Improvements in Electric Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1899-Accepted, 25th July, 1900
Improvements in Electric Lamps.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY, LIMITED, of 83, Cannon
Street, in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by Edwin
W. Rice, Jr., residing at Schenectady, County of Schenectady, State of New York,
United States of America, Electrical Engineer,) and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
This invention relates to that class of electric lamps in which the luminous
media are non-conductors at ordinary temperatures, but become conductive at
high temperatures, and which therefore it is first necessary to raise by external
means to the requisite temperature for diminishing the resistance sufficiently to
permit the working current to pass through or across the same.
The invention consists in providing lamps of this class with means for first
heating such a light-giving medium, herein after called a pyro-electrolyte, and
means, the operation of which is dependent upon the condition of the electrolyte,
for automatically controlling the heating means.
The invention consists further in other features to be hereinafter described and
claimed.
The structure herein shown to illustrate the invention consists of the pyro-
electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric circuit, of contact points adapted
to cause the formation of an are in proximity to the electrolyte and suitable con-
nections and solenoid coils adapted to rupture the arc automatically and dependant
for their operation upon the condition of the electrolyte.
The operation of a lamp of this class which embodies the essential elements of
this invention can be readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, Fig. 1 of which is a sectional view of one form of a lamp in which
many changes may be made without departing beyond the scope of the invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagram of the electrical circuits and coils, including a section of the
operating parts.
The line wires G and G¹ are connected to the terminals t and t¹, and current
will flow through the conductor L, to conducting frame F, and thence to the
contact points C and B which enclose the electrolyte A, which is now a non-
conductor. As these contacts are adjacent before the lamp is lighted the current
will flow up through B, and will continue upward through the conducting sup-
port W, through the contact springs g carried thereby, thence to the conducting
cylinder Y, through conducting plates f to wire i, thence through the starting
coil S, and then by the wire n to the circuit-breaker E, wire m, and terminal t¹
to complete the circuit. The starting coil S, being thus energized will cause its
core or contact support W to be drawn up further with a dash-pot action, within
the cylindrical conductor Y, which is separated from the coil S by the insulation Z:
and thus an are will be formed between the contacts B and C. The circuit
breaker E has its coil E' in the electrolyte circuit, and its spring contact E2 in
the arc circuit, and it may be readily adapted to be also operated manually. The

page_text: "
arc thus formed will heat the pyro-electrolyte A, causing it to become a con-
ductor, and the following circuit through it will be established: from the terminal t
through Land F electrolyte A, its support R, wire k, coil 0, wire 1, through the
coil of the circuit breaker, wire j and terminal . The coil O. will now assume
the office of maintaining the core W and its contact B in their elevated position,
the coil S being de-energized after the circuit-breaker E, actuated by a prede-
termined current through the electrolyte, has opened the arc circuit. The coil O
may also be adapted to raise the core W sufficiently high within it to elongate
and rupture the arc before the circuit breaker is actuated.
Should the electrolyte circuit be broken, the circuit breaker coil and the coil O
will be de-energized. The contact B will engage with the contact C, the arc
circuit be closed through the spring contact E³, and the arc be once more
established and maintained until the electrolyte circuit may become operative.
As shown in Fig. 1, H is the lamp holder, to which the line wires are connected
at the terminals and t¹ which are shown as screws. Screws and serve to
secure a circular contact plate N. The holder has also a screw-threaded recess
adapted to receive a correspondingly threaded projection X' of the lamp. The
lamp is also provided with a circular contact plate N¹, adapted to engage with the
plate N, when the lamp is screwed into the holder, the lamp wire L is connected
with the plate N¹ in any suitable manner.
The upper part of the lamp may be protected by a suitable cover E³, having
supports for the frame F to which they are secured and from which they are
properly insulated. A glass globe D, open at both ends, is held up against the
cover E3 by a support V held in place adjoining the frame F by a nut L screwed
upon a depending portion of the frame. We do not limit ourselves to an enclosed
lamp however, as for some substances it is better that the light-giving body be not
enclosed:
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of our said
invention (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same is
to be performed we declare that what we claim is:-
1-The combination with a pyro-electrolyte, of means for heating, and additional
means, the operation of which is dependent upon the state of the pyro-electrolyte,
for automatically controlling the heating means.
2 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit, means for heating said electrolyte, and means adapted to be controlled
by the current flowing through the circuit of the electrolyte for rendering said
means inoperative.
3-The combination with a pyro-electrolyte, of means for establishing a voltaic
are in proximity to said electrolyte, and means adapted to automatically rupture
the arc when the electrolyte becomes sufficiently heated.
4-The combination is an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form
part of an electric circuit, of means for establishing a voltaic arc in proximity to
said electrolyte, and means for automatically opening the arc circuit at a point
other than the arc.
5 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, electrical con-
nections therefor, arcing points in proximity to said electrolyte, electrical con-
nections therefor, means for separating said arcing points, and means for opening
the arc circuit at a point other than the arc.
6 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, electrical con-
nections therefor; arcing points in proximity to said electrolyte, electrical con-
nections therefor, means for separating said arcing points, and means whereby a
predetermined current in the electrolyte will open the are circuit at a point other.
than the arc.
The combination with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing points, a coil adapted to
separate said points to establish an arc, and a second coil adapted to maintain
the points in their separated position,

