US247177A - Electric lamp - Google Patents

Description

T. L. DENNIS.

BLBGTRIG LAMP.

170.247,177. Patented Sept. 20,1881.

ley] 12%? Vm W n .WH/Wb. zy www@ NITED STATES PATENT OFFICEe THOMAS L. DENNIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,177, dated September 20, 1881.

Application filed February 16, 1880. a l

ing kind, which shall possess a cheap and simple construction, dispense with clock-work mechanism, and effect the feeding and separating ofthe carbons in a positive manner by the direct action of the controlling-magnet,'r

and in which, furthermore, the carbons may be renewed continuously without discontinuing the light or in any way stopping the action of the lamp.

To these ends my invention consists in the" construction, operation, and combination of i the various'parts, more fully hereinafter described, and then pointeduout in the claims.

lnthe annexed drawings, Figure lis a front elevation of my improved lamp, and Fig. 2 is the heads a c', as seen best in Fig. 2. The

a central sectional side elevation thereof.

The frame of the lamp is of about the usual l form, consisting of two circular heads, a a',

joined by upright bars b b, and between which the magnets c and regulating mechanism are mounted, and from which the upper carbon is -or fixed definite point, instead of at a varying point, the lower carbon is hence fed up by spring or weight in a tubular guide, f, fixed to the cross-bar e, the top of which is fitted with platinum points y y, which bear upon the tip of the carbon near the base of the taper thereon, andpermit the gradual out-feed of the carbon as the consumption thereof takes place in a well known manner, which will be readily understood. Now, this lower carbonis held ina short holderor tube, g, which encircles or partly en` circles the carbon, and is pressed up by aspiral spring, h,- both of which are guided in and in-v closed by the guiding-tube f. rlhe carbon is clamped in the holder g by a screw, i, or similar device, which projects through and is guided in a slot on the front of the guidingtube, while the lower end of the spring. rests on the cap f', which is adjustable on the tube, to permit of regulating the tension ofthe spring, and is also perforated at the center to permit the free insertion of the carbons. It will now be observed that the carbon-holder g,'as well as the guide-tube f, is open at the bottom, so that long before lthe first piece ot' carbon is exhausted the holder g may be unclamped from it, pressed down, and a fresh carbon rod inserted close up against the first, and the carbon being then clamped in the holder by a turn of the screw, the spring will continue to feed up both pieces, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In this way, as will be perceived, the carbons may be constantly renewed without ever stopping the light, and in the most simple manner, which constitutes a material advantage of my invention.

The upper carbon is supported in a long tube, 7c, which is guided in central bores through lower end of the tube extends close to the meeting-point ofthe carbons, and it is slit from this end to or about its middle, and this middle portion is reduced 'in thickness, so as to divide the lower portion of the tube into two very elastic spring-jawsdike those of a chuck, which are adapted toy grasp the carbon near the point. Now, the armature l of the magnets c cis fixed to this carbon-tube k just above the head a, so that the tube is raised by the attraction ot' the armature and depressed'when the attraction ceases or weakens beyond a certain point.

