Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Subjecting the Person to the Action of Electric Currents.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 7th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar., 1888
Improvements in Automatic Apparatus for Subjecting the Person
to the Action of Electric Currents.
I, AUGUSTE SERRAILLIER of 93 Edith Grove, West Brompton in the County of
Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
According to this invention automatic apparatus for subjecting the person to the
action of electric currents is constructed as follows. An upright casing has at its
upper part a shoot through which a coin can be introduced so as to descend on to the
end of a lever that is connected to the one terminal of an electrical circuit including
a galvanic battery, the other terminal of which is connected to a second lever situated
below the first one and in such a position that on the first lever being depressed by
the introduction of a coin, it makes contact with the second one and so closes the
circuit. This circuit also includes a small electric motor, the motion of which effects
the slow rotation of a disc cam, having a drop at one point. The first named lever
has a weighted tail that bears upon the surface of the cam which, when the apparatus
is at rest, is so placed that the tail of the lever rests on the lowest point of the drop,
in which position the other end of the lever is raised, closing the shoot. On depressing
this lever by the introduction of a coin and thus starting the motor, the cam is rotated
so as to gradually raise the tail of the lever and thus depress its other end, thereby
eventually leaving sufficient space between the lever and shoot to allow the coin to
drop out. On the completion of the rotation of the cam the tail of the lever again
falls on to the drop and the front end in rising breaks contact with the second lever,
which also has a weighted tail that comes in contact with a stop, preventing its further
descent.
The electric circuit also includes the primary coil of an induction apparatus or
Rhumcorff coil, the secondary coil of which is connected to handles outside the casing,
so that on introducing the coin as described, the electrifying apparatus is put in
action and continues so until the circuit is again broken by the action of the cam as
above described. The one electrifying handle is constructed as a crank handle, the
spindle of which has a pinion gearing with a toothed rack the upper end of which
gears with a pinion on a spindle carrying a pointer that is consequently rotated over
[Di Q77

page_text: a dial as the crank handle is turned. The lower end of the rack is connected to the
core of the electrifying coil so that as the handle is turned in one direction the core
is made to descend more or less into the coil and thus to increase the force of the
electrifying current. The rack also gears with a toothed segment on the one end of
a double ended lever pivotted to the casing and having its other end connected by a
link or chain to the cell of a galvanic battery, so that by turning the handle as
described the battery cell is raised, whereby the zinc electrodes of the battery that
are fixed in the casing above the cell, are gradually more and more immersed in the
liquid of the latter, thereby also gradually increasing the strength of the current.
The before mentioned lever actuated by the coin is connected by a rod to a catch,
which, when no coin is inserted, prevents the motion of the lever and consequently
the rotation of the crank handle, the catch being withdrawn by the depression of the
lever by the coin.
In some cases I combine with the above described apparatus a vacuum tube
apparatus worked by a second small Rhumcorff coil and galvanic battery, the cell of
which is also connected to and raised by the said rack rod, so that when the electri-
fying apparatus is put in action, the battery of the vacuum tube is also put in action
and the electric spark of the vacuum tube is exhibited through an opening in the
casing.
The circuit of this apparatus is also closed by the contacts of the first described
levers, so that when these contacts are broken as described, the exhibition of the
vacuum tube spark also ceases.
On the rotation of the crank handle ceasing, the weight of the battery cells causes
these to descend again, thereby bringing the zinc electrodes out of action.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: to the Action of Electric Currents.
I, AUGUSTE SERRAILLIER, formerly of 93 Edith Grove, West Brompton, in the
County of Middlesex but now of 29 Meek Street, West Brompton aforesaid
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to manufacture improved automatic apparatus, to
enable persons to subject themselves to the action of electric currents on the
introduction of a coin.
And in order that my said invention may be particularly described and ascertained,
reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is an outside front view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a view of the inside,
drawn to a larger scale.
a is the front part of an upright case, having a slot at b, through which a coin can
be introduced, so as to descend, through the guide tube c, on to the end of the lever d.
