Improved Method of Regulating Currents Generated by Dynamo Electric Generators.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 26th Apr., 1887.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Method of Regulating Currents Generated by Dynamo
Electric Generators.
I, WILLIAM GEIPEL of 7 St. Andrew Square Edinburgh, Electrical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED METHOD OF REGULATING
CURRENTS GENERATED BY DYNAMO ELECTRIC GENERATORS to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the obtaining of a steady current or constant potential
difference in a circuit worked off a dynamo machine.
For this purpose I make use of the combination of, a regulator consisting of an
adjustable resistance controlled and adjusted automatically by a magnet or Solenoid
which is excited by the current from the circuit, the said adjustable resistance being
placed either in series or shunt with the field magnets of the dynamo, and a sensitive
relay whose magnet or Solenoid is also excited by the current from the circuit, the
relay being arranged either to throw into circuit or to shunt, as may be desirable,
the Regulator Magnet or Solenoid.
The Regulator resistance above referred to may consist of a number of carbon plates
or discs of any desirable thickness or thinness resting on one another in a column or
columns whose resistance is varied by pressure due to the attraction of the magnet
or Solenoid which is brought to bear on the column either directly by the Armature
of the Magnet or core of the Solenoid, or through a system of levers; or the regulator
may consist of a number of resistance coils of Iron or German Silver or other suitable
metal whose aggregate resistance would be varied by a sliding contact operated by the
above mentioned magnet or Solenoid.
The Relay consists of a magnet or Solenoid arranged to make or break contact with
a given strength of current, and an adjustable spring or weight to give the desired
adjustment as to the strength of current.
Dated this 14th day of Tuna in the your 100K

page_text: Improved Method of Regulating Currents Generated by Dynamo-
electric Generators.
I, WILLIAM GEIPEL, of 7 St. Andrew's Square, Edinburgh, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, 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 :-
My Invention relates to the obtaining of a steady current or difference of potential
as may be required in a circuit worked off a dynamio.
For this purpose I make use of the combination of a regulator consisting of an
adjustable resistance controlled and adjusted automatically by a magnet or solenoid
which is excited by the current from the circuit, the said adjustable resistance being
placed either in series or shunt with the field magnets of the dynamo, and a sensitive
relay whose maguet or solenoid is also excited by the current from the circuit, the
relay being arranged either to throw into circuit with or without an additional
resistance as may be desirable the regular magnet or solenoid.
The adjustable resistance regulator above referred to may consist of a number of
carbon plates or discs of desirable thickness resting on one another whose resistance is
varied by the attraction of the magnet or solenoid through an arrangement of levers
or it may consist of a number of resistance coils of iron, German silver or other suitable
metal whose aggregate resistance would be varied by a sliding contact operated by the
above mentioned regulator magnet or solenoid.
The relay consists of a magnet or solenoid arranged to make or break contact with
a given strength of current and an adjustable spring or weight to give desired adjustment
as to strength of current.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood and readily carried into
effect I will now proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
On the annexed sheet of drawings Figure 1. shews an arrangement, partly in
elevation, partly in section and partly in diagram, under which the combination
constituting my Invention may be carried into practice.
Figure 2, is a horizontal section of the relay portion of the same and corresponding
to that part of the apparatus shewn in Figure 1, immediately above it.
The dynamo as shewn in diagram at that part of Figure 1 marked A. The circuit
is made from the terminals B and C respectively leading through the lamps indicated
by the circles and crosses marked 3 into the solenoid D of the relay and into the
solenoid E, of the resistance regulator. From the other terminals a and b, of the field
of the dynamo other leads connect it to the terminals c and d of the carbon plate
€

