US275440A - tueneb - Google Patents

Description

(Model.-)

T. G. TURNER.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

Patented Apr. 10,1883.

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PATENT OFFICE.

OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,440, dated April 10, 1885.

Application filed May 10, 1882. (Model) T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Gr. TURNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Switches for Electric Lights; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electric lamps of the double-carbon pattern.

It consists, essentially, .in totally insulating the lower carbon points or pencils of doublecarbonlamps,andthen by meansofthemechanism hereinafter described automatically transferring the current from the consumed to the unconsumed carbon, and in other improvements,all of which will be hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 4 show my invention applied to alamp, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of parts, as will be described.

a c represent the upper carbon pencils, which are both in contact with the positive wire of the lamp all the time, and each is arranged to be fed down to its respective lower carbon as the latter is burned away. The candles a a are held in eyes or sockets formed on the outer ends of arms a. c. The arms a a have their inner ends provided with eyes or sockets, which slip onto a vertical rod, to, which connects with any suitable device, whereby it is guided downward. The arms a a and rod a are of ordinary construction, as a feed mechanism for the candles in an electric lamp.

1) b are the lower carbons, which are insulated in vertical sockets, as will be described.

0 represents a horizontalshaft, having vertical sockets c c on its opposite ends. In these sockets the carbons I) b are placed and secured by the thumb-screws 0. These carbons are insulated by being wrapped with paper or other non-conducting material.

The joint of socket c with shalt-c forms a square shoulder, 0

d is a sleeve placed and sliding on shaft 0. This sleeve is connected with the negative wire g of the lamp, as shown.

11 is a coil-spring placed on the shaft 0 and bearing between shoulder c and sleeve (7. This springforces the sleeve 61 and the mechanism connected thereto toward the carbon 1) when not held, as will be described.

(1 is a vertical arm extended from upper side of sleeve (1.

(Z are spring-plates arranged to stand on either side and clear of carbon 1), as shown in Fig. 2, when the several parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, and to come in contact with and convey the negative current to the said carbon in the operation of the invention, as will be described.

(i represents a horizontal connecting-rod extended from the arm d on opposite side from plates (1 as shown. The end of this rod is turned to form a hook, d", as shown.

6 represents a band, formed of wire, metal, or other conducting substance. It is passed around the carbon 1) and over the hook d. When so desired, a clamp, as shown in the detached view 6, Fig. i, may be provided and attached on the end of rod (1 embracing the carbon around about two-thirds of its circumference. Such a clamp will make good contact so long as the carbon is firm; but when the carbon is consumed to about the point of contact the heat softens it, so that the clamp will not hold, and the spring will make the contact, as will be described. In practice, I prefer to use a ring of wire, which will be burned, as such is cheap and efficient, and a new one may be used with each carbon. In the use of the clamp a spark will follow it until the circuit is completed with the opposite carbon. This spark will burn the clamp more or less, and eventually destroy it. The ring of wireis made preferably as light as will carry the current.

In Fig. 4, I show a lamp in which my invention is used in somewhat modified form. In this figureI show the carbons properly insulated in a beam,f, from the top of which Iproject a lug,j". Through this lug I form an opening in which works arod connected with the negative wire. One end of this rodis con nected to arm (1, and the spring (I is placed on said rod and bears between the said arm d and the lug extended from the beam, the whole operating substantially as the construction shown in Fig, 1, which operation I will hereinafter describe.

In Fig.4, as in Fig. 1, I show a spring mounted between the lower carbons of a double lamp and forming the end of the negative wire, and arranged so it will convey the negative current to one or the other of the carbons automatically by means of burning a loop of metal or wire.

In the operation ofmy invention,when the several parts are in theposition shown in Fig.1, if you startthe flow of the currentit will flow to the positive carbons, thence to the lower or negative carbons, I), in contact with the spring, and on to the next lamp or to the machine. Now, as the current flows the carbons are consumed.

In time the lower carbon, 1), will burn down to the ring or band 0, and it, too, will burn away. The spring, being no longer held by the ring over hook (i will carry the plates (1 over against carbon b, thus esta blishinga new track or path for the current through the fresh pair of carbon points, and leaving the old ones entirely out of the circuit. There will be no break of the current while the spring is passing from one to the other of the carbons, as the arc will follow the receding band or ring as it is pulled away by the spring, and the are will only break when new contact is established on the new carbon. Then the current will flow in its new channel and desert the old one. The arrows in Figs. 1 and t show the electric circuit.

It is well understood in practice that the degree of heat necessary to consume a carbon point is far greater than the degree of heat necessary to fuse metal. A carbon below the point where it is being consumed will become heated to a degree sufliciently high to fuse any metallic band, point, or other device that may be placed around or against it. In my invention I employ the band or loop 6, which embraces the carbon, as shown. When the carbon is consumed nearly to the loop, the latter becomes heated and is fused or burned so that it separates and is instantly drawn from its contact with the carbon by the action of the switch, and the electric current is thus instantly broken.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-- 1. The combination, with the shaft and the carbon-holdin g sockets, of a sleeve placed on the shaft and provided with a vertical arm, the circuit spring-plates and connectingrod, fixed to the vertical arm of the sleeve, the retract ing spring placed on the shaft and bearing against the end of the sleeve, and holder or band 0, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric lamp, a sliding eircuitcloser placed between two adjacent candles and provided on one end with means whereby it may be made fast to and held by one of the candles, and having on its opposite end circuitclosing plates and means whereby the saidcireuit-closer when released from the first candle is instantly moved and said circuit-plates are brought in contact with the second candle, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the candles I) b, placed at a suitable distance apart and insulated, of the rod (1 the circuit-plates al made fast to the end of the rod (7?, a movable carrier having the rod (1" and plates (1 supported and carried thereon, the band a, and aretracting-spring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

l. In an electric lamp, the fusible band 0, embracing the candle b and engaged with and holding the movable circuit closer, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS TURNER. Witnesses W. P. BAKER, J. W. MALONE.

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