same Circuit
which it is desirable to turn on or off from the Central station. I fit these lamps
with switches constructed on the principle of the Lock known as the letter Lock
so that only when the discs of the letter lock switch are in a certain relative
and predetermined positions will the switch be operated In case it is

page_text: "
·
desired to operate on the switch of each lamp separately each switch would
be set so that it would form a different combination. This latter combination
I prefer to actuate by means of an electrical escapement resembling that in
use in the receiving step by step instruments of Wheatstone Siemiens and Breguét
and when it is desired to actuate a particular lamp a succession of impulses are
passed through the indicating circuit until the requisite combination has been
arrived at then a direct current may be sent through which causes an Electro
Magnet or solenoid to become enlivened and release the indicator mechanisin as
described. It will be understood that all these switches respond to the impulses
but it is only the one in which the combination is released that is enabled to
operate. The act of sending the direct current through to unlock the Switch may
be made to put all the combinations back to Zero" and then if it is desired to
operate another switch another set of impulses of a determined number is sent
through the circuit. The indicating circuit already referred to may be employed
as this controlling circuit also or in some cases it is advisable to use a separate
circuit entirely. For transmitting these impulses I.employ any suitable form of
transmitter giving alternating or intermittent currents such as Wheatstone's
Siemen's or Brequét's or a transmitter giving a successive continuous current
which actuates suitable ratchets.
to
Figure 3 represents a mechanism arranged according to this part of niy Invention.
The switch B is normally held in position by the pin b, engaging against the
projection on the lever f, kept up by the spring f2, and turning at one end on the
centre fits other end. being connected to the lever g, provided at one end with a
spring g² and at the other end with a stronger spring 93-On the said lever g is a
projection g resting on the periphery of the disc h, having in it a notch h² this
disc being one of a series resembling the discs of a letter lock. Fixed on the same
axis is a ratchet wheel h³ provided with a spring tending to turn the disc in the
direction of the arrow. Two electro magnets X and Y, are provided, in the con-
trolling circuit that at X attracting the armature i on the lever 2 to which is
attached the lever j attached to the hanger 2 and at the other end by a link
the lever g, which lever has an armature 95 attracted by the magnet Y. Thus
when the current passes through the coils X Y, the armatures 95 and i, are attracted,
but the projection g' cannot descend until the notch 2 comes opposite it (or until
a series of notches on the series of discs come in line) and the consequence is that
the armature i, lever i and lever j, move the pawl j and turn the disc (by acting
on the ratchet h³ until the said notch (or notches) are brought opposite the said
projection g when the lever g descends and the projection on the lever freleases
the switch B which springs over and, diverts the current. Or instead of making
the switch in the form of a letter lock I sometimes prefer to use small pins arranged
after the manner of the barrel of a musical box. In this case when the cylinder is
revolved in a certain position it is brought by an electro magnet or its equivalent
against a series of tongues, all these tongues will be acted upon by the pins and
the switch moved but if the proper combination has not been arrived at, some only
of the pins will be acted upon and the switch will not be released.
Instead of pins I may sometimes employ chains, like those known as "Diggles's"
chains which are used in fancy pattern weaving or I may use a series of depressions
or raised surfaces upon a Cylinder.-By employing a polarized magnet to actuate
the switch when the proper combination has been formed it is possible to actuate
the switches or translating mechanism in both directions as when the right combi-
nation is arrived at the switch can be moved in either direction depending upon
the direction of the current through the polarized magnet.
The portion of my Invention which relates to time switches is intended to
provide means for extinguishing a lamp or a certain number of lamps at a
predetermined time or for changing the direction in which the current is flowing,
so that for instance, the current may be diverted from the lamps to Accumulators.-
I arrange a switch so that a spring or weight acting upon it has a constant
tendency to pull it over in one direction. To start the lamps the switch is set

