IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC- TION AND ACTION OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTS, OR MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Whyte, of Northview, Elgin, North Britain,
Doctor of Medicine, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUC-
TION AND ACTION OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTS, OR MECHANISM CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
Sealed the 17th October 1879, and dated the 5th July 1879.
Sealed the 17th October 1879, and dated the 5th July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whyte at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1879.
GEORGE WHYTE,, of Northview, Elgin, North Britain, Doctor of Medicine.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ACTION OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR
LIGHTS, OR MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH."
This Invention has reference to improvements in the construction of electric
lamps or lights, with revolving disc electrodes, or carbons, and of the moving parts
or mechanism for revolving these and producing the electric arc and light between
them with or without an optical centre; and especially of improvements upon and
simplification of the said parts of the Invention, or electric lamp for which Letters
Patent were granted to me, dated 16th December 1878, and numbered 5152, which
improvements will so improve and simplify such electric lamps, that they will be
more perfect in their action, and with less liability to derangement, and more
economical, and so be more applicable to many purposes and more general use than
such lights have been heretofore. And the nature and novelty of the Invention or im-
provements consist in mounting the disc electrodes on their spindles over each
other, and revolving in arms or journal bearings at the upper end of their respective
carrying standards, mounted or not in suitable steadying guide or slide tubes on a
platform. The lower ends of these standards are connected or geared by toothed
racks to differential insulated wheels on one shaft, carried in a bearing bracket
below the said supporting platform, all so that the standards and their carbons and
other fittings are reciprocated in a nearly balanced manner, and in opposite
directions to bring the carbons together, or separate them proportionately to their
diameters, the negative one being about half the diameter of the other as they burn
away in about this ratio, and thus maintain an optical centre of the light; and in
some cases and for some purposes the standards may be simply fixed to the platform
without any movement of themselves. It is preferred to have the upper negative
carbon and its carrying standard rather the heaviest, or fitted with a light spiral or
IPvice 621

page_text: other spring to ensure the carbons coming together to complete the circuit and
relight them each time-the-circuit-is-broken_and_the_light_goes out, all so far
substantially-as-in-my said former patented Invention, as described in the final
Specification thereof. But by the present-improvements, I now dispense with the
_double_coil_magnet and keeper lever,-and-spring-pawl and ratchet wheel mechanism
for separating and regulating the distance between the carbons and giving the
-electric-arc, and effect all this by the addition of a small stem fitted on the lower
end of the movable core of the hollow coil magnet B2 of the said-former-Invention,
mounted on the carrying stem of the positive carbon (or it might be of the negative
carbon) which I now-make to fix the standards when the carbons touch; the circuit
is then completed, and the arc is formed by the coil B², the said stem reciprocating
down through the centre of the regulating spring and screw of the core of this
hollow magnet, so that its lower point, immediately it is drawn down by the core
into the coil on the circuit being completed through to the hollow magnet, as stated,
comes in contact with a catch or clutch spring secured within its hollow spindle,
and forces the clutch in against a fixed ratchet rack or teeth formed on the inner
surface of its hollow guiding standard, so as to fix the moving standard in its
gliding tube, leaving the core still free to move by its regulating spring, and the
strength of the passing current to nicely adjust the arc distance in relation to the
strength of current. When the circuit is broken and the spring under the core
raises it and relieves the clutch from its holding rack, and again raises the standard
alternately and successively as the circuit is remade and broken. The turning of
the carbons is effected by a ratchet wheel on one or both of the carbon spindles,
and one or more small catch spring racks or pawls working in or over their teeth,
carried and secured to the hollow coil magnet, or if of the upper carbon to the core
of the coil B2, so that each time the core moves, the carbons are turned slightly
round by the ratchet pawls or racks, regulated to the nicest adjustment by the size
of the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and the setting of the pawl. And the ratchet
may be united by springs to the movable core, so as only to act when the circuit is
closed, thus turning the carbons as the core ascends or descends, in proportion as
they burn away, and cause the breaking of the circuit or the reducing of the arc
distance below its normal or best working position. The spindle of the other or
second carbon may be turned from that of tlie first by an elastic band passed over
pulleys on them, or other equivalent, substantially as described in reference to my
said former patented Invention. The top carbon may be arranged with a coil with
movable core and toothed wheel and rack like the lower, or a rack may be taken
direct from the core of the coil B², to act on the upper carbon by means of a toothed
wheel; and to prevent the standards or core turning round, carrying the spindle of
the carbons, they are formed with lateral pins or other equivalent, working in slots
in their guiding tubes or sockets. Instead of using the adjustable hollow coil
magnet and its moving core for actuating-the-stem and spring clutch for fixing the
carrying standard, a small special electro-magnet and armature or core might be
used for this purpose, and another also for turning or revolving the carbons by a
ratchet wheel and rack or pawl or long spindle, or other equivalent, instead of the
hollow coil magnet B with movable core, for giving or regulating the magnetic are
distance of the carbons; or clock work may also be used for the purpose of turning
the carbons.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Whyte in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th December
1879.
