Method of and Appliances for Preventing the Loss of Surplus Electricity Generated by Dynamo-electric Machines for Lighting, Power, and other Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept, 1889-Accepted, 2nd Nov.. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Appliances for Preventing the Loss of Surplus
Electricity Generated by Dynamo-electric Machines for Lighting,
Power, and other Purposes.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM ENGELBACH of 11 Howley Place Maida Hill London
Gentleman and EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT of 31 Golden Square London Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
The object of our invention is to save the loss of electricity that occurs when
dynamo electric machines are employed with continuous currents for lighting or
power owing to the frequent differences in the electricity produced which occur
when the revolutions of the engine or Dynamo electric machine exceed the regular
working load-At present this is corrected by introducing artificial resistances or
shunts whereby more or less of the electric current is wasted.
Our invention not only avoids the employment of special skilled labour to watch
the varying requirements of the electric mains but also saves the burning of safety
fuses (or "cut offs") which extinguish the lighting until replaced, together with the
consequent darkness and annoyance.
It also provides against undue heating of the electric mains or conductors which
necessarily results in more or less loss of electric power.
The principle of our invention is to divert automatically the surplus or un-
employed electricity into storage cells or accumulators and thus to convert the loss
that occurs on the present system into a profit.
We employ the following methods
1st. A metallic collar. if necessary insulated, on the rod of the governor of the
engine is so arranged that it is lifted or lowered by the rising or falling of the
governor. To this collar is attached a metallic roller or connecting spring which
makes sliding contact successively with a series of metallic plates insulated from
one another on a hoard. The plates are connected by electrical conductors with
one pole of storage batteries but the size of the conductor from each plate varies
so that each plate acts as a shunt, gradually increasing the proportion of electricity
passed into the accumulators (or storage battery or batteries) as the governor rises.
The sliding collar of the governor is connected electrically with one pole of the
dynamo-electric machine and the other pole is connected permanently to the other
pole of the accumulators or storage batteries.
2nd. Instead of the sliding collar being on the governor of the engine it may be
similarly attached to a governor actuated by the shaft of the dynamo-electric
machine.
3rd. We also employ a column of mercury in a suitable vessel placed against or in
mmediate proximity to the electric main conductor so as to indicate any undue
ncrease of heat on which the mercury lifts a float which makes contact successively
vith a series of plates connected to the accumulators as in the preceding description.
The float has attached to it a metallic roller or spring as before.
Instead of mercury any other expansive fluid or a metallic spring readily
xpanding by increase of heat may be similarly employed to make the successive
ontacts.
To increase the sensitiveness of the spring to heat it may be composed of two
netals of different degrees of expansion such as copper and steel, or a rod of copper
n one side and steel on the other may be similarly employed to make the required
ontacts.
Or such springs or rods may be employed in a series, each making the electrical

page_text: contact with its respective plate and each successive spring or rod having an
increasing range of movement before making such contact.
We also employ springs instead of the rigid contact plates, with which either the
contact expanding springs or rods make the electrical connexion.
23rd July 1889
F. W. ENGELBACH.
E. B. BRIGHT.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
A Method of and Appliances for Preventing the Loss of Surplus
Electricity Generated by Dynamo-electric Machines for Lighting,
Power, and other Purposes.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM ENGELBACH, of 11, Howley Place, Maida Hill, London,
Gentleman, and EDWARD BRAILSFORD BRIGHT, of 31 Golden Square, London, Civil
Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to a method of and appliances for preventing the loss of
electricity that occurs when dynamo-electric machines are employed for lighting or
for producing power owing to the frequent differences in the quantity of electricity
used and produced, such differences being caused by the varying degree of con-
sumption and the variations in the speed of the engine.
These variations in the quantity of electricity produced and consumed necessitate
the introduction of artificial resistances or shunts whereby more or less of the
electricity is wasted.
Our invention not only avoids the employment of special skilled labour to watch
the varying requirements of the electric mains, but also saves the burning of safety
fuses (or cut-outs") which break the continuity of the electric circuit until replaced
and give rise to considerable expense, annoyance and inconvenience.
The said invention also provides against undue heating of the electric mains or
service conductors, which heating necessarily results in more or less loss of electricity.
The principle of our invention is to divert the surplus or unemployed electricity
into storage batteries or accumulators by causing one of the main conductors, when
more electricity is produced than is consumed, to automatically make contact with the
conductors of one or more of the said storage batteries whereby the loss that occurs
by the presont system is avoided.
Our invention can be carried out in various ways, Figures 1 to 4 of the accom-
panying drawing being diagrammatic views illustrating four arrangements all
embodying the principle of our invention.
In the arrangement shown at Figure 1, a represents the governor of an engine or
other motor (not shewn) driving the dynamo electric machine. To the sliding collar b
of the governor is attached a metallic sliding contact bar c which is connected by the
conductor d, with one pole of the dynamo machine. The said contact bar does not
rotate with the governor balls but is raised or lowered by them, it being attached to
a collar e at its lower end which slides on the vertical part a¹ of the governor bracket
and is provided with a pin which works in a groove a² in the part a. The contact
bar crises with the governor balls if the speed of the engine or motor is increased and
may thus be brought successively into contact with a series of metallic springs,
attached to metallic contact plates electrically connected by separate insulated
electrical conductors g to one pole of each of a series of electrical storage batteries or
accumulators not shewn in the drawing.
It will thus be seen that if any surplus electricity be produced, the governor, in
rising, will bring the contact bar c into contact with the conductors g through the
springs, and thus allow the said surplus electricity produced from the
3

