A New or Improved Method for the Adjustment of Carbons in Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 18'6
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1896-Accepted, 28th Nov., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Method for the Adjustment of Carbons in
Electric Arc Lamps.
1, VINCENT FABRIS of 171 Drummond Street Hampstead Road, London N.W.,
Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists in the application of a new system for regulating the relative
positions of the carbons in electric arc lamps by utilizing the electric current to
set in motion and to retard the motion, as may be necessary, of suitable clock work
which regulates the distance between the positive and negative carbons.
The clock-work above referred to remains at rest so long as the electric current
applied to the lamp is normal and is only set in motion when the distance between
the carbon points is too great to permit of the passage of the electric spark from one
to the other with sufficient facility to ensure a steady and brilliant light.
Two adjustable electroids placed within bobbins and operated by a current derived
from the poles of the lamp cause the clock-work for adjusting the carbons to be set in
motion so soon as the current of electricity is divorted to the said bobbins through
the distance between the carbons being too great to allow of the free passage of the
electric spark.
So soon as the action of the clockwork has brought about the proper adjustment of
the carbons the motion of the clock work is instantly stopped.
Dated this Second day of January 1896
A New or Improved Method for the Adjustment of Carbons in
Electric Arc Lamps.
I VINCENT FABRIS of 171 Drummond Street Hampstead Road Loudon N.W.
Electrician 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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a reliable cheap and compact arc lamp
and one that is capable, being shunt wound only, of running equally well and
steadily at from say 2 to 20 amperes the size of the carbons employed depending
on the volume of the current.
My invention consists in the application of mechanism for automatically adjusting
the positions of the carbons as and when required by utilising a portion of the electric
current to start and to stop the said mechanism. So long as the current passes
normally the mechanism remains at rest and it is only set in motion when the
distance between the carbon points becomes too great to allow of the passage of
the electric spark from one to the other with sufficient facility to ensure a steady and
brilliant light.
The apparatus consists of one or more electro-magnets which when operated by

page_text: the electric current disengage certain mechanism thereby allowing the carbons
which are suitably weighted for the purpose to be drawn into the required
juxtaposition and which so soon as the current is again passing normally through the
carbons cause the mechanism to he again immediately stopped.
In order to more fully describe my invention I make use of the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters refer to similar parts throughout.
Figure 1 is a general view of the lamp fitted with the apparatus,
Figure 2 is an elevation of the apparatus itself with one of the bobbins removed
and Figure 3 a plan of saine with the retaining catch removed.
In each figure the base plate upon which my apparatus is fixed is represented by
the letter A and it is by preference made of brass, the lamp pillars which are secured
to A are lettered B. Bi while C. C are the carbons and D the poles through which
the electric current is conveyed to and from the lamp. E is the carrier by means
of which the lamp is suspended and it is pivoted to the base plate at E' E'.
Referring now more particularly to my apparatus which is secured to A by the
brackets F the electro-magnets are lettered G their exact position being regulated
by the screws H in the brackets F the bobbins being lettered G' the frame
containing the clockwork mechanism is lettered I and it is hinged at J to the
brackets F. The gearing consists of an escapement wheel K connected by wheels
and pinions as shown with the chain drum L. across the end of the frame I the
bar is secured, and over the wheel K the bar N which acts as an escapement is
placed and is secured at O to the braket F the coil spring Q acts as a regulator
and check for the frame I its tension being regulated by the screw R.
The screw S is employed to regulate the position of the frame I in which the
clock work is secured.
Over the drum La chain T passes, one end being secured to the carrier U which
is suitably weighted and guided as shown in the pillar B₁ and in which is fixed
the upper carbon C; the other end after passing over the guiding drum V passes
down one of the lamp pillars B in which a guide W' is provided and is secured
to the carrier W also suitably weighted in which the lower carbon C is fixed.
When my lamp is to be put to work I ascertain the volume of the current to be
employed and regulate the size of the carbons accordingly.
The action of my apparatus is as follows:-So soon as the current is retarded
in its course through the lamp owing to the carbons being partly consumed a
portion of it passes by the wires X into the bobbins G¹ thereby rendering the
bar or bars G electro-magnets, these magnets at once attract the cross bar M and
the frame I to which M is attached is thus caused to rock upon its pivot J until
checked by the tension of the spring thus the escapement wheel K descends and
clears the escapement N and the clockwork mechanism is free allowing the chain
drum L to be rotated by the chain T which is attached at either end to the weighted
carbon carriers U and W. As the upper carrier U is more heavily weighted than
the lower W it follows that immediately the drum L is free the carrier U will
descend while W ascends and the carbons C. C are brought nearer together,
tbus the electric current will pass once more freely through the lamp and
will no longer magnetise the bars G, which thereupon lose their attraction for M
and the frame I is accordingly drawn back into its normal position by the spring Q,
the wheel K is again locked by the bar N and the apparatus is at rest until the
carbon points again require adjustment when the process is repeated.
I do not confine the use of my apparatus exclusively to electric arc lamps as it
may be employed in other connection for the regulation of the electric current, nor
do I confiue myself to the precise details herein specified as other mechanical
devices or equivalents may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is.
1. In electric arc lamps the electro-magnets as and for the purposes described.

page_text: 2. In electric arc lamps the weighted carbons combined with the regulating
mechanism as described or their mechanical equivalents.
3. In electric arc lamps the electro-magnets in combination with the weighted
carbons and regulating mechanism as described or their mechanical equivalents.
4. The combination of electro-magnets with mechanism for regulating the flow of
the electric current substantially as described.
Dated this Second day of October 1806
A. H. REED.
Agent for Applicant.