US1005867A - Vacuum-tube lighting. - Google Patents

Description

D. McF. MOORE.

VAGUUM TUBE LIGHTING.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 8 1906.

1,605,867, Patented Oct. 17, 1911.

INVENTOR Dcu-uel an ifIoU/ ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL McFARLAN MOORE, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO MOORE ELEC- TRICAL OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

- VACUUM-TUBE LIGHTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 8, 1906. Serial No. 315,727.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, DANmL MOFARLA Moons, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, with post-.oflice address 52 Lawrence street, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Tube Lighting, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of elecform or character in which light is produced trio lamps in which the source of light is a luminous 'gas or vapor excited to luminos-- ity by electric energy applied to said gas or vapor through the medium of suitable electrodes located respectively at opposite ends or sides of a translucent tube or receptacle of any desired form.

The object of my present invention is to permit a light of any desired spectrum to be produced from the electrically agitated gas or vapor.

Briefly stated, my invention consists in the combination with a vacuum tube, of two or more gas valves each controlling the admission of gas to the tube and of different nature from that controlled by the other from a body of gas of greater density than the gas within the tube and means automatically responsive to changes in the gas density within the tube for operating said valves at the same time.

In carrying out my invention, I prefer to employ for this purpose an electromagnet or magnets which are properly connected to the circuits of the tube or the supply wires or conductors so as to be affected by changes in the electrical resistance of the body of gas within the tube due to a change of the density of the gas.

The invention consists further in the method of correcting or modifying the spectrum of a gas or vapor electric lamp consisting in feeding into the lamp a gas having a different spectrum and in suflicient amount for correcting the color spectrum natural to that of the contained gas.

My invention consists further in the special methods and combinations of devices hereinafter more particularly described and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in general side elevation and partly in perspective an apparatus adapted for carrying out my invention. Fig. 2 shows in detail in vertical partial section a portion of the device for controlling the feed of gas to the tube.

The apparatus shown embodies in its conistruction some of the details of apparatus shown and described in other applications for patent filed by me and to which reference 1 will be specifically made hereinafter.

1 indicates a vacuum tube of any desired by the passage of electric energy through an attenuated gas or vapor, the energy being supplied in any desired way, as for instance, i by means of internal electrodes 2 as well understoodin the art or by any other desired means. The energy is shown as obtained from the secondary of a transformer 3, but might be obtained from any desired source.

4 is a gas feed tube which may branch as shown into branches 5 so as to feed the gas or gases into both ends of the tube as it is described in my prior application filed Feb. 7th, 1906, S. N. 299,884. The gas might be fed, however, at any desired point or pointssome suitable means for regulating the flow of the gas.

. By preference I use some form' of valve and the preferred form of valve is a liquid seal valve such as described in my prior application #275,003, filed Aug. 21st, 1905. This form of valve is illustrated in detail in Fig. 2 and comprises a valve chamber 7 containing a porous body 8 comprising preferably gas carbon which forms a plug in the mouth of the tube leading to tube 6 and which is immersed in a body of mercury or other liquid whose height can be-varied by a plunger 9 connected .to the movable core of an electromagnet l0. By variations of I Patented Oct. 17,1911.

the height of mercury, the extent of porous plug exposed above the level of the liquid may be varied and hence the feed of the gas from the valve chamber 7 into the tube 6 may be controlled. The spaces in the valve spectrum of light in tube 1, I will assume the feeding into said tube, at the same time, of carbonic dioxid gas and nitrogen and I will also assume the use of gas generators or converters adapted respectively to produce said gases and connected permanently with the gas valves controlling respectlvely the flow in the feed tube 6.

