Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
I, HENRY LYON, of 38, Whitevale Street, in the County of the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
This invention has for its object to construct electric arc lamps with improved
automatic apparatus for adjusting the relative positions of the carbons in a manner
to maintain a practically steady light.
In a lamp made with the improvements the carbons are secured in holders con-
nected by a cord passing round a pulley and arranged to counterbalance each other
or nearly so, the arrangement being by preference such that the upper carbon has
a slight tendency to descend. The holder of the upper carbon passes through a
guide socket in a stationary plate, and a flat ring or washer encircling the holder
tube rests on the top of the guide socket when the parts are free, the holder tube
being then able to move downwards through the washer. The washer is the piece
by which the automatic adjusting action is communicated to the holder tube; and
it is acted on by a fork at the lower end of a vertically guided link which has its
upper end jointed to one end of a lever. The other end of the lever is jointed to
a solenoid core the lower end of which core is within a solenoid coil through which
the current actuating the lamp passes, the current being either one actuating the
one lamp only or oue actuating a number of lamps arranged in series. The upper
end of the core is within a solenoid coil of comparatively fine wire through which
passes a shunt current the ends of the wire being connected to the opposite
terminals of the lamp or one of them preferably to a part in immediate electric
connection with the upper carbon. An adjustable spring is arranged in connection
with the lever jointed to the solenoid core, and is adjusted so that the lever is
horizontal and also the washer on the holder tube when the lamp is working
properly.
If the carbons become too far apart the consequently increased resistance to the
current through the lamp causes the downward attraction of the lower solenoid on
the core to diminish, and the core rises by the action of the upper or shunt solenoid.
This rising of the core acting through the lever causes the carbons to approach
each other; and the opposite action takes place when the carbons become too near
each other. The adjustable spring prevents oscillation or "pumping."
Dated this Eighteenth day of September 1894.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Electric Arc Lamps.
I, HENRY LYON, of 38, Whitevale Street, in the County of the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, 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, that is to say :-
This invention has for its object to construct electric are lamps with improved
automatic apparatus for adjusting the relative positions of the carbons in a manner
to maintain a practically steady light.
In a lamp made with the improvements the carbons are secured in holders
connected by a cord passing round a pulley and arranged to counterbalance each
other or nearly so. The holder of the upper carbon passes through a guide socket
in a stationary plate and a flat ring or washer encircling the holder tube rests on
the top of the guide socket when the parts are free, the holder tube being then able
to move downwards through the washer. The washer is the piece by which the
automatic adjusting action is communicated to the holder tube, and is acted on by a
solenoid core, which, when the lamp is properly in action, holds the washer in a
slightly inclined position and thereby prevents the descent of the upper carbon.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings, to be
hereinafter referred to and showing an arc lamp as made with my improvements.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a horizontal section, and Figures, 2, and 3, are
sectional elevations, as at right angles to each other, of the improved lamp. In
these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same
or like parts wherever they are repeated.
In a lamp made with the improvements the carbons, A, and B. are secured in
holders, C, and D, having knobs, E, and G, screwed to their tops for connecting
them by a cord, H, which passes round a pulley, J. The pulley, J, turns in a
bracket, K, which is fixed to an upper stationary horizontal plate, L, connected by
vertical rods, M, to a lower horizontal stationary plate, N. The holders, C, and D,
are arranged to nearly counterbalance each other, the upper one, C, being weighted
by a disk, P, so as to have a slight tendency to descend. The holder, C, of the
upper carbon, A, passes through a tubular guide socket, Q, in the stationary
plate, N, and a flat ring or washer, R, rests on the top of the guide socket, when
the parts are free the holder tube being then able to move downwards through the
washer, but being prevented from doing so when the washer is slightly inclined.
The washer, R, is the piece by means of which the automatic adjustment of the
holder tube is effected; and it is acted on by a fork, R', at the lower end of a
vertically guided link, R². The upper end of the link, R2, is jointed to one end of
a lever, R³, the fulcrum of which is in a small vertical bracket, R. The other end
of the lever, R³, is tork-shaped and is jointed at each side to a solenoid core, R³,
the lower end of which core is within a solenoid coil, S, through which the current
actuating the lamp passes. The upper end of the core, R5, is within a solenoid
coil, T, of comparative fine wire through which passes a shunt current, the ends of
the wire being connected to the opposite terminals, V, and V₁, of the lamp or one
of them to a part in immediate electric connection with the upper carbon, A. An
adjustable spring, W, is connected to the lever, R³, at one end and adjustable by
means of a screw nut, W'.
If the carbons become too far apart the consequently increased resistance to the
current through them causes the downward attraction of the lower solenoid, S, on
the core, R, to diminish, and the core rises by the action of the upper or shunt
solenoid, T. This rising of the core, R', acting through the lever, R³, moves the
washer, R, into the horizontal position and allows the carbons, A, and, B, to

page_text: approach each other. The opposite action will take place should the carbons, A,
and B, become too near each other. The adjustable spring, W, prevents oscillation
or "pumping."
"
Two separate pairs of carbons can be very conveniently controlled one after the
other by means of the one core, Ro, with its two solenoid coils, T, S, the lever for
the second pair, and arranged like that, R³, of the first pair, being connected to the
core, R, at a different point, and so as to act only when the holder, C, of one of
the first pair of carbons has reached its lowest possible position because of the
exhaustion of the carbons.
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. The construction, arrangement, and combination of parts constituting the
improved electric arc lamp substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In an electric are lamp the combination with vertically guided carbon holders
connected by a cord passing round a pulley, of a ring encircling the holder of the
upper carbon such ring being connected by a link and lever to a solenoid core, the
lower end of which is within a solenoid coil through which the current actuating
the lamp passes, whilst the upper end of the core is within a solenoid coil through
which a shunt current passes, the parts of the lamp being arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June 1895.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.