Improved Arrangement for Lowering the Globes of Arc and other Lamps.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 12th May, 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangement for Lowering the Globes of Arc and other
Lamps.
I, HALDANE GWILT COTSWORTH, Mechanical Engineer of 125 Merton Road,
South Wimbledon in the County of Surrey, England, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to an improved method of lowering the globes of arc and
other lamps for the purpose of replacing carbons, mantles, & the like.
The globe may be fastened to a corona or ring by means of wire netting in the
usual manner, this corona is suspended by means of two rods having at their ends
pistons working in two tubes, these tubes may conveniently form part of the frame
of the lamp, at the top of each of these tubes is placed a valve so arranged that
any upward movement of the piston will force out the air in the upper part of the
tube, but a downward movement will close the valves preventing access of air, and
retarding the movement of the pistons and allowing the globe to descend gradually.
To further prevent shock being transmitted to the globe the pistons may be
arrested by means of helical springs placed at the bottom of the tubes.
Fig. 1. is an elevation (part section) showing the above principle applied to an
arc lamp. Suspended from the rods R. R. is the corona to which the globe is
attached, P shows one of the pistons working in the tube T. The valve V and air
outlet A are shown at the top, the valve may have a small hole drilled through it
in the centre to prevent the downward movement being too sluggish.
At F is a feather which by means of the rods R. R. supports the globe when
raised to the normal position. The spring S Fig. 2. forces the cranks over and
ensures the feathers remaining in the locked position shown in Fig. 3. In lowering
the globe, the knob N is pulled out from the side of the corona, this by means of
two cranks fixed to the rods R. R., and a connecting piece causes the rods to
turn through an angle of about 90° allowing the feather F to pass through a
corresponding slot in the bottom nut shown in Fig. 3., the pistons now slide down
the tubes until arrested by springs one of which is shown at S 1.
The valve and air outlet on the top of the tube may be replaced by a flexible
valve on the under side of the piston as shown in Fig. 4, any upward movement of
this piston will cause the valve to fall away from the under face of the piston
allowing the air to pass through holes drilled in it, a downward movement will
cause the valve to press against the under face of the piston closing the holes.
A stuffing box and gland may be placed just above the feather F, the piston
will then be acted upon by compressed air instead of only atmospheric pressure.
Dated this 11th day of August 1896.
HALDANE G. COTSWORTH.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Arrangement for Lowering the Globes of Arc and other
Lamps.
I HALDANE GWILT COTSWORTH of 125 Merton Road, South Wimbledon, in
the County of Surrey, Mechanical Engineer, 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 an improved method of and means for lowering and
raising the globes of electric arc and other lamps for the purpose of renewing the
carbons, mantles and the like.
In order that my said improvements and the manner of their operation may be
fully understood, I have hereunto appended a sheet of drawings, which, with the
exception of a slight modification of one of the details are the same as those filed
with my Provisional Specification.
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of so much of an electric arc lamp as will
serve to illustrate the application of my improvements thereto.
Fig. 2 is a part sectional diagram of one of the details hereinafter explained.
Fig. 3 is an under plan view of one of the nuts hereinafter explained.
Fig. 4 is a section of a portion of one of the tubes and the head of the plunger
working therein and hereinafter explained.
I carry my invention into effect by fixing to, and at opposite sides of the
crown B of the frame of the lamp, a pair of hollow cylinders or tubes T and T',
the lower ends of which are connected to a circular frame or plate C', by the means
of nuts D and D¹.
In the upper ends of each of the tubes T and T¹ I fix a flap valve V, the leather
or other flap E of which is adapted to rise by an upward pressure of air through
the passage G, or fall when the passage of air is in the opposite direction, and to
facilitate the former movement a small air passage A is formed in each of the
tubes T and T leading into the crown B and to the atmosphere.
The tubes T and T each carry a piston or plunger P, the rods of which R
and R' extend downward through the nuts D' and are connected to lugs H and H¹
fixed upon or formed integral with the corona J of the lamp, and to the said
corona the globe K would be suspended and attached by the means of wire netting
in the usual way.