The appliances for securing the desired gases may be as follows: That for producing the carbonic dioxid gas is substantially the same as is described in my prior application filed April 16th, 1906, S. N. 311,815, and is as follows: 12 is a jar or receiver of any suitable material containing a body of liquid such as hydrochloric acid. 13 is a chamber preferably of glass mounted in any suitable manner and having its lower end sealed by immersion "in the hydrochloric acid. Said chamber 13 is preferably formed, as shown, with a contraction to afford a support for the mass of broken calcium carbonate' which is thereby prevented from freely dropping into the contracted extens1on of chamber 13. Conveniently, the chamber is mounted in a rubber gasket or ring 15 seated in the mouth of the receiver 12. The pressure on the surface of the liquid within receiver 12 external to the chamber 13 is practically that of the atmosphere, there being naturally or designedly a slight leak from the external atmosphere at the point where the chamber 13 is seated in the mouth of the chamber or bottle 12. The upper end of the chamber 13 is closed by a stopper of rubber or other suitable substance 16 through a perforation in which passes a glass tube 17; the latter in turn connects in any suitable way and by an elbow 18 with an enlarged tube or section of tubing 19 which may contain calcium chlorid or other drier adapted to remove or take up moisture from the gas furnished by the gas generator. In elbow 18 is a mass of mercury adapted to operate as an automatic regulator of the inflow of gas from gas generation chamber to the valve regulating chamber. Said mass of mercury is of such amount that it will permit a minute quantity of the gas to pass only when the pressure in the valve chamber 7 falls through the feeding out of gas into the tube 1. The adjustment of pressures should be, by preference, such that in valve chamber 7 the pressure will not be very much greater than the desired pressure in the vacuum tube. The trap at 18 operates to prevent the communication of the full pressure existing in the gas generator to the valve chamber 7. It will be understood that the pressure in 7, however, ma be anything desired above that to bemamtained in the vacuum tube. However, a very high pressure in 7 would be undesirable, because there would then be a tendency to a sudden inrush of gas upon the opening of the valve which is a result to be avoided because it would tend to produce sudden and violent fluctuations in the gaseous tension Within the tube 1.

In the elbow at the top of tube 17 is showna mass or masses of fibrous material like cotton adapted to operate as a gas filter. In the adjustment of the apparatus, the level of the hydrochloric acid in the chamber 12 should be made such, that in introduction of the calcium carbonate into the chamber 13, the liquid will just touch the mass of calcium carbonate and generate the carbonic dioxid gas. As the generation goes on, the pressure rises in the generating chamber and finally depresses the leg of the hydrostatic column of hydrochloric acid which seals the bottom of chamber 13 and depresses the same so as to carry it out of contact with the calcium carbonate and stop the generation of the gas. Obviously, the pressure accumulating in the gas generating chamber will depend, largely upon the initial level of liquid in chamber 12. The passage of the accumulated gas to the valve chamber 7 is permitted to take place from time to time through the regulating trap or valve at 18 and as often as the gas feeds out of valve chamber 7 and lowers the pressure to such extent that the superior pressure in the generating chamber and connections may move the mercury column at 18 so as to permit a bubble or bubbles of the generated gas to slide by the trap or elbow and into the connections leading from said elbow to chamber 7. When through repeated actions of this kind the pressure in the gas generating chamber 13 diminishes, sufficiently more gas will be generated by reason of the fact that the superior pressure on the surface of the liquid exterior to said chamber Will raise the hydrochloric acid into contact with the calcium carbonate and generate more gas as already explained. The waste products or the disintegrated material produced by the action of the hydrochloric acid on the calcium carbonate drops down to the bottom of the chamber 12, allowing fresh solid material to feed down to position for contact With the liquid. For furnishing the nitrogen element of the mixed gas fed to the tube by mixture in the common connection 4 from the feed 6, I may use the devices described in my prior application filed April 2, 1906, S. N. 309,286.

21 is a glass receiver having a contraction at 21, adapted to form a support for a number of superimposed disks of phosphorus 33 arranged within the cylinder and separated by glass or other suitable material, the.

whole organized to allow the air or other gas to percolate and, by contact with the phosphorus, to give up its oxygen. Below the contraction 21 is a bulb 24 into which the air admitted at 25 passes after leaving the trap or elbow 18', while at its top the receiver 21 is provided with a suitable stopper through which the air, robbed of its oxygen, passes to the pipe 11. The bulb 24 serves as a trap to catch the product of the union of the oxygen and phosphorus.

At 27 is shown a chamber containing calcium chlorid or other drier which chamber forms also a part of the tubes or passages through which the air has to circulate before reaching the vacuum tube. By these means the nitrogen reaches the tube in a dry condition.

27 indicates a filter consisting, for in stance, of a mass of cotton fiber which takes up any dust or similar impurities from the The trap 18' prevents free ingress of air and acts like an automatic gas pressure regulator or governor to admit a bubble or minute quantity of air, on diminution of the gas pressure, in the gas spaces connecting the chamber 21 with the tube 11 and the valve operated by electromagnet 10 or other means in the same way that the trap 18, already described, operates. By this means no more air will be permitted to pass than will be required for the continued operation of the tube and free access of the air to the phosphorus and undue consumption of the same will betavoided.

