IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC Tim
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexcy Evanoff Swonnikoff of King's Cross Road in
the County of Middlesex for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
Tim"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexcy Evanoff Swonnikoff
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1883.
ALEXCY EVANOFF SWONNIKOFF of King's Cross Road in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS"
My invention relates to a method and apparatus for regulating the distance of
the carbons of arc electric lamps, which I effect in the following manner. The
upper carbon is fixed in a holder which has on its side rack teeth gearing with a
pinion. On the axis of this pinion or on an axis connected to it by suitable gear
is fixed an escapement wheel the teeth of which are engaged by the pallets of an
anchor. This anchor is on the arm of a lever which carries an armature for an
electro magnet or a core for a solenoid. The coil of this electromagnet or solenoid
forms part of a shunt or by-pass circuit of great resistance, so that the magnet or
solenoid bas little attractive power when the arc has such moderate resistance that
the main part of the current passes through the carbons. When, however, owing
to consumption of the carbons, the resistance of the are becomes too great, then a
greater portion of the current passes through the shunt coil, and it attracting
its armature or core releases the escapement wheel one tooth allowing the upper
carbon to descend a little, and this movement of the armature or core at the same
time cuts the shunt out of circuit so that the armature or core returns to its former
position and the action is repeated allowing the escapement wheel to turn a greater
or less number of teeth until the upper carbon has sufficiently approached the lower
carbon. For starting the arc I adopt the following arrangement. I fix the lower
carbon on the core of a solenoid having its coil in the lamp circuit and I counter-
poise the carbon and core by a weight or spring sufficient to keep the lower carbon
up to a certain position having its end in contact with the end of the upper carbon.
When the lamp is put in circuit the core of the solenoid is attracted downwards
removing the lower from the upper carbon and so starting the voltaic arc.
Din C1
The

page_text: shunt electromagnet which I prefer to employ for working the escapement anchor
as above described, consists of an iron plate having projecting down from it two
iron cores the one longer than the other, both coiled with insulated wire, but the
coil of the shorter core extending some distance beyond its end. Below these is
mounted the armature lever, pivotted near its middle, one end of the lever having
play within a notch cut in the side of the longer core, and the other arm of the
lever carrying a core which projects into the hollow part of the coil of the shorter
core. In order to provide for a longer duration of the light than can be obtained
by the use of a single pair of carbons, I prefer to provide two or more pairs, and I
arrange a contact worked by the carbon holders so that when the first carbon is
nearly consumed it is cut out of circuit, and the next pair are brought into circuit
and so on successively. In order to make a quick change of circuit, I make the
contact lever with a tumbling weight or with a tube partly filled with mercury so
that on its being moved a little beyond its middle position, it completes its stroke
rapidly.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexcy Evanoff Swonnikoff in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st July 1883.
ALEXY [sic] EVANOFF SWONNIKOFF of Kings Cross Road in the County of
Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS "
My invention relates to a method and apparatus for regulating the distance of
the carbons of are electric lamps, which I effect in a manner that I will describe
referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, shewing so much of an electric
lamp as is necessary for explanation of my arrangement. The upper carbon A is
fixed in a tubular holder B, which has on its side rack teeth gearing with a
pinion C. On the axis of this pinion is fixed an escapement wheel D, the teeth of
which are engaged by the pallets e¹ c² of an anchor lever E. The pallet e² is fixed
insulated from the lever E. This lever has jointed to it the armature core F which
is free to move within a coil G. This coil G and another coil G' embrace the iron
limbs H H so that when an electric current passes through these coils, the core F
is attracted upwards. The main circuit of the lamp is from + through the upper
carbon A, the arc, the lower carbon K and the coil of a solenoid L to There is
however a by pass circuit of high resistance from B and C, through the pallet e²,
and the coils G₁ and G to the lower carbon K. When the arc has such moderate
resistance that the main part of the current passes through it, the electromagnet H
remains weak. When, however, owing to consumption of the carbons, the resistance
of the arc becomes too great, then a greater portion of the current passes through
the coils G¹ and G and the core F being then attracted upwards moves the
lever E. The pallet e being thus withdrawn, the wheel D is permitted to turn till
stopped by the pallet e¹, thus lowering a little the upper carbon A. Also, the
withdrawal of the pallet e² breaks the by pass circuit, and consequently the attrac-
tion on F ceases, so that the lever E descends to the position shewn, the pallet e
again closing the by-pass circuit. If the carbon A has not been sufficiently lowered
by the one movement of the lever E, this movement is repeated until by the descent
of A, step by step, the distance between the carbons becomes adjusted to that which
is suitable for the maintenance of the arc.
For the purpose of starting the arc, I fix the lower carbon K on the core of a
solenoid L, this core being pressed upwards by a spring M, sufficient to support
the lower carbon and hold it up in contact with the upper carbon. When the lamp
is put in circuit, the solenoid L becomes excited, and its core being attracted
downwards removes the lower from the upper carbon, so starting the voltaic arc.
In order to provide for a longer duration of the light than can be obtained by
the use of a single pair of carbons, I provide two or more pairs, arranging each
couple of pairs as shewn in fig. 2. On the holder of the upper carbon of one of
those pairs, I fix a pin or stud N, which, when the carbon is nearly consumed,
bears against a lever O, and causes it to tumble over. A stud o of non-conducting
material being thus made to bear on a spring P breaks contact for the circuit of
the one pair of carbons, and makes contact for the circuit of a second pair. In
order to render the action of the lever O sudden, it may be hollow, and contain
mercury. It is obvious that by providing another contact spring and lever to be
worked by a stud on the holder R, the second pair of carbons might be cut out of
circuit and a third pair brought into circuit, and so on successively for any desired
number of pairs, each pair being brought into action when the preceding pair is
nearly consumed.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim in respect of arc Electric Lamps-
First Adjusting the distance of the carbons by the step by step movement of an
escapement wheel, acted on by pallets worked by an electromagnet or solenoid in a
by-pass circuit of high resistance, substantially as herein described with reference
to fig. 1.
Second For the purpose of starting the arc, mounting the lower carbon on the
spring core of a solenoid, having its coil in the lamp circuit, substantially as herein
described.
:
Third In combination with a couple of pairs of carbons, a lever and contact spring
operated by the holder of one of the carbons, so as to break contact for one pair,
when nearly consumed, and to make contact for the next pair, substantially as
herein described with reference to fig. 2.
In Witness whereof I the said Alexy [sic] Evanoff Swonnikoff have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Twentieth day of July in the year of our Lord, one thousand,
eight hundred and eighty three.