IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS."-A
communication from abroad by Matthias Day, of Mansfield, Ohio,
United States of America.
Sealed the 2nd June 1874, and dated the 11th April 1874..
20
то ошсо от ино
on the 11th April 1874.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declaro the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LIGHT
APPARATUS," a communication, to be as follows :—

page_text: a speed commensurate to waste by the current, a greater or less speed
breaks the current and extinguishes the light.
Second. The waste of the point connected with the carbon pole of the
battery is greater than that of the other, and from various causes is
irregularly so. Hence the carbons must approach at unequal and at
consequently varying speed in order that the point of light may always.
be stationary in the focus of the lens or mirror.
Third. Owing to the rapidity of the waste electric lights have been
of short duration, requiring constant attendance to replace the carbous,
during which time the light is of course extinguished.
The object of my Invention is to overcome these difficulties, and the
said Invention is carried into practise as follows:-The said apparatus
has a standard which may be either vertical or horizontal, it is made in
two parts, one of wood and the other of metal; or it may be mado
entirely of wood. I provide metallic arms for supporting guides, one
made of soft iron and the other preferably of brass. Between the lower
arms is an electro-magnet, so adjusted that the soft iron guide becomes
its armature. Below the magnet is a coiled spring, to the drum of which
I attach one end of a cord or ribbon, preferably of steel; its other. end
being fastened to the lower end of the soft iron guide. The said spring
gives motion to all parts of the burner. The same results may be accom-
plished by a weight.
Upon the shaft of the spring are an insulated pinion and jam nut.
Between the upper arms is a wheel gearing into the rack, upon the inner
edge of the brass guide and upon the shaft of the wheel are another
insulated pinion and jam nut. A connecting rod with slots at each end
is geared to opposite sides of the said pinions. Upon the upper end of
the brass guide is a helex magnet with a. core spring and carbon socket
in which is a slide plate to be held firmly against the carbons or points
by a set screw. · A similar socket is attached to the opposite guide.
A set screw holds the guides in any position when the burner is not in
use. The carbons are respectively connected with the battery by wires.
The said sockets are made to held two or more points, preferably arranged
parallel with but not touching each other, and those in the upper socket
opposite those in the lower. The said connecting rod has a screw joint
to permit the changing of its upper end. By having slots of different

page_text: sizes, with pinions to correspond, the relative speed of the carbons may
be materially changed.
To correct the excess of waste in the points connected with the
positive pole of the battery I either change the size of the pinion or use an
automatic rheotrope between the battery and burner by which the current
may be reversed at brief intervals, and thus the point of light remains
in the focus. The upper guide may be connected with the spring by a
metallic cord, the upper end being attached to a variable drum or pulley.
In another form of the burner I use an electro-magnet to restrain tho
spring. The said spring may be retarded or restrained by a clock
movement. An ordinary marine clock movement is attached to tho
apparatus, and has upon its face a wheel gearing with a cog wheel, upon
the back of which is a plate of rubber or its equivalent. To it is
attached a lever, one end of which is pivoted to an arm and the other
fastened to the core of the helix magnet.
Should the movement of the clock be too slow and the distance
between the carbons become too great, the said helix magnet lets go
and the spring released from the control of the clock brings the points
promptly together, and the light is, re-established. For the carbon
points may be substituted carbon discs to be revolved by connection
with the said spring or with the clock, the discs and the points being
controlled equally well by the burner. In another form of mechanism
for moving the carbon points simultaneously, a gear wheel upon the
shaft of the spring meshes into a rack. On the inner side of the
lower end of the standard, and to the top of this standard, is connected
an arm carrying the upper socket. By this mechanism and arrangement
of parts while the lower carbon points are actuated by the same move-
ments the movements for the upper carbon points are simplified, the
upper gear wheels, the rack, the connecting rod with its accessories, and
the lower arms are dispensed with, and the motion of the upper points
is communicated directly from the shaft of the main spring through the
said gear wheel and standard.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 10th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LIGHT APPARATUS," a communication to me from
abroad by Matthias Day, of Mansfield, Ohio, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert
Lake, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
In the use of electric burners the following difficulties are found :—
First. Causing the carbons or points to approach automatically with
a speed commensurate to waste by the current, a greater or less speed:
breaks the current and extinguishes the light.

