Improvements in or Appertaining to the Regulating Apparatus for Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 17th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 4th Feb., 1887.
Improvements in or Appertaining to the Regulating Apparatus for
Electric Arc Lamps.
I, AMOS WILLIAM RICHARDSON of 279 Stretford Road Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object a cheap and efficiently self regulating arc lamp,
that will avoid the necessity for clockwork, and when the current from any causes
lowers the upper carbon too much, it will raise it to its normal arc again.
The invention consists in using the differential between the currents of electricity
passing through the main and shunt circuits to regulate the descent of the carbon,
any abnormal increase of the shunt current allowing the carbon to descend, and any
consequent increment in the main current arresting that descent.
For the purpose of my invention I use by preference a clutch mechanism, and
swinging armatures actuating that clutch mechanism. These armatures are hung in
a vertical plane between the main circuit coil or coils, and the shunt coil or coils.
When the resistance of the main circuit increases, the shunt current consequently
decreases the main current, the magnetic force of the core of the shunt coils is
increased, and that of the main current coils is diminished. This draws the armatures
nearer the shunt coils, taking off the friction clutch sufficiently to allow the carbon to
descend. The moment however, that by this descent, the resistance in the main
current reaches its normal amount, the increase in magnetism of the main current
coils, and the decrease in magnetism of the shunt coils cause the armature to move
toward the main current coils, thus putting on the friction clutch or stop, and raising
up the carbon somewhat.
It will be obvious that in place of a friction clutch, a ratchet or other graduated
motion could be used, causing a slight advance of feed mechanism with each movement
of the armature in one direction, and this would be necessary with those lamps that
have a horizontal or upward, but I prefer the downward feed.

page_text: Should from any cause the current be cut or reduced to such a degree as to not
support an arc, the clutch allows the carbon to fall into contact. The moment
however that the current increases sufficiently, the armatures after putting on the
clutch travel still further toward the main current coils, and thus by leverages raise
the clutch till the carbons are separated and an arc again established, the armatures
slowly returning as the carbons waste away, until the clutch is again momentarily
taken off, and the upper carbon allowed to fall slightly, as above described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to the Regulating Apparatus for
Electric Arc Lamps.
I, AMOS WILLIAM RICHARDSON of 279 Stretford Road, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide a cheap and efficient regulator for electric
arc lamps, which when the top carbon alone has to be moved may be employed
without the necessity of clockwork or gearing, though at the same time it may be
used to regulate or control such clockwork or gearing as may be necessary when it is
desired also to cause the bottom carbon to approach the other, so as always to
maintain the are between the carbon points approximately in the same position.
The invention relates to that class of lamp known as clutch lamps, the differential
force of two electro magnets, one on the main circuit and the other on a shunt
circuit being utilized to actuate the clutch lever, and consists essentially in con-
structing the lamp or regulator with a swinging or pivoted armature common to both
magnets linked to the clutch, so that the magnet strongest at the time will attract
the armature and control or move the clutch and so the carbons as may be required.
Referring to the drawings:
-
Figure 1 is a front elevation of an electric are lamp constructed in accordance with
my invention in which the top or positive carbon alone moves.
Figure 2. elevation of same.
Figure 3. sectional plan on line x x Figure 1.
Figure 4. sectional elevation of regulator and clutch.