The lower ends of the rods R and R₁ are each provided with a projection or
feather F while the nuts D' are each provided with an opening M, which permits
the passage of the said projections F when a quarter turn or thereabouts is
imparted to the said rods. Or I may provide two such projections or feathers F
upon, and extending outwardly from the said rods, either at opposite sides thereof
or at right angles to each other, and form in the nuts two openings M in such a
position as to permit the passage of the said projections or feathers F when such
quarter turn is imparted to the said rods, and to effect the said partial rotation of
the said rods I fix upon the lower ends of each of these an arm or crank W, to the
free ends of which I pivotally connect the ends of a connecting piece or coupling
rod C, an extension N upon one end of which passes outwardly through the
corona J and has upon its free end any suitable form of finger hold, such for
instance as a knob or ring N¹, and by reference to Fig. 2 and the nut Fig. 3 it
will be understood that if a pull be imparted to the coupling rod C in the direction
of the arrow (Fig. 2) the projections or feathers F upon the rods R and R¹ would
be brought over the apertures M in the nuts D', when the said rods and the corona
and globe may be lowered or raised at will. The lowering of the said rods would
form a partial vacuum above the plungers P, and close the flap E of the valve V

page_text: down upon the passages G, thus ensuring the gradual lowering of the globe, and in
order that the said plunger may not arrive at its lowest position with a jerk or
sudden stoppage I may provide spiral or other springs S surrounding the rods R
and R¹ and resting upon the nuts D' as at Fig. 1, and if the said downward move-
ments of the said rods is found to be sluggish I may provide one or more small
apertures or passages in the plungers or pistons P. The pull upon the coupling
rod C need not be continued after the projection F has passed down through the
apertures M in the nuts D¹, the release of this permitting the arms or levers W
to return to their normal position shewn by Fig. 2, to effect which automatically I
provide a suitable plate or other spring S adapted to impinge upon one of the
members W as at Fig. 2.
To again raise the globe and corona an upward push would be imparted to these
with one hand, while the other exercised a pull upon the coupling rod C until the
projections or feathers F have passed up through the apertures M in the nuts D',
when, by releasing the said pull upon C the spring S would again operate to
lock F F above the nuts D'D', and the said upward travel of the plungers P
would force the air above these through the valves V the flaps E of which would
readily rise to permit this.
As an alternative arrangement the valve and air outlet V may dispensed with,
and I may attain the same ends by constructing the piston or plunger P as at
Fig. 4, in which I provide two or more air passages such as a, the lower ends of
which may be closed by a leather or other flap E' during the downward travel
of P, the said flap receding therefrom and opening the same when P is travelling
upwards.
As a modification of the foregoing arrangement of the nuts D¹ in order to
dispense with the need of operating the coupling rod C to effect the said partial
rotation of the rods R R¹ during their upward travel to enable the projections F
to pass through the apertures or passages M, I may attach to, or form upon the
under surface of either or both of the nuts D₁ an extension or extensions bas
shewn at Fig. 3, and upon the lower end of the rod R in Fig. 1, this or these
having a spiral or graduated surface with which the projections would engage in
their upward travel, the said surface of 6 being so formed as to automatically
guide through the apertures M, after passing through which the spring S would
operate as before described to lock F above D¹.
Or as a further modification and in lieu of the said extension or extensions b
upon the under surface of the nuts D', I may extend the said feather F upwardly
to or nearly to the plunger P, so as to form a web upon the rods, which provides,
that when the said rods are to be lowered and these have received the said partial
rotation to enable the lower ends of the said webs F to enter the slots or
apertures M in D', the said rods would remain so turned until the lower ends of
the said webs were again raised above the said passages M, when the spring S
would again operate as described to lock F above D¹.
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
1st. In an electric arc lamp, the combination of the herein described method
and means, and the several alternative devices constituting the same, for lowering
and raising the globe of the lamp, substantially as herein set forth and shewn by
the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an electric arc lamp, the combination of a pair of vertical tubes such
as T and T', each carrying a piston or plunger such as P, and each provided with
a flap valve such as V, or its equivalent formed in the said piston or plunger P,
the rods R R¹ of the said pistons or plungers having each an extension or
extensions, feather or feathers, web or webs such as F, adapted to pass through
passages M in nuts D¹ D' upon the lower ends of the said tubes, when the said
rods are partially rotated, such partial rotation being effected by the means of a

page_text: spring coupling rod C, connected to arms or levers W upon the said rods, or by
the means of graduated or spiral projections such as 6 upon the under surface of
the nuts D' and D', the whole connected, combined and operating substantially as
and for the purposes herein described and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of May 1897.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.