page_text: Second. The waste of the point connected with the carbon pole of
the battery is greater than that of the other, and from various causes is
irregularly so. Hence the carbons must approach at unequal and at
consequently varying speed in order that the point of light may always
be stationary in the focus of the lens or mirror.
Third. Owing to the rapidity of the waste, electric lights have been
of short duration, requiring constant attendance to replace the carbons,
during which time the light is of course oxtinguished.
The object of my Invention is to overcome these difficulties and the
said Invention is carried into practise as follows:-In the accompanying
Drawing Figures 1 and 2 the standard, which may be either vertical or
horizontal, is made in two parts, the one part A of wood and the other B
of metal; for many purposes it is just as well to make it all of wood.
C, C, C, C, are metallic arms for supporting the guides L and D; L
being made of soft iron and D preferably of brass. Between the lower
arms C, C, is an electro-magnet R so adjusted that the soft iron guide L
becomes its armature. Below the magnet is a coiled spring K, to the
drum of which I attach one end of a cord or ribbon J, preferably of
steel, its other end being fastened to the lower end of the guide L. Tho
spring K, as will appear, gives motion to all parts of the burner. The
same results may be accomplished by a weight.
Upon the shaft of the spring are the insulated pinion and jam nut F.
Between the upper arms C, C, is the wheel E gearing into the rack
upon the inner edge of the guide D, and upon the shaft of the wheel E
are the insulated pinion and jam nut F¹; II, is a connecting rod with
slots at each end geared respectively to opposite sides of the pinions F
and F. Upon the upper end of the guide L is a helix magnet M with
its core N, spring O, and carbon socket P, in which is a slide plate to bo
held firmly against the carbons or points by the set screw p. A similar
socket is attached to the opposite guide D. The set screw c holds tho
guides in any position when the burner is not in use. The carbons aro
respectively connected with the battery by the wires S and T. The
sockets P, P, are made to hold two or more points, preferably arranged
parallel with but not touching each other, and those in the upper socket
opposite those in the lower. The connecting rod H has a screw joint
at I to admit of changing the upper end. By having slots of different
sizes with pinions F to correspond the relative speed of the carbons
may be materially changed,

page_text: The operation of the said burner is as follows:-The carbon points
being placed in the sockets the set screw c is loosened and the spring K
lifts the guide L, and by means of the connecting rod H and its reverse
gearing with the pinions F and F' depresses the guide D. By this
simultaneous motion of the guides the carbon points meet in the focus
of the lens or mirror. If now the connections are made with the battery
the magnet R will attract the soft iron guide L, and by the connections
also the guide D and hold them firmly in position. The helix magnet M
acting at the same instant draws down the lower carbons and the light
is shown. The current selects the route offering the least resistance,
and therefore follows that pair of carbons in closest impact. When the
points are separated it continues to follow the same pair until the
distance between them resulting from waste is too great when the
current weakens or breaks. The magnets R and M let go the springs K
and O promptly bring the points together again, and the circuit is again
complete. The current chooses another pair of carbons, the magnets
come into play and the light is re-established. The same operation is
constantly repeated, and thus the current passing through the carbons
alternately wears them away equally, and the duration of the light is
only limited by the capacity of the sockets for holding carbons. The
changes from carbon to carbon are made so quickly that the light is
reliably continuous.
To correct the excess of waste in the points connected with the
positive pole of the battery I either change the size of the pinion F¹ or
use an automatic rheotrope between the battery and burner, by which
the current may be reversed at brief intervals, and thus the point of
light remains in the focus.
Instead of having the rod H the upper guide E may be connected
with the spring K by a metallic cord, the upper end being attached to
a variable drum or pulley facing the wheel E.
The office
The spring may
In Figures 3 and 4 I show another form of the burner.
of the electro-magnet R is to restrain the spring K.
be retarded or restrained by a clock movement. An ordinary marine
clock movement is attached to A, and has upon its face a wheel gearing
with the cog wheel Z, upon the back of which is a plate of rubber or
its equivalent. To it is attached the lever W, one end of which is
pivoted to the arm C and the other fastened to the core of the helix-
;

page_text: magnet Y.
When the current is passing through the burner the
magnet Y acting upon the lever W presses the wheel Z firmly against
the drum of the spring K, and by its frictional or rubber gearing prevents
the revolution of the drum, except as released by the movement of
the clock.
I am aware that clockwork has been used in connection with clectric
burners heretofore, but I believe it has always been as a motive
instead of restraining power. They have moved intermittently when
released from the control of the magnets, and the light in consequence
was fitful and of varying power. By the method herein described there
is a constant motion of the carbons and a light of uniform brilliancy.
Should the movement of the clock be too slow and the distance
between the carbons become too great the magnet Y lets go, and
the spring K released from the control of the clock brings the points
promptly together, and the light is re-established. For the carbon points
may be substituted carbon discs to be revolved by connection with the
spring K or with the clock, the discs and the points being controlled
equally well by the burner.
In Figures 5 and 6 I show still another form of mechanism for moving
the carbon points simultaneously. In this a gear wheel 1 upon tho
shaft of the spring K meshes into a rack 2. On the inner side of the
lower end of the standard B, and to the top of this standard is con-
nected an arm 3 carrying the upper socket P. By this menchanism and
arrangement of parts while the lower carbon points are actuated by the
samo movements shewn in the other Figures, the movements for the
upper carbon points are simplified; the upper gear wheels E and F, the
rack D, the connecting rod H with its accessories, and the lower arms C
and C being dispensed with, and the motion of the upper points being
accomplished directly from the shaft of the main spring K through the
1 and standard B.
gear
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me

page_text: Second. The combination with the magnet R of the carbon sup-
porting rod L arranged to act as the armature of the magnet, substan-
tially as herein described and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The combination with the armature or guide rod of the clectro-
magnet M arranged upon the top thereof, in the manner and for the
purposes set forth.
Fourth. The combination with the motive power of an clectric
light and the carbon electrodes thereof, of a connecting rod and gearing
imparting simultaneous motion to both electrodes, as herein set forth.
Fifth.. The combination with the motive power of an electric light of 1
a constant and regularly acting clock movement, as herein described and
for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Tonth day of October, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy- ]
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.8.)