GB183836A - Improvements in or relating to devices for the transmission of electric currents between relatively movable solid conductors by means of liquid conductors, particularly amalgams - Google Patents

Abstract

183,836. Erban, R., and MadlÚ, A. July 26, 1921, [Convention date,]. Drawings to Specification. Suppltying current to moving and rotating conductoTs.- Devices employing liquid conductors, for example. mercury or amalgams comprise a pump and traps and discharge passages of comparatnvely large cross-section for liquid thrown or flowing out from the contact space which is maintained filled by the action of the pump. The traps may consist of grooves bounding the contact space and scrapers may be provided to prevent the formation of a rotating liquid ring in the groove by deflecting the liquid into the discharge passages. The trap grooves may be completely amalgamated the surfaces opposed thereto being unamalgamated or faced with insulating material. Tangential. instead of radial discharge passages may be used and the trap grooves may be of graduated depth around the circumference of the contact ring. A single groove may be replaced by a number of parallel grooves giving the same total section. To prevent the pump drawing in air the discharge passages may lead to a reservoir from which the pump delivers to an elevated reservoir with an overflow pipe thus equalizing the head of fluid supplied to the contact space. A needle valve may be used to control the supply to the contact space and the latter may be kept reliably filled by enlarging the bore of the supply tube beneath the needle valve to permit sufficient liquid to accumulate to compensate for variation in .the relative speeds of the contact surfaces. One or both contact surfaces may be provided with ribs or grooves designed to distribute the liquid uniformly over the contact space.