US1010668A - Vacuum-tube lamp. - Google Patents

Description

D.MOP. MOORH' VACUUM TUBE LAMP. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, 1905.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

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. UNITED s'rATEs PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL llloFAB-LAN MOORE, or NEWARK. NEW JERSEY, AssIoivon ro MOORE ELEc- TRICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF REEF YORK.

VACUUM-TUBE LAMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, withpost-oflice address 52 Lawrence street, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Tube Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices ordinarily termed vacuum tubes, comprising a sealed inclosure for a gas or vapor through which electric energy is passed for the. purpose of rendering the contents of the tube luminous or for other purposes.

The invention relates more particularly to such tubes when operated by alternating currents, and the object is to provide for the operation of the same at lower voltages than are permissible when my invention is not employed.

The invention consists in providing means for heating a portion of the electrode at each end of the tube by current independent of the discharge current passed through the same from end to end thereby rendering each electrode more efiicient as a cathode by reducing the diflerence of potential between the same and the gas at those instants of time when the said electrode is required to operate as a cathode.

My invention consists also in an improved compound electrode one portion of which acts as a cathode and the other as an anode, and also in the improved combinations of devices now particularly hereinafter described and then specified in'the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section through one end of a tube embodying an electrode in one of the forms that may be employed. Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically one wayof connecting the same to a circuit. Fig. '3 is a transverse section through the supporting stem for the electrode. a

1 is the gas or vapor containing tube through which electric energy is passed from end to end in the usual manner, one end only of said tube being shown. The electrodes at the ends are each constructed preferably with a central portion 2, which becomes highly heated by the discharge, and which acts mainly. as thecathode at every other alternation or when the current is of.

proper direction, and with a surrounding Specification of Letters Patent.

Application flied January 5, 1905. Serial No. 239,727.

Patented Dec. 5, 1911.

portion 3 which is less highly heated during operation and. which acts mainly as an anode. The portion 3 may be made of graphite or other conductor and the portion 2 comprises preferably a filament of carbon Whose terminals are joined respectively to any suitable source of heating current adapted to render the same incandescent. portion 3 may be in the form of a cup or cyllnder suitably joined to a leading in wire 4, and the portion 2 has its ends secured respectively to leading in wires 4 and 5 passmg through the glass stem 6 projecting through the base of the cup 3. Connection between leading in wire 4 and the electrode 3 is preferably made in the following manner: Stem 6 and the filament 2, may be the'same as in an ordinary incandescent lamp. Connected to theleading in wire 4 a-t'the inner end of the stem is a wire 12, which is carried back and preferably wrapped around the stem 6. Surrounding the stem is a conducting cylinder 13 of carbon or graphite or other material bisectedlongitudinally on the line 14. The two halves of the cylinder are boundback upon the stem by means of the binding wire 15. Forming a part of the cylinder is a collar or flange 16, upon which the perforated base 17 of the electrode 3 is supported. The cylinder. 13 is preferably made of graphite, and the Wire 12 and binder 15 are preferably presses the cylinder 13 against the wire 12,

and forms connection between said cylinder and wire. These parts are assembled upon ,the stem in a suitable manner and then the same is inserted. into the glass tube of the lamp and fused to the base thereof at the point indicated at 18. Afterward the electrode 3 is slipped into the tube and by resting in contact with the flange 16 is in electrical connection with the cylinder 13, wire 12, and leading in wire 4. The alternating current which passes through the tube from end to end may be obtained by conversion, from alternating current mains 8, 8 the secondary 9 of the converter having its terminals connected respectively to the electrodes at the opposite ends of the tube, and being adapted to supply comparatively high voltage. Heating current for the portion made of Norway iron which has been treated The 2 of the electrode at each end of the lamp and of suitable amperage but independent of that which passes from end to end is obtained from the mains 8, 8' through conversion by a .converter the secondary of which is indicated at 10, but might be obtained fromv any other source. As will be seen the portion 2 is also connected to the same pole of secondary 9 as portion 3 of the electrode. Portion 2 is, therefore, heated not only by the discharge current circulating in the tube but is also locally heated by the current from 10. Portion 3 is heated by the discharge current onlyt As will be seen the device is particularly suited for use on alternating current circuits, the part 2 being at.all times very highly heated, and ready to act as the cathode, its temperature being maintained by the local heating source over the intervals when the current is flowing in reverse direction and during which it ceases to operate as a cathode.

I do not limit myself to any particular form of the parts making up the electrode but prefer the form shown for the reason among others that the part 3 protects the tube 1 from the heat of the part 2.

My invention may obviously be employed with tubes containing in some form a substance capable on decomposition of releasing a gas suitable for being ionized and rendered luminous by the electric energy passing through the tube from end to end.

'What I claim as my invention is 1. In a vacuum tube lamp an electrode comprising a cylinder or cup of conducting material and a conductor located within the same combined with means independent of the discharge for heating the said conductor.

2. Ina vacuum tube, the combination of an electrode made in two parts or portions, both of which are connected to the same terminal and may operate both as the cathode combined with a source of alternating current and means for converting said current into currents of difierent voltage fed respectively to the two portions of the cathode as a whole and to one portion thereof at a lower voltage to heat the same locally.

3. In a vacuum tube, a glass stem provided with leading in wires for a filament in combination with a connecting wire Wrapped around said stem and joined to one end of said leading in wires within the tube, a bisected cylinder of' conducting material clamped upon said stem and an internal electrode supported by said cylinder.

4. In an internal electrode vacuum tube,

the combination of a glass stem supporting the base of the tube, and a cup shaped electrode having a central perforation substantially concentric with said stem, and electrically connected to one of the leading in wires.

5. In a vacuum tube, a compound internal electrode comprising an incandescent conductor joined to leading in wires by which itmay be'furnished with local heating current, and a cylindrical discharge receiving electrode having connections with one of the leading in wires within the tube.

6. In a vacuum tube, the combination with a working electrode therefor made in two parts or portions, one part consisting of an mcandescing conductor mounted upon the other part and a source of electric energy for heatin said incandescing conductor locally during its operation as a discharge receiving portion of the electrode.

7. The combination with the electrode for a vacuum tube, of an incandescing conductor mounted on the same and forming a part of the discharge receiving surface of said electrode and means for passing a local heating currentthrough the incandescing portion, as and for the purpose described.

8. A compound electrode for'a vacuum tube comprising a main discharge receiving portion and a supplemental portion consisting of a conducting filament mounted on the main portion combined with a transformer having a secondary connected to both portions'of the electrode and means. for furnishing alternating currents at a lower tension to the conducting filament, as and for the purpose described.

9. In a vacuum tube, the combination with a locally heated electrode of a transformer secondary for supplying heating current and an independent secondary having its terminals connected respectively to the electrodes by which current is passed through the contained gas or vapor.

10. A vacuum tube provided with a conductor at each end operating as an electrode, each conductor having its endsconnected to a source of alternating current independent of that supplying the other, a third source of alternating current connected to one of each of said conductors.

DANIEL MCFARLAN MOORE.

Witnesses:

C. T. TISOHNER, J r., EDWARD COLE.

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