By properadjustment of the action of the valves by adjusting the position of the magnets which sustain the plungers so as to admit the nitrogen and carbonic dioxid gas in the proper proportions, an approximate daylight spectrum may be produced by the luminous gas or mixture of gases in tube 1. As will be obvious, by thus feeding a mixture of gases, either before or after their mixture, a light of any desired spectrum may be secured.

Obytiously, my invention is applicable to the feeding of any other gases than those selected for the purpose of describingtheprinciplefof my invention in one of its desirable for s. Further than this the invention can be Y app ied to changing or correcting the spectrurns of all electric lights produced by the conduction of electricity through gases. For example, when one or both of the electrodes of a vacuum tube consist of mercury the apparatus may be employed for the purpose of automatically governing the introduction of nitrogen or other gas or gases adapted to correct the color spectrum or modify the quality of the light.

It is preferred in all cases to operate the valves automatically by devices responsive to changes in the vacuum of the tub? 1' e58 than that of the body of gas which is fed which is to be maintained at a densi into the same in minute regulated'amounts from the valve chambers or other spaces. This automatic feed is preferably obtained by the use of electromagnets 10, 10 which may be connected into the circuit of the tube direct, or otherwise connected so. that the strength of said magnets will depend upon the variations in the electrical resistance of the gas within the tube 1. The density of said gas being preferably such that a decrease will be to a lowering of the resistance, it will be obvious that, on diminution of the pressure within the tube 1, more current will flow in the magnets 10,10 and the two valves will be operated to feed both nitrogen and carbonic dioxid or any other two gases desired at the same time to said tube. Obviously also the mixture of the gases might take place at any desired point and the feed regulating devices' such as a gas valve operated to control the feed of the mixture. In the preferred form of my invention and as shown herein, however, the regulated feed is used for each gas and the mixture of them takes place after they pass the valves and in the tube 4.

I do not limit myself to placing the operating magnets in the secondary circuit of the transformer, since they might obviously be placed in the primary when the mains, to which the transformer is connected, are constant potential mains.

It will be observed that in my apparatus a mixture of the gases takes place before they are admitted to the tube. This is important since itwould be diiiicult to secure a uniform efiect throughout the tube by admitting the gases separately at difierent points and allowing them to mix after their entrance.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a vacuum tube of a plurality of gas valves each controlling the admission of gas to a tube from an independent body of gas differing in kind from that controlled by the other and means automatically responsive to changes in the gas density within the tube for operating said valves at the same time.

2. The combination with a vacuum tube lamp, of gas generators or converters, each adapted to produce a different gas, a feed tube joined to the vacuum tube and connected to both of said generators, feed valves interposed between the generators and feed tubes and actuating magnets for said valves responsive to changes in the resistance of the gas in the vacuum tube.

3. The method of controlling or correcting the spectrum of a gas or vapor electric lamp consisting in feeding into the lamp a gas of a nature suitable for correcting the color i spectrum of the gas or vapor within the lamp, as and-forthe purpose described 4...The combination of a vacuum tube lamp, a gas feed tube connected thereto and means controlled by changes-in gaseous den-' .sit within the lamp for feeding to said tube di erent gases from independent and for the purpose described. v. 5. The combination with a vacuum tube of a SOIII'CBS 8.8

plurality of gas feed valves controlling re-' spectively the flow of gases different in kind and independent operating magnets for said valves both responsive to changes in the vacuum within the tube; v v

'6. The combination of a vacuum tube, a plurality of gas feedvalves and actuating magnets therefor, said magnets being in series with one another and responsive to i changes in the resistance of the gas within the tube.

7. The combination with a vacuum tube' lamp, of a gas feed tube connected thereto the action 0? said feed devices.

and means for supplying carbon dioxid gas and nitrogen in regulated-amounts to' said 7' feed tube simultaneously. 2 8. The combination of a vacuum tube lamp, a gas feed tube, and two gas valves controlling the admission respectively to said tube of carbonvdioxid' gas and nitrogen.

9. The i combination of a vacuum tube lamp, a gas feed tube connected thereto, independent sources of carbon di-oxid gas and nitrogen feed devices controlling respectively' the supply of carbon dioxid gas and nitrogen to the feed tube, and means responsive to chan es in the vacuum for governing May ,York and State of New York this 1st day of

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