page_text: 8-The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to
form part of an electric circuit, of means for establishing a voltaic are in proximity
to the said electrolyte, and means dependent for its operation upon the condition
of the electrolyte, for breaking the arc circuit at a point other than the arc.
9-The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of means for
establishing a voltaic arc in proximity to said electrolyte, and means whereby the
heated electrolyte, will cause the arc to be elongated and finally ruptured.
10 The combination with an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of means
for establishing a voltaic are in proximity to said electrolyte, a coil, and means
whereby the completion of the circuit through the coil by the heated electrolyte
will rupture the arc.
11 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing
points in proximity thereto means for separating said points to establish an
arc, and means for rupturing the arc at the time the electrolyte has become
conductive.
12 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing
points in proximity thereto means for separating said points to form an arc,
and a solenoid in the circuit closed by the heated electrolyte adapted to further
separate said contact points and thus rupture the arc.
13 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing
points in proximity thereto means for separating said points to form an arc,
and a coil in the circuit closed by the heated electrolyte, adapted to open the
circuit through the arc at a point other than the arc."
14 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an
electric circuit, of arcing points in proximity to said electrolyte, means for separat-
ing said points, and means for opening the arc circuit at a point other than the
arc.
15 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit of means for forming a heated medium to enclose said electrolyte.
16 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit, of means for establishing a voltaic are to enclose said electrolyte.
17 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit, means for establishing a voltaic arc to enclose said electrolyte, and means
for automatically extinguishing said arc.
18 The combination in an electric lamp, with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to
form part of an electric circuit, of means for forming a heated medium to enclose
said electrolyte, and means for automatically rendering said means inoperative.
19 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form
part of an electric circuit, of means for heating said electrolyte, and means for
preventing said heating means from being an obstruction to the rays from the
incandescent electrolyte.
20 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte and a heater therefor, one enclosed
by the other, each forming a part of one of two electric circuits, and means for
automatically opening the circuit of the heating conductor when the electrolyte
has become conductive by heating.
21 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to
form part of an electric circuit, of means for heating said electrolyte, and means
for automatically removing said heating means from a position where it may
obstruct the rays from the incandescent electrolyte.
22 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte and heating
means therefor, arranged in multiple arc, of means for automatically opening
the heating circuit.
23-The combination in an electric lamp, with a pvro-electrolyte, of arcing
points in proximity thereto and means for automatically removing said contact
points to an inoperative position, substantially as described.
24 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing. points in proximity

page_text: thereto, a movable support carrying one arcing point, and a solenoid adapted to
to control said support, substantially as described.
25 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit, of means for heating said electrolyte, and a circuit breaker controlling said
means and adapted to be opened by current in the electrolyte circuit.
con-
26 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing com
tacts enclosing said electrolyte when the lamp is not lighted, substantially as
described.
27-The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of stationary
and removable arcing contacts adapted to enclose said electrolyte, and means for
moving the movable contact to expose said electrolyte.
:
28 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte mounted in a conducting support,
of an arcing contact mounted in said support, a second arcing contact mounted
in a movable conducting support, and means for automatically moving said movable
support.
29 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte, of a stationary contact support,
a movable contact support means for moving said movable support to establish
an arc, and means for automatically moving said support further to extinguish
the arc.
30 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte and a coil, of arcing points, and
a second coil in multiple with the said electrolyte and coil, substantially as
described.
31 The combination with arcing points, a movable conducting support for one
of said points, a hollow conductor adapted to receive said movable support, and
contacts carried by the movable support and adapted to engage with the hollow
conductor, substantially as described.
32-The combination with a pyro-electrolyte adapted to form part of an electric
circuit, of means for establishing an are in proximity to said electrolyte, and
a circuit breaker adapted to be actuated to open said circuit by current flowing
in the electrolyte circuit.
33 The combination with arcing points, of a movable conducting support for
one of said points, a conductor insulated from said support, and contacts carried
by said supports adapted to have contact with said conductor, substantially as
described.
34 The combination with arcing points, of a movable conducting support for
one of said points, a conductor insulated from said support, means for electrically
connecting said support, and conductor, and means for moving said support to
separate said points, substantially as described.
35 The combination with a pyro-electrolyte of stationary conducting supports
therefor, arcing points in proximity to said electrolyte, and a movable support
for one arcing point enclosing a support of the electrolyte, substantially as
described.
36 The combination with a conducting frame, an arcing contact, and a pyro-
electrolyte mounted thereon a second arcing contact, a movable support for the
latter and circuit connections for said electrolyte and for said movable support,
substantially as described.
37 The combination in an electric lamp with a pyro-electrolyte, of arcing con-
tacts adapted to enclose and disclose said electrolyte, a solenoid adapted to move
one contact to establish the arc, and a second solenoid adapted to extinguish the
arc automatically when the electrolyte is sufficiently heated.
38 A holder for an electric lamp having a conducting screw-threaded cavity,
and a circular contact plate, substantially as described.
39 An electric lamp having a conducting screw-threaded projection and a
circular contact plate, substantially as described.
40 The combination with a circuit including a pyro-electrolyte, of a circuit
including arcing points in proximity to said pyro-electrolyte, and a circuit

page_text: breaker having its spring contact in the are circuit and its solenoid con
electrolyte circuit.
41 The combination with a circuit including a solenoid coil, a core therefore
carrying a movable arcing contact, and including also a stationary arcing contact,
of a circuit, including a pyro-electrolyte in proximity to said arcing contacts, and
including also a second solenoid coil for said core, and a circuit breaker having its
spring contact in the arc circuit, and its solenoid coil in the electrolyte circuit.
Orth day of July 1899.
THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO. LTD.,
ALFRED CLEMENTS.
Assistant Secretary.
W. MARTINDALE, }
A. R. MONKS,
Directors,