IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS
Year: 1883

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR LIGHTING APPARATUS communicated
to him from abroad by Thomas Joseph McTighe Patent Agent and Joseph
Tanner McConnell Electrician both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United
States of America
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at
☐
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS OR
LIGHTING APPARATUS [A communication to him from abroad by Thomas
Joseph McTighe Patent Agent, and Joseph Tanner McConnell Electrician both
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America]
This Invention relates to electric are lamps and consists partly in providing a
normal open path of low resistance around the electrodes and placing therein two
points of closure, 'one of which shall be made by the abnormal movement of the
armature. of either the usual regulating helix or the derivation helix of high.
resistance; and the other of which shall be made by the lower electrode and
broken by the pressure of the upper electrode thereon; in consequence of which
the by-path established will be mechanically ruptured by the contact of the
electrodes, so that practically there is, at any moment, only a single path open to
the main current.
The said Invention also partly consists in the arrangement and combination of
devices as hereinafter fully described.
According to the present Invention the top and bottom plates of the lamp áre
rigidly connected together by suitable standards or posts. To the upper plate are
screwed the main helices of low resistance in the electrode circuit, and the high
resistance. helices in a derived circuit between the positive and negative terminals
of the lamp.

page_text: A bracket attached to the plate serves as a pivotal support for a horizontal lever
whose ends are respectively connected to the core and yoke of the low resistance
helices by means of a post and to the suction core and yoke of the high resistance
helices in a similar manner. A vibrating lever has one end pivotted to a fixed
support and rests upon a curved surface on the horizontal lever, the other end of t
the said lever being connected to a standard which projects upwardly from a
box surrounding the toothed carbon rod,
In the said box is journalled a small pinion engaging wfth the rack teeth on the
rod, and on the shaft of this pinion outside of the box is an escapement wheel.
On the said standard is pivotted the escapement anchor having pendulum bobs.
A gravitating detent is pivotted on an extension of the box and normally engages
the escapement wheel.
By this means the energizing of the low resistance helices draws up the cores
and yoke and elevates the end of the horizontal lever, thus lifting the vibrating
lever and with it the box and its pinion, which, being locked by the detent after
the first movement, lifts with it the toothed rods and establishes the arc.
The regulation is accomplished by the action of the high resistance helices, which,
when the arc tends to become too long, predominate in attraction, and through the
cores and yoke pull up the corresponding end of the horizontal lever thus lowering
the toothed rod. The continued attraction of the said helices in this manner
eventually brings the toe of the detent against a stop and momentarily withdraws
the detent from the escapement wheel and tends to turn it; its speed being
then regulated by a momentum escapement. Thus the proper length of arc is
maintained.
The horizontal lever has a central opening for the passage of the toothed carbon
rod and the standard of the box and has attached to it, near one end, a
retracting spring which is secured at its lower end to an adjusting screw in the
bottom plate. The vibrating lever is connected at its inner end in a pivotal
manner at the top of the lever standard and rests upon the upper side of the
horizontal lever where the said lever is made convex.
The horizontal lever thus forms a rocking support for the vibrating lever and a
changeable fulcrum for the same so that as the said horizontal lever ascends, the
point of contact with the vibrating lever will approach the pivotal point of the
latter and recede from the pivotal point of the former, thus compensating, by
the change in the leverage, for the increase in power of the low resistance
helices.
The opposite end of the lever being connected to the yoke of the high resistance
helices the loss of power of the latter is compensated for by the gain in
leverage. The movement of the carbon rod is thus rendered uniform and steady.
The low resistance helices are preferably wound on metallic spools one or both
of whose heads are connected directly to the positive binding post or terminal;
the spools being insulated from the top plate. The post is insulated from the yoke
but fitted so that the latter has a slight vertical play in order that the initial
movement of the cores and the yoke shall not affect the said post. A metallic
plate or washer is attached to the insulated portion of the post so as to be under
the yoke. When the yoke is unattracted it rests in contact with the said plate
or washer.
The metallic plate or washer has a vertical pin depending from it, against which
bears a contact brush fixed on an insulated post set in the bottom plate of the
lamp, so that, in all positions of the said post, there will be contact between the
pin and brush. From the latter an insulated wire passes down along or through
one of the side rods of the lamp.
The lower cross bar at the bottom of the lamp forms as usual the support of
the lower carbon, but the carbon-holder, instead of being fixed, is arranged so as
to have a slight vertical play. The metallic socket receives and guides the stem of
the metallic carbon-holder and is insulated from the cross bar, being connected

