IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Samuel Beeman, William Taylor and Frank King
all of 110 Cannon Street in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Samuel Beeman,
William Taylor, and Frank King at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents on the 21st September 1882.
JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN, WILLIAM TAYLOR and FRANK KING all of 110 Cannon
Street in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING
ELECTRIC CURRENTS.'
"
The apparatus for regulating or governing electric currents consists of a suitable
trough containing any electrolyte, two or more conducting plates, both or all
movable, or one set stationary the other movable, all or any placed in a vertical,
horizontal or other direction. The plates which may be solid, perforated or built
up, are to be moved and retained by suitable means in the desired position in
the said trough, in which the electrolyte is maintained at a constant level, and
convenient appurtenances used for retaining the plates in such desired position
therein, so that by bringing the plates or sets of plates nearer to each other, or
removing them a greater distance, or immersing them more or less in the electrolyte
the current passed through the electrolyte by means of the plate or sets of plates
is controlled and governed. Also in the means for moving and retaining said
plates, either by a rod or rods attached to the plate or sets thereof worked in a
stuffing box, or by a rack and pinion, by springs, or by counterbalanced weights and
pulleys, or by other equivalents-said appliances for moving being actuated
automatically by a solenoid with sucking magnet and spring, or by an electro-
magnet or magnets releasing one or more armatures and thereby causing one or
more electro-motors to work the appliances.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Joseph Samuel Beeman, William Taylor, and Frank King in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st March 1883.
JOSEPH SAMUEL BEEMAN, WILLIAM TAYLOR, and FRANK KING, all of 110 Cannon
Street in the County of Middlesex, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING
ELECTRIC CURRENTS,"
"
The apparatus for regulating or governing electric currents relates to a suitable
trough containing any electrolyte, two or more conducting plates, both or all
movable, or one set stationary the other movable, all or any placed in a vertical,
horizontal, or other direction. The plates, which may be solid, perforated, or built
up, are to be moved and retained by suitable means in the desired position in the
said trough, in which the electrolyte is maintained at a constant level, and
convenient appurtenances used for retaining the plates in such desired position
therein, so that by bringing the plates or sets of plates nearer to each other, or
removing them a greater distance, or immersing them more or less in the electrolyte
substantially in the manner bereinafter described, the current passed through the
electrolyte by means of the plate or sets of plates is controlled and governed.
The means employed by us for moving and retaining said plates, are such as are
hereinafter mentioned, viz. :-either by a rod or rods attached to the plate or sets
thereof worked in a stuffing box, or by a rack and pinion, by springs, or by
counter-balanced weights and pulleys, or by other equivalents, said appliances for
moving being actuated automatically by a solenoid with sucking magnet and
spring, or by an electro-magnet or magnets releasing one or more armatures and
thereby causing one or more electro-motors to work the appliances.
The following description of the drawings illustrates the manner of performing
the invention :-
A represents a convenient generator; a and a' are the main conductors leading
from generator; 8 and 81 are the conductors leading from generator to a liquid
resistance or bath containing electrolyte H; I and I¹ are the plates or electrodes
belonging to the liquid resistance; J is an electro-motor attached to plate or plates
or electrode of liquid resistance by either of the methods shown at Fig. 2 or Fig. 3.
That shown at Fig. 2 represents a drum fixed to axle of armature e of electro
motor J, carrying a plate 1', or plates, and its counterpoise by means of a cord.
On the rotation of the armaturé è of the motor J, the plate or plates I will rise
or fall in accordance with the direction in which the armature of the motor
rotates; in Fig. 3 the armature shaft of the motor is attached to a worm or
screw U carrying a screwed sleeve t, from which is suspended plate or plates I¹.
On rotation of the armature e of the motor J in either direction, the worm or
screw U will rotate, and the plate or plates will rise or fall in the liquid according
'to the direction of the rotation of the armature, having in.this the advantage of
causing the plate or plates or electrodes to approach each other, as well as
immersing them in the electrolyte or liquid resistance, thereby making the apparatus
more sensitive than where immersion is effected by the drum and cord method as
shown in Fig 2.
