US1692272A - Supplemental resistance for serially-mounted lamps - Google Patents

Description

No'v. zo,1 192s. 1,692,272.-

A. LAMPL SUPPLEMENTAL RESISTANCE FOR SERIALLY IOUNTED LAllSk .Filed Nwe, i925 raienied Nov. 20,1928. UNITEDv STATES ALFRED LAMPE, OERERLIN-HALENSEE, GERMANY.

SUPPLEMENTAL RESISTANCE EoR SERIALLY-MOUNTED- LAMPS.

1,692,272 PATENT OFFICE.

Application `nled November 9, 1925, Serial No; 68,042and in GermanyvMay 9, 1925,

the breakingof a lamp a supplemental re-.

sistance is switched into circuit in place of this particular lamp. In the well known arrangement of this kind which heretofore was regarded as the'most simple, leastexpensive and space-saving device of the. kind referred to a conductor of the so-called second class conductors, particularly carborundum, either as one solid piece .or as a powder, was disposed between tWo electrodes connected to 'the terminals of the lamp and was employed as an automatically operating shunt-resistance. This arrangement, however, has not been universally accepted in practical operation, inasmuch as such -second class conduc-` tors are unsuitable for the purposes indicated in vielw of the high specific resistance thereof, the slowness and imperfect operation produced when responding to differences of voltage which become'evident only as a secondary result of t-he variation of their heated condition in acvcordance with the passage of the current, and,particularly in view of the insufficient degree of resistibility of such bodies. Now, in accordance with this invention,

the inconveniences above referred to in con- 40 nection with supplemental resistances forserially arranged electric lamps and other electrically operated devices are eliminated by replacing the carborundum referred to or.

other second class. conductors by metallic granules or metal chips which are so disposed as to serve as a supplemental resistance which may consist of a great number of loosely-and adjacently disposed small bodies arranged Vin shunt connection with relation to each particular lamp and adapted to bridge over the point of rupture produced by the interruption of the circuit of the particular lamp. For this purposeiron or a mixture of iron with another metal particularly nickel as an in- 56 stance may be employed.

Upon the accompanying drawing I have loosely shown byway of exemplification and in a somewhat diagrammatic manner an embodiment of the principles of this linvention insectional View, As appears from the drawing, the insulating body L of a lamp socket vof ordinary construction for incandescent ausser-:D

porcelain base k of the socket is provided with a transverse passage or cavity 'g into 'apertures of which provided on two sides of the socket suitable extensions of the cur-A rent-admitting bars e and f are adapted to project in such a manner as to provide sufiicient contact in all positions of the'lamp socket lwith the mass of coarsely granular pieces of ironor of other metal filings or chips fully attaching the electrodes e and y to the ends of the passage g they are not only tightly secured to the porcelain body of the socket vbut by this means they also provide the necessary closing of the passage g so as to keep the granules cl contained therein substantially adj acentl to each other. l

The mode of operation of the device described is substantially as follows In the ordinary way of operation of the lamp or the like mounted in the socket described theY lamp will burn in vseries with a plurality (mostly seven or fifteen) of other similar lamps each of which individual lamps consumes only a fraction of the total voltage (for instance lll volts). With a properly selected distance of the electrodes e, f of the shunt resist-ance d its resistivity is infinitely large, as long as a low partial voltage exists at the corresponding lamp terminals. Hence the current owing through the shunt branch is equal to zero, so that the lamps arranged in serial connectionwill burn lwith their full illuminating strength and without any loss of current. This behavior is due to the fact that veach individual particle of the great numberfof loosely arranged metal granules is surrounded by a microscopically small insulating air or gas envelope. Now, -inasmuch as in view of the very high number of these 'small serially arranged spark gaps only a very slight fraction of the lentire partial voltage of, for instance 14 volts corresponds to each one of these gaps,the thus produced searranged in the cavity g. By care,-

any unscrewinp4 i ot the series for instance 1G or 220 volt, .c i roduced at. the te ininals c and f of the socke` which line drop is as a rule a multiple of `he partial Voltage correspondingl to one ot the lamps. illith a proper ad justnient of he several parts this increase ot voltage will cause ne limits ot `gap-breakiiw voltage bet-Ween tivo adjoiningy metal parts to be exceeded7 and by this means the numerous imnieasurably small spark ga 3s are broken through and the metal oarts are welded to each other at their points ot contact by the heat of the small umping` spark.

.By this metallic Welding` together or trittingA ot the loose metal particles the entire mei tallic mass assumes the character of an ordinary tirstfclass conductor and it nouY otters almost no further resistance of the passage ot the current. .,lVith the proper dimensioninl:r ot the sectional area ot the resistor col- 3 umn the supplemental resist-ance thus produced may be made equal to the resistance of the burning lamp. its long as no supplemental lamp has been substituted tor t-he deitectiye or missing lamp, the supplemental resistance produced in the manner described remains in circuit and produces the result that the entire `remaining series ot lamps con tinues to burn with the full illuminating strength. Any possible tendency likely to occur by Vibrations ot the loosely fritted granular metallic mass an'd which may cause disaggregation of the granules is overcome by the tact 'that at the same moment the full voltage of the series Will be created at the terminals e, j' with the result that the. aggro gates of granules will be tritted again.

As soon, however, as a supplemental lamp is substituted for the missing lamp a 'slight shaking of the socket is sutlicient to produce a complete untritting of the conducting pasand to restore the ni.

ich becomes :aon-conducting condition9 *i i trie other lai hanging ot the decc thereore be eiiected wit-hou the switching out of the series through which the current is passed. v

` in yievvfot the sniallf amount ot' space required and the simplicity' ot construction. 'the supplemental resistance in accordance with the invention may also be employed in oit `he series.

all other kinds of lamp sockets. and in the socket or in tlienjlass body ot the incandescent lamp itselbetween the current admitting electrodes which is apoint ot import ance for the utilization and the inode ot operation ot the subject matter ot the invention. rlhc device may also be advantageously eluployed as an automatically operating supplemental resistance for other 'udsot electric lamps, thus for instance for arc lanips` and i'or all kinds of serially connected electric pieces of apparatus.

lt should be understood that the invention has only been described herein in its broad features, Without being restricted to the par ticular description thereof, but uifulilications and changes may occur to suit local and other conditions and without..deviatingV 'troni the spirit and scope ot the invention as hereinsubstantially tubular cavity in said Socket,

a supply oi loosely*,aggregated small tragments ot metallic conductors in said cavity, extensions at the non-contacting portions ot' said terminals reaching into said cavity at opposite sides thereof .and closing said cavity.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

ALFRED LAMPL.

ticeable the :fact that th Vfreshly su sti- 'cd burns Withthe lull laminating

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