Improvements in Systems of Electrical Distribution.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Systems of Electrical Distribution.
I, STANLEY CHARLES CUTHBERT CURRIE of Philadelphia in the County of
Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrician 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 :-
This invention has relation to systems of electrical distribution, and relates more
particularly to that class of distributive systems, wherein a number of accumulators
or secondary batteries are employed as distributing centres for independent districts,
and wherein the accumulators are arranged for charging in series upon a single main
conductor conveying the charging current from a distant source of electrical supply.
In systems of this class, it is advantageous, particularly in a system wherein the
dynamo plant is at some distance from the accumulators, to employ but a single inain
conductor, but where this is done there is waste of energy at times, due to the fact
that there is sure to be variation in the amount of current taken from each battery or
group or set of accumulators, in a given period, and hence, when any one of the
accumulators, or one of the sets of accumulators is exhausted, or in a state or condi-
tion for charging, the others of the series may not be exhausted to the same extent, or
indeed may be fully charged, and therefore it of necessity happens, that in order to
charge the particular exhausted battery, the current must be driven through those
already charged, thereby incurring loss of energy and a possibility of injury to the
already charged accumulators.
Hence it is necessary that each battery or set of accumulators, in a series of the
same, arranged upon a single main line, should be capable of being charged separately,
and independently of the rest when required.
Now to do this by main conductors to each set, would be to do away with the great
economy effected in saving of first cost, by the use of a single main conductor when
the whole of the accumulators are charged, in series, upon a single main. conductor,

page_text: and particularly is this the case where the 'dynamo station is at a distance from the
accumulators.
شته et it
My invention has for its object, the provision of means whereby any battery or set
of accumulators in a series of accumulators, or sets of the same, arranged in series
on a single main conductor, may be soparately charged at will.
In carrying my invention into effect, I provide at the dynamo station a dynamo for
each separate group, or set of accumulators, with an electro-motive force proportional
to the particular battery it represents, and also provides electric-switches, and electro-
magnetic cut out devices so arranged, as will be presently described, that each
accumulator or set of accumulators in the series, may be thrown out of electrical
connection with the main current, and that the dynamo belonging to the same, may
be simultaneously thrown in or out of circuit, by the movement of a single lever.
Or instead of employing a separate dynamo for cach set or group of accumulators, I
may provide a single dynamo, having its field magnets wound with separate coils,
equal in number to the number of groups of accumulators' which such dynamo is
intended to supply with current, the separate coils of the dynamo being in this
arrangement each independently thrown into and out of circuit simultaneously with
the group of accumulators to which it is appropriated.
My invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of
parts hereinafter described and specifically claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating
the arrangement of parts, and the necessary electric circuits etc. of an electric
lighting system constructed and arranged according to my improvements.
Fig. 2, is a similar view illustrating the application of my improvements to street
lighting, Fig. 3, is a view in plan-and-diagram-of a modification of my invention
including means for causing an accumulator and its dynamo to be automatically
cut out of circuit with the main line when fully charged, and Fig. 4 a diagram
illustrating the construction andy arrangement of parts necessary when a single
dynamo having a plural number of coils on its field magnet is employed to supply a
plural number of groups of accumulators. 1, Designates the main line conductor
and 2, the return circuit, of the same, A2, A2, A3, A, designate individual sets of
Secondary batteries or accumulators,. and L, I, lamps arranged on lines 1, 1, leading
from said accumulators.
The accumulators A1, A2, A3, A³, are electrically connected to the main line 1,
branch conductors a and b.
.
by
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10 The conductors b, lead directly to and are permanently connected to the main
aline 1, while the conductors a, terminate at a contact point e, on switch board C.
The main line conductor 1; is divided into sections as shown, which terminate at
contact points d, e, on the switch boards C, C, and a pivoted switch lever D on each
board connects the contact points d, d, with the points. c and e, alternately according
eto its position.
ni The levers D, are pivoted.at f, and provided with counter weights or springs F,
dwhich serve under the normal condition of affairs, to bear down the outer ends of
levers D, and preserve circuit between points d, and e. Small electro-magnets-G,
care mounted on switch boards C, below the levers Drand the armatures g, of said
-magnets are attached to said levers so that when the magnets are energized the lever
will be drawn down and circuit thereby established between contact points, c, andie.
