IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING OR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Harris Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th January 1883. A communication
to him from abroad by Nicolas de Kabath, of Paris, France:
'
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
OR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CURRENTS A communication to him from abroad by
Nicolas de Kabath, of Paris, France.
"
This invention relates to apparatus designed to regulate or control electric
currents and maintain the same constant. This apparatus is arranged in such a
manner that it can be applied to any source of electricity whatever may be the
purpose for which the electric current is employed. It may be applied to the
sluice-valve of a water-wheel, to the throttle valve of a steam-engine, to the cock
of a gas-engine, or to the current for exciting the field-magnets of a number of
dynamo electric machines mounted in series or in multiple arc.
It may also be
employed for regulating the current from primary or secondary batteries, or from
thermo-electric piles.
The said apparatus comprises a magnet placed in a derived or branch circuit,
and having an armature so arranged as to be attracted in one direction by the
magnet and drawn in the contrary direction by a suitable spring. This magnet
serves for reversing the circuit. When the force of the magnet is greater than that
of the spring, the current is caused to flow in one direction into an electro-motor
and cause the same to turn, whilst when the force of the spring preponderates, the
direction of the current is reversed as well as the direction of rotation of the
electro-motor.
The said motor, by means of suitable gear-wheels, transmits a slow rotary
motion to a central shaft; the movement of this shaft may be utilized for operating
a commutator for introducing into the circuit either additional cells or other
sources of electricity, or resistance coils. In the case where a number of machines
are actuated by a water-wheel, or other motor, a steam engine for example, the
said central shaft acts either directly or by means of any suitable mechanism, upou
the sluice valve of the water-wheel, or the admission valve or the throttle valve
of the steam engine.

page_text: In order to regulate lamps arranged in multiple arc, the regulating magnet is
arranged in multiple are with the said lamps, and in order to regulate lamps
arranged in series the regulating magnet is also arranged in series. In the case
where the lamps arranged in multiple arc, are supplied with electricity by means
of a dynamo-electric machine, the apparatus may be employed to regulate the
exciting current of the latter. Moreover, when the regulating apparatus is
employed in combination with are lamps arranged in series, it may be caused to
operate in a circuit derived from the circuit of the field magnets.
Apparatus constructed according to the said invention is illustrated by way of
example only, in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 represents a plan of the said apparatus.
Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section through the axis of the motor employed.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal central section of the whole apparatus,
including the motor.
Figure 4 illustrates the gear wheels employed.
Figure 5 is a vertical section through the axis of the magnetic circuit-reversing
device.
In these figures A represents a table or plate to which are connected commutator
plates a insulated from one another; B is a lever bearing upon the plates a and
mounted upon the shaft C; D is the motor; E the circuit-reversing device; Fa
worm-wheel; G a toothed wheel and H a pinion. I is a terminal J and K are
cups containing mercury; b is a band or strip of copper; c, c are copper plates for
conducting the current from the central shaft to the terminal I; d, d are stops for
preventing the arm B from turning too far in either direction; e, f
are the
commutator brushes and g, g the field magnets of the motor; h and i are the
terminals and j is an iron rod or frame constituting the armature of the device E
for reversing the circuit.
:
'
T
TAP.
It is well known that when an electric current is derived from an accumulator,
the electro motive force of the latter diminishes gradually and that, in order to
maintain the intensity of the current constant, it is necessary to add successively.
to the circuit new cells or elements. The improved apparatus may also be applied
in this case and permits the necessary cells or elements for maintaining the current
constant to be automatically inserted into the circuit as required.
Figure 6 of the drawing shews the arrangement which I employ in this case.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows, that is to say-A certain number of
cells or elements (always less than the desired number) are connected in the
ordinary manner with the apparatuses, lamps for example, which are to utilize the
current. When the operation of the lamps commences the extremity of the lever O
rests, for example, on the plate 29 of the commutator to which is connected the
accumulator 29. In this position the electro-motive force of the current corresponds
to 29 cells or elements, assuming, moreover, that the number of cells or elements is
not sufficient and that the electromotive force is below the value that it should
have in order to properly supply the lamps placed in the circuit; in this case the
lever C will be turned in the direction of the arrow, until a sufficient number of
cells or elements are included in the circuit. When the lever passes from one plate
to the succeeding plate it adds to the circuit two elements, for example; when it
passes from the plato 29 to the succeeding plate, two elements, 30, and 31, are
placed in the circuit. The automatic regulation is effected as hereinafter described:
F represents a powerful magnet of high resistance placed in a circuit derived
from the lamp-circuit, the current passes by the wires S, O, Q, U, R, E, G, and
returns to the element 29. Near the poles of the said magnet is situated an
armature marked G; this armature is held away from the magnet F by the
spring H, the tension of which can be regulated by means of the thumb-nut I.
The armature is capable of turning around the point J.
It is evident, that when the force of the spring H is greater than that of the
magnet F, the armature will rest against the point K; whilst in the contrary case