page_text: by screws to an insulated washer whence an insulated conductor passes directly
up to the negative binding post or terminal of the lamp.
The said wire terminates at an insulated screw which presses upon a spring
extending under a stem of the lamp.
An insulating pin in the lower end of the said stem bears always upon the
spring, and the tension of the latter is such as to steadily hold up the stem
carbon-holder and carbon except when the upper carbon is resting on the negative
carbon.
Instead of the aforesaid brush and pin a flexible conductor may be used;
likewise a flexible conductor may be used from the positive binding post to the .
voke
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 20th May. 1884.
"
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC LAMPS ов
LIGHTING APPARATUS A communication to me from abroad. by Thomas
Joseph M Tighe, Patent Agent, and Joseph Tanner McConnell, Electrician, both
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
This invention relates to Electric Arc Lamps and consists partly in providing
a normal open path of low resistance around the electrodes and placing.
therein two points of closure, one of which shall be made by the abnormal
movement of the armature of either the usual regulating helix, or the derivation.
helix of high resistance; and the other of which shall be made by the lower
electrode and broken by the pressure of the upper electrode thereon; in consequence.
of which the by-path established will be mechanically ruptured by the contact of
the electrodes so that practically there is at any moment only a single path open
to the main current.
The said invention also partly consists, in the arrangement and combination of
devices as hereinafter fully described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the upper portion of an arc lamp constructed
according to this invention. and
Figure 2 is a similar view of the lower portion drawn to a reduced scale.
Figure 3 is a view of the cutting out device applied to the armature of the main
electro magnet showing the position assumed to effect the cutting out of the
electrodes.
A indicates the top plate and B the bottom plate which are rigidly connected
together by suitable standards or posts not shown in the drawing. To the plate. A
are screwed on the respective sides of the centre the main helices C of low
resistance in the electrode circuit, and the high resistance helices D in a derived
circuit between the positive and negative terminals of the lamp..
A bracket is attached to the plate A serves as a pivotal support for a horizontal
lever F whose ends are respectively connected to the suction cores q and yoke b of

page_text: the helices C by means of the post c (Figure 3) and to the suction d and yoke e
of the helices D in a similar manner.
A vibrating lever f. has one end pivoted to a fixed support and rests upon a
curved surface on lever F the other end of the lever F being connected to the
standard g which projects upwardly from the box h surrounding the toothed
carbon-rod G.
In the box h is journalled a small pinion h¹ engaging with the rack teeth on the
rod G, and on the shaft of this pinion outside of the box h is an escapement
wheel. On standard g is pivoted the escapement pallet k having the pendulum
bobs . A gravitating detent mis pivoted on an extension n of box h and normally
engages with the wheel i as shown. By this means the energizing of the helices C
draws up the cores a and yoke b, and elevates one end of the lever F, thus lifting
the lever and with it the box h and its pinion which, being locked by the
detent m after the first movement, lifts with it the rods G and establishes the arc.
The regulation is accomplished by the action of the helices D, which, when the
arc tends to become too long, predominate in attraction, and through the cores d
and yoke e pull up the opposite end of lever F thus lowering the rod G. The
continued attraction of the said helices D in this manner eventually brings the
toe o of the detent m against a stop p and momentairily withdraws the detent from
the wheel and tends to turn it; its speed being then regulated by the momentum
escapement kl. Thus the proper length of arc is maintained.
The lever F has a central opening for the passage of the rod G, and the
standard of the box h, and has attached to it near one end a retracting spring p
which is secured at its lower end to an adjusting screw p¹ll in bottom plate B.
The vibrating lever fis connected at its inner end in a pivotal manner at the
top of the standard g and rests upon the upper side of the lever F where the said
lever is made convex as shown so as to form a rocking support for lever f and a
changeable fulcrum for said lever, so that as the lever Fascends, the point of
contact of the levers f and F will approach the pivotal point of the lever f and
recede from the pivotal point of the lever F thus compensating, by the change in
the leverage for the increase in power of the magnet C.
The opposite end of the lever being connected to the yoke of the shunt
magnet D, the loss of power of the shunt magnet is compensated for by the gain in
leverage in a similar manner and the movement of the carbon rod is rendered
uniform and steady.
2°
The helices C are preferably wound on metallic spools and connected directly to
the positive binding post or terminal as shown; the spools being insulated from
the top plate A. The post c is insulated from the yoke b but fitted so that the
latter has a slight vertical play in order that the initial movement of the cores a
and the yoke b shall not affect the post c. A metallic plate or washer ? is attached
When the
to the insulated portion of the post c so as to be under the yoke b.
yoke.b is unattracted (as in Figure 3) it rests in contact with the plate r as shown.
The plate has a vertical pin s depending from it, against which bears the
contact brush t fixed on an insulated post u set in the plate B of the lamp, so that,
in all positions of the post c, there will be contact between the pin s and brush t.
From the latter, an insulated wire v passes down along or through one of the side
rods of the lamp. :
The lower cross bar H at the hottom of the lamp forms as usual the support of
the lower carbon I but the carbon holder K instead of being fixed as in all non-
focussing lamps is arranged so as to have a slight vertical play. The metallic
socket M receives and guides the stem of the metallic carbon holder K and is
insulated from the cross bar H as shown, being connected by screws to the
insulated washer z whence an insulated conductor v passes directly up to the
negative binding post or terminal of the lamp.
The wire v terminates at the insulated screw N which holds a spring P extending
under the stem y An insulating pin a¹ in the lower end of stem y bears always
upon the spring P and the tension of the latter is such as to steadily hold up the