« IM-
GEORGE WHYTE, of Northview, Elgin, North Britain, Doctor of Medicine.
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ACTION OF ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTS, OR
MECHANISM CONNECTED THEREWITH."
My said Invention has reference to improvements in the construction of electric
lamps or lights, especially with revolving disc electrodes or carbons, and of the
moving parts or mechanism for revolving these and producing the electric arc and
light between them with or without an optical centre, being substantially improve-
ments upon and simplification of the said parts, or mechanical arrangements of the
Invention or electric lamp for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated 16th
December 1878, and numbered 5152, which improvements will so improve and
simplify such electric lamps that they will be more perfect in their action with less
liability to derangement and more economical, and so be more applicable to many
purposes and of more general use than such lights have been heretofore.
And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing my said Invention
may be properly understood I shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on
the two Sheets of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the
same reference letters indicating the same or equivalent parts shown in the different
Figures.
Figure 1 is a perspective elevation of a general arrangement or combination of
the parts of my electric lamp or light with edge disc revolving electrodes, constructed
in accordance with and illustrative of the improvements of my said Invention for
producing all the necessary motions of regulating the electric are distance and the
turning of the electrodes by the action of a single electric coil hollow core
magnet B, B1, B2, in the main circuit when an optical centre is not required. And
Figures 2 and 3 are respectively a horizontal and a vertical section of the upper
part of the electric coil hollow core magnet B, B1, B2, enclosed below the slate or
other insulated cover or upper platform of the hollow stand Z, to show the
connections more clearly (than seen in Figure 1) for the raising and lowering action
of the stems A³, B, and b, b', carrying the positive and negative electrodes A+ and
A respectively.
-
Referring to these Figures 1, 2, and 3, the stand of the lamp consists of a short
hollow metal pilaster Z insulated from all the electric or working parts with a
heavy base Z, and a slate or other insulated top platform z enclosing the electric
coil hollow core magnet B', B2, resting on the inner lower base Z', having the lower
end of the round bar core B working down into the upper end of its hollow core
magnet B, B2. The continuation of this core B forms the carrying stem A³ of the
spindle A1, A2, of the positive carbon disc electrode A+, and which revolving in
the fork journal bearing head A, the stem part A³ would reciprocate vertically on
the hollow guide C secured at C₁ to the top z.
-
The negative carbon disc A- is similarly secured on its holding end rim eye A'
on the end of its spindle A", in this case made hollow or tubular, and mounted to
revolve on the long stud centre a secured to the upper end of the carrying strong
stem b, fitted with slot and pin feather c" in the guide tube or pillar c, secured at
c' to the top z of the stand Z. As seen particularly in Figures 2 and 3, the weight
of the positive carbon. A+ and its stem A1, A3, and the core B is carried by the
cross-head B screwed to it at C", with the carrying springs Bs and regulating
screws B at its outer end, and fitted to work on two guides with regulating
screws B secured on the upper end of the bobbin of the coil B2. The free ends
of the insulated electric wires t+ and t- from the positive and negative poles of
the electro-magnetic machine are respectively connected to the terminals T+ and

page_text: T- of the lamp, the positive passing through the coil to the carbon A+, the
negative up the stand-and-to the carbon A-, thus completing the circuit through
the hollow coil-core magnet B', B2, and the carbon-electrodes. A+, A-, which, by
_drawing and releasing the core B within the magnet, separates the carbons to the
magnetic arc distance, according to the strength of current, which motion up or
down is made to turn the positive carbon through or by two vertical spring ratchet
pawls F, F, mounted on hinges at their lower end F' on the top plate of the
magnet, so that the ratchet teeth Fat their upper ends take into the teeth of a
-ratchet wheel F2 on the spindle A2 of the carbon A+, so as to turn it in the
direction of -the-arrows on the upward or downward motion of the stem and
core A³, B, these pawls being brought into action- by induction of the seft iron
masses F3 fixed on the lower end of the pawls F each time the circuit is closed, and
fall out of action by their own weight or gravity, or it might be by the power of a
light spring when the circuit is broken. An induction gripping pawl lever e, e', is
