US1583210A - Electric-lighting system - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 4, 1926.

one!) STATES f PATENT ,FFrcE.

WILLIAM G. H. VIEFEL, OF JENVER, COLORADO. i

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

application filed March 19, 1923. Serial No. $936,076.

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. H. W'EFEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Electric-Lighting Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My'inven'tion relates to a system for'autoinatically regulating the current flow in electric lighting circuits and its primary object is to provide in a circuit of this character an electric magnetic appliance whichby the temporary'in'clusion' 'ofa supplemental coil in the courseof current. flow, renders said flow equable from the moment the circuit is completed.

My invention is particularly adapted for use in a series electric lighting circuit in which in the event of an interruption in the current flow in any lamp unit bybreaka'ge of the lamp filament or other similar cause,

a resistance substantially equivalent tothat produced in the lamp, is automatically connected in the circuit.

The resistance circuit isclosed by' the,

switch when the electromagnet is in itsn'ormal inactive cond'ition and is opened only when, after the circuit has been closed in the line, the lines of magnetic force produced in the magnet are sufiicient to open the switch and it will be apparent that before the resistance circuit is thus opened, the current 1 1n a lamp unit the filament of which is intact, will be split with substantially equal portions going through the lamp and the.

resistance as long as the lines of magnetic force are insuilicient to open the switch and that the consequently decreased resistance in said unit will cause the lamps of other units in the series to receive an overload of current, While the lamp in the unit in which the current has been split Will incandesce intention also cf ants in lighting systems in which ashunting appliance ofthe above described character is not, provided since by the automatic inclusion Of'ChBfl-HX- ihary coll 1n the clrcuit during the initial supply of current, the current flow 1s retarded and thereby prevented from rushing .to' thelamps' in the series at more than'its normal voltage, which ordinarily causes a temporary-flaring of the light produced in the lamps and is injurious to the filaments of the same.

In. the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention in operative} relation to an incandescent lamp'fixture equipped with a resistance and an electromagnet for connecting it in the circuit by incapacitation of the lamp as vhereinbefore explained, and since the'operation of the'invention in connection with fixtures without this resistance "is substantially the same, I did not believe it necessary to exemplify the same'by further illustration; t y

In the construction and arrangement of elements shown'inthe'drawings and hereinafter to be explained, my'invention-ha's been embodied in practicaland simple form but I I desire it" understoodthat variations in the arrangement and electrical connections of said elements may be availed of without departing from the spirit-of the invention as defined in the hereunto appended claims.

In the drawings inxthe two views of which corresponding parts have been similarly designated by numerical characters of ref- Figure 1 represents apar'tially diagrammatic View of the co-operatingelements of v the fixture and their electrical connections as assembled upon the lower surface of a non-conductive" base, the electric switch forming, part of the system having been shown in side elevation andth'e 'lampsocket having been shown in superposed relation tothe base, with the object of clearly delineating the courses of the current flow between the difierent elements, and

Figure 2; a sectional elevation of the fixture in a plane indicated by the line 2-9-2,

Figure 1. t

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral- 2 designatesacircular base-plate of non-conductive material upon. the undersurface of which the co=operatingelements of the fifirt'iireand their electrical 001mm tions assembleal mpact are The ase'is in practice, asaaeas aina 'escutcheon around the socket to deflect the light of the lamp.

Two resistance coils 7 fastened upon the base are connected in series by a wire 8 ant the electromagnetic switch which controls the connection of the resistance in the circuit and which in its entirety is designated by the numeral 9, is likewise fastened to the base in convenient adjacency to the socket and the coils.

The switch comprises a conductive spool 10 mounted between and in electric connection with two hangers 12 which are suspended from the base by screws 13. The core and inner surfaces of the spool are covered with, layers of insulating material for the support of the windings of the electromagnet.

The armature 14 of the magnet is pivotally mounted as at 15 in a bearing at the lower end of one of the hangers 12 and it has at its free end a contact blade 16 which controls the current flow by engagement with one or the other of two contacts 17 and 18 at the lower ends of posts 19.and 20 which are fastened to the base in insulated relation to each other. A coiled spring 21 attached at its ends to an extension of the armature and the upper end of the hanger on which the armature is supported, serves to hold the armature normally in engage ment with the contact 17 The spool of the electromagnet supports in addltion to the ordinary coil, a second coil of lesser current-carrying capacity and correspondingly greater resistance which for convenience is wound upon the other.

The first mentioned coil which will hereinafter be referred to as the main coil or windings, is designated in Figure 1 of the drawings by the reference numeral 22, while the additional coil of relatively greater resistance, hereinafter to be referred to as the auxiliary coil or windings, has been shown at 23.

The fixture is connected at opposite sides of a break in one of the line wires 2e and 25 of the electric circuit through the medium of binding posts 26 and 27 on the base.

The two windings 22 and 23' have a common connection 28 with the contact 18 on the post 20 and the opposite end of the main coil'22 is connected to the binding post 26 of the line wire 24L by means of a conductor 29 in which the lamp-socket is included through the medium of its terminals 30 which in practice are connected by the filament of the lamp. 2

The opposite end of the auxiliary windings 28 is connected to the binding post 27 of the line wire 24: through the medium of a conductor 31, the connection between the windings and said conductor beingniade through the intermediary of one of the hangers 12 of the conductive magnet spool 10.

