US1290917A - Regulation of electrical systems. - Google Patents

Description

G. CROSBY.

REGULATION OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE Z-Z. I913.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I- nvmv rm? 7 ATTOPA/ r8 G. CROSBY, REGUL'ATION OF ELECTRiCAL SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. I915.

Patented Jan. H, 1.919.

2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

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i J IW- ATTORNEYS UNITED sfra'rns arana? orrrorz.

GORHAM CROSBY, 0F GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY, .AEtSIGNOR Ti) GOULD COURLER COMPANY, 'A CORPORATION OF NEV? YORK.

REGULATION ELECTRLCAL SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJan. 14, 1919.

Application filed June 24, 1915. Serial No. 36,031.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gonnaii Cnosnr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of (llen Ridge, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Regulation of Electrical Systems, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to the regulation of electrical systems, more particularly by the inclusion in the circ1.it to be regulated of two variable resistances controlled in a manner to produce more eliicient regulation.

In many systems in which the work circuit is supplied from a. sourceof variable voltage. such as in car lighting systems, wherein a generator and storage battery are employed in operative relation to a work circuit or work circuits. it has been common to employ a compressible variable resistance in series between the battery and work cir cuit in regulating the voltage applied to the latter. If the load on the work circuit or circuits is very heavy, it is found that either the compressible variable resistance or carbon pile must be so large as to be unwieldy and impractical or else the load will eX haust the capacity of the variable resistance.

According to my invention I overcome these dilliculties by including in series with the carbon pile v variable resistance, a second ariable resistance which may be of carbon pile type and which I preferably operate to increase the resistance thereof, When the voltage of thc'soureo is materially higher than that across the work circuit.

Further objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of a train lighting system, embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a similardiagram, illustrating a modification. Fig. 3 is a diagram of part of a similar system, illustrating a further modification. Fig. 4 is a diagram of a similar system illustrating another modification.

Referring to Fig. 1, represents the main generator, which may be driven at variable speed, as from a car axle of a train. The generator 1 supplies the mains 2, 3 and 4. The main 4 branches oil from the main 3. 5 represents a shunt field of the generator 1,

having in series therewith a carbon pile variable-resistance 6,;the pressure upon one end of which is varied by a lever 7 operated by a solenoid 9, whose windings are connected across the terminals of the generator, to be responsive to voltage variations thereof. The pressure upon the other end of the pile is controlled by a lever a solenoid 11, connected in series with the generator, so as to be responsive to current variations in its total output. 12, 12, represent storage batteries, which may be located in separate cars of the train, connected across the mains or train line conductors 2 and 3. which may also be placed in separate cars of the train and connected across the mains or train line conductors 2 and 4.

When the generator is running at suflicient speed to supply the work circuits, its voltage is regulated to maintain a constant output by means ofsolenoidll acting upon the pile (3, varying the strength of the coil in a well known manner. \Vhen the bat teries have become substantiallycharged,

which is indicated by a rise in voltage, with a consequent rise in generator voltage, the.

coil 9 becomes sulliciently energized. to relieve the pressure on the other end of the pile 6 through the lever 7. so that thereafter the generator voltage is maintained substantially constant, causing adecrease in the generator output and the stopping of the mains 2 and l of the work circuit and hav-' ing in series therewith carbon pile l8, operated by a lever 19, controlled by a solenoid 20, connected in shunt across the work circuits. 21 represents a small carbon pile, the pressure upon which is varied by lever 22, by engagement therewith of a projection 23 carried upon lever 16, so that when the coil 17 is weakened to a certain extent,

10, operated by allowing its core to drop, the member 23 on I lever 16 engages the lever 22 and causes it to compress the pile 21. The pile 21 13 then.

connected in. shunt across the pile 14, the circuit being through conductor 24, member 23, lever 22, pile 21 and conductor 25. Thus, when the pile 14: is compressed substantially to its maximum, the pile 21 is thrown in shunt therowitlr by engagement of member 23 with lever '22, and upon further depression of the pile 21, the resistance that is regularly maintained between. the batteries and the lamps is practically will. The carbon pile 15 is similarly operated upon by a lever 26, controlled by a solenoid 27, connected across the work circuit and having in series therewith carbon pile 28. the pressure upon which is controlled by lever 29, which is operated by the solenoid 20 when a pin 30, carried on a spindle 31, connected to the lower end of the core of the solenoid 20., engages the lever 29 to raise the same. A small carbon pile 32 operated upon by a lever 33, engaged by projection 34 on lever 26, is arranged in shunt with pile 15, and operated in a mannor similar to that described with respect to pile 21. The pile 15 is normally maintained under substantially maximum compression with pile 32 compressed by the lever- 33.

