Improvements in Portable Electric Incandescent Lamps, and in Battery Cells and Fittings therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Sept., 1892-Accepted, 29th Oct., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Electric Incandescent Lamps, and in
Battery Cells and Fittings therefor.
1, HENRY CHARLES GOVER, of No. 61 Tierney Road, Streatham Hill in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
My invention relates to improvements in portable electric lamps in which either
a primary or a secondary battery is combined with an incandescent lamp and other
necessary fittings, together forming a self-contained and moveable lamp. It is
chiefly designed for use in mines but is adaptable for a table reading lamp, carriage
lamp, or for use in places where a portable or safety-light is required.
My invention is primarily intended to overcome some of the disadvantages
attending the electric lamps already designed for similar purposes, as for instance,
to provide for the escape of the gas generated by the action of the battery, to pro-
vide an arrangement for recharging the battery without removal from the complete
lamp, and also an arrangement by which new acid or fluid may be more readily
introduced to the battery by the employment of valve tubes.
I will now describe my invention as particularly applied to a miner's lamp, using
the words "complete lamp" as descriptive of the whole apparatus, as distinguished
from the "incandescent lamp" used therein. I wish it however to be understood
that I do not confine myself to the particular forms and arrangements of the parts
as described, as these may be varied and adapted to the special circumstances of the
use of the complete lamp.
The body of the complete lamp is a box by preference of circular form of about
four and a half inches diameter with a depth of about three and a half inches, in which
is enclosed the battery, which may be either of a primary or secondary description,
and from which communicating wires pass to the lamp, which is enclosed in a glass
covered chamber on the stem of the lamp, the complete lamp being carried by a
handle turning on tubular pivots fixed to the body of the complete lamp, through
which hollow pivots plugs may be passed for insertion into the plates hereinafter to
be described, by which connection is made for the re-charging of the secondary
battery, and also for the insertion of the pin through the plates by which connection
is made with the lamp.
Within the outside case of the complete lamp, which I prefer to make of steel or
other metal, although it may also be made of other inaterials, is the battery, which
as before said may be of either primary or secondary type, and of any adaptable
form; as here described it consists of two cells of semi-cylindrical form, arranged
in a circular box having a central partition dividing the box into two parts, each of
which is covered by a lid, through which the lamp-connecting wire is passed, and
in each of which there is an aperture in which is fixed a valve or valve tube herein-
after described. With the exception of these apertures, the box is made air and
water tight by the application of wax, pitch or other insulating matter.
The valves, or valve tubes, consist of tubular pieces of about one half inch
diameter and of suitable length attached to the before mentioned apertures in the
covers of the battery compartments, each having a moveable screw cap, from which
may be suspended a piston moving in the tube and kept in the required position by
means of a spring also attached to the screw cap, so that, when the cap is unscrewed
and removed from the tube piece the piston is withdrawn with it, together with the
spring. When the caps are thus withdrawn from the tube pieces, the tubes can be
used for the purpose of re-charging the battery with liquid.
Near the top of the valve tube pieces and above the piston when in its normal

page_text: position, several small holes are formed in its side, through which the gas generated
by the action of the batteries escapes from the battery chambers when it is of
sufficient quantity or pressure to force the piston upward above the holes. I prefer
however an arrangement by which I do away with the piston piece, and instead
thereof use an india rubber ring of appropriate elasticity to fit round the outside of
the tube piece covering the holes, the ring being either fitted into a circular groove
on the tube or made of a sufficient width to allow of its being gummed or glued to
the tube piece at one of the edges to prevent it from dropping from its proper place
covering the holes; with this arrangement, when there is an over pressure of gas,
it will escape through the valve tube holes by simply pushing the india rubber ring
away from the hole or holes in the tube so as to allow of free egress.
These valve tube pieces may be made of vulcanite, glass, or other insulating
material, if a glass or transparent tube were used it would afford opportunity for
observing the quantity of acid in the battery.
Above the battery cover is a central cylindrical block or stem piece of vulcanite
or other insulating material through which there are drilled vertically two holes for
the said tube pieces to pass, other two holes for the connecting wires to the lamp to
pass, and three slots in line with the diameter of the stem for holding the brass set-
screw plates to be hereinafter described. There is also formed a horizontal hole
passing transversely through the piece such hole being equal in size to that of the
before mentioned tubular pivot piece of the handle, and the said stem piece is so
fitted as to bring such transverse hole in line with the holes in the handle pivot so
that there will be a clear way right through. This cylindrical block which I have
called the "stem piece," may be held in position by a support from the partition or
other part of the battery or by means of attachment to the valve tube pieces if they
are sufficiently long, or by a screw or pin attachment to the outside case of the
complete lamp, but I prefer either of the first two described means, as I prefer
all the parts to be so arranged that the battery with its working parts may be
withdrawn from the outside casing with all' its parts joined together as a whole.
