Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
A communication by MALONE WHELESS, of Corcoran Building, Washington, D.C.,
United States of America, Electrical Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham in the County of
Warwick and 322, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil 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:
These improvements are directed to an arc lamp designed for use in either an
incandescent or an arc electric circuit, or in other words whether connected up in
circuit, in multiple, or in series. They have reference principally, to the feed and
regulating devices of the lamp; to means by which the lamp will be surely short
circuited in event of the upper carbon dropping below the feed or gripping devices;
and to means by which the lamp can be used more conveniently on either an arc or
an incandescent circuit.
The improvements will first be described by reference to the accompanying
drawing, and will then be more particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a lamp embodying the improvements.
Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same at right angles to the plane of
elevation in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3 Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 Figure 3, illustrative of the regulator magnet
and its appurtenances.
Figure 5 is a diagram of the circuit connections of the lamp.
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the counterweight mechanism.
Figure 7 is a diagram of a modified form of circuit connections for the lamp.
The arc or light-giving part of the lamp, is enclosed in a globe A of any suitable
kind. That shown in the drawing is of the same general type as that of the well-
known "Pintsch" lamp, now so generally in use on railway cars, the lower part of
the globe, made of glass or other translucent or transparent material, being hinged on
a horizontal axis to a metallic dome, in which is an outwardly opening relief valve a
to give vent to the heated and expanded air. The feed regulating works of the lamp
extend down through this dome.
These works consist in the main of the central tubular carbon holder B for the
upper movable and positive carbon X; the two solenoids C; the tubular stems c;
and the rods d vertically movable in said stems, attached at their upper ends to the
cores of the solenoids, and at their lower ends to opposite ends of the yoke or cross
bar e provided with a central hub or sleeve e¹ fitting and vertically movable on the
upper carbon holder B. The yoke, by links f is attached to the arms of gripping
cams g, pivoted in a sleeve g¹ fitting and vertically movable upon the carbon holder,
and adapted to work, through slots b in the carbon holder against the carbon X

page_text: therein. Stop rings h, one above and one below the sleeve g¹ and adjustable upon
the carbon holder B, limit the extent to which the sleeve can move up and down
thereon.
When the feed magnets or solenoids C are excited they will draw up their cores,
and through the rods d attached to said cores will raise the yoke e, thus operating the
gripping cams g, which first close upon and then lift the positive carbon X and
establish the are.
At the lower end of the positive carbon holder is a disk i of asbestos or other
refractory material to shield the works from the heat and from carbon deposit.
The works above the globe A are surrounded by a ventilated shell D attached
to the closed case E, on the floor of which are secured the feed and regulator
magnets.
The stems c are attached at their upper ends to the underside of the floor or case E,
and at their lower ends to the top of the dome of the globe A.
The current enters the lamp at the binding post F and leaves it at the binding
post F¹.
Attached to the floor of the case E is the usual manually operated cut-out switch G,
having one contact k, connected to hinding post F, and the other contact k¹ connected
to binding post F'. Whenever the two contacts are in electrical communication
through the movable member of the switch, the current passes through them and the
binding posts without going through the lamp.
The counterweight for facilitating the lifting action of the feed magnets consists of
a weight having the form of a flanged roller m³ which runs on and is held in a track-
like lever m. This track is fast to a cross piece n, pivoted at o in a suitable bracket
or hanger O, attached to and depending from the dome of globe A, as seen in
Figure 2. From the track-formed counterweight lever thus arranged, project
forward two pins p, beneath yoke e one on each side of the hub el. One only of these
pins is indicated in Figure 1.
Under this arrangement when the yoke e is drawn up the track lever m will be
caused to tilt so as to depress its outer end, and the roller weight m' will consequently
run towards that end of the lever, and by this increase of leverage will relieve the
solenoids C of much of the strain of lifting. On the other hand when the yoke e after
rising starts to descend from any cause, the track lever will be tilted in the opposite
direction and the roller weight will run inwardly, thus decreasing the resistance of the
counterweight to the descent of the yoke. In practice, and while the lamp is running
the roller weight rarely if ever traverses the full length of its track, but remains
somewhat centrally located thereon, moving slightly back and forth according to the
fluctuations of the lamp and the consequent movement of the feed regulating
mechanism. By this provision of a shifting counterweight, the mechanism is made
more sensitive and accurate in operation.
