Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 5th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
We, HUBERT HALLAM BIGLAND of 12 Clayton Road, Jesmond, and JOHN
BURNS of Tarsit Street, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne in the County of Northumber-
land, Electrical Engineer's Apprentice and Brass Finisher, respectively, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention has for its object an electric arc lamp which shall have fewer
parts than ordinarily and work in a steadier manner.
Our invention is best described by giving a description of our experimental
apparatus. In this, the lower carbon is carried in a holder on a cross bar
suspended from the main plate by a brass or other rod and secured by a nut or
otherwise. This rod is preferably insulated from the main plate and carries the
current to the lower carbon. Passing through holes in the main plate and in the
other end of the cross bar is a twist or thoral rod or screw revolving freely in
bearings in cross bar and main plate. A second cross bar,-sliding freely on the
supporting rod and forming a nut for the twist rod-carries the upper carbon.
This cross bar is insulated from the supporting rod. The twist rod aforesaid passes
through a hole in a horizontal flat bar hereafter called the upper friction plate.
The same rod passes through a slotted lever bar under the nut. This will be called
hereafter the feed lever. The upper friction plate stands approximately parallel to
the feed lever and is held to the main plate by springs being normally in a position
in which it simply lies on the nut but offers a considerable spring resistance to its
rising. The position can be regulated, if required, by means of bolts or screws.
The feed lever is pivoted on a suitable support or bracket, one end pressing up the
underside of the nut and the other pivoted to a movable iron core.
The current from the dynamo passes down the suspension rod which is insulated
from the main plate and the upper cross bar to the lower carbon. From the upper
carbon, the current passes through the twist rod and through the solenoid to the
main plate upon which is a second insulated terminal.
In place of a separate arc striker bobbin, we propose to adopt the following
arrangement
A lever hereinafter called the arc striker lever is placed approximately parallel
to the feed lever and pivoted to a suitable support having one end working between
collars on the twist rod and the other end pivoted to the movable iron core working
in a solenoid. The current being set on the solenoid attracts the iron core which
pulls down one end of both levers and raises the ends attached to the twist rod.
The said twist rod and upper carbon are thereby raised and strike the arc. At the
same time the friction plate and feed lever are raised with the nut between them.
The said nut being held fast by the friction of the plate and lever causes the twist
rod to revolve and lower the top carbon. When the iron core and the ends of
levers attached to it rise, (due to the weakening of the current in the solenoid caused
by the wasting of the carbon points) the ends of the levers attached to twist rod
are lowered. The nut being allowed to rotate is rendered inoperative.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The lamp being not in use, the carbon points touch. The current, being set on,
passes through solenoid main plate, top carbon, lower carbon, suspension rod and
back to dynamo. The current in passing through the solenoid attracts_the_iron
core placed movably inside and draws it down, also the ends of the arc striker lever
and feed lever. The other ends of the levers are at the same time raised.
raised end of top or arc striker lever is pivoted between two collars on the twist
rod to allow the said rod to rotate freely. The twist rod being now raised, raises
The

page_text: the carbon and strikes the arc. The friction plate pressing on the nut prevents
the back rotation of the twist rod and the top carbon from falling. The friction is
not enough to keep the twist rod from rotating when the lamp is not in use, there-
fore the carbon falls and the points touch. But when in use the feed lever being in
operation causes more friction on nut and keeps the carbons apart. The raised end
of feed lever presses the nut upwards but it is prevented from rotating by the
friction plates. The twist rod is therefore slightly rotated, thus gently lowering
the top carbon. As the carbons waste, the current is weakened in the solenoid,
and the iron core, being no longer held, rises and depresses the other ends of levers
and the top carbon; the current again increases and pulls down iron core, feeding
the carbons by means of feed lever as before described. By this means, the carbons
are kept at their proper distance.
In describing our experimental apparatus, we do not wish to be bound by the
details herein set forth. The two cross heads can be guided in any convenient
manner. The ordinary screw could take the place of a twist rod, the gearing be
regulated accordingly. Further, the solenoid can be regulated to any desired
magnetic strength by means of a shunt coil or other suitable winding. The arrange-
ment of friction gear can be varied to a great extent, the main principle being that
the nut must be held from revolving while it is being pressed upwards and free to
revolve in its descent.