page_text: resistance arrangement. This resistance arrangement consists of a series of superposed
plates of carbon marked 1, 2,.3 etc. respectively carried in or between vertical slides
or frames G so that they can be pressed close together when the heel piece H is lifted
or allowed to separate at a slight. distance from each other when the heel piece is
depressed. The heel piece is attached to the long end of the lever I, while its other
and shorter end is coupled to the dash pot J. The lever is connected by the link K
to the cores L, of the solenoid E, E and is provided with an adjustable weight L'.
The cores M, of the relay solenoid are connected together at the bottom by the cross
piece as shewn, and at the centre of the cross piece is the contact piece N, which may
be tipped with German Silver to prevent corrosion. The cores are connected to the
spring O, provided with the adjusting screw and nut P. Below the contact piece N
there is a spring Q, with which contact is made. The range of motion of the cores of
the solenoids and the connected contact piece N, is limited by the stop R. A resistance
coil S is introduced into the relay, with the shunt connection shown and which are
hereinafter more particularly referred to.
The action of the apparatus is as follows; Excess of current, causes the solenoids D,
to raise the cores M, and the contact at N, is thereby broken. The whole of the
current then passes into the regulator solenoids E, which through the cores L, lift
the lever I, and presses the bottom piece H up against the series of carbon
plates 1, 2, 3 etc., thereby compressing them together and decreasing the resistance
of the regulator which allows more current to pass past the field magnets of the
dynamo and weakens them. The diminution of current thus produced in the circuit,
causes the cores M, of the relay solenoids to fall and contact is made at N. A part of
the current is thus diverted from the regulator solenoid E which allows the cores L
to be lowered, and therefore the bottom pieces H, so that the resistance of the carbon
plates is increased. The relay is provided with a shunt resistance S, so that when
contact is broken at N, this shunt resistance forms a path for a small portion of the
current, which would otherwise pass through the contact at N, at the moment of
breaking and obviate any excessive sparking in breaking contact at N.
When in operation the relay continually varies the attractive power of the regulator
solenoids E, and therefore for the sake of steadiness of action a stiff working dash
pot J, is used.
The work required of the relay solenoids is merely that of making and breaking
contact at N so that a much finer regulation is obtained than is possible with the
regulator solenoid alone, which has a considerable amount of work to perform.
Thus by the interaction of the relay upon the regulator and vice versa as herein-
before described steadiness or constant current is obtained in the circuit worked off
the dynamo.
At Figure 3 in sheet 2, of the annexed drawings, I have shown a modified arrange-
ment whereby the relay operates part only of the coils of the solenoids of the regulator,
instead of the whole solenoids as hereinbefore described. In this Figure parts which
correspond to Figure 1 are marked with the same letters of reference and therefore
the description of such parts need not here be repeated. For the purposes of this
modified arrangement shown at Figures 3 and 4 the relay is provided with two
contacts T, and U, respectively and corresponding contact pieces X, and Y, for
making an upper and lower contact as is obvious on referring to the drawing Figure 3.
The upper and lower contact pieces are connected respectively to portions of the coils
of one of the solenoids E, and which portions are wound in opposite directions so as
to produce an assisting or retarding effect upon the action of the solenoids. In this
arrangement the cores of the relay solenoids D have a position of rest when current is
normal, and only cause contact to be made at X or Y when a certain diminution or
excess of current takes place. Equally as two contact pieces are used in the relay
now last described so also are two resistance coils S, and S respectively corresponding
to the two contacts, and the two oppositely wound coils of the solenoids E.
It is obvious from the two illustrations which I have shewn upon the annexed
drawings and herein before described that the combination consisting of a regulator
and relay interacting on one another, for the purposes of producing steadiness of

page_text: current in a circuit worked off a dynamo, may be carried out in a variety of other
ways without departing from the essential feature of my Invention and which will
be easily understood by practical electricians from the illustrations I have given.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I claim is :-
The arrangement and combination of a regulator consisting of an adjustable resistance
controlled and adjusted automatically by a magnet or solenoid excited by the current
from the circuit, the said adjustable resistance being placed either in a series or
shunt with the field magnets of the dynamo, with a sensitive relay whose magnet
or solenoid is also excited by the current from the circuit, the relay being arranged
to vary the attractive force with or without an additional resistance of the regulator
magnet or solenoid substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the
annexed drawings.