The position in which the stem piece is held is such that the transverse hole shall
be in line with the holes through the handle pivots as above stated.
In each of the three vertical slots which are in line with the diameter is fitted
a moveable plate of metal, each of a greater length than the height of the stem
piece, and of a breadth of about half an inch, and having a head piece with holes
and clamping screws, the head piece being so formed as to rest on the stem piece
so as to hold the plate piece in position. Each of the plate pieces is formed with
a hole of about one quarter of an inch, such holes being all of equal size, all of
a slightly less size than the transverse hole in the handle pivot and of the stem
piece with which they are in line so that a pin plug piece may be passed in
through the handle pivot piece in order to make connection with the plate pieces
as is hereinafter described.
The said plate pieces should be made of white metal or other non-corrosive
metal, or of brass, platinum-plated, so as to resist the action of the sulphuric acid
fumes escaping from the battery.
It may be found after some use that the acid escaping through the valve tubes
may cause some corrosion of the heads of the plate pieces thereby causing leakage
of the current. This may be obviated by sinking the heads of the plate pieces
into the vulcanite of the stem piece and covering them with insulating material
such as pitch; or, where cheapness of construction is of great importance, the
head pieces and clamping screws may be done away with and instead thereof the
wires may be soldered to the plates and covered with insulating material.
Above the ends of the valve tubes and the heads of the plate pieces, is
fitted a circular disc of vulcanite or other insulating material which may be sup-
ported by say three legs of the same material, the disc having two holes only,
sufficiently large to admit of the circuit wires passing through to the incandescent
lamp fitted in the centre of the upper side of the disc by means of a small spring
holder of the usual well known type. The periphery of the disc piece has a groove

page_text: or hollow in which is laid an india rubber band or an appropriately fitting hollow
ring of india rubber pipe for fitting tightly against the inner surface of a glass globe
covering the lamp so that the disc with its caoutchouc packing prevents the fumes
from the battery or the dust from the place where the lamp is used from entering
into that part of the glass cover in which the lamp is fixed.
The glass cover is attached to the flange of the body of the complete lamp by a
metal ring screwing on to it, and into the lower part thereof, beneath the above
named disc project the ends of the valve tubes, and in the sides of that part of the
glass cover are formed holes through which the gases escaping through the holes of
the valve tubes pass away into the atmosphere.
The connections of the lamp are arranged in the following manner :-A wire is
brought from the positive pole of one of the cells through the stem piece and is
attached by a clamping screw to one of the side plate pieces in the stem and
is carried on through the circular disc to one of the connecting wires of the lamp
holder, another wire from the negative pole of the second cell is carried through
the stem piece by another hole and is attached to the other outside plate piece but
is not carried through the centre disc to the lamp. From the centre plate piece is
carried an independent wire which passes through the circular disc to the other
terminal of the lamp. Thus there is no complete circuit between the battery and
lamp until contact is made by the insertion of a pin through the holes of the second
outside plate and the centre plate, such pin being of sufficient length to go right
through the handle pivot pieces from the one side to the other. This pin is made
partly of metal and partly of insulating material so that when put through the
plate holes from the side of the second outside plate piece (which may be indicated
on the outside of the complete lamp by a mark or by the pin being fastened to it
on that side by a chain) the metal part of the pin makes contact between such
second outside plate piece and the middle plate piece which is in connection
with the one lamp terminal, so that the circuit of the lamp for lighting is thus
completed.
When it is required to recharge the secondary battery when such is used, the pin
just described is withdrawn, and two plug pins connected to the wires of the
charging current are pushed in one from each side into each of the outside plate
pieces but neither going so far as to make contact with the centre plate piece.
Under this condition, the lamp will be out of circuit, and the battery will be in
circuit for re-charging.
For the purpose of concentrating the rays of the lamp, or for throwing them in
any desired direction, reflectors may be placed either inside the glass cover or
outside, or the glass itself may be silvered.
The bottom of the complete lamp is formed of a moveable lid or cover, which
may be held in position by screws, or by a bayonet joint. When the pin plugs are
withdrawn, and the lid removed the entire outside case with the glass cover may be
taken off, leaving the battery with the stem piece and the circular disc with the
lamp above altogether in attachment. The disc carrying the lamp may then be
removed, the valve pipe caps be unscrewed and the batteries re-supplied with
necessary liquid. The battery with its attached fittings is kept in the requisite
position within the outside case for bringing the hole through the handle pivots in
line with the transverse hole through the stem piece, by providing a pin on the
outside of the battery box which is made to fit into a slot fixed on the inside of the
outside case of the body of the complete lamp.