Dated this 30th day of December 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Aro Lamps.
We, HUBERT HALLAM BIGLAND of 12 Clayton Road, Jesmond, and JOHN
BURNS of Tarsit Street, both of Newcastle-on-Tyne in the County of Northumber-
land, Electrical Engineer's Apprentice and Brass Finisher respectively, 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 has for its object an electric-arc lamp which shall be simpler, more
compact, have fewer parts, and get into less space than those now in use, and which
will be cheaper and work in as steady a manner.
Referring to the drawings:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of the entire lamp;
Figure 2, a sectional view through line X X of Figure 1 ;
Figure 3, an enlarged view, partly in section, of the feed mechanism;
Figure 4, a plan of springs, upper friction-plate, and contiguous parts;
Figures 5 and 6, an elevation and a plan, partly in section, of carbon-holder;
Figure 7, a section through y y.
A, is the lower carbon; B, the holder carrying the same; C, cross-bar carrying
the holder B.
D is the main plate; E, an insulated supporting brass rod carried on the main
plate D and fixed thereto by nuts e on insulated washers and sleeves e¹, as shown.
Cross-bar C is supported by and in electrical contact with the rod E, and is held
rigid thereto by nuts e..
F is a thoral or twist rod having a bushf soldered thereto and passing through
the main plate and in electrical contact therewith. This twist rod F rotates freely.
in, but is electrically insulated from, the cross-bar C by means of insulating sleeves
and . The screw-bush f³ is screwed up tight by nut f, which latter is again
insulated from the cross-head by insulating washer f. The thoral or twist rod can
revolve and slide freely in the insulated sleeve f".
-

page_text: A crossbar G, sliding freely on the supporting rod E, engages by threads in its
bearings gg with the rod F, the two bearings g g forming nuts for the said twist
rod. These two bearings are placed at a considerable distance apart, so as to
neutralise the friction caused by the leverage of the weight of the carbon and the
other end of the cross bar. It is found preferable to have two bearings at a con-
siderable distance apart instead of a long bearing, as the friction is less.
A long
bearing, cut away at points, so that only small portions touch the screw, can,
however, be used. This cross-bar G is insulated from the bar E at g³ and carries
the upper carbon H in the holder B'.
The arrangement of holders is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6.
In these-
A, is the carbon B, the holder: C, the cross head. This cross head passes
into B through a horizontal slot c. The set screw b in the holder B is pressed
against the cross head C. This forces the cross head against the carbon on one
side and presses the carbon against the bearings of holder B on the other side. In
Figure 1 both sides of the holder B are shown, one in connection with the upper
carbon H and the other in connection with the lower carbon A. In order to
prevent the holder B from being lost, set screw 6' is passed through its upper
portion, entering the small slot or recess in holder C. I is a stout plate sliding
freely on rod F and pressed down by springs M, carried on pedestal L, by means
of cross bar m, their terminals at this end being secured by passing around pin m'.
Springs M have a constant tendency to press the plate I downward. K is a nut
working on rod F. Plate I is, however, prevented from being pressed down on
nut K when the lamp is not in use, which would prevent the carbons from running
together, and consequently prevent a current from passing through the carbons and
solenoid on starting by means of support N, carried pivotally on standard L by.
means of set screw n and regulated as regards its exact height by another set
screw n¹. L is a stout pedestal supported on main plate D and firmly fixed thereto
by nuts. O is a bobbin having a flange top and bottom fixed on a turned down
portion of rod F. o are two nuts screwed onto a still further turned down portion
of twist rod F, holding bobbin O in place on twist rod F. P is a lever supported
pivotally on standard L by pivot p. p' are two set screws or pins in the jaw of
lever P, fitting loosely between the flanges of bobbin O. Q is a plate supported by
rod q' attached to a screw q' in lever P at one end and screwed into plate Q at the
other end.. This plate Q is cut away to form two jaws round the twist rod F, the
said jaws supporting the nut K. q'is a screw working in slot q' in standard L.
