Improvements in Apparatus for Breaking High Tension Circuits.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Breaking High Tension Circuits.
I, CARL SPRECHER, of 977, Zuhokkestrasse, Aarau, Switzerland, Engineer, do
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus whereby high tension circuits can be
automatically broken at a distance or at the spot, the characteristic feature being the
mechanical rapid parting of two circuit ends in contact with each other for the
purpose of being able or causing the current of a high tension circuit to be
broken at as many places as may be required in a simple and rapid manner.
Annexed sheet of drawings show one form in which my invention may be carried
out.
The apparatus, Fig. 1, is composed of a base plate a upon which are secured two
insolators b1, b2, a tube c being secured to 1, by the plate d'. In this tube is
employed a rod e and around the latter a coiled spring f one end of which bears against
the inner end of the tube c and the other against a collar e¹ on the rod e.
The end of the rod e opposite to its collar el is furnished with a split tube e carrying
The latter has also a
a carbon c3 which is of larger diameter than the rod e.
recess e in which engages a pin g employed in the rectangular tube branch c². This
pin is placed under the influence of a spring / bearing against its shoulder gl and having
a hook furnished with a rope g³ whereby the pin y can be drawn out of the
recess et
To the collar is secured a hook e which projects through the slot ca in the
tube c and has a rope i attached which runs over the pulley k, whereby the rod e can
be withdrawn and the spring e in the meantime compressed.
Upon the insolator 62 a plate m is fixed in the same manner as d¹ to b¹, which plate
carries a tulip like spring contact piece n clamped thereto by the screws l.
In the plates and m are clamped by screws at equal height over the middle of
the rod e and the spring contact n the wires o¹, 02 which are bent as shown in Fig. 1,
and hereinafter termed "spark breakers" and may be set nearer to or further
away from each other according to the tension of the current in the circuit.
In lieu of the spark breakers o', o² the double chimney 3, shown at a reduced
scale, Fig. 3, may be used, formed of non conductive material, having partitions 05, 08
and acting as hereinafter described.
To the plates d and m are also clamped by means of screws the ends p¹, p² of a
high tension circuit to be broken.
When pulling the rope i the rod e moves towards the spring contact n until
the pin snaps into the recess e* and arrests the rod, in which position the
point es of the carbon e2 will have entered the spring contact n and the metal tube e²
come into intimate contact therewith and thereby have closed the circuit.
If the circuit is to be broken the pin g is pulled out of the rod recess e¹ which
causes the spring and rode to quickly draw the carbon point out of the spring
contact and thereby break the circuit.

page_text: As soon as the distance between the extreme ends of contact e³ & n is larger than
that of the two adjacent points of the spark breakers o¹, o the spark (arc of light)
which has been formed, jumps against the latter and is thereby drawn upwards and
extinguished so that the contacts e³ & are prevented fro:n being burned and thus
damaged.
When using the double chimney 03, of the extinction takes place in a similar
manner as when using the spark breaker o', o², i.e. as soon as the carbon point e³ has
left the spring contact n, the air surrounding the foot of the double chimney o³, of
will be heated by the spark drawn out, which creates an upward current in the said
chimney that takes the sparks with it, whilst the partitions in the said chimney
cause the spark to be lengthened to such an extent that it breaks up.
The withdrawal of the pin g may be effected either through the rope g³ or as shown
for instance in Fig. 4, by an electro-magnet.
In this case however an armature will take the place of the rope g³, and be attracted
by an electro-magnet when the circuit requires breaking.
The electric source required may be an independent one or the current be obtained
from the high tension circuit p¹, p2 and the circuit p¹, p² through the latter connection
automatically maximally broken, the coils of the electro-magnet r or the distances of
the same from the armature being so arranged that when the current flowing
through the same exceeds a certain amount, it will increase the magnetism of the
electro-magnet 7 in such a manner that the armature q will be attracted and the
ping drawn out of the recess e*.
A farther method of drawing the pin g out of the recess e is shown at a reduced
scale in Fig. 5.
In this case the branch c² is formed on the top of the tube c and at t connected
with a rocking lever 8 having its fulcrum at u and at v connected with the high tension
circuit p, p, so that when the circuit is broken the weight of the end pl will move
down the respective end of the lever v and its other end 8 and pin g up and thereby
draw the latter out of the recess et.
Dated this 28th day of April 1899
Improvements in Apparatus for Breaking Hign Tension Circuits.
I, CARL SPRECKER, of 977, Zuhokkestrasse, Aarau, Switzerland, 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 an apparatus whereby high tension circuits can he
automatically broken at a distance or locally, the characteristic feature being the
mechanical rapid parting of two circuit ends in contact with each other for the
purpose of being able or causing the current of a high tension circuit to be broken at
as many places as may be required in a simple and rapid manner.
The drawings filed with the Provisional Specification show one form in which my
invention may be carried out.
The apparatus, Fig. 1, is composed of a base plate a upon which are secured two
insolators 61, 62, a tube c being secured to 61, by the plate d¹. In this tube is
employed a rod e and around the latter a coiled spring f one end of which bears
against the inner end of the tube c and the other against a collar el on the rod e.