HH, H³; H, designate switch boards arranged at the dynamo station or at other
appropriate point on the main line. I, and said main line has contact points h, i, on
said boards and in proximity to said points 1, 2, are contact points k, which form the
terminals of lines 3, 3, 3, 3, leading from dynamo electric machines or other electric
generators KK2 K3 K. Switch levers 1, 12, 13, 14, are pivoted at m upon the
boards H, H, H, H; and are formed with handles m¹ m² im³ m by means of which
said levers may be manipulated so as to alternately connect contact points i, k, with
contact points. The levers 11, 12, 13, 1, are double-ended, the ends being insulated
from each other; and near the lower ends of the levers are contact points o, and p,
.the former of which form the terminals of auxiliary circuits 4,4; 4, 4, leading

page_text: through magnets G and terminating at contact points c, c; 'while the latter form
terminals of lines 5, 5, 5, 5, leading to the conductors 6, 6, 6, 6, of generators K',.
K, K, K, from the main line 1.
In Fig. 1 of the drawing the accumulators A³ A' and the generators K³ Kappertain
ing thereto are shown as in electric connection with the main conductor, that is, in
position for charging, while the generators K' K2 and their accumulators A A² are
lisconnected from the said main conductor.
Taking for example the generator K and the accumulator A' which as before said
are in electrical connection with the main line 1-2. The handle m on the switch
board H being raised the lever is swung around on its pivot, thereby discon-
necting points h, and i, and connecting point h, with contact point' k. The lower"
end of the lever simultaneously forms contact between points o and p, and the
generator K is thereby placed immediately placed in the main line circuit by way of
conductors 3, and 6, and contact points h, k. At the same instant a circuit is
established through magnet G by way of lines 4 and 5, contact points o and p,
through a line 9 leading to the conductor a of the accumulator A¹, thence through the
accumulator to the main conductor 1 by the line b.
The energizing of the magnet G causes its armature to be drawn down, bringing
down with it the lever D and by the movement of the latter breaking contact between
points and e and establishing contact between d and e which places the accumulator
in direct circuit with main.conductor 1..
This condition of affairs is preserved until the accumulator A¹ is fully charged
whereupon by moving the lever m' back to its original position the generator EL is,
tlirown out of circuit with main conductor 1 the circuit through magnet G is broken,
the weiglit F causes the switch lever to raise thus breaking contact between d―e and
thus entting out the accumulator from electrical connection with the main line or
conductor 1.
1
I
1
As the construction of the connections and operating parts of each accumulator
and its appropriate generator, the cut out switch board etc. is the same as that of all
the others it will be unnecessary to describe the operation of more than one of the"
saine, it being merely observed that all or any number of the accumulators in the
system may be charged at once.
It is to be noticed that while I have shown and described an arrangement wherein
a 'Separate generator is appropriated to each accumulator or set of accumulators, an
obvious modification would be to employ a single generator having a pair of brushes
for each set of accumulators in the series.
.
In Fig. 2, of the drawings I have illustrated my invention in its application to the '
lighting of cities or towns and in said figure I have shown and will now describe an
arrangement of the devices hereinbefore described, whereby my invention is madé
particularly applicable to the lighting of blocks of buildings by means of accumulators
arranged in the immediate vicinity of the buildings to be supplied and generators
arranged at a distance. In said figure the blocks or squares of buildings are
lettered B¹³, B1, B1, B¹º, B1, B1, B1, B2, B2, and the streets S, T, W, X.
The accumulators and electro-magnetic devices by means of which the same are
thrown into and out of circuit are the same in construction and operate in the same
manner as those shown in Fig. 1, and need not therefore be particularly described.
1, designates the main line conductor, 2, the return conductor of the same, and"
K1, K2, K3, etc., the dynamo electric or other electric generators.
Each block or group or system of lamps corresponding to the particular battery
from which they are supplied has a set of branch wires to which again each house
circuit can be readily connected. These branch wires will as a rule extend the
whole distance of each block, the size and weight depending of course upon the
number of lamps to be supplied..
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The branch or supplementary conductors being thus conveniently arranged parallel
to the main conductors 1, and 2, and approaching one another at their terminals, are
so placed that two or any number of them may be readily electrically connected by
means of a plug or similar device.
...

page_text: The accumulators A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, are connected each at one pole to the main
conductor and at the other to the branch or supplemental mains and the latter
have branches 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, which terminates at the point c, of the cut out
switch boards a as shown.
the same.
The lamp circuits are led from the mains 1, or 2, and the branch or supplemental
mains 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and the number of sets of lamps or the number of
lamps in each set will vary according to the capacity of the accumulators supplying
L, L, designates the lamps, 1, 7, the circuits leading thereto from the
main condutors 1, 2, and the supplementary conductors 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
Under the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, if any one or any number of the accumu-
lators A8, A2, etc. should become disorganized or incapacitated for work, the lamps on the
circuit or circuits of such accumulator or accumulators may be supplied by one or a
number of the other accumulators of the system, provided of course that the
intermediate magnectic switch is fixed in normal position, and in the following
manner. Let it be supposed the accumulator A³, has become incapacitated thereby
causing the extinguishment of lights on both sides of the block or street within the
block. Now in order to supply the lamps which normally receive the current from
accumulator A³, it is only necessary to connect the branch or supplementary con-
ductors 11, 12, whereupon the current from B, accumulator A2, will find a path by
way of main conductor 1, and supplementary conductors 11, 12, (now electrically
connected) and the wires 1, 1, leading to the lamps in blocks B1, B18, the
relative magnetically controlled switch being in its normal position. If the
magnetically controlled switch were not in normal position when the conductors 11.