The regulator magnet, which is of high resistance, is shown at H, having armature
lever H pivoted at 1, and connected at or near one end to the core 2 of solenoid H.
At its other end is an insulated contact 3, which plays between the two stationary
contacts 4, 5. The armature lever is provided with a weight s so proportioned, that
when the current passing through the regulator magnet is of normal voltage the
armature lever will be held about midway between, and out of contact with either of
contacts 4, 5. In lieu of the weight, a spring may be used for this purpose.
Y is the lower carbon; and Yis its holder.
The contacts 3, 4, 5,-as seen in Figure 5-are in a shunt 9 around the arc, the
feed solenoids and the regulator magnet, the two fixed contacts 4, 5, being in parallel
in said shunt circuit.
The arc or lamp circuit is shown at 7. The regulator magnet H is energized from
the are circuit not directly, but by a high resistance shunt circuit 8, in which it is
included.
A resistance R, is included in the shunt circuit 9 around the arc, and the feed and
regulator magnets.

page_text: Under this arrangement whenever the potential of the current in the are circuit
materially exceeds or falls below the normal, the shunt circuit 9 will be closed between
one or the other set of contacts as the case may be.
If for example the voltage or potential of the current be abnormally and undaly
increased this undue increase will send sufficient current over the high resistance
shunt 8 in which the regulator magnet or solenoid H is included, to increase the
power of the magnet sufficiently to cause it to pull the armature lever Hi from its
central position into one in which it will contact with 5, thus completing the shunt 9
around the arc. On the other hand decrease of the potential of the current will
decrease correspondingly the power the solenoid H, and permit its core to drop, thus
tilting the armature lever H' in a direction to cause it to complete the shunt circuit 9
through the upper contact 4. In either event the closure of the shunt circuit 9 short
circuits the feed solenoids C, and permits the carbon X to drop. But as the latter
drops and approaches the lower carbon, the resistance of the arc is diminished, more
current flows through the feed solenoids, the feed mechanism is again active and at
the same time the regulator magnet takes on its normal condition. Indeed so quick
is the action of the parts, that the short circuiting due to the regulator magnet is
momentary only, and the movable carbon X is caught and held before it descends to
the full extent, so that there is no suppression of the are, but the only visible effect at
this time is a slight fluctuation in the latter.
The resistance R should be so adjusted that it will permit only the passage over
the shunt 9 of only just enough current to weaken the feed magnets Ċ sufficiently
to allow the feed mechanism to descend. If the whole current were permitted
to pass over the shunt 9, the contacts therein would be speedily injured and
burned out.
In order to adapt the lamp to be conveniently used either in an arc or in an
incandescent circuit, things are arranged so that the lamp' itself shall contain all
the accessories needed to permit it to be used in either connection. To this end
it is provided with a resistance R' (in addition to the coil R already described)
which can be connected up or not in the lamp circuit, as desired. The resistance Ri
is typified in the diagram, Figure 5, as consisting of three coils. It and the
resistance R are contained in a receptacle R2 on top of the lamp; and means are
provided by which the resistance R can be cut into or out of the lamp circuit.
These means are typified in Figure 5, as a shunt r, around the resistance R', and a
switch by which the shunt may be opened or closed as desired. In practice
however connections will be provided by which the binding post F can be connected
or not to the resistance R as desired. This resistance is proportioned to the standard
current employed on an incandescent circuit and is used only when the lamp is placed
in multiple in such a circuit. When the lamp is used as a series lamp, the resistance R
is cut out. By this convenient arrangement, the lamp itself contains all the accessories
which enable it to be put to either use without further preparation.
When the upper carbon is nearly used up, there remains but a short stick. When
still further consumed, it will finally, in dropping, get below and out of control of the
gripping cams g. This stub will then rest permanently upon the lower carbon, thus
permanently closing the lamp circuit.