page_text: In these A is the framework of the lamp of any ordinary construction. B the
negative carbon carried in a socket 6 in the base of the frame A. C is the positive
carbon carried in a socket c at the end of the carbon holder D. The holder D passes
up through a hole in the plate E. On the plate E two electro magnets F and G are
fixed, one, F is wound by coils of the main circuit wire passing round its core fand
the other G is wound by a much greater number of coils of a fine wire, offering
considerably more resistance to the electric current than does the main wire. The
wire of the magnet G forms a shunt circuit through which the current passes when
the resistance in the lamp is greater than the resistance through the shunt circuit.
When the whole current passes through the shunt circuit, the magnet G is formed
into a much more powerful magnet than is the magnet F, owing to the greater
number of coils with which it is wound. The armatures H and I of these two
magnets are carried by a pivoted or swinging lever J pivoted at j to a socket K
carried by the standards L. Through the centre of the socket K the carbon holder D
passes and is acted upon at one side by a clutch M which is pivoted to a lever m
linked to the cross head of the lever J. N is a cylinder filled with liquid in which
works a piston connected by the rod n to the other end of the cross head of the
lever J, forming a buffer to prevent too much oscillation of the parts. O is an
adjustable screw to regulate the distance that the lever J may be drawn over towards
the shunt magnet G. In Figure 4 the armatures and levers J are shown in position
when attracted by the magnet F in the main circuit, and the dotted lines show the
position when attracted by the magnet G in the shunt circuit. When the armatures
hang in a central position between the two magnets the clutch M is fitted so as to grip
the carbon holder D and prevent any movement. On the armature being attracted
towards the magnet F in the main circuit the clutch tightens on the carbon holder,
and slightly raises it, but when the armature is attracted in the opposite direction
towards the magnet G in the shunt circuit, the carbon holder is released and allowed
to descend by its own weight.
In operation the invention works very simply. In the first instance, the two carbon
points are placed in contact before the current is turned on. The current passing
through the coils of the magnet F attracts its armature H, thereby raising the carbon
holder D by means of the clutch and thus striking the arc. As the carbons consume,
the resistance in the lamp increases by reason of the greater length of the arc, until
the resistance is greater than that of the shunt circuit round the magnet G. The
current then passing through this circuit magnetises the magnet G, until it is more
powerful than F, attracting the armature over and releasing the clutch, which allows
the carbon to descend. The resistance in the lamp is thus reduced and less of the
current passes through the shunt circuit, so that the magnet F again attracts the
armature and holds it until it is again attracted by the magnet G. When the lamp
is extinguished the carbon holder is released by the clutch and the two points come
together, and are again ignited as before. The lamp can be constructed with rack
carbon holders and clockwork with brake wheel and fly or escapement, on the verge
or pallet principle. When the main magnet attracts the swinging armature, it lifts
the clockwork and rack, together with the upper carbon, which strikes the are; at the
same time the brake wheel is brought in contact with the brake. As the are increases,
the shunt magnet attracts the swinging armature which causes the clockwork with the
upper carbon to be lowered. When the clockwork approaches the bottom of its
range, it releases the brake wheel from brake, which is then free to rotate or
reciprocate as the case may be. This closes the arc to its normal size which causes
the main magnet to strengthen, and the shunt magnet to weaken. The main magnet
will thus attract its armature, and its movement will raise the clockwork and bring
the brake wheel in contact with the brake and thus check further descent of the.
carbon until the intensity of the magnets change again.
This invention will cause the lamp to be wholly self regulating or adjusting or if
not to a greater extent than is at present the case with any other electric arc lamp, so
much so as to regulate the light according to the speed of the dynamo or the force or
intensity of the current; that is to say, if the speed of the dynamo be decreased

page_text: which will cause the current and electro motive force to lower, the lamp will give a
light equivalent to the current supplied, and vice versâ, if the speed of the dynamo
be increased, the light will increase also. In the case of existing lamps under the
above circumstances the light would go out.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an electric are lamp or regulator, the use of two electro magnets, one placed
in the main circuit, and the other in a shunt circuit, with a swinging armature
operating a clutch or other mechanism, so that the magnet strongest at any given
time will attract the armature and cause the carbons to approach or recede as may be
required, substantially as described.
2. An electric arc lamp or regulator therefor, having two or more magnets
acting upon a swinging or pivoted armature linked to a friction clutch, which it
brings into action or releases as it is attracted by one magnet or the other,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
3. A self adjusting regulator for an electric arc lamp consisting of a swinging or
pivoted armature common to two magnets, and a clutch linked thereto with or without
a regulating screw and buffer to prevent oscillation, substantially as described and
shown.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents for the Applicant.