Improvements in Self-regulating Mechanisms for Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-regulating Mechanisms for Electric Arc
Lamps.
ANTHONY GEORGE NEW and ARTHUR JAMES MAYNE, Electrical Engineers
of 12 Palace Chambers Westminster in the County of London do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:--
Our invention has for its object the construction of electric arc lamps in an
exceedingly simple manner together with greater perfection of action than hitherto
obtained.
Our invention is particularly adapted to that class of lamp in which the upper
carbon holder is formed by a tube which passes through a tubular core (which
itself is free to move within a solenoid) & which is gripped by means of a clutch
when the core is drawn into its solenoid by the action of the current.
It consists of a disc of metal which fits loosely over & round the tube carbon
holder & on which are pivotted two arms, the inner ends of which are shaped to
grip the tube, & the outer ends of which are connected by means of two links to the
tubular core.
This disc with its arms being below the tubular core, is thus supported by the
core (when drawn up into its solenoid) by means of the two links but the weight of
the disc makes the inner ends of the arms grip the tube carbon holder before it is
itself raised. Below this disc is placed an adjustable stop which comes into contact
with the inner ends of the pivotted arms when the disc falls to a normal position
i.e. when no current flows thro' the solenoid. When these arms come into contact
with the adjustable stop & when the stop begins to take the weight of the disc &
core the arms become lifted & thus release the tubular carbon holder, allowing the
carbons to come together.
It will be seen that this clutch together with the other parts mentioned are
sufficient to strike & regulate the arc.
Dated this 29th day of June 1893.
ANTHONY G. NEW.
ARTHUR JAS. MAYNE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Self-regulating Mechanisms for Electric Arc
Lamps.
We, ANTHONY GEORGE NEW, and ARTHUR JAMES MAYNE, Electrical
Engineers, of 12 Palace Chambers, Westminster, in the County of London, 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:-
Our invention relates to Improvements in Self Regulating Mechanisms for
Electric Are Lamps the object of our invention being to provide mechanism which
is simple in construction and more perfect in action than has hitherto been
obtained.
Our improved regulating mechanism consists briefly of a disc or frame fitting
loosely over the tube holder for the upper carbon and on which are pivotted two

page_text: arms the inner ends of which are shaped to grip the tube and the outer ends of
which are operated through the medium of links by means of a solenoid or solenoids
on their.cores. Below the disc or frame is an adjustable stop to limit the movement
of the arms.
This regulating arrangement is adapted for lamps working in various ways such
lamps being constructed to meet the various requirements of the different methods
of working.
In the accompanying drawings are shown two different constructions of lamps
having our improvements applied thereto.
In these drawings-
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of lamp.
Fig. 2 is a plan on line x-x Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a plan on line y-y Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation on the line -
Fig. 5 is a plan of the gripping arms and disc.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the casing and
Fig. 2.
Fig. 7 is a lamp working on a different principle.
In the construction of lamp illustrated we employ four solenoids 1, 2, 3, 4
arranged in pairs the cores 12" being connected together by a pivotted arm 5 and
the cores 3 4" by a similar arm 6. The cores 2 and 3ª have weights 7 hung on
their ends the opposite cores 1ª and 4" being connected by means of rods 8 with the
arms 9 of a loose collar 10. To the collar 10 are attached links 11 on which are
hung arms 12 the inner ends of which are shaped as shown in Fig. 5 to grip the
tube 13 which forms the upper carbon holder. These arms 12 are pivotted in a
disc or frame 14 which fits loosely over and around the tube carbon holder.
The disc with its arms is thus supported by the cores of the solenoids through
the medium of the links the weight of the disc causing the inner ends of the arms to
grip the tube carbon holder before it is itself raised.
Below the disc is placed an adjustable stop to limit the movement of the arms 12
consisting of a ring 15 screwed on the outside and engaging with a boss 16 of a
plate 16 forming part of the framing, the screwed ring after it has been set in the
desired position so that it may come into contact with the inner ends of the pivoted
arms 12 being held by means of the nut 17. The tube carbon holder 13 is adapted
to slide in a central tube 18 and carries at its upper end a pulley 19 around which
passes a cord 20 which runs up over pulleys 21 (carried by a frame 22) and has its
ends attached respectively to rods 23, 23. These rods 23 are connected together at
their ends by a frame 24 insulated from them provided with a clip 25 which carries
the lower carbon. The rods 23 pass through tubes 26 which have grooves 27
therein said grooves serving as guides for rollers 28 carried by a block 30 on the
end of the tube carbon holder the rollers serving in turn as guides for the carbon
holder. The tube carbon holder may carry a weight 30 as shown.
Between the plate 16" and a somewhat similar plate 31 are two lengths of
tube 32 which serve to space apart the plates and said tubes 32 have linings 33
which form continuations of the tube 26. The end of the central tube 18 is
screwed for the purpose of carrying a plate 34 which carries the supports 35, 35 of
the pivoted arms 5, 6 and also carries the frame 22.
36 is a conducting rod attached to the plate 16ª but insulated therefrom by
means of a washer 36" of suitable material.
This rod passes to a ring 37 which forms part of the frame and acts to space
apart the tubes 26 and to support same as will be understood by reference to the
drawings, the rod being insulated from this ring by washers 38 of suitable material
and terminating in a nut which may be provided with a binding screw to hold a
flexible cord 39 which conducts the current to the lower carbon.
The solenoids are supported between the plate 31 and a plate 40 screwed to the
central tube 18 as shown. The plate 40 is provided with a bushing 41 through
which passes the tube carbon holder and which acts as a guide for the loose
collar 10. Such collar or rather the arms 9 of same carry adjustable set screws 42

