Improvements in Electrical Apparatus for Producing Luminous or similar Effects, such as Roentgen Rays, from Exhausted Receivers.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1898-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Electrical Apparatus for Producing Luminous or
similar Effects, such as Roentgen Rays, from Exhausted Receivers.
A communication from abroad by The MOORE ELECTRICAL COMPANY, of New
York City, New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE. of 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, 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 apparatus for producing luminous or similar effects,
such as Roentgen rays from exhausted receivers operated by the electric vibrations
or disturbances generated through rapidly-repeated interruptions of a circuit or
circuits of induction.
The invention consists in using vibrating contacts in the manner hereinafter
described for producing said vibrations or disturbances, and in the construction
and combination of parts whereby such vibrating contacts may be maintained in
continuous and rapid operation, and whereby the maximum effect may be pro-
duced in the circuit into which the circuit of induction discharges.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 illustrates a balanced vibrator embodying
this invention; Figs. 2 and 3 represent an ordinary spring vibrator to which the
knocking or striking device is added; Fig. 4 represents a balanced vibrator sup-
plying two lighting systems; Fig. 5 represents a pendulum vibrator also supply-
ing two lighting systems Fig. 6 represents a pendulum vibrator with co-operating
contact points in substitute relation; Figs. 7 and 8 represent a series of vibrators
or circuit interrupters having a constant and common retractor magnet and a
series of intermittent retractor magnets acting successively upon the vibrators;
Figs. 9 and 10 represent vibrators provided with a magnet especially designed
for varying the vibrations and with another magnet for producing the desired
inductive effects, and Fig. 11 represents a magnetic-actuating device for the
vibrator wholly independent of the circuit of induction.
In the several figures of the drawings, 11 and 12 indicate the conductors for
supplying current to the apparatus; 13 indicates the vacuous chamber of the
vibrator which may be of any suitable material, but is preferably constructed of
glass, while 14 indicates the lamp or other device through which the circuit of
induction discharges.
In Fig. 1 the vacuous chamber is supported in horizontal position and contains
a balanced vibrator indicated by 15. This vibrator co-operates with a fixed
contact 17, and is normally held in contact therewith by the constantly energized
magnet 16, which takes the place of a spring and renders re-engagement of the
contacts more certain; 18 is the magnet in circuit with the contacts and which
acts intermittently to break the circuit of induction through said contacts, at
which time the discharge from said circuit takes place through the lamp 14,

page_text: Above the vacuous chamber is a solenoid 19 whose core is so constructed as
to normally rest upon said chamber. Attached to the core is a contact arm 20
which engages with a contact in the conductor 11. The solenoid 19 is of a slug-
gish nature and does not respond to the current flowing through it when the
vibrator is operating normally and rapidly, but, should it cease its normal operation
for a sufficient period to allow the solenoid to act, its core would be drawn up, at
which time the circuit of the solenoid will be broken and allow the core again to
fall, thereby knocking and jarring the vacuous chamber and its contained vibrator
so as to bring the parts again into normal condition. This striker may be made to
operate upon the base or support for the vacuous chamber as indicated in Fig. 3,
or it may be controlled by a relay magnet substantially as indicated at 21, in Fig. 2,
the striker shown in that figure consisting of a balanced hammer 22, controlled
by the magnet 23, said hammer being arranged to tap or knock upon the vacuous
chamber 13, as indicated. The striker may be operated otherwise than electrically
if desired.
The self-induction of the circuit through the interrupter contacts is preferably
produced by coils located on opposite sides of said contacts. In Fig. 1 these coils
consist of the magnets 18, 19. In Fig. 2 they consist of the coils 18 and 21, while
in Fig. 3 they consist of the coils 18 and 24, in the latter case the coil 24 being
added simply for the purpose of equalizing the resistance upon opposite sides of
the break in said circuit.
In Fig. 4 the balanced vibrator is actuated first by a magnet 18, and then by
magnet 18¹, each of which is in its own circuit of induction, and each of which acts
in turn as a retractor for the balanced vibrator.
In Fig. 5 the magnets 18 and 18' act in the same manner as in Fig. 4, but in
this case upon a pendulum vibrator. This figure also shows the discharges from
the circuits of induction as having a common return over the conductor 25, while
in Fig. 4 each circuit of induction has an independent circuit into which to
discharge.
In Fig. 6 a constant retractor magnet 161 is located at one side of the pendu-
lum vibrator 26, while the intermittently acting magnet 18¹ is located at the
opposite side. This view also shows a series of fixed contacts 17, mounted in the
wall of the vacuous chamber, and so proportioned that when one wears away
another will come into operation, whereby one contact may be substituted for
another without reconstructing the interrupter.
In Figs. 7 and 8, a series of vacuous chambers, with their enclosed vibrators,
are placed about a magnet as 16", which has an expanded pole piece 27 in the
plane of the armatures carried by the vibrating tongues 26. On the opposite sides
of said armatures are located the intermittently energized operating magnets 18",
for breaking the circuits in their respective interrupters. The successive energiza-
tion of these magnets, which are arranged in parallel, may be effected by means of
a commutator shown at 28, which may be rotated by a motor 29.
The non-inductive resistance 241 is preferably placed in the operating circuit 30,
to, in a sense, govern the operation of the successively energized magnets 1811,
which latter are of minimum time constants.
It will be noted that in the form of apparatus just described the vibrators
are operated entirely by mechanism wholly independent of the circuits of induc-
tion. This insures continuous operation of the vibrator regardless of the con-
dition of the vibrator contacts or of the circuit of induction.
This is true also of the form of apparatus shown in Fig. 11, wherein the pendu-
lum vibrator 26 is alternately operated by the magnets 181, which may be ener-
gized successively by an alternating current flowing over the mains 11, 12, or by a
direct current alternately sent through said magnets by means of the com-
mutator 28. This figure also shows the vibrator constructed to interrupt the
circuit of induction at each semi-vibration. The self-inductive coil for this circuit
is illustrated at 31. This figure also illustrates the application of vacuum-tube
lighting to an ordinary lighting circuit, the ordinary lights being shown at 141,
and a lightning arrester being shown at 32 for the safety of the coil 31.