The lower end of this carbon holding tube lo 'from the lower head, e, and is adjustable in a tubular neck, t', fixed to this head. l The lower portion of this guide-tube is also slit, and is encircled by a collar, m, provided with ascrew, by which the mouth of the guide-tube, through which the carbon-tube 7c projects, may-be contracted more or less. Now, the mouth. of the guide-tube t is fitted with a small roller,fn,"on each side,which closely approaches the'car-A bon tube 7c, and the jaws .of the carbon :tube directlybelow the rollers are slightly diverged, and'also slightly taperedwith a downwardincrease, so that when the tube is raised the jaws become closed by-contaet with the rollers n n, thus grasping and holding the upper carbon at a point slightly separated from the lower carbon, while when the tube is depressed the jaws are relaxed, and the carbon is free to fall toward the lower carbon. The depressing or feeding movement of the carbon-tube 7c is effected when the attraction of the magnet c weakens, partly by the weight of the tube, and chiefly by the action of a spring-lever, 0, which acts in opposition to the attraction of the magnet. rlhis leveris preferably of elbow form, and is fulcrumed at the bend, its long arm being connected by a spring to an adjustable tension -screw,p, on the upright b, while its short arm, which is forked, straddles the carbon-tube near the top, and rests upon an ad* justable collar, r, fixed thereon. Now, more or less tension may be put upon the lever by adjusting the spring tension-screw p to make the lever resist the magnet more or less, according to requirements; but an adjustment of much greater range and accuracy is obtained by changing the fulcruni-point of the lever, which, according to myinvention, is made adjustable-.that is,-this lever is mounted at the bend on the end of the adjustable screw s, which is screwed through the upright b, and its tip, which is rounded, enters a rounded cavity in the bend of the lever, forming a balland-socket fulcrum for the lever to rock upon. It will now be seen that by adjusting the screw s the lever will be moved to or from the carbon-tube, its forked short arm riding over the collar r thereon, thus changing the fulerumpoint, or, in effect, shortening or lengthening the short arm relatively to thelong arm. The tension or downward pressure ot' the lever upon the carbon tube can thus be regulated in an instant with great nieety and within a great range, so as to compensate for any strength oi' attraction, which, of course, represents the strength of current. In this way the lamp, Awhen set up, may be adjusted perfectly to suit 4the strength of current with which it may be supplied, so that the feeding and separating movement of the carbon tube will always be etfected with sensitiveness and certainty.

It will now be observed that the upper-car- .bon tube is open from end to end, and that when the armature and the tube is depressed the grasping end of the tube will become relaxed, so that a carbon rod may be dropped freely into the tube from the top, and, descending through the same, its lower end will finally pass through the graspingmouth of the tube and fall into contact with the lower carbon. Now,.when the current circulates the armature will be attracted, and, raising the tube, will contract the same upon the carbon, thus grasping the carbon, and at the same time raising it slightly from the lower carbon, thus effecting the separation to the required extenta The carbon and its tube will be then held suspended by the attraction ofthe magnet,

and will vibrate up or down slightly, accord ing as the current weakens or strengthens by the change in the points. Then the carbon, however, becomes consumed enough to weaken the current below the tension of the depress ing or compensating lever o, the tube will be at once depressed, thus losing its grasp on the carbon, which will at once fall toward the lower carbon; but as the carbons approach, however, the current at once strengthens and increases the attraction, which raises the tube, and thus again grasps the carbon and separates it the proper distance from the lower carbon.

By this construction it will be observed that the feeding and separating of the carbons is effected in a very perfect manner, and with very little mechanism, and that of a simple kind, and, moreover, the illuminating-point is always kept at the same focus.

It will also be seen that before the first carbon is consumed in the upper tube another carbon may be inserted above it, to follow down the, former one, thus rendering the action ofthe lamp continuous, and enabling the carbons to be renewed for any length of time without interrupting the light.

It may now be observed that in this lamp one otthe carbons is constantly fed up against fixed refractory points in a hxed holder, while the other carbon is held in a movable holder actuated by regulating mechanism controlled by the electric current, which causes this can bon to approach to or recede from the'other carbon as the current weakens or strengthens, or as the form ot' the carbon points changes. Hence by this meas, as may be appreciated, a more perfect focus is maintained and a better control of the carbons and regulation ot' the light is secured than where both carbons are fed up against refractory points at fixed distances, for in the latter case the carbons often burn oft' with such irregularity as to cause on the one hand a too far separation, or on the other hand a too close approach, which is et't'ectually obviated by controlling one carbon by the currentand forcing the other against fixed refractory points.

By adjusting the collar m on the gnide-tube t and the tube t in the neck t, the carbon-tube k may be made to grasp the carbon sooner or later in its rising movement, as will be readily understood.