page_text: adapted to bear against the plate 40 and to limit the upward movement of the
collar 10. Between the bushing 41 and the pivoted arms 12 is a spiral spring 43
which serves to press the arms 12 downwards.
The plate 31 carries posts 44 which support a cover plate 45 having a flange 46.
which cover plate may carry means for suspending the lamp. The plate 31 is also
provided with binding posts 47, 48 to which the supply wires of the lamp are
attached the post 47 also holding a flexible cord 49 which is connected to the
binding post of the rod 36 so that the post 47 is in connection with the lower
carbon.
A flexible wire 50 also connects the plate 16" with the block 30 of the upper
carbon there being a circuit through the framework of the lamp to the post 48.
Each binding post is also connected to the solenoid coils which are thus on a shunt
circuit.
The casing we prefer to employ is shown in Fig. 6. It consists of a cylinder 51
of sheet metal which is held to the flange 46 of the cover 45 by screws the lower
portion having a bayonet slot 52 with which engages a stud carrying a nut 53 said
stud being on a collar 54 to the flange 55 of which the globe 56 is secured by
wiring in the usual way.
The action of the regulating mechanism in this lamp is as follows. As soon as
the current is turned on the solenoids are energised and draw in the cores thus
raising the weights 7, 7 and forcing down the collar 10 with the result that the
links 11 cause the pivoted arm 12 to release the tube carbon holder 13 which falls
and by means of the cord 20 and rods 23 at the same time draws up the lower
carbon until the two carbons touch. As soon as this occurs the current flowing
through the coils of the cores is so weakened that the weights 7 will fall slightly
drawing down their cores 2" 3" and pulling up the collar 10 which through the
links 11 causes the pivoted arms 12 to grip the tube carbon holder 13 tightly the
remaining motion of the weights causing a slight upward lift of the tube 13.
sufficient to separate the carbons and strike the arc. The regulation of the arc so
produced is obtained in the same way, the resistance afforded to the passage of the
current by the burning away of the carbons causing more current to flow through
the shunt coils and thus opening the clutch arms 12 and allowing the carbons to
approach each other.
In the above arrangement it will be seen that the drawing in of the cores.
releases the clutch formed by the pivoted arms 12 and this arrangement is
particularly applicable for an alternating current lamp adapted for parallel or
series running. In this construction four shunt coils have been shown but two may
equally well be used. By preference in this form of lamp we employ laminated
cores of some suitable kind for the cores 1° 2° 3° 4° to prevent heating by eddy
currents.
The sucking in of the cores may however operate the reverse way and close the
clutch as shown in Fig. 7 which is adapted for a parallel running direct current
lamp in which two coils 1, 2 are employed and where the sucking in of the cores.
(which may be counterbalanced if required to reduce the work for the coils) closes
the clutch consisting of the pivoted arms 12 the cores being attached directly to a
collar 10%.
The coils are wound with a large enough section of wire for the whole current
(in series with the carbons) to pass through, or in the case of a series running
direct current lamp we should employ the two coils wound as above together with
the counterbalances and in addition two farther shunt coils acting on the cores of
the counterbalances (lifting them) in opposition to the series coils which they
would only be able to overcome when feed is necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The regulating mechanism for electric arc lamps consisting of clutch arms

page_text: pivoted in a frame and surrounding the upper carbon holder said arms being
operated through the medium of a solenoid core or cores substantially as described.
2. The employment with the regulating mechanism above claimed of an
adjustable stop substantially as described.
3. The regulating mechanism for electric arc lamps consisting of clutch arms
pivoted in a disc or frame and surrounding the upper carbon holder links connected
to the arms a collar attached to the links and solenoid cores all arranged and
operating substantially as described.
4. The improved construction of self regulating mechanisms for electric arc
lamps substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
Dated the 29th day of March 1894
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent,
For the Applicants.