The end of the rod e opposite to its collar e¹ is furnished with a split tube e²

page_text: carrying a carbon c3 which is of larger diameter that the rod e. The latter has also a
recess in which engages a bolt g employed in the rectangular tube branch c².
This bolt is placed under the influence of a spring bearing against its shoulder g
and having a hook g² furnished with a rope g³ whereby the bolt g can be drawn out of
the recess t.
To the collar el is secured a hook e which projects through the slot in the tube c
and has a rope i attached which runs over the pulley k, whereby the rod e can be
withdrawn and the spring f in the meantime compressed.
Upon the insolator 2 a plate m is fixed in the same manner as d¹ to 1, which plate
carries a tulip like spring contact piece n clamped thereto by the screws l.
In the plates d¹ and m are clamped by screws at equal height over the middle of
the rod e and the spring contact n, the wires o¹, 02 which are bent as shown in Fig. 1,
and hereinafter termed "spark breakers" and may be set nearer to or further away
from each other according to the tension of the current in the circuit.
In lieu of the spark breakers o¹, o² the double chimney 03, 04 shown at a reduced
scale, Fig. 3, may be used, formed of non-conductive material, having partitions o³, of
and acting as hereinafter described.
To the plates & m are also clamped by means of screws the ends p¹, p² of a high
tension circuit to be broken.
When pulling the rope i the rod e moves towards the spring contact n until the
bolt g snaps into the recess e and arrests the rod, in which position the point of the
carbon will have entered the spring contact and the metal tube e² come into
intimate contact therewith and thereby have closed the circuit.
If the circuit is to be broken, the holt g is pulled out of the rod recess e* which
causes the spring fand rode to quickly draw the carbon point e³ out of the spring
contact and thereby break the circuit.
As soon as the distance between the extreme ends of the contact & n is larger
than that of the two adjacent points of the spark breakers, the spark (arc of light)
which has been formed, jumps against the latter and is thereby drawn upwards
and extinguished so that the contacts e³ & are prevented from being burned and
thus damaged.
When using the double chimney 03, of the extinction takes place in a similar
manner as when using the spark breaker o¹, o², i.e. as soon as the carbon point e³ has
left the spring contact n, the air surrounding the foot of the double chimney o³, ot
will be heated by the spark drawn out, which creates an upward current in the said
chimney and takes the sparks with it, whilst the partitions in the said chimney cause
the spark to be lengthened to such an extent that it breaks up.
The withdrawal of the bolt y may be effected either through the rope y³ or as shown
for instance in Fig. 4, by an electro-magnet.
In this case however an armature will take the place of the rope g³, and be attracted
by an electro-magnet when the circuit requires breaking.
The electric source required may be an independent one or the current be obtained
from the high tension circuit p³, p2 and by joining the latter an automatic maximum
interruption of the circuit p1, p2 effected, the coils of the electro-magnet or the
distances of the saine from the armature q being so arranged, that when the current
flowing through the same exceeds a certain amount, it will increase the magnetism
of the electro-magnet in such a manner that the armature q will be attracted and
the bolt g drawn out of the recess e*.
A further method of drawing the bolt g out of the recess et is shown at a reduced
scale in Fig. 5.
In this case the branch c2 is formed on the top of the tube cand the bolt g
furnished with a pint which engages one end of a rocking lever v, s having its fulcrum
at u and the other end of which carries the high tension conductor 2, p², so that
when the conductor is broken the weight of the end pl will move down the end v of
the said rocking lever whilst its other end and bolt 7 will move up, and thereby draw
the latter out of the recess c*.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is:-
1st. An apparatus for automatically breaking high tension circuits at a distance or
locally, consisting of a rod e arranged in connection with a spring bolt
and placed
under the influence of a spring f inside a tube c fixed upon an insolator b¹, the said
rod having a tube e carrying a carbon e³, which when the spring bolt g has arrested
the rod e by entering its recess et, projects inside a bunch of springs forming a contact.
piece n, fixed upon an insolator 62 and thereby closes the circuit, whilst when the
said spring bolt is withdrawn and through the spring the said rod is caused to fly
back, the circuit is broken again, all substantially as set forth.
2nd. In combination with the rod e specified in the preceding claim, a releasing
device, consisting of an electro-magnet and an armature q furnished with a spring
bolt g, which magnet inserted into an independent circuit, serves to attract the
armature 9 and when its coil is connected with a high tension circuit, acts at maximum
tension as circuit breaker, all substantially as set forth.
3rd. In combination with the rod e specified in Claim 1, a releasing device,
consisting of a rocking lever s one end of which is connected with the spring bolt g
and the other with the high tension circuit p1, p2, so that when the line breaks the
weight of its broken end p¹ causes the bolt g to be withdrawn from the recess e in
the rod e, all substantially as set forth.
5th. In combination with the apparatus specified in Claim 1, the use of the spark
breaker o¹, o2 shaped as shown in Fig. 1, of annexed drawing, adapted to receive the
spark (are light) drawn out when a circuit breaks and to draw upwards and extinguish
same, so as to prevent the movable contact from damage through being burnt, all
substantially as set forth.
5th. In combination with the apparatus specified in Claim 1, the double chimney
03, o formed with partitions o, o substantially as set forth and for the purpose
herein before specified.
Dated this 22nd day of December 1899.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.