US1156227A - Low-resistance vapor electric device. - Google Patents

Description

P. C. HEWITT. LOW RESISTANCE VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE.

APPLICATION -FILED AUG-14. I907.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

LI IIIE, it-III:

MW-tame. co

P. C. HEWJTT. LOW RESISTANCE VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE.

APPLlCATION FILED AUG.14| 1907. 1 156 2271 Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

- the surface of the negative electrode.

UNITED STATES PATENT o FIoE.

PETER COOPER HEWITT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

- IiOW-ZRIIEISISTAN(3E VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

Application filed August 14, 1907. Serial No. 388,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER COOPER HEWITT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-Resistance Vapor Electric Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means and methods of controlling various reactions at and between two electrodes separated by a gas or vapor.

In a gas or vapor apparatus haying a negative electrode or cathode, and a positive electrode or anode, or several of either, the

normal drop in potential between a positive terminal and a cathode may be, when the cathode or negative electrode resistance is electrodes and particularly in con-trolled and inclosed devices and have determined within limits the respective localities and estimated the relative values of their various resistances. The reactions referred to presenting resistance may be most conveniently considered for the'purpos es of this invention in the following subdivisions: 1, those at or around the positive electrode; 2, those in the positive column or gas or vaporpath between the positive electrode and the negative dark space; 3, the reactions at the point of transition between the positive column and the negative dark space; and 4, the reactions in the dark space and thosenat relations or proportions of these fourseats of sources of potential drop in volts may,

for the purposes of this description, be roughly considered as follows: at 1, as 5 to 7; at 2, as lto 2; at 3, as 3 to 5; at 4, as 4 to 6. These reactions are modified by gas density and the zone of the reactions is enlarged by increased rarefaction of the gas or vapor, particularly the zone of the reactions at 4. They are affected and varied by gas impurities and other features. As accurate measurements are difficult" to obtain separately, due allowance must be made, but the values mentioned serve to give a falr idea for the purposes of this descript1on. Cons1der1ng these, seats'of potential drop, I find that I can modify, if not entlrely el minate, some of the reactions thereby reduclng the normal drop in potential between electrodes 1n devices of this character to a limit considerably lower than has heretofore been used in commercial practice. In certain uses for which vapor devices are serviceable, .such, for example, as the well known converters or rectifiers, it is impor-- tant that the internal heating effect, that is to say,the heat generated by the device in normal operation, should be as small as possible. If, for example, the total drop of potentlal can be materially modified or reduced, the same device will be able to pass more current for the same amount of heat generated or it will pass an equal current with a considerably smaller development of heatan' important feature in a device where-its temperature governs the density. A given device having its normal capacity limited-by the ability to radiate -heat can be utilizedto pass a larger current when the potential drop between the terminals is small than it can when the potential drop over it is comparatively large.

I have'found' that by locating the positive electrode or anode in close proximity to the negative electrode or cathode, so that the reactions at one terminal come under the zone of influence of the other, the total potential drop in the vapor device under similar conditions may be reduced to from 7 to 8 volts and in some caseseven lower. My experience has led me to believethat there exists acritical region, limited probably by the dark space adjacent to the negative electrode, within which region the actions at or around the positive electrode, those of the positive column, and those at the joint between the positive column and the dark space, are wholly or partially suppressed, and it is the purpose of this application to render this discoveryserviceable in the arts, and it is thought that the disclosure made herein should be a suflicient guide for those wishing to utilize the principles involved in my invention. I have already stated that pears further that in order to secure the best results electrodes should be placed within this critical region in such relation to each other as to cause the reactions at one electrode, a negative, to affect those of the other,

a positive. Under these conditions, the posi- I tive and negative reactions may be said to occupy substantially the same space or be within the same zone of influence. Assuming that the electrodes are suitably located within the dark space, the distance of physical separation between said electrodes may be varied without seriously affecting the results, by varying the quality of perfection of the vacuum in the container within which the electrodes are inclosed. The more perfect the vacuum. the more widely the electrodes may be separated without altering the results. Or, looked at in another Way, the cl1rrent-carrying-capacity of the vapor device, assuming a fixed relation between the electrodes within the critical region, may be increased by a decrease of density therein. This current-carrying-capacity, in its turn, is increased by an increase of current for the same density, since the increase of current may of itself extend the-darkspace.

\Vhile I am not prepared to state the exact cause of the action described herein, as it is probably very complex, and while I am not able to state the exact degree in which the various resistances are modified 01' reduced, yet from my investigations it appears as if. under the conditions recited, reactions noted above as 1 and 2 are very materially lessened, if not substantially suppressed, while the reactions which take place at 3 appear to be modified toa very great extent.

This discovery is useful in connection with gas or vapor gaps, vapor converters, interrupters, electric valves, and other devices, and may be adopted advantageously in connection with the electrodes for a keep-alive circuit.