This lever d is connected at f to one terminal of an electrical circuit, such circuit
including a galvanic battery, the other terminal of which is connected to a second
lever e, below the lever d. The lever e is fitted in such a position that, on the lever d
being depressed by a coin g (as shewn in Fig. 2) it makes contact with the lever e and
closes the circuit.
The lever e is pivotted at e¹ and is governed in its upward movement by a stop e²,
and in its downward movement by the spring es, and regulating screw e¹.
The arrangement of the electro-magnet h h and armature i, together form the well-
known make and break movement, and the pawl k acts as a motor to the wheel 7,
which has fine ratchet teeth upon its periphery, whereby the wheel is caused to
rotate in the direction of the arrow. The wheel carries a pinion and drives the
wheel m, in an opposite direction at a slower speed. The wheel m carries a spiral
cam n, upon which the pin d² rests, and by which the heaviest end of the lever d is
raised. When the apparatus is at rest the pin d² rests on that part of the spiral cam
which has the smallest radius, in which position the other end of the lever is raised,
closing the shoot c.
On depressing the light end of the lever d by the introduction of a coin, and
thereby starting the motor, the cam n is rotated so as to gradually raise the tail of
the lever d, and thus depress the other end, thereby eventually leaving sufficient space
between the lever d and shoot e to allow the coin to drop out.
On the completion of one rotation of the cam n, the pin d² and lever d fall to the
lowest point at the drop, and the light end of the lever in rising breaks contact with
the lever e.

page_text: In the electric circuit is also included a Ruhmkorff coil 'o, the secondary coil of
which is connected to a Geissler tube v.
On introducing the coin, as described, the electrifying apparatus is put in action,
and continues in action until the circuit is again broken by the action of the cam, as
above described-The handle p is fixed, but the other handle q is made capable of
rotation. The spindle of the handle q carries a toothed segment r, gearing into a
toothed rack on the bar s. The upper end of the bar s also actuates the toothed
pinion t in a similar manner, the spindle of t, carrying the pointer t¹, on the dial t².
The lower end of the bar s is connected to the core s of the electrifying coil u.
When the handle q is turned in the direction of the arrow, the core s¹ descends into
the coil u; the force of the electrifying current increasing with the descent of
the core.
In this apparatus two batteries w and x are required. The battery w is used to
actuate the make and break apparatus or motor h h and i, as described. The battery &
is connected, by the wire 1, with the induction coil u. The secondary current from
the coil u is connected with the handle g by means of the spring and segment 1.
The secondary current of the coil u is also connected, by means of the wire 2, with
the handle p. The primary current from the coil u, is carried by the wire 3 to the
Ruhmkorff coil o, as shewn. The current from the battery is also connected with
the Ruhmkorff coil by the wire 4. The make and break appliance y is actuated in the
usual manner, and is put out of action by the descent of the end of the lever d, which
takes place when the cam n has made one revolution. The wires 5 and 6 carry a
current to and from the Geissler tube e; from which the operator is enabled to see
the electric spark passing through a vacuum.
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 :-
1. In electrical apparatus for the purposes aforesaid, the application and use of the
lever d, in combination with the slot band shoot c, the lever e, the magnets acting
as a motor, the wheels and m, and rotating cam n, actuated by the battery w,
severally operating substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn on the
drawings.
2. In electrical apparatus for the purposes aforesaid, the combination of the fixed
handle p, electrically connected with the induction coil u, the movable handle
electrically connected through the segment and spring with the coil u, the bars s
and s¹, the battery a, the Ruhmkorff coil o, make and break apparatus y, and with or
without the Geissler tube v, severally operating substantially as hereinbefore described
and shewn on the drawings.
3. The general constructions, arrangements, and combinations of the several and
respective parts, together forming my improvements in automatic apparatus for
subjecting the person to the action of electric currents, substantially as herein before
described and shewn on the drawings.
1000