page_text: stem y, the carbon holder Ķ and carbon I, except when the upper carbon T is
resting on the carbon I. There is then the additional weight of the carbon T and
its rod G, bearing on the spring P, whereby it yields. When the spring P is
supporting only the negative carbon I the holder. K and stem y, it makes contact
at c with the washer z and such position of contact is the position always main-
tained while the electrodes are separated. The instant however that the electrodes
come together the contact at c¹ is forcibly opened by the additional weight of the
carbon T and the rod G. When the lamp inactive, having no current the short
circuit through c¹ is open and the normal circuit is then from the positive terminal
through helices C, thence by the brush t and the rod G to carbon T and thence to
the carbon I the holder K the socket M the washer %, and the wire v' to the negative
binding post. The helices C are then energized, and the first attraction breaks the'
connection between the plate r and the yoke b and its further attraction lifts the
rod G and carbon T and establishes the arc. This action lifts the extra weight off
the carbon I and the spring P moves upwardly and makes the contact at c¹. but no
circuit exists because there is a break at another point namely at r b. The circuit-
through the carbons remains as the only one of low resistance for the current to
take.
.
Now if from any cause whatever this circuit should fail or the are become too
long, either the failure or weakening of attraction of the cores a and yoke b or the
predominent attraction of the cores d and yoke e causes the lowering of the cores a
and yoke b whereby the contact at rb is made. This establishes a short circuit
then from positive binding post to g to a to b tor to s to t to u thence by wire v
to spring P through c¹ to wire v¹ thence to negative terminal affording a short
circuit around the main helices C and the.electrodes. As the helices C are cut out
through the failure at the arc, the contact at rb will remain and reliably maintain
the short circuit as long as the carbons are held from contact. Should the defect
become self remedied and the carbon T feed down into contact with carbon I thus
bringing the lamp into normal condition again: the instant weight of carbon T
and rod G bears on carbon I the contact at c¹ is broken and the current is trans-
ferred into helices C which instantly attract the cores a and yoke b then instantly
breaking the contact at r b. In practical operation, these two breaks at c¹ and r b
occur at the same time, and experience has demonstrated that no injurious spark is
produced at either, point. The instantaneous attraction of cores a and yoke b effects
the establishment of the arc since the current has no choice of circuits; for the
whole current (leaving helices B out of consideration) must pass through helices C.
In this establishing of the arc both at first lighting or any relighting the movement
of the parts must be sufficient to allow for the slight rise of. the negative carbon
due to the elasticity of the spring P; but this play as well as that of the parts rb
need be but very slight owing to the absence of any tendency to form a spark at
the rupture of contact at c¹ or r b. The relighting of the lamp is therefore removed
out of the uncertain realm of divided electric circuit and relative resistances and
is effected with absolute precision.
•
•
The short circuit established by rb must unfailingly be broken at the very
instant it should be, and at that instant only, namely, when by the descent of the
positive carbon the lamp is restored to an operative condition. In the absence.of
Such restoration the short circuit remains. There is but one circuit open at a time,
when one opens, the other closes and vice versa. Instead of the brush t and pin s
a flexible conductor may be used; Likewise a flexible conductor may be used from
the positive binding post to the yoke b.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents and the manner of performing the same I wish it understood
that I claim
First In an electric arc lamp having a feeding magnet in the electrode circuit,
a short circuit around the electrodes having two breaking points in series, one
adapted to be closed by the weakening of the feeding magnet or the abnormal
strengthening of a high resistance 'derivation magnet, and the other adapted to