page_text: We
dynamo machine to be diverted or shunted into the said storage batteries or accumu
lators. For example, a certain quantity of the surplus electricity may be thus shunted
by the first contact spring f, an additional quantity by the spring f, and so on.
attach the end of the conductor d to the strip c by means of a spring so that the
said strip can move without disturbing the said conductor. The other pole of the
dynamo-electric machine is connected to the other pole of the storage batteries.
Instead of the governor being operated by the engine or motor it will be obvious that
it may be operated by the dynaino-electric machine.
•
In the arrangement shewn at Figure 2 we attach the bar c to a piston or float h
floating upon a column of mercury (or other fluid expansible by heat) contained in a
vessel attached to but insulated from the electric inain or service conductor j. In
this instance the piston or float will be raised into contact with the springs,
by the expansion of the mercury in the vessel when the temperature of the
electric main or service conductor j rises by reason of any excess of electricity in the
said conductor above that being consumed. The bar e works in a guide at the top of
the vessel i and is electrically connected by means of the spring and conductor d
with one pole of the dynamo-electric machine as in Figure 1 or with the main service
conductor j.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 3 instead of one bar c as in Figures 1 and 2
we employ a series of bars c, c², c, e readily expansible by heat each of which can
make contact successively with each of the springs f,,,, the said bars being of
slightly different lengths for that purpose. The other ends of tho said bars c, c¹, c³,
are attached to and in electrical connection with the electric main or service con-
ductor j and thus relieve it of any surplus electricity on an increase of temperature as
described in figure 2.
j
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 4 we construct the bar c, which can form one
of a series as in Figure 3, flexible, it being composed of 2 dissimilar metal strips c, c³,
such as brass and steel respectively, which are unequally expanded by beat, attached
to and in electrical connection with the electric main or service conductor j. On the
temperature of the conductor increasing as described in Figure 2, the more readily
expansible metal strip of forming one side of the flexible bar c tends to expand more
than the other strip thereby causing the said bar to assume a curved form as
shewn by the dotted lines and at a given degree of temperature to make contact
with one of the springs f. The bar c may be bent so as to form a helix if further
movement is requisite.
To preserve and render more equably efficient the apparatus described in Figures 2,
3 and 4, it is desirable to cover them with glass.
In charging storage batteries or accumulators from the service conductors at points
distant from the dynamo-machine the connection with the other pole of the said
storage batteries or accumulators may be made with the servico conductor in
connection with the other pole of the dynamo-machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what wo
claim is :-
1. The method herein described for preventing the loss of surplus electricity
generated by dynamo-electric machines for lighting, power and other purposes, such
method consisting in automatically diverting the surplus or unemployed electricity
into storage batteries or accumulators by causing electrical contact between the
dynamo machine and such storage batteries or accumulators to automatically take
place whenever more electricity is produced than is required for immediate con-
sumption.
2. Apparatus or appliances for preventing the loss of surplus electricity generated
by dynamo-electric machines for lighting, power and other purposes, in which on
more electricity being produced than is required for immediate consumption a
contact bar or bars is or are caused to move automatically so as to make contact

page_text: between the dynamo machine and storage batteries or accumulators as hereinbefore
described.
3. The appliances for preventing the loss of surplus electricity generated by
dynamo electric machines for lighting, power and other purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated respectively in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawing.
the 10th day of September 1889.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.