Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating Electric Currents.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug.. 1889
TROTIDIONAL DIPLATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating Electric
Currents.
I, PETER WILLIAM WILLANS of Ferry Works, Thames Ditton, in the County
of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention; to, be.. as
follows:
The invention has for its object to provide apparatus for automatically controlling
the number. of battery cells in use for maintaining a current of constant, strength in
an electric circuit supplied from secondary or other batteries..
I couple the cells in series one with the other through a succession of contact-blocks
conveniently ranged at.a distance apart from one another and in one method I employ
a moving block or contact piece coupled to one end of the line circuit to be brought
into contact with any one or other of the fixed blocks whilst the opposite end of the
line is coupled with one end of the series of battery ceils so that by moving the
moving contact piece from one fixed block to the other any number of cells can be
brought into action..
To automatically move the contact piece from one contact block to another according
to the strength of current in the circuit I use a solenoid coil or electro magnetithrough
which a branch circuit is led from any two points in the line circuit at which it. is
desired to maintain a constant potential or if it is desired to keep the current constant
I may take the whole or a part of the main current through the coils:
The central moving core of this coil which if a solenoid; is. arranged as in, other
electrical governors to be drawn in or out of the coil as the current.. varies, in
strength I cause to impart motion through other mechanism to.. the, moving contact
piece.
It may move a valve to admit water or other fluid under pressure to one.. or. other
end of a cylinder to move a piston therein which is connected to the contact., piece, to
be moved.
Or it may cause either one or other of a pair of bevil wheels. which gear, with
opposite sides of a third bevil wheel to drive this third wheel and from this. third
wheel give motion to the contact piece or other suitable mechanism might be used
by which a given traverse of the solenoid core in one direction or the, other. may
be caused to traverse the contact piece in either direction from one contact.. block to
another.
To ensure that when the core is shifted from its normal. position, sufficiently to
bring into action the mechanism for shifting the moving, contact piece that it shall
remain in that position until the contact piece, has passed from one contact, block
to the next and not allow of its remaining in an intermediate: position. I attach to
the moving contact piece a second contact piece insulated from it which. as the first,
moving contact is leaving one block and is passing on to the next adjoining.. block
remains in contact with the block that the first is leaving.
To the two moving contact pieces I couple the ends of a conductor from, the
coil of an electro magnet or pair of magnets-and on an extension. from, the
solenoid.core I affix a soft iron block situated between the two magnet poles.. These
magnet poles which I will call the holding magnet I set. at such a. distance apart
that when the solenoid core is in its normal. position the block is centrally, between the
poles and at a distance from both of them..
When the core is moved in either direction the block is moved towards., either: one
magnet pole. or the other.
So soon as in switching out a cell the insulated. moving contact.. piece, passes: off
the block a current will pass.through. the holding magnet.coils. and.cause the magnet

page_text: to hold the solenoid core in the position into which it had been moved and it will
continue to so hold it until the non-insulated contact piece has passed to the next
block and until the insalated contact piece has passed to a blank space between the
blocks no current will then pass to the magnet coils and the solenoid core will be
released and resume its normal position.
This would take place when the arm is moving in the direction to cut out, a cell.
When moving in the opposite direction the insulated contact piece would first come
into contact with an adjoining block and current would then pass to the magnet coils
and the magnet would retain the solenoid core until the uninsulated contact piece had
passed entirely off the block that it was leaving and until it came in contact with
the next block. No current would then pass to the magnet coils and the solenoid
core would be released.
In place of the double moving contact piece a single one might be used and
stationary double contact blocks with resistance between, this resistance or a part of
it forming the winding of the holding magnet as in the other case.
Dated thin 10th are of Ontaban 1000
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Automatically Regulating Electric
Currents.
1, PETER WILLIAM WILLANS of Ferry Works, Thames Ditton in the County of
Surrey 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:
The Invention has for its object to provide apparatus for automatically controlling
the number of battery cells in use for maintaining a current of constant strength in
an electric circuit supplied from secondary or other batteries.
I couple the cells in series one with the other through a succession of contact blocks
conveniently arranged at a distance apart from one another and in one method I
employ a moving block or contact piece coupled to one end of the line circuit to be
brought into contact with any one or other of the fixed blocks whilst the opposite end
of the line is coupled with one end of the series of battery cells so that by moving the
moving contact piece from one fixed block to the other any number of cells can be
brought into action.
To automatically move the contact piece from one contact block to another according
to the strength of current in the circuit I use a solenoid coil or electro magnet through
which a branch circuit is led from any two points on the line circuit at which it is
desired to maintain a constant potential or if it is desired to keep the current constant
may take the whole or a part of the main current through the coils.
I
The central moving core of this coil which if a solenoid is arranged as in other
electrical governors to be drawn in or out of the coil as the current varies in strength
I cause to impart motion through other mechanism to the moving contact piece.
It may move a valve to admit water or other fluid under pressure to one or other
end of a cylinder to move a piston therein which is connected to the contact piece to
be moved.
Or it may cause either one or other of a pair of bevil wheels which gear with
opposite sides of a third bevil wheel to drive this third wheel and from this third
wheel give motion to the contact piece or other suitable mechanism might be used
by which a given traverse of the solenoid core in one direction or the other
may be caused to traverse the contact piece in either direction from one contact
block to another.
To ensure that when the core is shifted from its normal position sufficiently to
bring into action the mechanism for shifting the moving contact piece that it shall
remain in that position until the contact piece has passed from one contact block