page_text: it will be attracted, towards the right and rest against the point L. It will be
observed that the wire of the derived circuit t is connected to the armature; if;
therefore, this armature effects the contact at K, the current will pass into N,
whilst if it bears upon L, the current will pass into M.
B represents a motor which is capable of being actuated by three different
circuits. The armature is connected by the wires O and P and has always the
same polarity. The field-magnets are wound with two systems of wire and their
polarity depends upon the contact of the armaturo G with K or L. When the
force of the spring is greater than that of the magnet F the current passes by N
and returns to the line by the wire V; the armature of the motor then turns from
left to right and moves the lever C in the direction of the arrow, so as to introduce
into the circuit additional cells or elements, because the intensity of the current does
not excite the magnet F sufficiently for it to counter-balance the attraction of the
spring H. Moreover, when the intensity of the current has attained the desired
value, the attractive force of the magnet F is augmented, the armature G
separates from the point K and the circuit being interrupted, the motor ceases
to turn.
Assuming that some of the lamps are extinguished, the electro-motive force of
the current will be increased, as well as the power of the magnet F, the armature G
will be moved until it touches L, and the circuit will be established by the wire M.
The polarity of the field magnets of the motor will be reversed and it will be
turned in the contrary direction so that it will exclude a certain number of cells or
elements from the circuit. In every case the current passes to the line by the
wire V and the direction of rotation of the motor is determined by the entrance of
the current at M or N.
In regulating apparatus of this kind, it is necessary that when a cell or element
of a battery is added, the addition should be effected very rapidly because during
the time that the lever rests upon two plates of the commutator, the element or
elements thus added are placed in short circuit. I have therefore represented in
the drawing an arrangement permitting of instantaneously changing the point of
contact.
The lever C is mounted loosely on the shaft E. The two levers D, D, are, on the
contrary, keyed upon the said shaft and turn with it. When the motor acting by
means of the pinion and worm-wheel as above described, causes these levers to turn
far enough to permit one of the springs e to pull with sufficient force upon the
lever C. to move the same, the said lever C will be rapidly moved into the succeeding
notch.
Figure 7 is an end view shewing the arrangement of the plates i, i of the
commutators and of the lever C.
This apparatus can be employed in combination with primary or secondary
batteries, or it can be employed to regulate an installation of dynamo or magneto
electric machines. For example the magnet F can be placed in a circuit derived
from the lamp circuit, and the current from the accumulators can be utilized for
exciting the field magnets of the dynamo electric machines.
The apparatus may also be employed for regulating the intensity of the current
by increasing or diminishing the resistance intercalated in the circuit, and I have
represented in Figure 8 of the drawings an arrangement of this description. In
this Figure, A A represent cells or elements of primary or secondary batteries
furnishing the current; B B are the coils or other resistances connected to the
plates I of the commutator; G is the lever oporated by an electro-motor as above
described; D, E represent an electro-magnetic circuit-reversing device similar to
that above described with reference to Figures and 5. The operation of the
apparatus is analogous to that of the apparatus above described. The current
passes always in the same direction in the armature of the motor and according to
the position of the armature of the magnet of the circuit-reversing device, which
position is regulated by the electro-motive force of the current, the motor Ď turns

page_text: in one direction or the other, so as to add to, or withdraw from, the circuit, á
suitable number of resistances B.
1
The form, dimensions and arrangement of the parts of the improved apparatus
may be varied without departing from the nature of the said invention, and the
electric communications connecting it with the circuit may also be varied according
to circumstances.
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