& 12, were connected the battery in said section would be "short circuited." In
order to insure against the risk of so short circuiting the battery a suitable switch a¹
can be arranged at points a, and b, so that when connection was made at b, the
circuit at a, was broken.
By connecting the supplementary conductors 10 and 11, it will be observed
that current from accumulators A¹, A², will be supplied to the lamp circuit of
accumulators A³.
In short the whole system of batteries or any part of the system can at any time;
if desired, be put in parallel or multiple arc, thus affording a most important and
valuable feature of the invention.
In Fig. 3, of the drawings I have shown and will now describe a novel device
whereby each accumulator or individual set of accumulators and its appropriate
generator is automatically cut out of circuit with the main line when it is fully
charged.
In this device the general construction and arrangement of parts is the same
as that shown in Fig. 1 that is to say the switch boards C and H, the accumulator
and the dynamo machine all occupy the same relative positions and operate in the
same manner and in both figures the same letters of reference are employed to designate
like parts.
In said Fig. 3, an electro-magnet m³, is placed in the shunt circuit 4, and
the armature m*, of said magnet is carried to the switch lever . A retractable
spring serves to return the said lever to its normal position when magnet m³,
is deenergized. A pivoted and weighted lever arm 13, is arranged in the
vicinity of the accumulator and said lever, arm and a stop with which
it contacts, are arranged in the shunt circuit with the magnet m³, and the
magnet G.
Below the lever arm L³, is placed an electro-magnet m* the armature of said magnet
is carried by the said lever arm L³. The magnet mt, is placed in a circuit ², that
connects with the positive and negative plates of the accumulator and in said circuit i²,
is arranged a strip or section I of a high resistance material, which normally offers
such resistance to the passage of a current through circuit, that the magnet m is
inactive, but which, when moistened by the deposit of spray that results from ebullition
of gas which takes place when an accumulator is fully charged, will conduct sufficient
current to energize said magnet.

page_text: . The operation of the devices shown in Fig. 3 is as follows:
. When the battery is in need of charging the switch lever, is turned until contact.
is made between o, o and k, k, as before explained, this movement of the switch lever
brings the dynamo into circuit with the main line and by the energizing of magnet G,
simultaneously brings the battery into the main circuit through the movement of
lever D. The circuit through magnet m³, shunt line 4, magnet G, and lever L³, being
complete the magnet m³, retains the lever 1, in the position to which it has been
turned. The parts remain in the same position until the battery becomes charged.
As soon as this is accomplished an ebullition of the liquid contents of the accumulator
begins and a spray or mist is thrown up from the surface of the liquid, the
resistance piece I, soon becomes moistened to sufficient degree to conduct current.
Magnet 4 is thereupon energized and attracts lever arm L³ thereby breaking circuit 4.
When circuit 4, is broken magnets G and M³, are de-energized and the lever arms,
return to their first position, thereby cutting out of the main line both the
accumulators A, and the generator K¹.
D,
In this system I prefer that the dynamos be separately excited. If ordinary shunt
wound dynamos are used it is advisable to have auxiliary sets of accumulators in the
generating station, a set for each dynamo and the number of cells in each set so
arranged that the normal electro-motive force of the set be nearly equal to the normal
working electro-motive force of the dynamo.
The reason for this will be obvious. Supposing, for instance, that a system of six
dynamos and six batteries are arranged at a distance as in above specification.
Now, let it be supposed than at any particular time five dynamos are running
and charging the corresponding five batteries. If then, the operator should suddenly
turn on the sixth dynamo the moment this is done the tendency would be at once for
the dynamo suddenly thrown into circuit to be reversed in polarity.
This however could be obviated by keeping all the dynamos running at full speed,
whether with or without the load on and by thus keeping the full potential at the
the terminals. I prefer, however, to have them separately excited
In the modification shown in Fig. 4 the construction operation and arrangement of
parts is identically the same as in the devices illustrated in Fig. 1 with the exception
that instead of using a separate dynamo for each separate group of accumulators I
use one dynamo for two or more groups. In the drawing I have shown a
single dynamo having its field magnets wrapped with two separate coils and
supplying two separate groups of accumulators or secondary batteries a suitable
manual and an electro-magnetic switch being provided for each group of accumulators
and its appropriate coil on the dynamo, and this arrangement will suffice to illustrate
the principle.
