Improvements in Switching Apparatus for Electric Circuits.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Switching Apparatus for Electric Circuits.
I, HENRY EDMUNDS of 39 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster Electrical
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to provide switching apparatus whereby electric
circuits can be completed and interrupted so that when one is completed a second is
interrupted and when this second circuit is completed the first is interrupted and there-
after at the requisite time the second circuit can be interrupted so that both circuits
are inoperative. The invention is especially intended for use with systems of electric
lighting where two circuits are used the one for arc lamps and the other for
incandescence lamps it being required to allow the are lamps to remain lighted for a
certain period and then to extinguish them and light the incandescence lamps and
after a certain period to extinguish them also and I will describe the invention as
applied to that purpose although the invention can be applied to electric circuits
used for other purposes.
Presuming that the invention is applied to cases wherein at each place to be
illuminated an arc lamp is used in conjunction with incandescence lamps they being
supplied by their respective circuits. The circuit carrying the current to the are
lamp is wound round an electro magnet or solenoid whose armature or core is
attracted when the current is on so that the said armature or core keeps apart
contacts which would otherwise come together and complete the circuit to supply
the incandescence lamps. When the current is turned off from the arc lamp the
said armature or core allows the contacts to complete the circuit to the incandescence
lamps. In order to allow of the incandescence lamps being extinguished there is
provided a permanent magnet with its poles arranged on either side of the armature
or core of the aforesaid electro-magnet or solenoid and mounted so that when the
current passes through the said electro magnet or solenoid in the direction for
normal lighting of the arc lamp one of the poles of the permanent magnet approaches
the armature or core and then a catch or the like operated by the movement of
the permanent magnet is out of the path of the movable member of the aforesaid
contacts for completing the circuit to the incandescence lamps and the said contacts
can therefore come together when the are lamp is extinguished so that the
incandescence lamps are lighted. When the incandescence lamps are to be
extinguished a current is momentarily sent through the said electro magnet or
solenoid in the reverse direction which causes the armature or core to separate the
contacts which completed the circuit for the current to the incandescence lamps and
at the same time the opposite pole of the permanent magnet is attracted to the
armature or core of the electro-magnet or solenoid and the movement of the said
permanent magnet causes the aforesaid catch or the like to take such a position
that it prevents the contacts for completing the circuit for the current to the
incandescence lamps from coming together. When the are lamp remains lighted
the permanent magnet is so situated relative to the armature or core that the catch
or the like is removed from the path of the movable member of the contacts for
completing the circuit to the incandescence lamps so that they can come together
when the arc lamp is extinguished as aforesaid. By this means a number of lamps
at various places can be simultaneously lighted and extinguished as required from a
central station thus dispensing with the necessity for men going to cach lamp to
manipulate the contacts as has hitherto been necessary.

page_text: There may be provided in the incandescence lamp circuit at each place a bye
pass and plug or other switch so that in the event of the contacts aforesaid becoming
inoperative from any cause the circuit can be completed and interrupted as required
at each lamp until the defect has been remedied.
.t
In place of the electro magnet or solenoid being energised by a winding of the
. main itself it may be energised by a shunt therefrom or by even a special current
for the purpose according to the particular circumstances of the case to which the
invention is to be applied.
Dated this 6th day of June 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
I, HENRY EDMUNDS, of 39 Victoria Street in the City of Westminster, Electrical
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 :-
This invention has for its object to provide switching apparatus whereby electric
circuits can be completed and interrupted so that when one is completed a second is
interrupted and when the second circuit is completed the first is interrupted and
thereafter at the requisite time the second circuit can be interrupted so that both
circuits are inoperative. The invention is especially intended for use with systems
of electric lighting where two circuits are used the one for are lamps and the other
for incandescence lamps it being required to allow the arc lamps to remain lighted
for a certain period and then to extinguish them and light the incandescence lamps
and after a certain period to extinguish them also and I will describe the invention
as applied to that purpose-although the invention can be applied to electric
circuits used for other purposes.
Presuming that the invention is applied to cases wherein at each place to be
illuminated an are lamp is used in conjunction with incandescence lamps they being
supplied by their respective circuits. The circuit carrying the current to the are
lamp is wound round an electro magnet, or solenoid whose armature or core is
attracted when the current is on so that the said armature or core keeps apart
contacts which would otherwise come together and complete the circuit to supply
the incandescence lamps. When the current is turned off from the arc lamp the
said armature or core allows the contacts to complete the circuit to the incandescence
lamps. In order to allow of the incandescence lamps being extinguished there is
provided a permanent magnet with its poles arranged on either side of the armature
or core of the aforesaid electro-magnet or solenoid and mounted so that when the
current passes through the said electro magnet or solenoid in the direction for
normal lighting of the arc lamp one of the poles of the permanent magnet approaches
the armature or core and then a catch or the like operated by the movement of the
permanent magnet is out of the path of the movable member of the aforesaid contacts
for completing the circuit to the incandescence lamps and the said contacts can
therefore come together when the arc lamp is extinguished, so that the incandescence
lamps are lighted. When the incandescence lamps are to be extinguished a current is
momentarily sent through the said electro magnet or solenoid in the reverse direction
which causes the armature or core to separate the contacts which completed
the circuit for the current to the incandescence lamps and at the same time the
opposite pole of the permanent magnet is attracted to the armature or core of the
electro magnet or solenoid and the movement of the said permanent magnet causes
the aforesaid catch or the like to take such a position that it prevents the contacts