page_text: to the next and not allow of its remaining in an intermediate position I attach to
the moving contact piece a second contact piece insulated from it which as the first
moving contact is leaving one block and is passing on to the next adjoining block
remains in contact with the block that the first is leaving.
To the two moving contact pieces I couple the ends of a conductor from the coil of
an electro magnet or pair of magnets-and on an extension from the solenoid core I
affix a soft iron block situated between the two magnet poles. These magnet poles
which I call the holding magnet I set at such a distance apart that when the solenoid
core is its normal position the block is centrally between the poles and at a distance
from both of them.
When the core is moved in either direction the block is moved towards either one
magnet pole or the other.
So soon as in switching out a cell the non-insulated moving contact piece passes off
the block the insulated block will have come on to it and the current will consequently
pass through the holding magnet coils and cause the magnet to hold the solenoid core
in the position into which it had been moved and it will continue to so hold it whilst
the non-insulated contact piece is passing to the next block and until the insulated
contact piece has again passed to a blank space between the blocks-no current will
then pass to the magnet coils and the solenoid core will be released and resume its
normal position.
This would take place when the arm is moving in the direction to cut out a cell.
When moving in the opposite direction the insulated contact piece would first
come into contact with an adjoining block and current would then pass to the
magnet coils and the magnet would retain the solenoid core until the uninsulated
contact piece has passed off the block it previously was in contact with and
until it reaches the next block upon which the insulated contact piece already is
and until the insulated contact piece has passed beyond that block. No current
would then pass to the magnet coils and the solenoid core would be released.
In place of the double moving contact piece a single one might be used and
stationary double contact blocks with resistance between, this resistance or a part of
it forming the winding of the holding magnet as in the other case.
In the drawing annexed I have shewn a diagram view of apparatus arranged
according to my invention.
In this diagram A A represent battery cells-B B are contact blocks ranged in
the arc of a circle and as shewn the cells are coupled in series through these blocks-
C is a metallic arm turning on an axis at C¹ concentric with the are of contact
blocks. By turning the arm on the axis C¹ its end may be brought into contact with
any one or other of the contact blocks B. The arm also carries an insulated contact
piece D which also can by turning the arm be brought into contact with any one or.
other of the contact blocks. The arm is coupled to one end of the line circuit and
the circuit can be completed by bringing the end of the arm into contact with any
one or other of the contact blocks-E is a hydraulic cylinder the piston of which is
coupled by a link F to the arm C-G is a piston valve with two rings upon it closing
two ports which lead to the two ends of the cylinder. Water under pressure is
supplied to the centre of the valve chamber between the two rings of the valve
whilst the ends of the valve chamber are open to exhaust-H is an iron core attached.
to the valve rod and surrounded by a coil of insulated conductor I-the two ends of
this coil are coupled to any two points on the line circuit between which it is desired
to maintain a constant potential. J is a spring tending to withdraw the core from the
coil-O is a block fast on the valve rod-K K are plates moving freely on the valve
rod and one above and the other below the block O-L L are two springs one
bearing upwards against the lower plate K and the other downwards against the upper
plate. These springs tend to hold the valve rod in a central position in which the
valve rings cover both of the ports leading to the two ends of the cylinder and ensure
its not being moved unless it is required to do so by the action of the current in the
solenoid. Almost immediately that the valve G starts moving, one of the plates K
comes in contact with a stop P and the spring which bears against that plate is thrown

page_text: out of action whilst the other spring is still allowed to act against. the movement, of
the valve. Roughly the strength of each spring would represent the. electro motive.
force of one cell-M is an iron block also attached to, the valve, rod. and situated
between two poles of an electro. magnet-N. The two ends of the coil of this electro
magnetiare.coupled:one to the arm. C and the other to the insulated contact.. piece D
which the, arm carries.
Normally and whilst a current of the required potential is maintained in the circuit
the non-insulated contact piece C would be in contact. with one or other of the contact
blocks B and the insulated contact piece D would be opposite a space between the
blocks as shewn in the drawing.
If say for example some of the lamps on the circuit were: put out of action
the potential would rise and more current pass to the solenoid and thereby
cause the valve to be moved downwards. Water under pressure would thereby be
admitted to the bottom of the cylinder E and the piston would be forced upwards and
it would carry up with it the arm C.
As it did so the insulated contact piece D would first be brought.into contact with
the contact block that the uninsulated contact arm C was also resting upon-and current
would commence to pass through it and through the coil of the electro magnet N-
this would cause the valve G to be held in its downward position and would also
maintain the circuit complete as the arm C continued to move upwards, and as-its
uninsulated end passed off from the contact block with which it was previously in
contact and passed on to the next block and when by the upward movement of the
arm C the insulated contact piece D was brought opposite the space between the
blocks no current would pass. to the magnet coil and the valve rod would be
liberated and set. free to be drawn upwards by the action of the spring J-and when
the valve had resumed its normal central position all movement of the arm would
cease.
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 :-
1. The combination of apparatus substantially as described for automatically
regulating electric currents.
2: The means substantially, as described for: causing the contact arm to move from
one contact block.to another with a step by step movement as, the current required
increases or decreases.
3. The arrangement of insulated contact piece moving with the non-insulated
contact piece and serving to convey the current through the coils of an electro
magnet and to thereby retain in action the mechanism used for moving the contact
pieces until the movement from one contact block to another has been completed.
4. The combination of the valve moved to and fro by the action of a solenoid, the
cylinder to one or other end of which fluid under pressure is admitted when the valve
is moved from its central position the contact arm operated thereby-the contact
blocks with battery cells coupled to them in series-the insulated contact piece
carried by the contact arm the electro magnet coil coupled at one end to the contact
arm and at the other to the insulated contact piece which it carries and the iron
armature fixed to the valve rod and acted on by the electro magnet substantially as
described.