Instead of a magnet and movable armature, atixed solenoid coil with movable cores attached to the carbon-tube may, ot' course, be substituted.

The current enters the lamp through the binder -ion the head a', and thence descends through the upper-carbon tube and carbon to the lower one, from which it passes to the rod d, and from thence through the magnetic coils, and ott' by the insulated binder on the head a.

Another feature of my invention consists in embodying in and providing the lamp with IOO TIO

a switch controlling the internal circuit of the lamp, and arranged upon the exterior of the lamp in an accessible position for manipulation by the hand, so that when any emergency requires it the circuit may be broken or closed at the lamp itself without requiring to detach wires or to go to the machine or switch-board.

I prefer to arrange this switch, as shown at u in the drawings, upon the cross-bar e, so as to connect the lower-carbon guide-tube with the rod t of the lamp-frame; and it preferably consists of a spring-arm fixed to the rod and arranged to spring` over and catch under a hooked projection on the lower-carbon guide and by manipulating which it will be observed that the internal circuit of the lamp may be closed or broken, as may be required. I also prefer to arrange this switch so as to be trippedby the terminal movement of the travelin g carbon-holder before the carbon becomes entirely exhausted, by simply providing the holder g with a projecting pin, v, adapted to pass through a hole in the cross-bar e and strike againstand trip the switch, thusbreaking the circuit. This, as will be observed, acts as a safety device, to prevent by any chance the consumption of the platinum points y, which might becaused by the too near approach of the upper carbon in case the lower carbon should become entirely exhausted, but which is fully guarded againsthy the described device.

What I claim as my invention is- I. The combination, in an electric lamp,of a movable carbon-holder having one end formed as a clutch to gripe or release the carbon, in combination with a fixed device, t, encircling,

or partly encircling, the said clutch, and. ar-

ranged to contract the clutch upon the carbon when moved in one direction, and permit the clutch to relax when moved in the opposite direct-ion, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination, in au electric lamp, of a controlling-magnet, and a separating and feeding carbon-holder actuated by said magnet, with a tension-lever opposing and compensating the action of the magnet, mounted on an adjustable fnlcrum, and having one arm resting on the carbon-tube, and its other end .connected to a spring, whereby the leverage against the magnet may be increased or decreased, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an electric lamp, acircuit breaking and closing switch embodied within the lamp, and forming part of the internal circuit thereof, arranged upon the exterior of the lamp in an accessible position for manipulation by the hand, in combination with means, substantially as described, to automatically break the circuit when the carbon is exhausted, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4.. An electric lamp constructed with a circuit breaking and closing switch, forming part of the internal circuit thereof, with a movable electrode or carbon or carbon-feeder arranged to trip the said switch and break the circuit by its terminal movement, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, in an electriclamp, with a regulating-magnet, of a pendent carbonholdin g tube open throughout, adapted to permit the gravitation of the carbon through the same, having its lower end formed to grasp or release the carbon by the action of the magnet, and its outer end open to permit the free insertion of additional carbons to follow the preceding one withoutinterrupting the action of the same, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an electric lamp, a traveling carbon clamp or holder, substantially `as set forth, adapted to be securely fastened to the carbon and travel with it at the same rate as it burns, and open at the bottom to permit the free insertion of additional carbons to follow up the preceding one without interfering with the same, in combination with devices, substantially as described, to impel and guide the holder, as and for the purpose specified.

7. An electric lamp in which the luminous end of the electrode or carbon is constantly pressed or fed against refractory points or fixed stops, provided with the traveling carbonholder, impelled and guided by suitableineans, and adapted to impel and travel with the carbon in a continuous manner the full length of the same, or thereabout, secured to the carbon by a lateral grasp, and open at the outer end to permit the insertion of an additional carbon to follow up the preceding one without inter rupting the same, substantially as herein set forth.

THOMAS L. DENNIS. Witnesses:

GHAs. M. HIGGINS,

EDWARD H. WALEs.

IOO

Images