Many modifications of this arrangement can however be made without departing
from the spirit of this part of my invention. Thus supposing I had six
groups of accumulators arranged in series I may use one dynamo for every
two, being three dynamos in all or one for every three such groups being
two in all, or I may use one dynamo for the six groups, or any other desired
arrangement.
The size and winding of the coil wire upon field magnets must be in accordance
with relative increase and decrease of magnetic field that is to say the proportionate
increase of lines in field when an extra coil circuit is completed must be such as to
make suitable increase in the electro-motive force of dynamo, relative to the extra
battery brought into the circuit: assuming of course that speed of armature is
maintained at a constant velocity.
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 a system of electrical distribution the combination with a main line con-
ductor one or more electric generators normally out of circuit with said conductor and
an equivalent number of groups of accumulators, secondary batteries, or equivalent

page_text: ... 1-
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electric storage devices, of a manuallyioperated switch appropriated to each generator,
constructed and arranged so as to throw said generator into or out of the inainfline.
circuit, an electro-magnetically operated switch having its operating magnetini
shunt of the mains line circuit constructed and arrangedo as throw its appropriated
accumulation into or out of the main liner circuit and of a conductor-leading to
the accumulator, whereby the operation of the manual switch will simultaneously
throw its generator and accumulator into the main line circuit substantially as
described:
T J
2nd. In a system of electrical distribution the combination with a plural number of
electric generators and a plural number of electric distributing devices as storage
batteries or tlio like and a main line conductor of a manually operated switch, and an
electrically operated switch, appropriated to each generator and connected by a
conductori andy so arranged that the movement of the manual switch will establish
circuit through said electrically operated switch and thereby throw its generator'
and accumulator into the main line circuit simultaneously," substantially as
described:
'
1
3rd. In a system of electrical distribution the combination with a 'main line
conductor, a plural number of accumulators or secondary batteries, of means,
comprising manually operated and electrically operated switches; having contact
points connected with the main line conductors and with conductors leading to said
accumulators and connected by shunt lines whereby a generator and its appropriate
accumulators may be simultaneously thrown into and out of the main line circuit by
the movement of a single lever, substantially as described.
1.
...
4th. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with the main line
conductor, an electric generator, an accumulator, manually operated switch, and an
electro-magnetically operated switch, and a shunt line connecting the two switches,
off an automatic circuit breaker, arranged in said shunt line and constructed and
arranged to break the shunt circuit, and thereby cause the switches therein to
simultaneously cut out the generator and the accumulator from the main line;
substantially as describeil.
5th. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination of a plural number of
electric generators, a plural number of accumulators, or secondary batteries. with a
series of branch or supplementary main conductor each permanently connected to one
póle of an accumulator and a switch by means of which said branch conductors may
be electrically connected with the main conductor and the said supplementary
conductors having their terminals so arranged as to be readily connected substantially
as described.
6th. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a main line
conductor, an electric generator, and an accumulator, of a supplementary main
conductor, lamp circuits or. wires connected to said main conductor, and an
electric switch, by means of which the supplementary conductor and the
accumulator may be thrown in circuit with the main conductor, substantially as
described.
1 .
7ih. In a system of electrical distribution the combination of a main lino
conductor, a number of electric generators, a number of accumulators, a number of
branch or supplementary conductors, an electrically operated switch, arranged one in
the vicinity of each supplementary line, manually operated switches connected to
said electrically operated switches, by a shunt lino and an automatic circuit breaker
arranged on said shunt, said circuit breaker having its operating magnet in.an
independent circuit controlled by the condition of the accumulator, substantially as
described.
8th. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a main line
conductor an electric generator having its field magnets wound with separate coils,
a number of groups of secondary batteries or accumulators equal to the number
of coils on said field magnets, a manually operated switch appropriated to each
coil. and adapted to throw saidi coilinto or out of the main circuit, an electro
magnetic switch appropriated to each group of batteries and shaving its operating
י

page_text: magnet arranged in a shunt line from the main line through the battery, whereby
the operation of each manual switch will simultaneously throw one of the coils of
the generator and one group of batteries into the main line circuit, substantially
as described.
9th. In a system of electrical distribution, the combination with a single electrical
generator having its field magnets wrapped with a plural number of separate coils,
a plural number of electric distributing devices, as storage batteries or the like,
and a main line conductor, of a manually operated switch and an electrically
operated switch appropriated to each separate coil of the generator, connected by a
conductor and so arranged that the movement of the manual switch will establish
circuit through said electrically operated switch, and thereby throw its group of
accumulators and appropriate coil simultaneously into the main line, circuit, substantially
as described.
STANLEY CHARLES CUTHBERT CURRIE.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for Applicant.