Fig. 1 is elevation of the automatic apparatus for detecting any abnormal
difference in potential between the poles G and G₁, or their attached conductors a
and a¹, and Fig. 2 contains a plan view of the same, showing connections to
electro-motor J for adjusting the liquid resistance H to the requirements at any
time existing.
BF are electro-magnets wound with fine wire having very high resistance, and
connected to the main conductor a through x round F, thence along x¹, round B,
along ² to a', C and E are levers having armatures attached.
Fig. 2 B and F are the electro-magnets, C and E are levers carrying armatures,

page_text: said levers having attachments by which contact may be made with the mercury
cups Dkl
The drawing as a whole shows the apparatus in position, when the difference of
potential at the poles of the generator G and G₁ or the attached conductors a
and a¹ is at its normal. When the difference of potential between the poles of the
generator G and G¹ or the attached conductors a and a¹ falls below the normal, the
electro-magnet B releases its armature attached to the lever C, and the weight W
causes lever C to fall and make a circuit through the electro-motor J, a current
then passes from a main conductor a along wire 6 to mercury cup or equivalent D
and lever C, and thence along wire c to electro-motor J, entering at the brush of
motor d, passing through armature of motor e to brush of motor f, thence to
terminal g, through fields of motor to terminal h, along wire i, to main conductor a¹.
The connections as above convert the electro-motor J into a "series" motor, and
the armature e rotates in such a direction as will cause the immersion, as in Fig. 2,
of the plate or plates, and, as in Fig. 3, the immersion and approach of said plates.
This immersion of the plate having the effect of lessening the liquid resistance,
more current will flow through the conductor on field magnets of generator A,
thereby causing a rise in the potential generated by the armature of the generator A.
During the process of a rise in potential between the poles of the generator G
and G or their attached conductors a and a¹, and when the normal potential is
reached, the armature attached to lever C will be attracted by the electro-magnet B,
and the circuit containing the motor will be broken at the mercury cup D, leaving,
by the cessation of the rotation of the armature e, the plate or plates I' in the
required position.
If now the difference of potential between the poles of the generator G and G¹,
or attached conductors a and a¹, rise above the normal, not only will the armature
attached to lever C remain attracted by the electro-magnet B, but the armature
attached to the lever E will also be attracted to the electro-magnet F, and the
attachments to the lever will make a circuit through the mercury cups k and 1; a
current will now flow from main conductor a along wire m to terminal n, along
the helical coil thereto attached to mercury cup k, thence along o to brush f and
terminal g of electro-motor J, thence into field magnets and armature in parallel
arc to d and h, thence from h through i to a¹, and also from d through c¹,
resistance c² along p to the lever E, thence to mercury cup l, along wire r to a¹.
The connections have now converted the electro-motor J into a shunt dynamo,
and the armature will rotate in the reverse direction, and thus raise the plate or
plates I in Fig. 2, or withdraw and raise the plate or plates I, and this operation
by increasing the liquid resistance, will lower the current passing into the conductor
on the field magnets of generator A, thereby lowering the potential generated by
the armature until the difference of potential between G and G¹, or a and a¹,
reaches the normal, when the armature attached to lever E will be released, and
the weight W' will raise the attachments to the lever E, and so break the contact
with the mercury cups k l, leaving the motor stationary, and the plates in the
liquid resistance in the position required by the conditions. The electrolyte
composing the liquid resistance is retained at a constant level.
When the motor is connected as shunt, we insert a resistance at c³ with the
object of equalizing the amounts of current which the motor receives when
connected either as "series or "shunt."
27
In place of the armature attached to the levers E and C to be attracted by their
electro-magnets F and B, F and B may be solenoids and the armatures lengthened
to hang or be drawn in the solenoids.

page_text: 2. The method of conversion of any suitable motor into a "series" or shunt
motor, whereby the rotation of the armature is obtained in either direction for the
purpose of moving, adjusting or retaining in position the electrodes employed,
substantially as described and illustrated.
3. The combination of a motor, screw and attachments for giving motion to one
or more electrodes, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof we the said Joseph Samuel Beeman, William Taylor, and
Frank King, have hereunto set our hands and seals this 21st day of March
AD 1882
J. S. BEEMAN
(L.S.)
WILLIAM TAYLOR (L.S.)
FRANK KING.
(L.S.)