Improvements in and relating to Electrical Incandescence Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by ALLGEMEINE ELEKTRICITÄTS GESELLSCHAFT, of
Berlin, Germany.]
Improvements in and relating to Electrical Incandescence Lamps.
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 inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
My invention relates to electrical lamps with illuminating bodies or substances
composed of second class conductors. As is well-known first-class conductors
comprise metallic, carbon and similar conductors while conductors of the second
class generally known as electrolytes are those which are non-conductors at
ordinary temperatures but which become conductors at a very high temperature.
Admitting the useful application of incandescent bodies for electric lamps of
the kind protected under Letters Patent No. 19424 of 1897, the problem still
remained of constructing lamps in a practical manner suited for the purpose.
In connection with this it has to be borne in mind that in utilising existing
electrical installations the forms of the prevailing methods of illumination will
be as far as possible retained and, further, that an automatic preliminary heating
contrivance is employed that diminishes only in the smallest possible degree the
illuminating effect and the convenient handling of the lamp; moreover that the
heat produced, as may be required for the preliminary heating contrivance, detracts
as little as possible from the effectiveness and durability of such lamp.
Referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating my invention; —
Fig. 1 is a view of a lamp in section,
Fig. 2 represents a detail of the automatic heating current interrupter.
Fig. 3 illustrates the holder for the outer globe, and
Fig. 4 a modification of the same.
The essential parts of the invention comprise a socket A and a lamp B which
is placed therein. The latter consists of the incandescent body or substance C
and the heating coil D which both become incandescent exposed to the air; both
being freely suspended from their supply wires, by means of which they are
connected with the three contact rings arranged concentrically in the lamp base
or stem E. The incandescent body and the heating coil are arranged within
a glass globe fixed to the said socket.
The socket A consists of the bed plate F, to the bottom of which the insulated
bobbin d of the coil G is attached. This has two extensions, to which a porcelain
liner is secured. The latter serves for the reception of the contact screw g
and the contact block h. When the lamp is put into the socket A, the screw-
thread of the outer contact a on the lamp engages with the screw g of the
socket, if the lamp be farther screwed in, the second contact ring 6 of the lamp
will abut against the contact block_h.
As already stated the heating coil D becomes incandescent whilst exposed to

page_text: the air. In order to accelerate the action of the heating coil and thereby ensure
the prompt working of the illuminating body C, the latter is enclosed with the
heating coil in a glass globe H. The intense heat generated by the illuminating
body, would however, quickly produce a deposit of black film on the globe H,
this being chiefly due to the evaporation of the material of which the electrolyte
is formed. In order to obviate this, the globe H, as likewise the lamp stem or
base E is furnished with openings i and k for the purpose of ventilation. During
the period of excitation however, the heating coil would cool too much, owing to
the ventilation, and, therefore, a special closing contrivance is necessary. In
the present instance, the ventilation closing or regulating contrivance is connected
in the simplest manner with the inner contact, so that when the said contrivance
is opened, the heating current is at the same time interrupted.
The opening in the lamp stem or base E is surrounded or formed by the
inner contact ring c.
When the lamp is disconnected (without current), a disc 7,
arranged on the lower end of the core m of the coil which moves inside the
bobbin d, rests on the contact ring c. In order to prevent the core m from
falling out when the lamp is unscrewed a pin n extending across a slot o of
the core m is secured between the stay-pieces e (Figs. 1 and 2).
The main leads or wires y pass through the aperture or cap i into the socket A
and thence to the terminal screws K and L, the former of which is in contact
with the stay e and the latter with the contact or block h. The socket is enclosed
by a protecting cover M, which is furnished with openings r for the purpose
of ventilation.
Around the lamp is arranged a second or outer globe N, with a peculiarly shaped
holder. The protecting cover M is furnished with a number of pins s upon
which turn or pivot spring catches t from which the globe depends.