R is a cylindrical iron core having a wire continuation at each end, the one r.
hooked or linked onto a pivot p³ at the end of lever P, the other passing through
the base plate D. S is a solenoid supported on pedestal L by means of clamp
plate T. UV are two terminal screws; W, the wires leading from the dynamo.
The current from the dynamo passes from the terminal U through the wire W'
to the solenoid S and through the latter to the set screw X in base plate D. The
current passes through the base plate D down the thoral F to the cross bar G,
through the latter and holder B' to the upper carbon, thence to the lower carbon A,
forming an arc, and from thence through holder B. cross head C, supporting.
rod E, to wire W¹, thence to the terminal V, and back to the dynamo by wire W..
The wire W' is electrically connected with the rod E by being clamped between
the two screws upon the same.
The mode of action is as follows:-
The lamp not being in use, the weight of the upper carbon H, the holder B', and
the cross head G causes these to fall, the friction being off nut K, owing to the
friction plate I resting on support N. By this action, the two carbons touch, the
twist rod turning round sufficiently to allow this. The moment, however, that
the current is turned on, the solenoid S pulls down the core R and with it the
lever P. This raises the twist-rod F, the plate Q, the nut K, and the plate I
against the force of the springs M and the cross head G and the carbon B, thus
striking the arc. The point p¹ being, however, farther from the fulcrum p than is

page_text: the pivot 2, the twist-rod F rises more than the rod q', and consequently than the
plate Q. The nut, being held tight between the plates I and Q, cannot turn.
This has a
Consequently the rod F turns in it and also in its threaded bearing 9.
contrary effect to the raising of F on the cross piece G, and the latter does not
rise as much as the rod F does, but only about as much as the plate Q rises, but
sufficient to strike the arc. As the operation of the arc wastes the carbons away,
the current in the solenoid S decreases, owing to the resistance being increased.
The core R accordingly rises, and the rod F with the plate I, nut K, plate Q, cross
head G, and carbon H fall in like proportion by their weight pulling the twist
rod F down. The pulling of the twist rod threads F through the nut K tends to
raise the nut K. The nut K, however, cannot rise, being prevented by the pressure
of springs M on plate I against the nut K. The nut K is therefore obliged to
rotate, which it does freely. Not only is the grip released by the tendency of
nut K to rise on twist rod F, but also by the lever P pressing plate Q down away
from nut K. This falling, however, increases the current in the solenoid S, causing
the core R to be drawn down. The rod F at once rises, carrying with it plate
and plate I and the nut K, and the nut K is again jammed between plates I and Q.
Any further rise, therefore, of the rod F is through the stationary nut K. Con-
sequently the rod bas to turn, and, turning in the bearings of cross bar G in exact
proportion as it rises, the said cross bar remains approximately stationary and the
cycle of operations already described is again renewed. In the ordinary laminated
core with an ordinary suitable coil, instead of the solid core R and solenoid S, this
lamp can be run on an alternating current. With the ordinary differential winding
of the solenoid S, it can also be run in series.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. An arc lamp having a twist rod, a movable carbon carrying cross head having
double or sufficiently long bearings threaded thereon, means for lifting said twist
rod and holder simultaneously and for imparting a rotary motion to the twist rod
at a determined point in its upward lift, as and for the purposes described.
2. In an arc lamp, the combination of a carbon holding cross head G sliding on
a pillar E at one point and threaded on a twist rod F at an opposite point and
having a multiple or long bearing on same whereby the leverage of the carbon
and sliding bearing has little effect in increasing the friction on the twist rod.
.
3. The combination of a twist rod having a vertical rise and fall motion
regulated by a solenoid and a twisting motion regulated by friction on a nut
threaded thereon, with a carbon holding device G supported by means of threaded
bearings on the twist rod.
4. The regulated support N used in combination with a twist rod, nut and
movable clamping devices, substantially as and for the purposes described.
5. In an arc lamp, the combination of a vertically reciprocating supporting lever
controlled by a solenoid, a twist rod suspended therefrom by a universal anti-friction
joint, a carbon holder and nut each threaded on the said twist rod and means for
stopping the turning of said nut at a determined point in the lift, substantially.as
described.
6. The general construction and arrangement of electric arc lamp substantially
as above described.
ليوم
2
ho 1900
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, and London, Patent Agents.