US1237124A - Electric-light regulator. - Google Patents

Description

L. SYKE S.

ELECTRIC LiGHT REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 4 191% Patented Aug. 14, 1917-.

INVENTOR Leonard s y/fen,

ATTORNEYS UNITED s'rarns Parana? onmon.

LEONARD SYKES, 0F FORT WAY INDIANA, ASSIGITUR T0 DUDLQ MAN'UFACTURING COMPANY, OF FORT WAYNE, II'IDIANA, A COBPQRATIGN.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT REGULATOR.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ari $14, 1917.

Application filed November 4, 1916. Serial No. 129, t36.

the county of Allen and State of Indiana,-

have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric-Light Regulators, of which the following is a Specification. I

The invention relates to electric light regulators in which a series of exposed coils and a movable contact adapted to be rocked across the coils to establish electrical connection therewith, vary the resistance to the current passing to the filament of the lamp.

The object is to provide a simple and economical device which shall efficiently regulate the current flowing to the electr c lamp.

Another object is to provide a novel and eflicient contact which is readily moved across the resistance coil.

Other objects will be set forth here1n after.

In the drawings, inv which I illustrate one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is an elevational View of the dev1ce.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the device. I

Fig. 3 is a cross-section on l1ne'22 of Fig. 2, the casing being omitted.

Fig. at is a plan view of the contact rocking member.

Fig. 5 is an elevatlonal view of the contact.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the upper member of the main body of the regulator.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the regulator, the contact having been rocked to its cut-out position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a plug provided with the invention.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section on line 9-9 of I Fig. 6.

A pin 14 also extends upwardly through member 10 and through plate 11-, with which plate it makes contact. The lower end of pin 14 is connected to or is part of the upper end 15 of socket 16 which is also apertured at 17 to obviate contact between the socket and bolt 13. The socket is if. the usual form to receive an incandescent lamp. A suitable plate, 18 is supported by bolt 13 and suitable insulation 19 prevents electrical contact between the plate and socket 16. In order that 'bolt 13, when drawn up tightly, shall hold the parts below member 10 in place, I provide a depending boss 10 on member 10 and also provide a corresponding depression in plate 18 and end 15 of the socket so that-the insulation 19 and the end of socket 16v are firmly gripped between the boss and the depression in the plate.

Above member 10 and spacedfrom it by plate 11 is the upper member 20 of the main body of the regulator. This member, like member 10, is formed of vulcanized rubber or other suitable insulation. The upper end of pin 14 is extended into an aperture provided in the lower face of member 20 and serves to prevent relative movement of the two members.

Between the two members is wound a resistance 21 of the requisite or desired number of turns of insulated wire, one end thereof being connected to conductor plate 11, and the other end being suitably engaged in member 20.

, A radially extending slot 22 is provided in member 20, and disposed within the slot is a contact member 23 having its lower edge curved and adapted to contact with resistance 21, the insulation of the several turns of wire having been scraped off immediately below slot 22 in order to present bare wire to member 23. Member 23 is adapted to be rocked to and fro upon the bare wire to cut in or out as many of the turns of wire as the user desires. The lower edge of the contact is straightened out at one end so as to provide ashort flat surface 23 which will contact with a selected number of the inner turns of the resistance at once. lWhen the contact is rocked inwardly the inner end or point of the same meets conductor plate 11 whereupon the resistance is cut-out of the circuit and the lamp receives the full current; As the contact is rocked outwardly its flat" or straight edge 23 is first elevated and at once cuts in a selected number of turns of the resistance coil in the circuit in order that the coil shall not overheat. The continued movement of the contact upon its curved portion gradually cuts in more and more of the resist ance.

A boss 24 projects upwardly from member 20. A disk 25 is revoluble upon a circular portion 24 on theboss and is provided with a cam slot 26 which engages the upper end of contact member 23. As the disk is rotated in either direction the contact member is caused to rock on resistance 21. Boss 24,

above the circular portion 24, is rectangular.

in shape and an insulating disk 27 is disposed upon the disk 25 and engages the oss. Top 28 of casing 29 rests upon insulation 27 and is centrallyapertured to be engaged over boss. 24. Insulation 30 is placed upon top 28 and a spring 31 is engaged over boss 24 and upon insulation 30. The outer free end of the spring engages the upper end of contact member 23 which extends through slot 26 in disk 25. The top 28 and insulation 27 and 30 are cut-out to permit of the free access of the spring to the contact member.

