IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS a communica
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Friedrich Hermann Felix Engel at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the lith December 1882 a
communication to me by Friedrich Küppermann, Engineer of Hamburg in
the German Empire
"
FRIEDRICH HERMANN FELIX ENGEL Civil Engineer and Patent Agent in the
city of Hamburg, Germany, "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS a communica-
tion to me by Friedrich Küppermann, Engineer of Hamburg in the Gerinan
Empire,
This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism and in fitting up
the parts for regulating the distance apart of the electrodes of electric arc lamps
and has for its object to secure a more uniform working of such lamps than
heretofore.
The two holders of the carbons are partly arranged aside of each other and are
moved in opposite directions by the movements of an axle to which two pinions
of different size are fastened, each of which gears into a rack attached or formed
to the corresponding holder.
The relative larger movements required for operating the positive carbon pole
are secured by the larger pinion gearing into the rack of the positive carbon holder
whilst the smaller pinion gears into the rack of the holder of the negative carbon-
pole. By turning the axle of the pinions one way the carbons are moved in
direction towards each other and by turning this axle the other way the distance
apart of the carbons is enlarged.
The movements of the axle for the purpose of regulating the distance apart of
the carbons are automatically produced during the action of the lamp in the
following manner. To this axle a third wheel, a spur wheel of larger diameter
than those of the pinions is attached and into this spur wheel a pinion gears to the
axle of which pinion a ratchet wheel is fastened which is stopped by a ratchet or
pawl as long as the distance apart of the carbons is the normal one and as long as
a current of corresponding power passes through the lamp.
This ratchet or pawl is formed as a double armed lever that fulcrums on a pin
or stud and one end of this lever stops the ratchet-wheel as long as the other arm
of the lever is attracted by an electro-magnet that is intercalated in the electric
current of the lamp. The electro magnet is of sufficient strength to stop the

page_text: movements of the mechanism as long as the distance apart of the two carbons is
the normal one.
As soon as the carbons burn off to a certain degree and the
resistance consequently be enlarged, the current passing through the lamp will be
reduced in power and the electro-magnet will drop the pawl lever and will
consequently uncatch the mechanism.
By its own weight the negative carbon holder, or by an additional weight
acting on this holder the latter drops and will by means of its rack and
- corresponding pinion turn the axle to which the before described two pinions are
attached.
The other pinion lifts at same time the positive carbon holder and the carbons
are consequently brought nearer together until the normal distance between the
carbons is reattained at which moment the circulating current regains its normal
power in consequence of which the pawl lever is reattracted by the magnet and
stops the ratchet wheel and the mechanism as before described.