'VVhen the voltage across the variable source tends to increase, thus increasingthe strength of solenoid 20, it, through lever 19, compresses pile 18, thereby increasing the strength of solenoid 17, relieving the pres sure on pile 14, so as to increase the resistance in series with the work circuit and maintain the voltage across the Work circuit or work circuits substantially constant. The tendency for the voltage across the work circuits to decrease results in the weakening of solenoid 20, increasing resistance in pile 18, weakening of solenoid 17 and decrease oi? resistance of pile 14, to maintain the voltage across the work circuits substantially constant. As the batteries become charged, as above explained, and when the voltage across the generator and batteries is materially higher than. that across the work circuits, the solenoid 20 will have raised its core sufficiently for the pin 30 to engage the.

lever 29. thereby decreasing the resistance of pile 28 inc1',easing the strength of the solenoid 27, causing the lever 26 to relieve the pressure on pile 15, so that the resistance of the pile 15 will be increased. This re: sults in the pile 15 taking a material portion of the voltage drop between the generator and batteries on one side and the work circuits on the other, so that pile 14 is not required to take the heavy current with a large voltage drop and in a greatly expanded condition, which would likely be beyond its capacity. Part of the drop being carried by pile 15, the pile 14 is able to take care of the heavy current by reason of the fact that the drop thereacross is not large and it may be in a more or less compressed condition. lnorder that the pile 14 need not be further afiected by variations in pile 18 after pile 15 has begun to be affected by the variations caused in pile 28,- l have shown pile 18 provided with a yielding abutment comprising the pivoted lever -15 which is drawn toward the pile by the tension of the spring l6. When the lever 19 has been moved far enough to compress pile 18 sufliciently to overcome the pressure of the spring 46 further movement of the lever has no substantial effect in decreasing the resistance of pile 18 and therefore no substantial indirect eii'ect in increasing the resistance of carbon pile 1 1. After this point is reached further regulation can be effected practically alone by the compression of pile 28 and its effect in increasing the resistance of pile 15. It will thus be seen that the pile 14: operates throughout a certain range in voltage variations of the source while the pile 15 operates throughout a different range of voltage variations. In the modification shown in Fig. 2, similar" reference characters refer to similar parts, and the system illustrated is substan-.

tially the same except that the coil 11 is shown connected in series with the batteries and not in series with the work circuits, so that it acts to regulate the generator for constant battery current. Also the pilot regulators 1S and have been omitted, the pile 1i being shown as controlled for voltage changes across the work circuit directly by the solenoid 17, while the pile 15 is controlled by a solenoid having a voltage Winding 40 connected across compressible resistance 14, so as to be responsive to voltage changes thereacross and a currentwinding 11 connected in series with the variouswork circuits. lt will thus be seen that the solen-oid comprising windings 40 and 41 act responsive to changes in load (both voltage and current) carried by the carbon pile 14, and the solenoid is attracted to increase the circuit resistance at 15, only when the carbon pile 1% becomes overloaded. That is, the coils 40 and 41 are wound to aid one an other, but do not have suflicient strength to raise their core and relieve pressure on the )ll8 15 until the pile 1 1 hasbecoine overloaded.

The arrangement illustrated in Fig. 3 is the same as that of Fig. 2, except that coil 41 is omitted, so that resistance 1n pile 15 is. increased only when the voltage across the pile 14 increases to a predetermined point, indicating that the pile 1 1 would be overloaded by a further increase in voltage.

In Fig. 4 there is shown a similar arrangement, except that coil 40 is shown connccted across the generator and batteries and is designed to operate the lever 26 to relieve pressure on the pile 15 in a similar manner when'the voltage across the generator and batteries is materially higher than that across the work circuits. Y

Thus, in each of the arrangements shown asecond variable resistance is provided. in series with a compressible variable resist ance, and the second variable resistance is controlled to increase the resistance in series with the first, when there is danger of the first becoming overloaded, as indicated by a material increase in voltage ofthe source over that of the work circuit. It will be understood that if desired, suitable pilot or magnifying regulators, such as shown at 18, 20, in Fig. 1, may be provided for the solenoids 17 and 40 in the other figures.

Although I have described my improvements in great detail and with respect to car lighting-systems, I do not desire to be limited to such details, as obviously, my improvements may be applied to many other systems and to'many situations, and I in tend to cover all arrangements coming within the language of the appended claims.

Having fully and clearly described my improvements, what I claim as new and de- 'sire tosecure by; Letters Patent is 1. In an electrical system of distribution,

V the combination of a source of variable voltage, a work circuit supplied thereby, a carbon p1le 1n series wlth the work circuit for regulating the voltage applied thereto, a

variable resistance in series with said pile, and means for increasing the resistance of said variable resistance when the voltage ofthe source is relatively high, said means comprising a controlling coil responsive to variations in voltage across sald carbon pile.

2. In an' electrical system of distribution,

a circuit to be regulated, a compressible variable resistance regulating said circuit, a second variable resistance in series with the compressible variable resistance, and means for increasing the resistance of said second variable resistance responsive to variationsin voltage across said compressible variable resistance.

3. In an electrical system of distribution having a work circuit supplied from a source of variable voltage, a variable resistance in series with the work circuit controlled to maintain substantially constant work circuit voltage,.a second variable resistance in series in said Work circuit, and means for controlling it responsively to voltage drop across the first resistance.

of said circuit and the other having its controlling means brought into action when the resistance value of the first has been in creased to a predetermined amount.

5. A circuit supplied from a source of variable voltage and to be regulated for constant voltage having a carbon pile in series therewith, jand means for increasing its resistance to a given value with increases of voltage of said source to maintain substantially constant voltage applied to said circuit, a second carbon pile in series with said circuit and means acting when said given value of the first pile has been reached for increasing its resistance with further 1ncreases of voltage from said source.

6.. A circuit to be regulated from a source of variable voltage, two carbon piles in series therewith, a voltage coil, means wherebysaid coil controls one of said piles until the same increases to a given value and whereby said coil controls the second p1le when the voltage of the source further increases without further acting on the first v ile. '7. In an electrical system of distribution havin a work circuit supplied froma source of variable voltage, a regulating mechanism controlling the work circuit voltage including a carbon pile resistance in series wlth the work circuit and means for varying the re- GORHAM CROSBY.

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