mounted on a pin joint e¹ at the upper edge of the bobbin B of the coil magnet,
with a soft insulated iron mass at el, and a regulating spring and screw e*, all so
fitted that when the current is strong and the light burning properly the masses e
and long end of the lever is held down, raising the other curved and gripping spring
pawl end e against the one side of the standard b of the upper carbon A-, so as
to hold it in its normal highest burning position for the time being; but as soon as
the distance between the carbons becoines too great by burning away, then the
spring e² raises the mass end of the lever and releases the pawl e from the standard b,
so that the upper carbon A- approaches the lower A+ by descent of the
standard b¹, which increases the current, and the lever again grips the standard b
and holds the upper carbon in its normal working position. The upper carbon is
turned by an insulated wheel on its spindle A actuated by a pinion f' on the
upper end of a square shaft carried on a sinall journal bearing bracket f
secured on the upper end of the movable stem b, so that the spindle f" slides and
works down through the long spur pinion f, f2, carried and revolving in the fixed
bracket f secured on the stationary standard c, this pinion f2 working into the
insulated face wheel f³ on the spindle A² of the positive carbon A+, and which
thus, through the intermediate sliaft f" and reducing spur pinions and f' and
large wheel, actuates the spindle of the negative carbon from the positive carbon
spindle A, thus turning the carbons in the same or opposite directions as the core B
ascends (or descends) in proportion as the carbons burn away.
----
By another arrangement the spindles A" of the other or second negative carbon
Amay be turned from that of the first by an elastic band passed over pulleys on
them or other arrangement, substantially as described in reference to my said
former patented Invention. Or otherwise, ratchet rack levers may be taken direct
from the stem of the core A³, B, of the coil B' or B to act on a ratchet wheel on the
spindle of the upper-carbon, and so turn it substantially as described and
shown in reference to the lower carbon. Figure 4-shows-a-sectional elevation of
another arrangement or combination of the parts of my new or improved electric
lamp, with the lower or positive disc electrode A+ and its fittings for lowering the
same to its electric luminous are distance, and turning its spindle A, B, by a single
hollow electric coil magnet B1, B2, all substantially as shown and described in
reference to Figures 1 to 3, but shown with a straight carbon stick or bar for the
top or negative electrode A -, fixed in a split or spring arm or clamp A", with
tightening screw A'111 projecting from the top of the carrying stem b, 61, fitted to
slide in the vertical guide c, c¹, and lowered by its own gravity as required by the
burning and reduction of the carbons, but regulated and held in the proper normal
electric are position by an improved arrangement of two spring armed escapement
or pallet levers g fulcrumed on a fixed central stud close to and so that its plates
will alternately take into the ratchet teeth b' on the adjacent lower side of the
standard b, so as to lower this one tooth at a time as the upper lever is pulled out
against the power of a light spring, which holds it in action.. The long or heavy
arm gl of this lever rests on the upper setting or regulating finger g" of a vertical

page_text: -
}
rod g connected at its lower end to the single armed lever g² fulcrumed to a stud
bracket at one end, and reciprocated at the other free end by an insulated con-
necting rod g³ jointed to the lower end of the moving core B of and working down
When the
through and below the lower end of the hollow coil magnet B¹, B².
electric arc and light are right the core keeps the lever g³ down, so that the escape-
ment lever keeps up the stem b, b', of the upper carbon A
but when the strength
of the electric current decreases this lever rises and disengages the lower plate, and
allows the upper plate to be engaged. If the light goes out altogether the shaft g111
presses upon g and disengages the upper plate by means of the slack cord, so that
the standard b.descends till the carbons again touch, and the rod g, gl, and the
lever g oscillate the escapement so as to lower the stem b, 61, and upper
electrode A
Figure 5 on Sheet 2 is a sectional elevation of a substantially similar arrange-
ment to that shown in Figure 4 on Sheet 1, but with a simple arrangement of
gripping and relieving lever g (instead of the escapement lever g and its weighted
lever g¹) fulcrumed on a stud centre with a roughened or fine toothed heel arm b"
taking into a corresponding roughened surface b¹ of the stem b, b¹, of the upper
electrode A so as to hold or lower these respectively as the core B descends or
rises through the intermediate connecting rod g", gl, and united by a slot or
spring to the lever g², g³, which are otherwise connected, and act substantially as
described in reference to Figure 4.
