US2253441A - Luminous electric discharge device - Google Patents

Description

J. H. MccAULEY LUMINOUS ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICE Aug. 19, 1941.

Original Filed Sept. 29, 1933 I E- IL )by n\\ 111111111111113111g`1111 regular forms.

A inthe form of the letter n,

partly in longitudinalsection;

Patented Aug. 19, 1 941 John H. McCauley, Hillside, N. J.,

A Joseph Frese, Baltimore,

septemberzs, 193s, serial 10.691551 Renewed April 16, 1935 v` Application 12 claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical discharge devices of the kind commonly Aused for signs and advertising purposes, vconsisting of a transparent tube containing a rare gasv assigner 'to Md., as-trustee or gases through which an electrical discharge is 5 passed to produce a luminous effect. The electrical discharge is derived from a transformen-f and when the apparatusis in proper working order, the gas has a steady luminous effect, the color varying according to the nature ofthe gas.

electrical discharge passing through the tube to follow a constantly shifting course through vthe My invention relates to means for causing the gas, thereby producing a flickering luminous efi5 fect insteadl of a -steady glow.

. In carrying out the invention, I partly or wholly iill the tube with pieces of insulating material, which may be fragments of broken glass or pieces of material molded or otherwise fashioned, into These pieces are relatively large and'their form and arrangement are. such as to leave spaces around and between the pieces'for the free movement of the gasand they cause the electrical discharge to take a circuitous course through the gas. When the current is applied, the discharge takes the course of least resistance through the gas, different parts of the tube. As the resistance -of the gas increases with increase in temperature, the courseol least resistance constantly changes in the tube and this results in shifting of the course of the electrical discharge laterally in various parts ofthe tube. point where the current is diverted to one side Yof the tube by a piece of insulating material, the

at the opposite side ofthe tube, and the cooler portion of the gas having less resistance than the hotter portion, the electrical discharge will seekv thlpath of lower temperature. -Occasionally the current will divide,following two or more paths through the same part ofthel course v of the current, and hence the luminosity,

- will be constantly changing throughoutv the part of the tube containing thefinsulating ller.

the :invention: Y

Fig. 1x is a side elevation the tube being shown Fig. 2 is a vertical section. on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the tube being partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a transverse lsection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, the tube being partly in section;

tube. Thus the' heating the gas unequally in or shape that they can l i the tube. The illler can be conveniently made In the accompanyingdrawing,` which illustrates of a. dischargel device I wherein molded pieces of glass la-b2, b. etc.,

` ture,

' Fig. 4 is a detail view showings. Dart of the tube in longitudinal section;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the tube;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a tube,.

partly broken away, showing illling pieces made f in regular forms, and,

Fig. 'l' is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1-4, inclusive, of the drawing, A indicates a glass tube, shown in the form of the letter R, and having Aelectrode'chambersa at its ends and metal electrodes l within said chambers. Before the tube is sealed, that part of the tube only which is between the electrode chambers and which constitutes the luminous part of the tube when the electrical discharge is .passing through it, is iilled with pieces of insulating material b and a rare gas, such as neon,

' argon, `or helium. The filler of insulating material is preferably composed of fragments of glass 2 crt-relatively large size s'o that while they will cause the electricl discharge between the electrodes to take a devious or tortuous course through the tube they will not interfere with the free movement of the gas but lwill provide gas spaces 3 around the fragments and between the fragments and the tube. Where the tube is not straight, the fragments should be, of such size pass around the bends in from pieces of glass resulting from breakage in the manufacture of lamps or tubes.- Y

When the electrodes are electrically connected to a high ytension transformer', the electrical discharge between the electrodes will take a tortuous 35 gas at that side will be heated more than the gas course through the tube, 'following the path of ing pieces of insulating material. 'I'he gas in the `path of the discharge will be heated to a higher temperature than the gas which is not directly in the path of the discharge. Since the resistance ofthe gasincreases withl rising temperaseeking the course of least resistance, will shift laterally at numerous pointsA throughout the tube from zones where the temperature is high into the zones where the temperature is lower, and this shifting will go on almost continuously causing a. flickering luminous effect. c

Instead of providing a. filler composed of irregular or broken pieces of insulating material, these pieces may be oi' various one of which is illustrated in Fiss. 8 and "I,

of star shape, are shown in staggered relation,

f separated to provide interveningl gas spaces l.

it follows that the discharge, continually geometrical forms.