page_text: be opened by the pressure of one electrode upon the other, and closed by their
separation, substantially as described
Second In an electric arc lamp, a short circuit around the electrodes provided
with two breaking points in series, adapted to be opened at substantially the same
instant, as set forth, whereby the formation of an arc is prevented upon opening
said circuit.
Third In an electric arc lamp, the combination with the lower electrode of a
vertically movable holder adapted to yield slightly when the lower electrode bears
upon the other, substantially as described.
Fourth In an electric arc lamp, the combination of a movable lower or negative
carbon holder, a short circuit around the electrodes, and a switch in said circuit
adapted to open by the pressure of the upper carbon and to automatically close
upon the relief of such pressure, substantially as described.
Fifth In an electric arc lamp, the combination with the lower or negative
electrode of a holder therefor adapted to a limited range of motion, and a spring
adapted to normally support said electrode and holder and at the same time close a
switch, but to yield to any additional weight and at the same time open said
switch, substantially as described.
Sixth In an electric arc lamp having a helix in the electrode circuit, an armature
for said helix and a movable device on said armature said armature and movable
device constituting a switch in a short circuit around the electrodes and said helix;
one of said parts being adapted to open the switch by the electro magnetic
attraction exerted upon the passage of current in said helix, substantially as
described.
Seventh In an electric arc lamp having a helix in the electrode circuit and
armature, a movable device on said armature, said armature and movable device
constituting a switch in a short circuit around the electrodes and said helix, and
adapted to close upon the abnormal weakening or failure of current in said helix, a
movable lower electrode and a switch in said short circuit adapted to remain
normally closed while an arc exists and to open upon the mutual impact of the
electrodes, substantially as described.
Eighth In an electric arc lamp, a main actuating magnet C in the electrode
circuit, a lever F adapted to communicate the energy of the helix to the electrode,
an armature a b for said helix, and an insulated post c connecting said armature
with the lever, said armature having a slight play, in combination with a short
circuit, around the said helix and electrodes, passing from the armature to the said
insulated post, substantially as described, whereby when current is absent from the
helix the short circuit is closed between the armature and post, and when the helix
is energized the short circuit is ruptured by the attraction first exerted on the
armature.
Ninth In an electric arc lamp, the combination of magnet C, lever F, armature a b.
insulated post c having plate and suitable connections, said magnet C being in
direct circuit with the electrodes, and said armature a band plater constituting a
movable switch in a short circuit around the said magnet and electrodes, substantially
as described.
Tenth In an electric arc lamp, the combination of a helix its armature, the
carbon feeding rod and the lever oscillated by said armature and communicating its
motion to the feeding rod through a changable fulcrum and adapted to mechanically
equalize the variable attraction of said helix and exert a substantially uniform
influence on the carbon rod, substantially as described.
Eleventh In an electric arc lamp, the combination with a carbon rod connected
with and adapted to operate an escapement wheel, of a lever having a detent on its
longer arın adapted to engage with the escapement, and a stop which impinges on
the shorter arm of said lever, substantially as described.
Twelfth In an electric arc lamp, an oscillating lever deriving movement from a
helix in the arc circuit, a carbon feeding mechanism, and a supplemental or
compounding lever interposed between said oscillating lever and carbon feeding

page_text: mechanism and adapted to differentitate the attractive power of the helix,
substantially as described.
Thirteenth In an electric arc lamp, the combination of the lever f pivoted to
the fixed standard at one end and at the other end engaging with the carbon rod
feeding mechanism, bracket E, and the oscillating lever F pivoted therein embracing
the carbon rod and engaging at its respective ends with the armatures of the main
helices C and the derivation helices D, substantially as described.
Fourteenth. In an electric arc lamp, the combination with the toothed carbon
rod G of the box h carrying the feeding and releasing devices, said box having the
upward extension g and being connected with the electro magnetic operative
devices at its upper end, substantially as described.
Fifteenth In an electric arc lamp, the combination of box / carrying the pinion h¹
and escapement ik, with detent m pivoted to an arm on said box, adapted to
engage with said escapement and impinging on a stop at the other end, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of May in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty four