GB175760A - Improvements in and connected with electric lighting, heating and power installations - Google Patents

Abstract

175,760. Read, H. J., and Bransom, W. J. Nov. 23, 1920. Lighting and heating systems; starting prime-movers, dynamoelectric machines and control circuits for. - In a self-contained lighting, heating, and power plant, the lighting-circuit is supplied by the battery while the heating and power circuit is supplied by the generator, which is started and stopped upon the closure and opening of the power and heating circuit. When an internal-combustion engine is employed, a time-limit switch opens the motoring circuit if the engine fails to start, while a solenoid controls the ignition circuit of the engine or the fuel supply. The engine may start on petrol and run on paraffin. When a turbine is employed, a reversible motor controls the opening and closing of a throttle valve. The motor may also control a clutch between a driving-shaft and the generator.. A lighting circuit l, Fig. 1, is supplied from a battery b charged by a generator a. To charge the battery a switch lever o is caused to engage a contact x and the engine e is started. Current passes to the battery b over the following circuit-lead c, switch j, battery b, lead d, contacts x, o, mercury cup r<1>, resistance v, or a short-circuit over leads 1, 2, coil u, and lead d<1>. When the current in this circuit reaches a predetermined value, the lever p is operated to bridge the mercury cups r, r<1> and the coil u is shunted by a low-resistance coil t. When the battery is fully charged, the charging circuit is broken by moving the lever o to disengage the contact x and to engage the contacts y, z. When the power or heating circuit h is made by the closure of a switch 6 the following circuit is established-lead 5, circuit h, lead 7, coil 8 of switch 10, contacts o, y, z, lead 12, contact 13, lead 15, coil 16 of switch 18, coil 19 of regulating switch 22, leads 24 and d. An additional coil 26 may be provided on the plunger 9 of switch 10. The switch 18 operates to connect the machine a to the battery b through the winding 28 of a timelimit switch 29 and the regulating switch 22, and the machine a operates as a motor to start the engine after the switch 10 has rendered operative the ignition circuit of the engine. If, after a period determined by the switch 29, the engine e fails to start, the switch 16 is de-energized by the operation of the switch 14 and the motoring circuit is broken. When the machine a functions as a generator, the increase of current through the coil u causes the lever p to bridge the contacts r, r<1> when the circuit through the coil t practically short-circuits the coils 16, 19. Under the circumstances the switch 18 is opened and the time-limit switch 29 is rendered inoperative. The coil 8 may be employed to control the fuel supply or otherwise control the engine. In the modification shown in Fig. 2, a throttle valve T', controlled by a reversible motor M, controls the starting and stopping of a turbine T. When the circuit h is closed a switch 35, 37 is operated to close the motor circuit through a field winding 44 and switch 43, 47 to open the throttle valve T<1>. When the valve T<1> is fully opened the contact 47 engages contact 40 in order that the motor circuit may be made through the field winding 41 when the switch 35, 36 is closed due to the opening of the circuit h, and the valve T' is closed. An arrangement for starting on petrol and paraffin may be employed, as described in Specification 22348/13, in which case a motor such as M may be employed to control the petrol and paraffin supply.