Each piece is shown with perforations 5 to permit the electrical discharge to pass through an'd these may be large or small, andthe pieces may be arranged in the tube so that these perforations in the successive pieces will be out of alinement, as shown in the drawing. The star points in the successive pieces are staggered, as shown in Fig. 1. These pieces may be placed in the Vtube at random without particular care as to the relative positions of the star points and perforations and ordinarily these will be in a more or less staggered relation throughout the length oi -the tube. The gas may move freely around and between tle pieces and in the vpockets formed by the star points as well as through the perforations. The electrical discharge will take a tortuous course through the tube by Vreason of these insulating baffles and because of the heating and increase in resistance of the gas in the path of the discharge, the discharge will seek paths of lower resistance through zones wherein the gas is at lower temperature and resistance and this will produce the flickering luminous eiect referred to in connection with the description of the preceding figures of the drawing.

`The star shaped pieces of insulating material are used for the purpose of illustration but it will be understood that pieces made according to various other designs may be employed as baiiles to cause the discharge to take a tortuou's course and tol provide gas spaces around and between the pieces.

. What I claim is:

1. A luminous electric discharge device4 comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and having spaced electrodes of solid material, and a filler in that part of the tube between said electrodes, the ller being composed of pieces of insulating material providing tortuous discharge courses throughthat part of the tube containing said ller and providing spaces around the said pieces for the movement of the gas.

2. A luminous electric discharge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and having spaced electrodes of solid material,

v and a ller in that part of the tube between said prising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and having-spaced electrodes of solid material,

v and a iillerin that part of the tube between diameter as the internal diameter of the tube.

and constructed so as to provide a plurality of electrodes, the iiller being composed of pieces of l insulating material of irregular form providing spaces around the pieces for the movement of the gas and affording a plurality of devious paths for the electrical discharge.

3. A luminous electric discharge device com; prising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and having spaced electrodes of solid material,

" and a iiller in that part of the tube between said electrodes, the iiller being composez! of contiguous pieces of insulating material of irregular form providing spaces around the pieces for the movement of the gas and affording a plurality of devious paths for the electrical discharge.

4. A luminous electricdischarge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas Vand having spaced electrodes of solid material, and a iiller in that part of the tube between said electrodes, theller beingA composed of pieces of insulating materialY of geometrical design Droviding spaces around the ,pieces for the movement of the gas and affording a tortuous electrical discharge course through that part of the tube containing the illler. y

5. A luminous electric discharge device comsaid electrodes, the filler being composed of pieces of insulating material providing spaces around and through the pieces for the movement of the gas and affording a tortuous electrical discharge course through that part of the tube containing the illler.

6. An elect-ric discharge device comprising a closed glass envelope containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a filler composed qi pieces of insulating material within that part of the envelope which lies between said electrodes, said ller affording a plurality of paths for the electrical discharge.

7. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass envelope containing a. rare gas and spaced elect-rodes of solid material and a filler composed of pieces of insulating material within that part of the envelope which lies between said electrodes, said iiller affording a plurality of paths for the electrical discharge with free gas spaces between the pieces. l

8. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass envelope containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a filler composed of pieces of insulating material within t'hat part of the envelope which lies between said electrodes, said rlller affording a plurality of tortuous paths for the electrical discharge.

9. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a filler of insulating material within that part of the tube which lies between said electrodes. said iiller composed of units of approximately the same passageways for the electrical discharge.

10. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a iiller of insulating material within that part of the tube which lies between said electrodes, said ller composed of units of approximately the sameA diameter as the internal diameter or the tube and constructed so as to px/ovide a plurality of passageways forjthe electrical discharge between the units ad the tube.

11. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a filler of insulating material within that part of the tube which lies between said electrodes, said illler composedV of units of approximately the same diameter asthe internal diameter of the tube and constructed Vso as to provide a plurality of passageways for the electrical discharge and free gas spaces between the units.

. 12. An electric discharge device comprising a closed glass tube containing a rare gas and spaced electrodes of solid material and a filler of insulating material wit-bin that part of the tube which lies between said electrodes. said iiller composed of units of approximately thesame diameter as the internal diameter of the tube. said units having openings therethrough ail'ording a plurality of passageways for the electrical

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