The globe is secured in place by pressing the studs u, whereby the catches t
assume more or less a vertical position. Obliquely to these catches t ledges v
-see Figures 1 and 3-are arranged, against which the globe N lies, in conse-
quence of the spring action of the catches t. A modification of the globe-holder
is shewn in Fig. 4. On the pins s are pivoted small lightly suspended arms,
which can be raised and lowered or screwed in and out by means of a set screw y,
pressing against the protecting cover M.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the lamp B is put into the socket A, the contact disc bears on the
contact ringe and closes the opening k. The circulation of the air is now pre-
vented, this being suitable for the rapid heating of the central incandescent body
by means of the heating coil. Upon the current being introduced, it passes
through the principal wire g to the binding screw L, thence to the contact block h,
the contact ring and the heating coil 1). It then passes to the contact ring c,
the contact disc 1, the core m into the bobbin d and thence by the terminal K
to the return wire p. The heating coil becomes incandescent, whereby the illu-
minating body C which up to this time, was an insulator or non-conductor, becomes
incandescent and a conductor. From this moment the illuminating current cir-
culates through the incandescent body C, the outer contact ring a and through
the screw socket g, thence reaching the coil G and passing over the bobbin d
to the binding screw K. The coil G raises the core m, whereby the contact cl
is broken and the heating current interrupted. At the same time the opening k
is set free, so that ventilation is possible inside the lamp.
Ventilation is effected in the following manner.
Air enters between the outer globe N and the protecting cover M, at the point w,
passes through the space between the outer and inner globes N, H, and reaches
the inner globe H by way of the opening i. From there it passes below the
coil G, sweeps along the stay-pieces e and reaches the space between the socket A
and the protecting cover M, whence it escapes through the opening r in the latter.
The directions followed by the air are indicated on Figure 1 by arrows.
The lamp illustrated in Fig. 1 is suspended and the inner contact
is closed

page_text: by the weight of the core m. If the lamp be arranged to stand or be inclined, a
counterpoise is necessary (spring-weight etc.) which constantly presses the core m
of the coil against the ring c. In this case the arrangements for ventilation must
be_correspondingly altered.
In the present instance, the contact between the lamp and the socket is arranged
concentrically to one another. As a matter of course any other arrangement may
be adopted. The automatic opening and closing ventilating contrivance and the
automatic apparatus for interrupting the heating current may likewise be separated
from one another and from the inner pair of contacts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
(as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:-
(1). An electrical lamp, with illuminating bodies composed of second-class
conductors, distinguished by the arrangement of the illuminating body Cand
of a heating body D on a lamp stem or base E inserted in a socket A containing
the current supply wires pq, and the apparatus for interrupting the heating
current, substantially as and for the purposes described.
(2). In an electrical lamp as claimed under Claim 1, the arrangement of only
three conductors and three contacts in the stem and socket, one of which acts as
a common conductor for the supply and return illuminating and heating current,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
(3). In electrical lamps of the kind claimed under Claim 1, the enclosing in
a glass globe H of the incandescent illuminating body and the heating body, for
the purpose of accelerating the action of the heating body, substantially as
described.
(4). In an electrical lamp as claimed under Claims 1 and 3, the arrange-
ment of one or more ventilation openings ik in the globe H and in the lamp
stem or base E in combination with closing contrivances operated by the
automatic apparatus for effecting the interruption of the heating current, sub-
stantially as and for the purposes described.
(5). In an electrical lamp, the simultaneous employment of the closing con-
trivance claimed under Claim 4, as interrupting contact 7c for the heating
current, substantially as set forth.
(6). In an electrical lamp, the construction of the heating body employed in
the lamp described under Claim 1, in the form of a coil I surrounding the incan-
descent body C, and supported by the supply wire and becoming incandescent
exposed to the air, substantially as above described.
(7). In an electrical lamp, an apparatus for holding the outer or protecting
globe N for the lamp claimed under Claim 1, consisting of two catches t, attached
to the lamp socket or to its protecting cover and capable of being pressed inwards
which support the globe inside and, when moving upwards, press the globe
against ledges seated on the socket or protecting cover, for the purpose of
enabling the outer globe to be easily and quickly taken off, as above described.
Dated this 19th day of December 1898.