page_text: In Figs. 9 and 10, the operating magnet for the vibrator, as shown at 33, is
only of sufficient size to operate the vibrator, the self-induction for the circuit
being furnished by the larger coil indicated at 34. This renders it possible to
operate the vibrator at a higher rate of speed.
This mode of supplying self-induction through the circuit of induction may
also be employed in a system operated by a rotary circuit interrupter, such inter-
rupter being indicated in Fig. 10, wherein the vacuous chamber is represented at
131, the break wheel or rotary interrupter at 35, the contact brushes therefor at 36,
the break wheel being rotated by means of the armatures 37, mounted upon the
shaft with the break wheel, which armatures are successively attracted by the
coils 38, arranged about the vacuous chamber in the plane thereof. To prevent
the discharge from the self-inductive coil 34 from running back onto the line, a
resistance, as 39, may be placed in the circuit 12 as indicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
-
1. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a jarring device operated by any suitable
means, as by an electro-magnet preferably made sluggish as described.
2. In an apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated in-
terruptions of a charged electric circuit, the combination of an interrupter of any
kind, whether vibratory or rotary, and its circuit of self-induction, of two self-
inductive coils on opposite sides of the break respectively, and a circuit into which
said coils discharge in concert.
3. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a balanced vibrating lever actuated in oppo-
site directions by two magnets one acting at intervals and the other exerting a
constant retractive effect.
4. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated interrup-
tions of a charged electric circuit, a constantly acting retracting magnet for the
interrupter.
5. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a circuit interrupter having two contact
points, and magnets operating alternately thereon to break alternately two
circuits or branches of circuit.
6. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a vibrator having a series of substitute con-
tacts within a vacuum as shown in Fig. 6.
7. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a series of circuit interrupters, a retractor
common to them all, and magnets successively acting on said interrupters, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
8. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a coil of self-induction in a circuit or branch
of circuit independent of those which include the magnet or magnets that operate
the interrupting device.
9. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, the vibrating interrupter operated by alter-
nating or otherwise varying currents generated in a circuit independent of that
through the contacts of the interrupter and caused to pass through the magnet or
magnets which actuate the said interrupter.
10. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-
ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a vibrator or interrupter lever acting in
alternation to interrupt two charged electric circuits, each provided with its own dis-
charge branch or circuit, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.
11. In apparatus for producing luminous or other effects by repeated inter-

page_text: ruptions of a charged electric circuit, a series of vibrators, each having its own
actuating magnet, and means for energizing said magnets in succession to cause
successive interruptions of a circuit of induction as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
12. Apparatus for producing electrical vibrations or disturbances by discharges
from a rapidly interrupted circuit of induction having its self-induction equalized 5
at opposite sides of the break.
Dated this 14th day of May 1898
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.