Improvements connected with the Obtainment of the Electric Arc for Lighting and other Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1893—Accepted, 16th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Obtainment of the Electric Arc
for Lighting and other Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
I REGINA NIEWERTH of Luther Strasse Berlin, Prussia, no occupation do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
For lighting purposes the regulation of the current is so inexact, when the
carbons are opposite one another and when clockwork is used variations in the
intensity of light always take place. Nor are these variations avoidable as
the rigidity of the movements in clockwork can not be overcome. All other
constructions working without clockwork present graver difficulties still, and can
not be generally employed. For smelting and other purposes by the are only such
have been hitherto used as pass horizontally or vertically between one or more fixed
or movable electrodes. All these constructions have the fault that the arc is easily
broken either because the electrodes are moved too far apart or by other causes:
this interrupts the smelting process and in the latter can not in all cases be
resumed again. In chemical decompositions or in smelting bodies that do not
conduct the current when solid and of low temperature, the interruption of the arc
causes very great difficulties. In the constructions now in use it is also impossible
to divide the heat produced by the arc, thus the temperature must at one point
remain very high and which causes great loss of material.
The objects of this invention is to overcome these defects which is effected by the
use of the following arrangement and apparatus.
Within a suitable frame-work is held a plate to which are attached several
terminals preferably four, for the currents; connected to these terminals are
springs of conductive metal carrying at their ends blocks or contact makers.
Passing through the frame and the middle plate is a tube with suitable holder at
end for the carbons which are of special arrangement as hereafter described.
Under middle plate is a sleeve switch through which the carbon tube passes and to
which it is keyed or secured. This switch is fitted with a number of conductive
segments insulated from cach other the central tube is revolved by any suitable
means which causes the segments to make and break contact by meeting the faces
of the contact blocks. The carbons are proposed to be six in number carried in a
non-conductive core in a circle: these carbons are electrically connected with the
segments or switch. Two of the terminals are connected with the positive pole and
two with the negative. The apparatus works substantially as follows.
Positive current flows, through two terminals to the contact faces and negative
current through the other two, which causes the currents to pass correspondingly
to two pairs of the six carbons and on their being revolved by revolving the tube
the arc is established. The segments are so set that the contact faces momentarily
connect two segments so that the carbons change from one pole to the other and
thus wear away equally and equally divide the current to that the arc will evenly fill
the space below the electrodes. If preferred the central tube may be stationary,
and the switch part arranged to revolve upon it.
The arrangement can be such that several sets of carbons can be used in one
apparatus to produce several arcs.
The salient features of the above described apparatus is the production of an arc
by a number of revolving electrodes so that each electrode is alternatively positive
and negative or revolving an arrangement which alternately imparts different
currents to several electrodes.
1 1.
1000
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with the Obtainment of the Electric Aro
for Lighting and other Purposes, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, REGINA NIEWERTH, of Luther Strasse, Berlin, Prussia, no occupation, 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:-
The employment of the electric arc for the production of light or of heat for
heating, melting, distilling &c. of metals or other bodies has hitherto presented
various difficulties, principally by reason of which its general employment has been
used to a limited extent only. For lighting purposes the regulation of the current
is inexact when the carbons are opposite one another to overcome which various
mechanical devices are used, which produce more or less variations in the intensity
of light which no mechanical means have hitherto overcome. The various con-
structions hitherto employed have the fault that the arc is easily broken either
because the electrodes are moved too far apart or by other causes; this interrupts
the smelting process also as the latter, cannot in all cases be resumed again. In
chemical decompositions or in smelting bodies that do not conduct the current
when solid and of low temperature the interruption of the arc causes very great
difficulties. In the constructions now in use it is also impossible to divide the heat
produced by the arc, thus the temperature must at one point remain very high
which causes great loss of material.
The objects of this invention is to overcome these defects, which is effected by
the use of the following arrangement and apparatus.
To enable this invention to be properly understood, I will proceed to describe
the same with aid of the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1-sectional side elevation showing the leading features of the invention.
Figure 2-underside view of middle plate.
Figure 3-cross sectional view of arrangement of carbons.
The frame of the apparatus consists of the pillars 11, bottom 12 and top 13.
In the centre of frame is plate 9 on the pillars 11, and retained at a desired
position between collars 10 and 10', fixed on tubular spindle 3 which passes through
frame. This spindle revolves in frame and is guided at the bottom by a gland
guide 14. Mounted in the plate 9 and depending from the underside are binding
screws or terminals 8¹, 8³, 8³, 84, insulated from the plate by material k. Attached
to each of these terminals, are springs 71, 72, 73, 74, carrying contact blocks 61, 63,
63, 6. Connected to the tubular spindle 3, under plate 9 is a sleeve commutator 4,
made of a non-conducting material, and it carries six segments 51, 53, 5, 5, 5º, 5º.
The spindle 3 is connected to a suitable motor to enable it to be revolved. The
terminals are connected by wires in the usual way with a source of electricity;
81, and 8, to the positive pole, and 88 and 8* to the negative pole. At the bottom
of spindle 3 is a holding sleeve 2 of a non-conducting material for the carbons.
These consist of six, 11, 12, 13, 14, 1, 16, held in an insulating material 0. The
different segments 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, are each connected to one of the carbons by
wires passing down the tubular spindle 3 (not shown in drawings), in the following
order-Segment 5¹, with carbon 1', segment 5', with carbon 1', and so on for the
whole of the six.
OPERATION OF THE APPARATUS.
Positive current passes to 61, and 63, and negative current to 63, and 6.
Assuming the position of the parts to be as shown at Fig. 2, at starting
carbons 1, and 18, will receive positive current, and carbons 16, 18, negative
current, and on moving the carbons round by the rotation of the spindle 3,
the arc is established. The segments 5¹; 5º, 5º, 54, 55, 56, are of such a width that

page_text: one meets the next contact face before it has entirely left the other one. When
therefore the spindle revolves the arcs will remain where they have been established
at first; the carbons however change from one pole to the other regularly and
thus wear away equally. Further in rapid intervals all the electrodes have equally
to divide the current, the arc will evenly fill the space below the electrodes, and
will assume the shape of a hemisphere.
The above construction may of course be reversed or varied, such as having the
spindle 3 stationary, and arranging for the plate 9 to be revolved carrying the
contact makers 61, 62, 63, 64, round the segments 5', 5, 53, 54, 55, 5º.
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 apparatus for the production of an are flame, the arrangement of several
carbons insulated one from the other and parallel to one another in a circle,
arranged to be revolved and means by which the different carbons receive positive
and negative current alternatively while at least two of the carbons are intermittently
without current, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus for the production of an arc of flame the arrangement of
several carbous preferably placed in a circle parallel to each other and insulated,
and revolving means by which the different carbons will receive positive and
negative current alternately, while at least two rods are intermittently without
current, substantially as described hereinbefore.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1893.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
37, Cursitor Street, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agent for Applicant.