Dated this 20th day of August 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Electric Incandescent Lamps, and in
Battery Cells and Fittings therefor.
I, HENRY CHARLES GOVER, of No. 61, Tierney Road, Streatham Hill, in the
County of Surrey, Gentleman, 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 improvements in portable electric lamps, in which either
a primary or a secondary battery is combined with an incandescent lamp and other
necessary fittings, together forming a self contained and moveable lamp. It is
chiefly designed for use in mines, but it is adaptable for a table reading lamp, or
carriage lamp or for use in places where a portable or safety light is required.
My invention is primarily intended to overcome some of the disadvantages
attending the electric lamps already designed for similar purposes, as, for instance,
to provide for the escape of the gas generated by the action of the battery, to
provide an arrangement for recharging the battery without removal from the
complete lamp, and also an arrangement by which new acid or fluid may be more
readily introduced to the battery, by the eniployment of valve tubes.
I will proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which
Figs. 1 and 2 shew the same applied to a miners' lamp.
Fig. 1 shews an elevation of the complete lamp.
Fig. 2 shews a vertical section of the same on line X X Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shews a part vertical section at right angles to the section Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 shews the same section as Fig. 3, with the parts differently connected.
Fig. 5 shews a plan of the insulating block or stem piece with valve tubes and
set screw plates.
Fig. 6 shews one of the set screw plates detached.
Fig. 7 shews a section of one of the valve tubes, with a valve of construction
different from that shewn in Fig. 2.
Fig. 8 shews a front view of the tubular hinge for the handle and
Fig. 9 shews a diagrammatic view of the connections.
The body of the lamp consists of a box A of insulating material, which may be
of cylindrical form as shewn, of convenient size for carrying about. This box is
divided by a partition A¹ into two compartments each of which forms a battery
cell B B, which may either be of the primary or the secondary description.
The box A is closed air tight at the top by covers C C upon which rests a block
or stem piece D of insulating material, through holes of which pass valve tubes E
of vulcanite or other suitable material that are secured in the covers C C and
serve both for the escape of gases from the cells and for charging these with acid.
These tubes are closed at the top by caps E' through which pass pins F' carrying
at their inner ends piston valves F, that are pressed down in the position shewn by
springs G. In this position the piston valves cover lateral holes E' formed in the
tubes E and thus prevent escape of liquid from the cells, in case the lamp should be
overturned. But, if the gases generated in the battery attain such a pressure as to
overcome the weight of the valves and pressure of the springs, they force the
valves upwards so as to uncover the holes E' so that the gases can then escape
through them.
Instead of employing the piston valve arrangement above described, an arrange-
ment may be used such as is shewn at Fig. 7, where the holes E of the tube E
are covered externally by a caoutchouc ring U, which is forced away from the
holes so as to allow the gases to escape, when these have attained a certain
pressure.

page_text: The block D has three slots in line with each other into which fit conducting
plates H H H with screw terminals h' h³ ³, one of which plates is shewn detached
at Fig. 6. These plates have, each, a circular hole P, that is situated centrally
within a cylindrical passage D' of somewhat larger diameter formed horizontally
through the block D, so that a pin I or 1' can be inserted through the passage into
the holes of the plates, so as to make contact therewith as will be presently
explained. Lastly, the block D has through it two vertical holes D for the
passage of the circuit wires from the battery cells.
On the upper surface of the block D rest the lower ends of uprights JJ, the
upper ends of which are fixed to a disc J, situated above the screw terminals h' h³ ³.
The periphery of the disc J is grooved and contains a caoutchouc ring K adapted
to fit against the inner surface of a glass dome L. This glass is secured to the
neck M¹ of a steel or other metal casing M which encloses the battery, and parts
attached thereto, and which is fixed to a separate bottom M' either by a bayonet
catch M³ as shewn, or by any other suitable fastening. In the sides of the glass L
at a point below the disc J are formed holes L', so that any gas, escaping through
the holes of the valve tubes E, will pass away through the holes L', being prevented
by the disc J and ring K from rising into the upper part of the glass, in which is
situated the electric glow lamp N.
This lamp is constructed in the ordinary manner, its base being fixed to the top
of the disc J, and having screw terminals N¹ N' for the attachment of the battery
wires.