The apparatus in which my discovery may be embodied may take various forms and l have only thought it necessary to illustrate a few such forms in the following figures of drawing, which represent three several ways of embodying my discovery in useful types of apparatus, together with a detail in Figure 4 of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a bulb, 1, having. a negative electrode or cathode, 2, of mercury, or other self-reconstructing material, and having two positive electrodes or anodes, 3 and 4, of solid material, such as iron. The circuit wires, 5 and 6, connected with the leads, 7 and 8, of the respective positive electrodes 3 and 4, pass through reentrant portions, 9 and 10, of the glass bulb and the leads themselves beyond that point are surrounded by glass protecting sleeves, 11 and 12, to points to be approached as much as possible to the negative. The positive electrodes 3 and 4t are connected, respectively, to the terminals of a coil, 34, constituting the secondary of a primary, 33, connected with a source of alternating current. The transformer thus indicated is simply chosen for purposes of illustration and any suitable source of alternating current may be substituted to suit different conditions. An intermediate point of the secondary 34 is connected to the negative electrode 2 as shown. These connections are now well known as those of a vapor converter or rectifier and they are simply illustrated for the sake of clearness. With the positive electrodes placed as shown in Fig. 1 in close proximity to the negative electrode 2, the resultant converter or rectifier may be operated without excessive heating with comparatively large currents, the drop of potential between the positive and negative electrodes being reduced considerably below what is normal in the case of a wide separation of the said electrodes, or where the electrodes are not subject to mutual in-. fluence. I

In Fig. 2 it have shown a device which is adapted to be used as an electric valve and particularly adapted for high vibratory currents such, for example, as may be used in wireless transmission. Here the active positive electrode is shown at 14 in the form of a disk of iron or other solid conducting ma-' nected to a lead, 19. running to the negative electrode 9.. In the circuit of the source 18 I introduce a variable resistance, 20, and an inductance, 21, which may also be variable. as shown. While the apparatus is in opera tion, the circuit of the source 18 is kept closed and current always passes through the circuit. any suitable means for starting the flow of current being adopted. By reason of the close proximity of the positive electrode 15 to the negative electrode 2, the resistance of the described circuit inside the vapor device 1 is comparatively small. ()ne lead of a source of variable current is connected to the lead 40, while the other terminal, if one is used, is connected either at 16 or 19. In order to avail of the valveaction of the device it is only necessary to connect a direct current translating device in parallel circuit between these two leads having inductance, 2-1, in its circuit. shown the positive electrode 15 as being connected beyond its point of union with the circuit of the source 18 to ground at G. To the ground circuit I have connected a circuit 22 containing a direct current translating device, 23, and an inductance, 24. To the circuit 22 is connected by a. conductor 25 the main positive electrode 1-1. The conductor 22 may be continued in the form of an antenna, 26, subject to the influence of vibratory currents such as are used in wireless telegraphy or of any kind of power. The inductance 21 may be omitted provided the inductance of the translating device 23 is sufficient in itself without the additional aid. The translating device 23 may be an ordinary telephone receiver, a direct current motor, or other suitable apparatus adapted to translate the energy received.

In Fig. 3 I show a device somewhat similar to that illustrated in Fig. 2, but more especially adapted for the rectification of simple alternating currents' The positive electrode which in the previous figure was called the main positive electrode is here dispensed with and the electrodes 15 and 2 are connected to the terminals of an alternating current source shown at 27 and 28 as being, respectively, the primary and secondary of a transformer. In this case I show a starting band 29, connected by a conductor, 30, with one side' of the circuit to assist in starting operation which starting operation, may, however, be accomplished by any method that may be preferred. In this instance the electrode 15 becomes the main positive electrode of the device and owing to the well known action of apparatus of this kind current will only pass in one direction through the device, the waves of opposite polarity being suppressed by the action of negative electrode resistance at the positive electrode. Accordingly, the circuit, 31, will be traversed by a pulsating current of uniform direction, but not by an alternating current. At 32 is shown a translating de vice for utilizing the rectified current. In

- this case also the electrode 15 is placed in very close proximity to the negative electrode 2 and the normal potential drop over the device is thereby greatly reduced.

In the figures of the drawingthe lead to the negative electrode is represented as being connected withv a piece, 35, of platinum,

I have iridium, iron, or other suitable conducting material, constituting a point which projects slightly above the surface of the mercury illustrated in Fig. 1 and in some cases may be found more desirable. The two positive electrodes 3 and 4 are arranged in this instance, .respectively, on the inside and outside of a vessel, 39, of glass or other suit able material, the said "vessel being generally cup shaped and having a central reentrant open boss or cylinder, 41. The electrode 3, for example, is in the form of a ring surrounding the boss and connected through the vessel to the lead wire 5. The electrode 4 stands above the opening in the base of the cup, or, say, at the upper end of the boss, 41, and is connected to the lead 6. With th1s arrangement both positive electrodes may be brought into sufliciently close proximity to the negative electrode 2, while being amply protected from short-circuiting by the structure shown and described.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vapor electric apparatus comprising a l-exhausted container, positive and nega- 1.00 tive electrodes therein, the positive electrode being located and supported within the region in which the negative electrode component of'the totalfall of potential occurs.

2. A vapor electric apparatus comprising 105 an exhausted container, positive and negative electrodes therein, said container being shaped to offer cooling surface for said apparatus, the positive electrodes being located and supported within the dark space in the 110 neighborhood of the negative electrode.

3. A vapor electric apparatus comprising an exhausted container, positive and negative electrodes therein, the said positive and negative electrodes being separated by less 115 than a critical distance, the limit of which is the dark space adjacent to the negative electrode, whereby the total fall of potential between the terminals of the apparatus is materially less than 14: volts.

4:. In a vapor electric device, an exhausted container, a negative electrode therein of volatile self-reconstructing material, and a positive electrode therein of solid material, the said positive electrode being located 115 within a critical region limited by the negative electrode and the region'of approximately the same potential adjacent to said negative electrode.

5. In a vapor electric apparatus compris- 130 ing an exhausted container, a cathode with Signed at New York, in the county of New a. dark space adjacent thereto, an anode 10- York, and State of New York, this 7th day cated in said dark space in fixed relation to of August, A. D. 1907.

said cathode, an anode stem connected to PETER COOPER HEWITT. said anode and an lnsulatmg covering for \Vitnesses:

said'stem, said covering being integral with \VM. H. CAPEL,

said container. GEORGE H. STOCKBRIDGE.

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