US1926423A

US1926423A - Control for discharge illumination

Info

Publication number: US1926423A
Application number: US531383A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert E Barclay
Original assignee: FED ELECTRIC CO
Current assignee: FED ELECTRIC CO; FEDERAL ELECTRIC Co
Priority date: 1931-04-20
Filing date: 1931-04-20
Publication date: 1933-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 1950-09-12

Description

Sept, 12, 1933. R. E. BARCLAY 1,926,433

CONTROL FOR DISCHARGE I LLUMINATION Filed April 20, 1951 Patented Sept. 12,' 1933 PATENT cre ice CONTROL FOB- DISCHARGE ILLUMINATION I Robert E. Barclay, Chicago, 111., assignor to Federal Electric Company, Chicago, IIL, a'corporatlon 01 New York 51 Application April 20, 1331.. Serial No. 531,383

20 Claims,

My invention relates in general to the art oi illumination and. has more particular reference to illumination produced by electrical discharges in an ionized field, of which perhaps the best known embodiment is the recently popularized. neon tube: A neon tube consists of a glass tubing, sealed, air evacuated and filled with neon gas and cro viciecl with spaced. electrodes so that by applying high electrical potential between the spaced, electrodes an electrical discharge is created between the electrodes. 'I'hiS discharge produces. various colors accordance with the gas contained in the tube. the case of a neon gas-filled tube, the discharge creates a brilliant red colored light. It the be contains mercury vapor, the light produced has a characteristic blue color.

Discharge i lummation. lends itself particular the creation of architectural effects, for ou er." and, on account or t colors which can be produced an oi creating combinations primary :luce modified or secondary shades tubes oi different colors, disch ge lerl color organ." effects, t

c ion of effects i lereiu colchange and shirt 1 cm on color another in orcler to "orctluce syn litlcscopic color Tout I01 the fl-l has Zceen no oornincrcia controlling the l p e ence-cl by the electrua rlic cliilficulty et with .ula'te ti ty the iiluby the discharge. as far are, no adequate method of slimming yet been suggested although a practical way of regulating intensity oi the illumination would atly enhance the general utility of the syst as a whole and woulcl make possible the minescent element or tube by absorbing a variable amount of the total energy supplied to the charge elerne .ation the reactive characteri tics or tube circuits without affecting the electrical pc- 'ten'tials applied between the spaced electrodes oi the tube suficieutly to impair the operation of the luminescent element whereby'to operate same at reduced intensity with the same uniformity as at maximum intensity, it being understood oi course that when the voltage, at which the tube normally operates, is reduced the discharge is intermittently destroyed because the voltage is not quite sufilcient to sustain same uniformity. "this intermittent disconnection and recreation the discharge is commonly referred to as flickering anti spoils the effect of the luminiscent element, A further important object of my invention is to provide a method for dimming an electrical clischarg illiuninating element without causing the clerics to flicker, or otl'ierwise operate inc properly.

. lmotlier irnccrtaut object oi my invention is to provide for varying the intensity oi in rliviriual rcerchers oi associated group of illswhereby to create a color or impor nt object of my invention. is to p cluce shale, inexpensive means (iiin I taut object resides province: e ensity of an electrical v thout impairing its ich method involves the varithe characte objects aclvantages of the ear the same is more following dGSCZifQtlQ. which 1th the accom'oan ing orelerrecl emlcoc iment oi the The sngle illustrates an electric temincl g means for accomplishing the clirm of the light produced by a discharge lllun'linating element Without reducing the electric potential of the power supplied to the element and thus causing the element to flicker.