The connections between the battery B B, the screw terminals ³ ³ ³ and the
glow lamp are effected as shewn more clearly in the diagram Fig. 9; from the one
pole of the battery a wire O leads through hole D' of the block D to the terminal
screw of plate H', and from this to the one terminal screw N¹ of the lamp, while
from the other pole of the battery a wire O¹ leads to the screw terminal h³ of
plate H but does not extend farther. From the screw terminal ha wire O'
passes to the second terminal N2 of the lamp N. It will be seen that in the
above described condition of the lamp no closed circuit is formed. If now it be
desired to put the lamp in action a pin I is inserted through the holes of the
plates H' H H³. This pin has the portion beyond plate H formed of non con-
ducting material, while that passing through H H³ is of conducting material, so
that by this means a conducting connection is established between the lamp terminal
and the battery, thus completing the circuit.
If on the other hand it be desired to charge the battery B B, assuming this to be
of the secondary kind, then instead of introducing the pin I as described two
pins are introduced, one into each of the plates Hand H', without making
contact with H2, as shewn at Fig 3; the pins I¹ being connected by wires to
a current generator, while the plates H¹ H³ are, each, connected to one of the poles
of the battery by the wires O O¹, the battery will now be charged, the lamp being
out of circuit.
In order to enable the above described connections to be made without removing
the casing M, the pivot studs QQ of the latter, on which is pivotted the handle R,
are made tubular, as shewn at Figs. 3 and 8, so that the pins I or I¹ can be passed
through the same into the plates H'H' H', as shewn, and, in fixing the casing upon
the lamp, these pivot studs will consequently have to be brought exactly in fine
with the hole D' of the block D. In order to ensure this position without trouble,
a pin S may be fixed to the box A, which is made on fitting on the casing M to
enter a vertical groove T in the latter, whereby the required relative positions
of the two parts will be ensured. Or, in the event of the bottom M of the
casing being fixed to the box A the bayonet fastening M³ will serve for the above
purpose.
In order to ensure the insertion of the pin I into the proper holes of H³ and H'
for putting the lamp in action, the pin may be attached to the corresponding side
of the casing M by a chain, as shewn at Fig. 1.
When it is required to charge the battery B B with liquid, the casing is removed

page_text: the disc J with the lamp N is removed, and the caps E' are removed from the
tubes E, so that the liquid can now be poured in through the latter.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In primary or secondary batteries for portable electric lamps; the combination
with a box A containing the battery, of a tube or tubes such as E having holes
through which the gases from the battery can escape, and which are closed by a
valvular appliance that is forced open by the pressure of the gases, the said tubes
having caps F' on the removal of which liquid can be introduced into the battery
without otherwise opening the same, substantially as described.
2. In secondary electric batteries for portable electric lamps the combination
with a box A containing the battery, of a block D of insulating material, con-
taining two plates such as H³ H³ connected.respectively to the poles of the battery
having holes in them situated within a passage formed through the block so that
pins I¹ I connected to the poles of an electric generator can be inserted into the
holes of the plates for charging the secondary battery, substantially as described.
3. In portable electric lamps the combination with a primary or secondary
battery B B, of a block D of insulating material containing three plates H H³ H³
with holes in them situated in line with each other, the one plate H₁ being con-
nected to the one pole of the battery and the one terminal of the lamp while the
second plate His connected only with the second terminal of the lamp and the
third plate His connected only with the other pole of the battery so that on
introducing a pin into the holes of the plates H' and Hthe lamp is put in circuit
with the battery, while on introducing two pins connected with a current generator
into the holes of plates H¹ and H³ the battery is put in circuit with the current
generator, for the purpose of charging, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a portable electric lamp such as is referred to in the
preceding claims, of a metal casing such as M having tubular pivot pieces for the
handle arranged to be in line with the holes in the plates H¹ H H', so that
the pins I or I¹ can be introduced through the tubular pivots into the plates for
closing the circuits without removing the cover, substantially as described.
5. In a portable electric lamp of the kind referred to in the preceding claims,
the combination with the battery B, block D and tubes E, of a disc J carried by
the block D and having a caoutchouc ring K adapted to fit against a glass L,
having holes L situated below the disc J, so that any gases that escape from the
battery through the holes E3 of the tubes E will be made to pass out through the
holes L' of the glass without entering the space above the disc J, in which the glow
lamp is situated, substantially as described.
6. In a portable electric lamp the combination with a glow lamp N of a disc J
with caoutchouc ring K, block D with connecting plates H H H³, battery B
with valve tubes E and casing M with glass L having holes L' and tubular pivot
studs for the handle R, all arranged and operating together with connecting pins I
or I', substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of September 1892.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.