Improvements in Arc Electric Lamps.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Apr., 1889--Accepted, 15th June, 1889
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Arc Electric Lamps.
I, ARTHUR JAMES HOWES, of 2 Alpha Terrace, Westbury Road, Forest Gate, in
the County of Essex, Electrical 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
My invention relates to a simple and compact construction and arrangement of arc
electric lamps with automatic regulators as I shall describe referring to the accom-
panying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a lamp according to my invention and the other
Figures shew various ways of steadying the action of the regulator.
The lower carbon A is fixed on a crosshead B which is supported by rods C
connecting it to cords passing over puilies D and attached to the holder E of the upper
carbon F. From the holder E an iron core G passes up the centre of a solenoid H
the coil of which is in the lamp circuit. Whenever by the separation of the carbons
the are presents excessive resistance the attractive influence of the solenoid H is so far
weakened that the core G (which with the upper carbon F has greater weight than
the lower carbon and its holder) descends bringing the carbons nearer to one
another.
As the carbons approach each other lessening the resistance of the arc, the solenoid
acquires increased attractive power tending again to draw up the core G and separate
the carbons. Thus the varying attraction of the solenoid resulting from the varying
resistance of the arc serves to maintain the carbons at suitable distance from each
other. The constant variation' would however produce an oscillating up and down
movement of the carbons which would be objectionable, I therefore adopt means of
steadying the movements of the parts, these means being capable of several structural
modifications which I now proceed to describe. One of the simplest forms of what
I may term a steadying brake is to apply at K Fig. 1a nut of which Fig. 2 is a plan
and Fig. 3 a side view. It is made mostly of iron with a segment k of non-magnetic
metal such as brass occupying one side of it. This being screwed on the tube through
which the core G passes causes the core to be attracted to one side so that its rapid
up and down movements are prevented.
According to another construction shewn in side view by Fig. 4 and in plan by
Fig. 5, an iron segment L is fixed on one side of the solenoid coil H at its lower end,
and this by attracting the core G serves to prevent its up and down oscillations. The
iron segment L instead of being fixed on the solenoid may be fixed as shewn in side
view by Fig. 6 and in plan by Fig. 7, on a rod extending up from an arm which
projects from the lower part of the core G, the segment L being thus made to
accompany the core G in its movement, and being always in a position corresponding
with the upper end of the core. Another construction of steadying brake is shewn in
the vertical section Fig. 8 and plan Fig. 9. In this case the solenoid coil H is wound
round a double tube the one containing the core G and the other containing a second
core M which may be a rod of iron or, as shewn in the figure, an iron tube. Both
these cores are attached to the holder E of the upper carbon F but while the core G
is made of such length that when in its highest position its top is somewhat below the
top of the solenoid, the other core M is of such length that when in its lowest position
its top extends somewhat above the top of the solenoid.
Although I have shewn in Fig. 1 two suspenders C and pullies D, obviously a
single suspender and pulley might be employed and the suspender C might be attached
to the top of the core G as indicated in Fig. 8, the pulley being in that case mounted
above the solenoid instead of below it.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An are electric lamp wherein the regulation of the arc is effected by the action
of a solenoid having its coil in the lamp circuit on an iron core attached to the upper
carbon, operating in combination with a steadying brake, substantially as described.
2. In an are lamp such as is referred to in the preceding claim, a steadying brake
consisting of a nut with part of it non magnetic screwed on the tube of the core,
substantially as described with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
3. In an arc lamp such as is above referred to a steadying brake consisting of an
iron segment fixed on one side of the solenoid at its lower part, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.
4. In an arc lamp such as is above referred to, a steadying brake consisting of an
iron segment supported from the solenoid core at height corresponding or nearly
corresponding with that of the top of the core, substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 6 and 7.
5. In an are lamp such as is above referred to, a steadying brake consisting of a
long solenoid core parallel to and moving with the operating core within the same
solenoid coil, substantially as described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
Dated this 29th day of April 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.