To illustrate my invention, I have shown on the tirawing, an electrical discharge illuminating system comprising a plurality of elongated lurni nescent elements 10, of type well known in the art and which are powered from a suitable source of electrical energy 11 through switching apparatus 13 and 8}tl5I1SfO1Hl8I 15, the ministry wimling l? of which is connected through the switching apparatus to the source of power supply 11. The secondary winding of the transformer 15 is or may be connected as by the conductors 22 arge illumination i and 24 to spaced

bus bars

21 and 23. Itis between these bus bars that the several illuminating elements are preferably connected in parallel circuits as shown, although, of course,

separate transformers, each powered in parallel from the power source 11, may be employed to energize each circuit 25 separately. Obviously also each circuit 25 may, if desired, contain one or several illuminating elements 10 arranged in series, as is well known in the art and the circuits 25 also are preferably connected to the

power buses

21 and 23 through suitable switching and circuit; protecting apparatus 29.

In order to illustrate my invention, I have shown several banks or'circuits 25 extending bea tween the

bus bars

21 and 23, each of these circuits includes one or more luminescent elements.

charge, without reducing or materially affectingthe discharge sustaining potential applied to the iuminescent element. In order to illustrate my invention, I have shown three modifications of the dimming means at 26, 26' and 26, and it shouldbe understood that it is not essential to employ a different modification of the dimming means in the different circuits but any. of the modifications shown may be used in all of the circuits 25. As shown at 26, the means whichI prefer to employ in accomplishing my purpose comprises, a transformer 28, the primary winding 33 of which is connected by means of

conclusters

37 and 39 with a means for varying the electrical characteristics of the primary Eircult of the transformer 28. lhe secondary 27 of this transformer is connected in the circuit 25. In the embodiment illustrated at 26, the means comprises a variable resistance and a condenser 41 is shunted across the opposite ends of the said resistance. Obviously other means may he employed to alter the characteristics or the are circuit 25 and to apply a variable reactive load therein, and it is within the contemplation oi my invention, however, to employ any other' suitable or convenient means for varying the electrical characteristics of the primary circuit of the transioimer 28. I more especially contemplate the use of a variable inductance, commonly called a variometer or vario-coupler in place of the variable resistance 35, aid variemeter to be employed either with or' without the ccndenser 4L1. 1

it is thought that the secondary winding 27 of the transformer 28 acts as a reactance in'series with the luminescent element 10 for the reason that the core of the transformer becomes highly saturated and induces a current in the primary inwhich the power faction approaches zero. By var ing the resistance in series in the primary of the transformer 28, the current permitted tofiow in the primary may be regulated and a determinate amount of reactive energy removed from the circuit 25 without affecting the voltage ap plied to the tube. It the resistance in the primary operate at maximum intensity On the contrary,

if the resistance is reduced to a minimum as by short-circuiting the primary of the transformer. a maximum amount of reactive power will be absorbed by-the transformer and its secondary circuit and the, tube will operate at minimum intensity, i. e. will be dimmed. It is also possible to employ the resista e without the condenser 41 in shunt therewith. also contemplate thepossibility of using other combinations of variable re- 'sistance or reactance, inductance and/or capacitance for the purpose of varying the electrical characteristics of the second circuit of the transformer 28.

At 26' I have shown a modifled arrangement of the reactive dimmer means in which the primary winding 33' of the transformer is connected, by means of the conductors 39', in series with one winding of the vario-coupler 41, the other winding of which is connected, by means of the conductors 37', in series with a resistor 35'. Under some conditions, it may be desirable to shunt a condenser across the primary winding 33' of the transformer 28', the secondary 27 winding of which is connected in series with the illuminating elements to be controlled. By'altering the inductive relationship of the coils of the variocoupler, as by relatively twisting them, the reactive characteristics of the dimmer device 26' are altered so that a variable reactive load is provided for controlling the power supplied to the illuminating elements.