A plate 32 is in contact with spring 31 and isc arried by a block of insulation 33 through which bolt 13 is extended. .One of the feed wires 34 is connected to plate 32 and the other feed wire 35 is connected to plate 36 which is connected to bolt 13 by nut 37. Nut 38 on bolt 13 when tightened on the bolt holds together all the se veral parts between the nut and the head of the bolt, and nut 37 holds the terminal plates 32 and 36 tightly on block 33 and maintains contact between spring 31 and plate 32.

To enable disk 25 to be rotated or oscillated I provide a chain 39 which is secured at its middle portion to the disk. A groove 40 is provided in the upper face ofmember 20 which opens at its ends through the side of member 20. The chain is placed in this groove and its opposite ends project through the open ends thereof and through openings 29 provided in casing 29. By pulling upon one depending end of the chain the disk is caused to rotate and rock the contact member in one direction, the rotation of the disk in the opposite direction, produced by pulling on the other end of the chain, causing the contact member to rock in the opposite direction. When one end of the cam slot in disk 25 is reached by the contact member that member will have been rocked into conta'ctwith conductor plate 11, all the resistance is out of circuit and the lamp receives the full current. 7

As the disk is rotated in the opposite direction the contact member is rocked across resistance 21 and more and more of the resistance is cut into circuit and when the end of the cam slot abuts the upper end of contact member 23 that member has passed from under spring 31 to break the circuit to the lamp and the lamp is extinguished. Any

degree of brilliancy of the lamp from zero to.

spring 31, plate 32 and out through wire 34. I

In Fig. 8 a plug 41 is substituted for block 33 and the terminal plates of the previous figures and the upper portion 40 of the casing is omitted. The plug enables the device to be installed between a lamp socket and the lamp wherever the socket may be connected to the main electrical circuit. The screw shell of the plug, in this illustration, is in contact with spring 31, and bolt 13 extends through the plug.

. It is to be noted that contact member 23 is rocked in guide slot 22 over the resistance coil and is notrubbed over the wire as in prior devices. Wear on the wire by the contact member is therefore practically eliminated.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a pair of main insulating members, of a conductor plate separating the two members, a resistance coil between the two members and having one end connected to the plate, a contact member loosely supported in one of the insulating members and independent thereof and adapted for engagement with the conductor plate and the resistance coil, and means to rock the contact member in a vertical plane.

2. The combination with a pair of main insulating members, of a conductor plate separating the two members, a resistance coil between the two members and connected at one end to the conductor plate, a contact member loosely supported in one of the insulating members and independent thereof and adapted for engagement with the conductor plate and the resistance coil, a sprin adapted to engage the contact member an means to rock the contact member across the resistance coil into engagement with the conductor plate or out of engagement with the spring.

3. The combination with an electric circuit, of a pair of main insulating members,

plate, a contact member loosely supported 1n one of the insulating members and independent thereof and adapted for engagement with the conductor plate and the resistance coil, a fixed spring normally engaging the contact member, an electrical conductor having connection with the spring, a bolt projectin through the insulation members and soc ket and itself insulated from the socket, the conductor plate and the spring, an electrical conductor connected to the bolt, means to close the circuit between the bolt and the socket and a revoluble' disk having acam slot therein and engaging. the contact member for rocking the contact member in a vertical plane across the resistance coil.

4:. The combination with an electric circuit of a pair of main insulating members, a conductor plate anda resistance member between vthe two members, the resistance member being connected at one end to the conductor late, a contact member loosely supported 1n one of the insulating members and adapted for engagement with the resist.- ance member and the conductor plate, a spring adapted to engage the contact memher, a socket having electrical connection With the conductor plate, the socket, conductor plate, resistance member, contact member and spring constituting one side of the circuit, a bolt extending through the insulating members and constituting the other side of the circuit, a cam engaging the and a cam plate engaging the contact mem-fi her and adapted to rock said member across the resistance member.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 1st day of November, 1916. LEONARD SYKES.

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