Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps or Lighting Apparatus.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1888
Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
RESERVE
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps or Lighting Apparatus.
I, LEONARD PAGET, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, Electrician and Chemist, 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 invendion relates to arc light regulators in which the feed of the carbons or
electrodes is regulated or governed by thermal effects and adapts the lamp for use
with either direct or alternating current generators of electricity.
It is well known by electricians that are lamps governed by electro-magnetic
regulators or in fact any regulator in which the carbons are in contact when no
current is flowing over the circuit cannot be advantageously used on circuits supplied
by secondary batteries for the reason that the low resistance path offered the current
through the carbons, creates such intense heat at the point of contact that they
become fused together before they can separate, thus preventing the operation of
the lamp.
It is the especial object of my invention to overcome this objectionable feature and
also to provide an arc light regulator which shall be equally well adapted for use
with direct and alternating current generators.
I accomplish these objects through the agency of a thermal regulator which holds
the electrodes normally out of contact when no current is on the line and allows
them to come momentarily into contact after the current has been set up and then
withdraws them, thereby establishing the arc. This regulator consists of a thermal
conductor attached to the electrode carriers and constitutes a high resistance shunt
to the normally open circuit at the electrode points. With such a regulator I am
enabled to establish the arc in every instance, and to avoid the objectionable feature
referred to above.
My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 illustrates a side elevation of a regulator in which only one carbon
electrode is fed forward, and
Figure 2, a modified form adapted to feed both electrodes simultaneously.

page_text: Referring to the drawings in detail, (A) is an insulating support or base which
carries or supports the several parts of the regulator.
(B) is a metallic bar attached to the base (A) on the left. At its upper end is a
binding post (P) connected to the plus pole of the generator in the usual manner.
At the lower end (D) of the bar (B) is pivoted an arm (G) which carries a hollow
carbon holder (C) in its lower upturned end (M).
(B) is a metal bar rigidly secured to the support (A) on the right hand side and
having a binding post (P1) at its upper end for connecting it with the minus pole of
the generator.
The lower end of the bar (B¹) has an electrode holder and guide (C). E¹, E' are
the electrodes, the former of carbon and the latter (in figure 1) of non-combustible
materials, as iron, copper or the like; but in figure 2 both electrodes are of carbon or
the material generally made use of in arc lights.
(K) is a clutch lever pivoted to the carbon carrier (C), its lower end being
sufficiently long and heavy to hold the carbon from feeding forward under
normal conditions.
The flat leaf spring (L) is adapted to aid the weighted end in firmly gripping the
electrode.
(P2) is a screw adapted to abut against the short arm of the lever (K) when the
arm (G) tilts to the right.
(I) is a high resistance wire of platinum attached at one end to the upper end of
the short arm of lever (G) by an adjusting screw (T) and passing thence around
pullies H, H, H, to the upper end of the bar or plate (B¹) to which it is affixed by
an adjusting screw (T¹) for regulating its length.
The operation is as follows:
The battery having been connected to binding posts P, P₁ the current passes by
plate (B) short arm of lever (G) to wire (I), and thence by plate (B¹) to line. This
heats the high resistance wire (I), thereby expanding it, causing the lower end of
lever (G) to tilt to the right until the upper end of lever (K) is brought into contact
with screw P2, thereby releasing the electrode E¹ and allowing it to slide forward
until it touches the opposing electrode E2. Immediately the current takes the low
resistance path through the electrodes and this permits the wire. (I) to cool, and'
hence, to contract, thus causing the electrodes to separate and the arc to be
established. This operation is repeated when the arc becomes abnormal.
The modified form shown in Figure 2, differs from that shown in figure 1 in that
both carbons or electrodes are fed forward, the arm (G) on the right and its
attachments being a duplication of those shown on the left in figure 1, the wire (I)
being connected in this instance to the upper ends of both levers (G):
I prefer to so adjust the wire that it is heated sufficiently to feed the electrode at a
temperature of from 100° to 200° centigrade, and in practice, I find the best tem-
perature to be about 125°, as the wire appears to be more sensitive at that temperature
to varying changes of current strength, due to the operation of the lamp.
I am
aware that it is not broadly new with me to regulate the feed of are light
electrodes by means of thermally "actuated devices, and I do not claim such
broadly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is: -
First. An arc light regulator consisting of a high resistance thermal electrical
conductor located in a shunt around the electrodes, and connected directly to the
carbon carriers, in combination with clutch mechanism, whereby the arc is
established and continued, substantially as described.
Second. A regulator for arc lamps consisting of a high resistance thermal electrical
conductor in a permanently closed shunt about the electrodes, in combination with
pivoted arms carrying the electrodes at their lower ends, the upper ends of said

page_text: pivoted arms being connected directly to the thermal electrical conductor while the
lower ends are provided with feeding clutches, substantially as described.
Third. A regulator for are lamps consisting of a pivoted carbon-carrying lever
having one of its arms attached directly to an expansible conductor shunting the
electrodes, in combination with a clutch and a movable electrode borne by the other
arm of said lever, and a fixed releasing stop adapted to act on the releasing clutch,
substantially as described.
Fourth. A thermal regulator consisting of a high resistance expansible shunt
about the electrodes, in combination with a carbon feeding clutch pivotally attached
to the carbon carrier, substantially as described.
Fifth. An electric lamp consisting of two gravitating electrodes normally held
out of contact by clutches, in combination with a high resistance expansible shunt
attached directly to the carbon carriers, and connections as described for establishing
the arc and feeding the carbon.
Dated this 27th day of November 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.