page_text: for completing the circuit for the current to the incandescence lamps from coming-
together. When the arc lamp remains lighted the permanent magnet is so situated
relatively to the armature or core that the catch or the like is removed from the
path of the movable member of the contacts for completing the circuit to the
incandescence lamps so that they can come together when the arc lamp is
extinguished as aforesaid. By this means a number of lamps at various places can
be simultaneously lighted and extinguished as required from a central station thus.
dispensing with the necessity for men going to each lamp to manipulate the contacts
as has hitherto been necessary.
There may be provided in the incandescence lamp circuit at each place a bye
pass and plug or other switch so that in the event of the contacts aforesaid
becoming inoperative from any cause the circuit can be completed and interrupted.
as required at each lamp until the defect has been remedied."
In place of the electro magnet or solenoid being energised by a winding of the
main itself it may be energised by a shunt therefrom or by even a special current
for the purpose according to the particular circumstances of the case to which the
invention is to be applied.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of the switching
device constructed according to my invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the samne partly in section and
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the linea a Figure 1.
The several parts of the switching device are carried on a support A of slate or
other suitable material by which the apparatus can be fixed or attached to a
lamp post or other suitable support in proximity to the lamps to be governed
thereby.
B is a porcelain disc carrying posts with binding screws 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for the
connection of the electric conductors, also contact pieces 1* 2* 3* 4* and a rotatable
switch Chaving plates D, D' for making contact with the contact pieces 1*2*3* 4*
for cutting in and out of circuit as required the arc lamp. In the arrangement
shewn in the drawing the lead from the positive pole of the source of electricity at.
the supply station is attached to the post 1. the lead from the opposite pole being
attached to the post 2; one of the wires in connection with the arc lamp is attached
to the post 3 the other wire from the lamp being connected to the post 5. From
the post 5 starts another wire E constituting part of the lamp circuit which wire
after passing round an electro magnet or solenoid E2 is attached at its other end to
the post 4. E is the core of the solenoid E2 which core in its normal condition.
rests on a stud G.
The leads for the low tension current from the supply station are connected to
the apparatus by the binding screws 7 and 8 say for example the positive lead by
the binding screw 7 and the negative lead by the binding screw 8. One of the
wires from the incandescence lamps is connected to a pillar or bracket H carrying
contact pieces H2, and the other wire from the said incandescence lamps is attached
to the binding screw 9, the binding screws 7 and 9 being connected together by a.
fuze 10. The binding screw 8 is connected by a fuze 11 to another binding
screw 12 which in turn is connected by a plate 13 to a bracket I. Pivotted to the
bracket I is an arm or frame K for making and breaking contact with the contact
pieces H to complete and break the incandescence lamp circuit. Pivotted to the
bracket I at i is a permanent magnet L the poles 1, 12 of which are arranged on
diametrical opposite sides of the solenoid core E³. The parts of the apparatus are
shewn by full lines in the position they occupy when the arc lamp circuit is
completed the current passing through the coils of the solenoid drawing upwards
the core E³. On the core E³ is a flange e on which, the frame K bears so that
when the core is raised the said frame is also elevated and is maintained in its
elevated position by the said core out of contact with the contact pieces H³ in the
incandescence lamp circuit so long as the are lamp circuit is completed.
When the arc lamp circuit is complete the pole of the permanent magnet L is
attracted so as to retain a catch or hook M, carried by the said magnet; out of the

page_text: path of the pivotted arm or frame K so that when the arc lamp circuit is broken
the said frame can descend into the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 7 and
make contact with the contact pieces H2 and so complete the incandescence lamp
circuit. When the incandescence lamps are to be extinguished, the arc lamp circuit
is momentarily completed in the reverse direction the solenoid core E³, and arm or
frame K being thus raised, and the pole of the permanent magnet being attracted
by the solenoid coils into the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 3 thereby
bringing the catch or hook M in the path of the arm or frame K so that on again
breaking the arc lamp circuit the solenoid core will descend but the catch or hook M
will retain the arm or frame K in its elevated position and so prevent the
incandescence lamp circuit from being completed and consequently both the arc
and incandescence lamps will be extinguished. If it be desired to cut any one of
the lamps cut of the circuit this may be done by turning the switch C into the
position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inveu-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what i
claim is :-
1st. A switching apparatus whereby electric circuits can be completed and
interrupted so that when one is completed a second is interrupted and when the
first is interrupted the second is completed and so that the second circuit can there-
after be interrupted by momentarily completing the first circuit in the reverse
direction substantially as herein before described.
2nd. For use in systems of electric lighting wherein at each place to be
illuminated an arc lamp or lamps is or are used in conjunction with an incandescence
lamp or incandescence lamps, a switching apparatus whereby when the current is
turned off from the arc lamp or lamps, contacts are made to complete the circuit
to the incandescence lamp or lamps and then by momentarily reversing the direction
of the current in the arc lamp or lamps circuit the circuit to the incandescence
lamp or lamps is interrupted and remains inoperative so that both the incandescence
lamp or lamps and the arc lamp or lamps are extinguished, substantially as
herein before described.
3rd. In a switching apparatus for the purpose described, the combination of an
electro-magnet or solenoid in one circuit, a contact maker in a second circuit, the
said contact maker being operated by the armature or core of the electro-magnet
or solenoid so as to interrupt the second circuit when the first circuit is complete
and a pivotted permanent magnet, which, when the first circuit is complete is
attracted by the armature or solenoid core into position to admit of the contact
maker completing the second circuit when the first circuit is interrupted, and
which permanent magnet is, by passing a reverse current through the first
circuit, attracted by the armature or solenoid into position to prevent the second
circuit from being completed, substantially as herein before described.
4th. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the switching
apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose herein before described and illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 4th day of March 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.