US1251572A - Electrical protective apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

c. 8. PRICE. ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- l3| l9l6- 1,251,572, Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

insulating material, usually UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. PRICE, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPA NY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE AIETARATUS.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Protective Apparatus, of which the followingis a full, clear, concise, and exactde scription.

This invention relates to devices for protee-ting circuits from abnormal voltages, lightning and similar disturbances, and more particularly to protective devices for circuits of low normal operating voltage. The type of protective device most commonly used for the protection of circuits of low normal operating voltages, such as telephone, telegraph and signal circuits, consists essentially of two electrodes spaced apart by a separator of mica or celluloid, To insure satisfactory operation, it is necessary that the thickness of this separator be held within close limits, which is difficult in the case of mica, and the use of celluloid or a carbonaceous material is objectionable in that after discharge a bridge of conducting material frequently connects the two electrodes.

through which the The object of this invention is to provide a protective device not having the defects of rough usage in service, and which may readily be adapted to various types of mountings.

To accomplish these objects, the invention provides a cartridge type of construction so arranged as to make it possible in manufacture to hold the separation between electrodes very close to a specified amount without incurring the expense resulting from holding the individual parts to close manufacturing limits. Moreover, the air gaps are passes are inclosed, precluding the possibility of danger from particles of dust bridging these gaps, and i111: inclnsin tube protects the parts from Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Serial No. 131,045.

displacement or mechanical injury due to shipment or to rough handling in service.

The several features of my invention may be more readily understood byreferenceto the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of a preferred type of lightning arrester arranged for the protection of both wires of a metallic circuit; and Fig. 2 shows a similar arrester in one half of which the various parts are spread out to illustrate the manner in which they are assembled.

Within the tube 1 of insulating material is located a ground electrode or plug 2 of conducting material, which is held securely in place by means of the screw 3, this screw also providing electrical connection between the electrode and the metallic band 4 on the outsideofthetube. Removable electrodes 5, having reduced portions 6, are first assembled in conjunction with insulating bushings '7 and the ends are ground flush. The bushings are then removed and annular spacers or separators'13 of the same thickness as the air gap desired are slipped over-the reduced portions. After replacing the bushings on the reduced portions, the electrodes are introduced into the tube 1, and are held in place by means of located in recessed portions 9 of the electrodes, and bearing against the end caps 10, which may be fastened-to the tube by means of screws 11 or by any of the other methods well-known to the art, such for example, as by pinning, or by using screw caps which are threaded directly on to the tube'. The insulating bushings 7 preferably are"provided with recessed portions 12, thereby enlarging the arcing chamber and increasing the leakage path between the electrodes.

The finished cartridge is adapted for mounting in the common type of fuse clips, the clips COIltaCtiHg with the end caps being, in practice, usually connected to the line wires to be protected, and the clip contacting with the metal band 4: being connected to ground.

It will be noted that in this construction, accurate spacing of the electrodes does not depend upon refinement in manufacture,'but that the spacing means is of sheet stock which can be readily and cheaply obtained compression springs 8,

to close limits. This separator is removed from the place where arcing occurs, and if desired, may be of a carbonaceous material, although ordinarily a metallic separator is to be preferred What is claimed is: 4

'1. In a protective device, a tubular container, a fixed electrode therein. a removable electrode having a reduced portion adapted to cooperate with said fixed electrode, a spacing means surrounding said reduced portion, and resilient means for holding said removable electrode in position.

2. In a protective device, a fixed electrode, a removable electrode having a reduced portion, an insulating bushing of the same length as and surrounding said reduced portion, and a separator placed between the end of said bushing and the unreduced portion of said removable electrode.

3. In a protective device, a fixed electrode.

a removable electrode having a reduced portion, an insulating bushing of the same length as and surrounding said reduced portion, and a metal separator placed between the end of said bushing and the unreduced portion of said removable electrode.

4. In a protective device, a fixed electrode, a plurality of removable electrodes having reduced portions, insulating bushings of the same length as and surrounding said reduced portions, and separators placed between the ends of said bushings and the unreduced portions of said removable electrodes.

5. In a. protective device, a tubular container of insulating material, metal caps inclosing the ends of said container, a fixed electrode centrally located within said container, a pair of removable electrodes each CHARLES S. PRICE.

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