The two resistance coils 7 the combined ohmic resistance of which slightly exceeds that of the lamp filament, are connected in series in 'ashunt 32 of the conductor 22 which connects the main windings of the electromagnetic switch with the line wire 24, and included in this shunt are the spool 10 of the magnet and the armature l t of the same when it engages 'with the contact 17. I

The shunt is formed by connecting an end of one of the connected resistance coils in the line through the medium of the hint ing post 26 and connecting the opposite end of the other coil with the contact 17 When the circuit in which the fixture is included is open, the armature of the electromagnetic switch is held in a position of rest upon the contact 17 by the coiled spring 21 and if subsequently, the circuit is closed in the line, the current passes initially through both windings of the electromagnet and owing to the greater number of the auxiliary windings immediately produces sufiicient lines of magnetic force to attract the armature.

The course of current in this initial flow is'beginning at the source of electricity 83, the line wire 24, the conductor 29 including the lamp filament, the main coil 22 of the electromagnetic switch, the auxiliary coil 23 and the line wire 24: at the opposite side of the break.

The lines of magnetic force produced in the magnet by the current flow through both its coils, cause the armature to move immediately into engagement with the contact 18 and by its disengagement from the. contact 17 breaks the shunt in which the resistance coils are connected and thereby ex-' eludes said coils from the path of the current, With the armature in this position the current flow is as follows Beginning at the source of electricity 33, the. line wire resistance supplemental to thatthrough the loo llt)

24, the conductor 29 including 7 the lamp filament, the main coil 22 of the l main coil, the resistance 7 'is'instantly excluded from the path of the current as'soon as, the lamp circult is closed, and that 111 'conseqeun'ce the lamp will immediately in to attract the armature until after the cur rent has attained its fullvoltage.

hen the lamp is in its normal operative condition as hereinabove explained, the current flow is mainly through the main winding of the magnet, it being obvious that by reason of its greater resistance but little current will pass through the lighter windings.

l Vith a normal voltage, sufiicient lines of magnetic force are produced in the main windings to maintain the armature in engagement with the contact, so that the auxiliary windings function only at the beginning of the operation and are practically inactive under normal operating conditions.

In case the filament of the lamp is broken or the lamp is otherwise incapacitated, the magnet is deenergized and the current is shunted through the resistance coils along the following course:

Beginning at the source, the line wire 24, the shunt 32 including the resistance coils 7 the contact 17, the armature which after deenergization of the magnet was moved to its original position by the spring 21, the conductive spool of the magnet, the conductor 31 and the line wire 24 at the opposite side of its break. By including the resistance in the circuit immediately upon breakage of the lamp filament, through the automatic action of the switch, the current flow through the other lamps of the series is continued and each lamp of the series will remain in operation long as the circuit is closed, irrespective of the condition of the other lamps,

hen the invention is' employed in a circuit not provided with resistance shunts, the

initial flow of current when the circuit is first closed will be retarded by the inclusion of the coil of greater resistance until the armature is withdrawn from the contact 17 as before, and an excess of current to the lamp filament is thereby prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what 7 I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

1. In a system of regulating the current flow in an electric lighting circuit, a circuit, a lamp therein, an electromagnet including a main coil and an auxiliary coil connected in the circuit in series with each other and the lamp, and a switch closed by electromagnet the" magnet and connected in the circuit to of current to the lampand the two coils being'r'elatively arranged for conjoint magnetic acti onto operate "the switch.

2 In 'a' system 01" regulating the current flow in an electric lighting circuit, a circuit, a lamp therein", an clectromagn'et including a main coil and anauxilia'rycoilconnected in" the circuit in series with each other and the lamp, and a switch actuated by the magnet and connected in the circuit to provide a by-path around the auxiliary coil after the magnet has been energized, the combined resistances of the two coils being high enough to restrict the initial flow of current to the lamp and the two coils being relatively arranged for conjoint magnetic action to operate the switch.

3. In a system of regulating the current flow in an electric lighting circuit, a circuit, a lamp therein, an electromagnet including a main coil and an auxiliary coil connected in the circuit in series with each other and the lamp, a shunt in thecircuit around the auxiliary coil, and an armature-switch connected in the shunt to close the same by energization of the magnet, the combined resistances of the two coils being high enough to restrict the initial flow of current to the lamp and the two coils being relatively arranged for conjoint magnetic action to operate the switch.

4. In a system of regulating the current flow in an electric lighting circuit, a circuit, a lamp therein, an electromagnet including a conductive spool, and a main coil and an auxiliary coil connected in the circuit in series with each other and the lamp, a shunt in the circuit around the auxiliary coil providing a path for current through the main coil including the conductive spool, and'an armature-switch connected in the shunt to close the same on energization of the magnet, the combined resistances of the two coils being high enough to restrict the initial flow of current to the lamp and the two coils being relatively arranged for conjoint magnetic action to operate the switch.

5. In a system of regulating the current flow in an electric lighting circuit, a circuit, a lamp therein, an electromagnet including a main'coil and an auxiliary coil connected in the circuit in series with each other and the lamp, a normally closed shunt in the circuit around the lamp, a resistance in said shunt, a shunt in the circuit around the auxiliary coil, and an armature-switch connected in the shunts to open the first mentioned shunt and close the other shunt on energizetion of the magnet, the combined resistances of the two COIlS being. high enough to restrict the initial fiow of current to the lamp and the two coils being relatively arranged for con oint magnetic actlon to operate the switch,

6. In a system of regulating the current flow in an electric lightin circuit a circuit 1 J 2.9 7 7 a lamp therein, an electromagnet including a conductive spool, a main coil and an auxiiiary 0011 connected 1n the circuit 1n series with each other and the lamp, a normally closed shunt in the circuit around the lamp,

including the conductive spool, and an armature-switch connected in the shunts to open the first mentioned shunt and close the other shunt on energization of the magnet, the combined resistances of the two coils being high enough to restrict the initial flow of current to the lamp and the two coils being relatively arranged for conjoint magnetic action to operate the switch.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

\VILLIAM O. H. VVEFEL.

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