So long as the lamp circuit through the carbons is closed, a portion of the current
on that circuit will pass over the high resistance shunt 8 in which the regulator
magnet H is included. The regulator magnet consequently is energised, sufficiently
to hold the contact 3 in its middle or neutral position (as in Figures 4 and 5 out of
contact with either one of the contacts 4 and 5 and thus the shunt 9 will be held open.
To prevent any such occurrence, an inner lining t is provided in the upper carbon-
holder of insulating material, such as asbestos, which extends up far enough to
insulate from the holder any piece of carbon short enough to fall below and out of
reach of the gripping cams g. The shunt 8, in which the regulator magnet is
included is in this instance around the arc; and to prevent the current under these
conditions from passing over the shunt, a cut out 10, 11, is provided in said circuit
connected to and operated by the feed mechanism in such manner as to open the

page_text: In
regulator circuit whenever the upper carbon is not between the gripping cams.
any such event there is nothing to offer resistance to an abnormal descent of the cross
head e, and this abnormal movement is made use of to open the circuit 8 of the
regulator magnet. To this end the circuit 8 is closed through a fixed contact li,
(Figure 2) and a movable contact 10 which is pivoted at v to the counterweighted
lever supporting hanger O, and extends across and rests upon the cross head e. The
two contacts are always in electrical connection so long as the conditions in the lamp
are normal. But whenever the cross head descends abnormally low, the contact 10
will be free to drop and will do so, thus separating from contact 11 and breaking the
circuit 8.
In the circuit arrangement shown in Figure 7, the regulator magnet has two
windings, one a fine winding in a high resistance shunt &, as in the figures previously
described, and the other a coarse winding directly in the are circuit 7. Under this
arrangement the circuit is largely through the coarse winding and the regulator
magnet is given sufficient power and at the same time sensitiveness without endangering
the burning out of its coils.
The two windings have no connection. They are simply on the same spool or
core, and their disposition is such that the one reinforces the action of the other.
As for example, normally the current is largely through the coarse winding, while
but little goes through the shunt 8 in which the fine winding is included, but
abnormal increase of current will force more current over shunt 8 and through the
fine winding (which is next to the core) with the result of materially enhancing
the power of the magnet.
By the use of regulating mechanism such as above described, single wound magnets
can be used as feed solenoids instead of the differentially wound magnets which
at present are so extensively used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the feed magnet or magnets, and feed mechanism
controlled thereby, of a regulator magnet energised from the are circuit, and a
normally open shunt circuit around the arc and the feed and regulator magnets,
completed through either one of two sets of contacts controlled by the regulator
magnet, according as the potential of the are circuit materially exceeds or falls
below the normal, substantially as hereinbefore shown and described.
2. In an electric lamp, and in combination, the feed magnets and feed mechanism
controlled thereby, the regulator magnet energised from the lamp circuit; the shunt
around the arc and the feed and regulator magnets completed through either one
of two sets of contacts controlled by the regulator magnet; the resistance R', and
means whereby the same may be excluded from or included in the lamp circuit
at will so as to adapt the lamp for use in either an are or in an incandescent circuit,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before set forth.
3. In combination, the resistances R R' mounted in and carried by the lamp, the
feed magnets and feed mechanism controlled thereby, the regulator magnet energized
from the lamp circuit, the shunt around the arc and the feed and regulator magnets
containing the resistance R and completed through either one of two sets of contacts
controlled by the regulator magnet, and means for including the resistance R' in,
or cutting it out from, the lamp circuit as desired, substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore set forth.
4. The combination of the feed mechanism, the feed magnets, the regulator magnet
in a shunt to the lamp circuit, the shunt circuit around the arc and the feed and
regulator magnets, completed through either one of two sets of contacts controlled
by the regulator magnet, and a circuit breaker connected to and operated by the
feed mechanism to open the circuit of the regulator magnet, at the time and in
the manner, substantially as herein before set forth.
5. In combination with the feed mechanism, a counterweight track lever, a

page_text: counterweight freely movable thereon and connections whereby said track is tilted
in one direction or the other according to the direction of movement of the feed
mechanism, substantially as herein before set forth.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.