At 26 I have shown still another mode of practicing my invention. In this embodiment, the primary and secondary windings of the transformer 28"' are relatively shiftable so that this elementitself forms a vario-coupler, the secondary winding 27 of which is connected in series with the illuminating elements, while the primary 33 is connected in series with a resistor 35 by means of the conductors 37 and 39 A condenser 4:1 also is shown in shunt relationship with the'resistor 35 between the

conductors

37 and 39 but it may be desirable, under certain conditions, to omit this condenser 41 By altering the inductive relationship of the

coils

27 and 33 as by relatively shifting them, the reactive load on the circuit 25 provided by the dimmer device 26 may be varied in order to control the intensity of discharge illumination created in the elements 10.

I have thus provided for the dimming of luminescent elements of the discharge type without reducing the operating voltage and without causing sputtering in the tube and I am able to produce any desired intensity by varying the electrical characteristics of the transformer 27, which in effect, creates a variable reactive load in series with the tube being regulated. This capable of producing an infinite variety of inter-- mediate colors which will have particular value in theatrical and similar lighting.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be fully understood from the foregoing description and it will be understood that numerous changes may be madein the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the,

spirit or scope of my invention or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An electric system comprising a series circuit including a discharge illuminating element and one winding of a transformer, means to connect said series circuit to a source of electrical energy, the other winding of said transformer forming a portion of a variable circuit including means to alter the electrical characteristics of the circuit whereby to constitute the transformer as a variable reactive load capable of absorbing some of the power applied in said series circuit without changing the voltage applied to the discharge illuminating element.

2. An electric system comprising a series circuit including a discharge illuminating element and one winding of a transformer, means to connect said series circuit to a source of electrical power and avariable reactance connected in series with the other windings or" the transformer.

3. An electric system comprising a series circuit including a discharge illuminating element and one winding of a transformer,- means to connect said series circuit to a source of electrical power and a variable means connected to the other winding of said transformer for the purpose of changingthe reactive load created by the transformer in said series circuit.

l. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element;' a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and reactive means in the roguelator circuit.

5. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element,

tor circuit, and means to vary the reactive characteristics of the regulator circuit.

6. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and capacity reactance in the regulator circuit;

7. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and a condenser in the regulator circuit. 7

8. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and a condenser in the regulator circuit and means to change the electrical characteristics of the regulatoncircult.

9. an electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the I supply circuit, said regulator circuit comprising and means to vary the resistance in shunt with the condenser.

11. The method of controlling the intensity of illumination produced by an electrical discharge, which consists in inductively coupling a circuit, including a variable resistance and a shunted condenser, with the power supply circuit from which the discharge is energized in the inductively coupled circuit.

12. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and a variometer in the regulator circuit.

13. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and a rheostat in the regulator circult.

it. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, and a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit, said regulator circuit including a variable resistance.

15. In an electric system, a series circuit includ ing a discharge element, and one oi a transformer, means to energize said serie'scircult, and a regulator circuit, for said series cir-= cuit, comprising, in series, another winding oi said transformer and means to produce a variable inductive load in the series circuit for the purpose of controlling the intensity of illumination produced by the discharge element.

16. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element and a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit, said regulator circuit including reactive means and a variable resistance.

17. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power supply circuit for said element, 11 a regulator circuit inductively coupled with the supply circuit and means to vary the reactance oi the regulator circuit.

18. An electric system comprising a discharge element, a power circuit for said element, reactive means inductively associated with the pow er supply circuit and means to vary the reactive characteristics or the reactive means whereby to control the intensity of illumination produced by the discharge element.

19. An electric system comprising a plurality of controllable illuminating hanks comprising discharge means, said hanks being connected for parallel operation from a common power source and each hank including a discharge element, a power circuit for said element, reactive means inductively associated with the power supply circult and means to vary the reactive characteristics of the reactive means whereby to control the intensity of illumination produced by the discharge means of the hank independently oi the other banks.

20. The method of controlling the intensity of illumination produced by an electrical discharge, which, consists in inductively coupling a circuit, including a variable reactance, with the power supply circuit from which the discharge is energized in the'inductively coupled circuit.

. ROBERT E. BARCLAY.

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