Figure 6 on Sheet 2 shows an arrangement or combination of my said improve-
ments applied to an electric lamp, suitable for or as fitted with straight carbon
electrodes A+ and A-. The former A+ is secured in a socket A' formed on the upper
stem end A3 of the core B of the hollow coil electro-magnet B1, B2, and which acts
substantially as shown in and described in reference to the former Figures for
regulating the electric arc. The upper carbon electrode A- is fitted exactly over the
under one, to slide by means of a guiding rod weighted at top through a tubular
guide or socket a secured to the outer end of a hollow arm a', formed on the upper
end of a strong stationary tubular standard a", secured by a broad flange a to
the upper slab Z of the lamp, all so that a long connecting rod g (from the lever
g2, worked by the core B of the electro-magnet B1, B2) reciprocates within the
standard a", and has its upper end connected to the long arm g₁ of the gripping
lever g¹, g, fulcrumed on a joint pin g within the hollow arm a¹, so as to cause
the heel or knee arm g¹ of the lever to grip and hold the guiding rod of the carbon
A in its proper normal working position by the descent of the rod g and lever
corresponding to the lower working position of the core B; but to allow of this
freedom of action of the core B, the lower ends of the rods g¹¹¹ in Figures 5 and 6
are connected by slots or springs to their lever g², which (when the electric current
is broken and the core B rises) lifts the gripping lever g¹, g, and allows the upper
carbon A to fall on towards the lower carbon A+, and thus re-adjust their
position as the carbons are consumed.
1111
In the modification, Figure 6, without revolving electrodes, all the ratchet pawls
F, F, F, and ratchet wheel F2 are dispensed with, and the lamp reduced to little
more than the action of a simple hollow moving core electro coil magnet, for regu-
lating all the movements necessary for the electrodes of an electric lamp, where an
optical centre is not required. Instead of using the adjustable hollow coil magnet
B', B, and its moving core B for actuating the stem A³ and spring clutch e, e, e, for
fixing the carrying standard b, b¹, a small special electro-magnet and armature or
core might be used for these purposes.
Although in these several new or improved general arrangements or combination
of the parts of electric lamps the positive electrodes have been described as fitted
below the negative ones, yet it will be understood that the arrangement can be
reversed. And also that although only the vertical stand, form, or type have been
shown and described, that they might also be equivalently made and fitted as
hanging lamps, with magnet and working parts placed upwards, where the shade of
these would be objectionable, and that springs could be fitted for raising or moving

page_text: the carbons, where their own weight or gravity would not effect this as
described.
Having thus particularly-described_my_said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I have to state that I do not restrict myself.to
the precise details herein described-or-delineated, but what I believe to be novel
and original, and claim as the-Invention:secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,
- 1. The-general.construction or combination of the parts of electric lamps with
all the movements required, either for revolving disc,-or- bar electrodes, or carbon
points, effected from a single moving core hollow electric coil magnet and connecting
fittings, all substantially as herein before described in reference to and shown in
Figures 1 to 3 and Figures 4, 5, and 6 respectively of the- accompanying
Drawings.
2. The construction and arrangement of electric lamps having one of the electrodes,
whether disc revolving or carbon points, directly carried and moved to form the
electric arc by the core of a hollow electric coil magnet, all substantially as herein
described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
3. The arrangement of a ratchet wheel on the spindle of the revolving carbons of
electric lamps and one or two ratchet engaging spring pawls, with induction masses
actuated by the magnetic strength of the hollow coil magnet which forms the
electric arc of the same electrode, all substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
4. The arrangement of gripping clutches, pawls, or escapement lever for holding
and controlling the closing action of one of the carbon points in its normal stationary
position, actuated from the lower end of the core of the same hollow electric coil
magnet, which moves the other or positive carbon electrode to regulate the electric
arc, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in Figures 4, 5,
and 6 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Whyte, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty fifth day of December, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.