page_text: over and is prevented from flying back by means of a pawl or catch, which is
released when the hands of the clock come round to a predetermined position.. I
preferably arrange this so that a recessed cam is used in combination with an
ordinary alarum mechanism and the alarum is set so as to go off and release the
Switch at a predetermined hour, but where it is desired to actuate a number of
switches from one clock, a series of contact pins completing a local circuit and
actuating the various switches may be employed.-In combination with this clock
switch, I employ a train of wheels resembling the dials of a Gas meter or Speed
counter and cause the current when it is flowing through the apparatus to the
benefit of the consumer to hold the train of wheels in gear with the clock by
means of an electro, magnet or solenoid. When the current is not flowing the
clock revolves without turning the Index, thus a record is kept of the number of
"Lamp hours or hours by which the consumer benefits by the supply.
"
Figure 4 is a front elevation of a single time switch constructed or arranged
according to my Invention. A switch B is arranged to turn upon a centre b, a
spring b (or a weight) acting upon it tending to pull it over in one direction.
Whilst the current is flowing normally through the lamps, the Switch is locked in
position against the action of the Spring by means of a detent c¹ on a lever c,
engaging in a notch 63 in the switch B.
.
The detent lever c is connected by means of a link c³ with another lever d,
having a projection d' which bears upon the circumference of the disc E 'with a'
notch e in it and is connected with the mechanism of the clock A after the manner
of the setting disc of an alarum.-The clock mechanism drives a wheel F, gearing
into a corresponding wheel F1 carried by a lever f¹ fulcrumed to the spindle of the
wheel F, and connected to the armature h by a link h¹. When the said armature
is attracted by the magnet H the wheel F is brought into gear with the
counter I. This occurs during the time that the current is flowing through the
lamp but ceases when the switch is released: In starting the lamps tlie switch B
is turned over to the position shewn in the drawing and the alarum disc E is set
to the time at which the lamp is to be extinguished so that on the arrival of that
time the notch e, comes opposite the projection d¹ which is brought into it by the
action of the spring d² thereby disengaging the detent c¹ from the notch 63 whereby
the spring b, brings over the switch to break the circuit through the lamp.
can be applied to one lamp or to more in series or it may be used in other cases
where it may be required to divert an electric current at a predetermined time.
Figure 5 illustrates an arrangement wherein the switches for a number of
circuits are controlled by one clock. The alarm dises E are in this case mounted
on one shaft E2, actuated by the clock A, but can be set and fixed independently
of one another and in this case the counting and recording mechanism I of each
switch may be actuated in the case of each switch by a clutch k, sliding on and
turning with the alarum shaft E' so that when the current is passing through the
coils H the clutch drives the counting mechanism at I through the gearing shewn.
When at the time for which any one of the discs E is set, the notch e therein
comes opposite the projection on the lever d it flies.over by the action of the
springs at D and strikes the lever c, and releases the Switch.
This
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original.
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
First. In electrical circuits the employment of a bridge or balance or their
equivalent so combined with resistances as to automatically indicate in the central
station or at other desired place the extinction of a lamp or lamps or the closing of
a switch or switches or other alteration in the translating devices which may occur
on the main circuit substantially as herein before described under several
modifications and with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In apparatus for controlling electric currents the employment of a switch

page_text: or switches provided with a disc or discs or their equivalents which can be rotated
or moved by electric impulses from a distance to alter the direction of an Electric
current substantially as described and illustrated by way of example in Fig. 3 of
the accompanying drawing.
Third, The combination with a clock mechanism of a switch or switches (B) so
arranged that the said switch or switches can be released automatically to divert
the current at any predetermined time substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. In combination with a clock mechanism and switch as claimed by the
last preceding clause the use of a meter counter or recorder which is operated when
the current is passing but which is automatically moved out of gear when the
switch is altered substantially as herein before described with reference to figures 4
and 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth, The arrangement of mechanism. constituting the single time Switch herein-
before described and illustrated in figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
Sixth, The arrangement of mechanism constituting the compound time Switch
herein before described and illustrated by figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Percy Ruskin Allen have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal this first day of September One thousand eight hundred and
eighty three..