IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING MEASURING AND REGULATING ELECTRICITY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Devonport Finney Andrews of Glasgow in the
County of Lanark, North Britain for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STORING MEASURING AND REGULATING ELECTRICITY.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Devonport Finney
Andrews at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September
1882.
JOSEPH DEVONPORT FINNEY ANDREWS of Glasgow in the County of Lanark
North Britain " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STORING MEASURING AND
REGULATING ELECTRICITY
"
In constructing an electric accumulator I enclose the elements a tight casing
which may be divided into compartments so that the gases produced are retained
increasing the pressure. In some cases I prefer to allow no free space for the
liberated gases so that they are retained in contact with the surfaces of the
plates. The pressure within the accumulator as indicated by a gauge serves as a
measure of the electrical charge. For the purpose of maintaining continuous supply
of electricity and regulating it I provide two accumulators, which in this case may
be open and charge them successively from the source of electricity discharging
them successively into a third accumulator, the alternate charging and discharging
being automatically effected in the following manner. Connected with each of
the accumulators is an electro-magnet or solenoid the armature or core of the one
of which is attracted in opposition to that of the other, and, by the movements of
these, contacts are shifted so that when the one accumulator which is being charged
acquires sufficient potential to overcome that of the other which is being discharged
the armature or core raising a tumbling weight or overcoming a spring shifts the
contacts leading the charge to the accumulator which was previously discharging,
and leading the charge from the accumulator which was previously being charged.
The number of alternations of the contacts thus effected being registered by a
counter serves as an indication of the quantity of electricity passed into the third
[Price 6d1

page_text: accumulator. An electromagnet or solenoid excited from the third accumulator,
when its potential attains a certain point, moves a catch which prevents the
contacts of the two former accumulators from completing circuits and so cuts them
out of circuit until the potential of the third accumulator becomes so far reduced
that the catch is withdrawn by a weight or spring, whereupon the two accumu-
lators are again brought into action. Instead of working separate accumulators
in this manner, separate cells or groups of cells of one accumulator may be so
worked. Thus the accumulator may have its cells arranged in one main and two
subsidiary groups which, being alternately charged, alternately charge the main
group as above described.
For regulating the electricity passing from a main conductor to a local circuit, I
interpose in the branch line an accumulator exciting an electromagnet or solenoid,
the armature or core of which makes or breaks contact with the main conductor
according as the potential of the accumulator is less or greater than the normal
degree. The electromagnet or solenoid besides its main coil excited from the
accumulator may have a secondary coil excited from the local circuit, so that
contact is broken when the branch is overcharged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Devonport Finney Andrews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th March 1883.
JOSEPH DEVONPORT FINNEY ANDREWS of Glasgow in the County of Lanark,
North Britain " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS, FOR STORING MEASURING AND
REGULATING ELECTRICITY
">
:
In constructing an electric accumulator, I enclose the elements in a tight casing
which may be divided into compartments, so that the gases produced are retained,
increasing the pressure. In some cases I prefer to allow no free space for the
liberated gases so that they are retained in contact with the surfaces of the plates.
The pressure within the accumulator as indicated by a gauge, serves as a measure
of the electrical charge. Fig 1 of the accompanying drawings illustrates diagram-
matically an accumulator battery cell thus arranged. A is a strong casing containing
the elements B and having a pressure gauge C,
For the purpose of maintaining continuous supply of electricity and regulating
it, I provide two accumulators, which in this case may be open, and charge them
successively from the source of electricity, discharging them successively into a
third accumulator, the alternate charging and discharging being automatically
effected in the following manner. Connected with each of the two accumulators
is an electro-magnet or solenoid the armature or core of the one of which is
attracted in opposition to that of the other and by the movements of these,
contacts are shifted, so that when the one accumulator which is being charged
acquires sufficient potential to overcome that of the other, which is being discharged
the armature or core raising a tumbling weight or overcoming a spring shifts the
contacts leading the charge to the accumulator which was previously discharging,
and leading the charge from the accumulator which was previously being charged:
The number of alternations of the contacts thus effected being registered by a
counter, serves as an indication of the quantity of electricity passed into the third
accumulator. An electro-magnet or solenoid excited from the third accumulator,
when its potential attains a certain point, moves a catch which prevents the
contacts of the two former accumulators from completing circuits and so cuts them
out of circuit until the potential of the third accumulator becomes so far reduced
that the catch is withdrawn by a weight or spring, whereupon the two accumulators
are again brought into action.
Instead of working separate accumulators in this manner, separate cells or
groups of cells of one accumulator may be so worked. Thus the accumulator may
have its cells arranged in one main and two subsidiary groups, which being alter-
nately charged, alternately charge the main group as above described.
Fig. 2 shews diagrammatically the arrangement above described, A, B and C
are the three accumulator batteries or three separate groups of battery cells. Dis
a frame suspended so as to be capable of being moved to and fro by the attraction
of the one or the other of two electro-magnets E or F on an armature G attached
to the frame D. For the electro-magnets and the armature may be substituted
solenoids acting on cores attached to D. To the frame D are hinged four contact
levers, H, I, J, and K, one of them having a tumbling weight, so as to cause the
frame and levers after passing the middle point of movement to complete their
full stroke in either direction. In the position shewn in the Figure, the accumu-
lator A is in connection with the main circuit L L' receiving a charge, while the
accumulator B is in connection with C charging it. When A is sufficiently
charged and B sufficiently discharged, the frame D and its levers are caused by the

page_text: attraction of E on G exceeding that of F on G, to move to the left thereby
putting B into connection with the charging circuit L L¹ and putting A into
connection with C., M is a catch lever having on it an armature N subject to the
attraction of an electro-magnet O having its coil in connection with the accumu-
lator C. When this accumulator is sufficiently charged, the armature O is attracted
and the catch lever is thus moved so as to catch the lever I and retain it stationary
at middle stroke, thus keeping all the contacts separate, until by the exhaustion
of C, the electro-magnet O becomes so far weakened that the armature N descends
and releases the lever I, whereupon the charging of A or B from the main circuit
and of C from either of them is resumed.
For regulating the electricity passing from a main conductor to a local circuit, I
interpose in the branch line an accumulator exciting an electro-magnet or solenoid,
the armature or core of which makes or breaks contact with the main conductor,
according as the potential of the accumulator is less or greater than the normal
degree. The electro-magnet or solenoid, besides its main coil excited from the
accumulator, may have a secondary coil excited from the local circuit, so that
contact is broken when the branch is overcharged.
Fig 3 shews this arrangement diagrammatically. L L¹ being the wires of the
main circuit, an accumulator Q is introduced between them and the branch with a
contact lever R subject to the attraction of an electro magnet or solenoid S having
its coil in connection with the accumulator, or also a secondary coil connected
with the local circuit so that when either is overcharged the contact lever R is
moved breaking contact as shewn.
Having thus described the nature of my invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I claim :-
First. The combination of two electric accumulators with apparatus for effecting
alternation of their charge from a main circuit and their discharge to a third
accumulator, so as to maintain continuous supply of electricity to a local circuit,
substantially as herein described and diagrammatically illustrated by Fig 2.
Second. The combination of an electric accumulator with an electro-magnet or
solenoid and its armature or core arranged to make or break contact, for the purpose
of regulating the electricity supplied to a local circuit, substantially as herein
described and diagrammatically illustrated by Fig. 3
In Witness whereof I the said Joseph Devonport Finney Andrews have
hereunto set my hand and seal this Seventeenth day of March in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.