IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE REGULATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Henry Emmens, of Argyll Street, in the County
of Middlesex, Actuary for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR THE REGULATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS."
[
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Henry Emmens
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1882.
STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of Argyll Street, in the County of Middlesex, Actuary.
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE REGULATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS.'
My invention is designed to enable electric currents of varying quantity and
intensity to be converted into currents of uniform steadiness.
This I accomplish by interposing between the generator and the service circuit
two or more sets of secondary batteries, so arranged that, whilst one set is being
charged by the generator, another is being discharged by the service circuit, and
vice versa alternately. The change of connections necessary to effect this, takes
place before the current from the discharging set weakens. I further may couple
up the batteries for quantity whilst being charged, and for intensity whilst being
discharged.
The devices I prefer to employ to automatically effect these two last named
objects are as follows:-
To effect the change of connections at stated intervals, I employ a worm, driven
from the shaft of the generator, and gearing with a pair of pinions, cach supporting
a disc. These discs are each of them traversed by an insulating division, forming
it into two parts, one part being in permanent connection with the generator, and
the other with the service circuit. The batteries are also in moving contact with
the discs, in such a manner that the revolution of the discs brings each set of
batteries into circuit with the generator and the service alternately.
To automatically effect the change of coupling up the battery cells, I connect
the several electrodes with jointed levers falling between pairs of springs, so as to
make good contact.

page_text: These insulated springs are arranged on fixed bars, so as to make connection
between the alternate elements of the battery, and the fixed bars are connected
with the service circuit. Underneath the levers, and free from contact with tho
fixed bars, is a moveable bar, furnished with uprights corresponding to the electrodes
of the battery, carrying pairs of insulated springs similar to those on the fixed bars.
These uprights are of two altitudes, arranged alternately so that when the bar is
raised, the levers are lifted in two sets, corresponding to the positive and negative
electrodes of the battery; or the same object may be attained by the arrangement of
the connections along the bar. Wires, suitably arranged, make connection between
these sets and the generator. The operation of the moveable bars is by cams or
other suitable means, operated by the regulating discs already specified, and the
change of coupling through the bars takes place at the same time as the change of
connections of the generators and secondary batteries.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Stephen Henry Emmens in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th December 1882.
STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of Argyll Street in the County of Middlesex, Actuary
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR THE REGULATION OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS
My Invention is designed to enable electric currents of varying quantity and
intensity to be converted into currents of uniform steadiness
This I accomplish by interposing between the generator and the service circuit,
two or more sets of secondary batteries, so arranged that, whilst one set is being
charged by the generator, another is being discharged by the service circuit, and
vice versa alternately. The change of connections necessary to effect this, takes
place before the current from the discharging set weakens. I further may couple
up the batteries for quantity or in parallel arc, whilst being charged, and for
intensity or in series, whilst being discharged
It is obvious that the change of connections necessary to effect this may be made
by means of any ordinary switch arrangement actuated by hand, but in many
cases it is desirable that the apparatus shall work automatically.
The special device I have invented for this purpose is shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, Figures 1 and 2. It consists of two discs F and G caused to revolve in
opposite directions by the worm E which is actuated by gearing connected with
the prime motor A. These discs are cach divided into two insulated halves O. O
and R. R. and are furnished with central conducting rings N N and P P, of
which N N are always connected with O. O. and with the leading and return
wires Land L of the service circuit, whilst P P are always connected
with R R. and the leading and return wires M + and M of the Dynamo B.
-
The two batteries C and D have their stationary poles S S and TT furnished
with suitable rollers, brushes, springs or other contact pieces, whereby electrical
connection may be maintained with the revolving discs F and G. Figure 2 is a
detail elevation of the said revolving discs.
The result of these arrangements is that at every half revolution of the discs F
and G the batteries exchange circuits and are alternatively charged by the dynamo
or other electrical generator, and discharged through the service circuit. By
varying the speed of the worn this exchange can be made to take place at any
required interval of time and by causing the surfaces of the insulated halves of
the discs to form inclined planes, the exchange of circuit can be rendered quite
sudden, so as to prevent any undue interference with the current through the
service circuits. In some cases I prefer to employ Cylinders instead of discs, or to
make the battery poles moveable and the circuit connections stationary, but the
method and action of the apparatus remain substantially the same.
A further improvement of great advantage in many instances, consists in
changing the coupling up of the batteries simultaneously with the exchange of
circuits, so that when the battery is being charged it may be coupled up for
quantity or in parallel arc, and when being discharged, it may be coupled up for
tension or in series. This I prefer to effect by the device shewn in the accom-
panying diagram Figures 3, 4 and 5. Each electrode of the battery H is connected
with a short metallic bar of triangular section and these bars are attached to a
fixed frame in rows, corresponding with the rows of cells in the battery.
A moveable frame K. K. K. is suspended in proximity to the fixed frame and
carries rows of spring V-shaped contact pieces, all connected (Figure 3) in series,
save the two extremities of the rows. This moveable frame is connected by an

page_text: Oscillating cross-bar with another and lighter moveable frame L. L. L carrying
rows of contact pieces, connected, all the positive electrodes to one bar, and all
the negative to another (Figure 5) The frame L also carries an iron plunger
working in a solenoid Q placed in the dynamo circuit. Hence, when the battery
is connected with the dynamo, the frame L is depressed and the cells of the battery
are coupled up in alternative pairs i.e. in parallel circuit when however the battery
is in the service circuit, the solenoid does not act; and the frame K being heavier
than L descends and couples up the cells of the battery in series. It will be
understood that the frames K and L may be raised and lowered by hand, or by
cams, cranks or other mechanical devices, actuated by the prime motor, or by the
regulating discs already described
As an alternative mode of changing the coupling up of a battery, I connect the
several electrodes with jointed levers, falling between pairs of springs, so as to
make good contact. These insulated springs are arranged on fixed bars, so as
to make connection between the alternate elements of the battery, and the fixed
bars are connected with the service circuit. Underneath the levers and free from
contact with the fixed bars, is a movable bar, furnished with uprights corre-
sponding to the electrodes of the battery, carrying pairs of insulated springs, similar
to those on the fixed bars. These uprights are of two altitudes, arranged
alternately, so that when the bar is raised, the levers are lifted in two sets, corre-
sponding to the positive and negative electrodes of the battery, or the saine object
may be attained by the arrangement of the connections along the bars. Wires
suitably arranged, make connection between these sets and the generator. The
operation of the moveable bars is by cams or other suitable means, operated by the
regulating discs already specified, and the change of coupling through the bars
takes place at the same time as the change of connections of the generators and
secondary batteries.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature and objects of my
Invention and the manner in which it is to be performed Be it known that what
I consider novel and useful and desire to protect by Letters Patent is
1 The combination of an automatic reversing apparatus or a known switch
with two Or more accumulating batteries interposed between the dynamo
generator and the service circuit for the maintenance and regulation of the latter
substantially as described
2nd. The construction of automatically or hand moved apparatus for alter-
nately charging and discharging secondary batteries substantially as described in
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
3rd. The construction of apparatus to effect, automatically or by hand, the
charging of secondary batteries in parallel arc, and their discharge in series,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
In witness whereof I the said Stephen Henry Emmens have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Eighteenth day of December in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two
Witness:
JOHN. C. FELL.
23 Rood Lane
Fenchurch Street
London EC
Patent Agent
STEPHEN H EMMENS (L.S.)