US279825A - sheehy - Google Patents

Description

(No Mbdel.)

'R. J. SHEEHY. ELECTRIC ARU LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Patented June 19, 1888.

WLTNESS INVENTOR .Robert 1 Skeeizy, By has ,rlltarneys 7 N, PETERS. Phdo-lmwgnphlr. Wishingtum n. cv

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.ROBERT J. SHEEHY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-ARC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,825, dated June 19 1883.

lN-- model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. SHEEHY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lighting Systems, of whiehthe following is a specification.

My invention relates in general to the economical and practical management of electric lighting systems, and'more particularly to appliances for automatically reporting at a central station the failure of any lamp in circuit, and for indicating the locality of the trouble by reporting the particular number or other distinguishing character by which the defect-' ive lamp is designated, in order that it may be at once visited by an inspector and the normal conditions of operation restored.

In general my invention may be described as follows: I make use of electromagnetism, increasing correlatively with the resistance of the are of any one of several electric lamps situated in the same circuit, to actuate mechanism (when said resistance exceeds apredetermined amount) whereby a special resistance is automatically and successively introduced into and withdrawn from the main line a proper number of times to transmit the distinguishing number or signal assigned to the light. This causes upon the main line a series of pulsations which are responded to by an appropriate re porting mechanism at the central station, so that the operator there may be apprised of the locality of the trouble. The particular subject-matter claimed will be hereinafter specifically designated.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a theoretical diagram of an electric light system embodying my improvements, and Figs. 2 and 3are detailed views of certain portions of the mechanism employed.

Referring to Fig. 1, I have therein shown ny improvements as applied to a system in which three lights, A A A, are operated upon the circuit of an electric generator, D.

In conjunction with each lamp I have shown a mechanism, B B B, for instituting upon the main line certain electric pulsations whe11 ever one of the lamps is out of order, to be interpreted by the signaling device 0 at the central station, so that the operator at that point can ascertain the designating number of the lamp in. trouble. The devices B, connected with each lamp, are similar to each other in all respects.v have accordingly shown an end view at B, a transverse section at B, and a face view at B", and applied similar referenceletters to corresponding parts appearing in each view. The devices B are shown as contained in separate cases, which are designed to be attached to the box containing the regulating mechanism of the electric lamp. The mode of operating the devices B will therefore be in a great measure dependent upon the character of the lamp to which it is attached. I have illustrated in connection with lamp A. the method of actuation which I prefer when the device is connected to the particular elec tric lamp for which I made application for Letters Patent on October 10, 1882. In con nection with the lamp A I have shown means of operating such device in connection with another electric lamp of different construction, for which I applied for Letters Patent on October 16, 1882.

Considering the operation of the device as connected with. lamp A, the electrom-iagnet E is situated in a shunt-circuit spanning the electric arc, and its attractive force will ac cordingly be increased whenever the resist ance of said are becomes greater, and vice versa. Its armature F, acting in opposition to the adjustable spring G, will, when the attraction exceeds a predetermined strength, engage with thc'lever F and then, acting through the latter, elevate the lever F", which carries the stops 1 and'P. In this manner the stop I is automatically withdrawn from the path of a pin, J, carried by the shaft K, and the latter is disengaged and left free to revolve together with a time-train mechanism'actuated by a spring contained in the drum L, and which comprises the wheels M to M and fan. 1V The shaft K carries a cam-wheel, N, provided in this instance with a single cam. A face view of a similar cam-wheel,N, is shown in connection with the lamp A, except that the 60 strength of current and prevent further action latter is provided with three cams. Detached views of the eseapement mechanism which I prefer to use in this connection are shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The stop I, in moving from the path of the pin J, allows the latter to slide behind the stop I At a point near the end of a revolution the pin J will be arrested by the stop I. \Vhen the lamp is restored to op eration, the lever 'F is returned to its normal position, and the pin J assumes the position shown in the figuresi. (a, in contact with the stop 1". The rotation of the cam-wheel N causes the lever O to be raised by the action of the cam carried thereby. Similarly a sin gle revolution of the cam-wheel N will cause three successive elevations of the lever O. \Vith each elevation the main circuit which traverses said lever will be interrupted at the point 1?; but the current will still, traverse a shunt-cireuit including an artificial resistance, R, which is capable of adjustment. There will therefore be transmitted through the circuit a single pulsation in the case ol the lamp A. \Vith a single revolution of the cam-wheel used in conjunction with the lamp A two such pulsations will be transmitted, and with a revolution of the cam-wheel co-opcrating with lamp A three pulsations. This arrangement may be indefinitely extended in its application, a device 13 being connected with each 01' alarge number of lamps, the only difference being in the number or manner of grouping of the cams employed in conjunction with each.

At the central station I provide a mechanism, C, prcierably consisting of an axial magnet or solenoid, Q, included in the main circuit, a core, Q", and lever S, properly adjusted by means ot'thc antagonistic spring T to re spond to the said pulsations. Thus, suppos ing the lamp A to be cut out of circuit, the consequent decrease of resistance will cause a single stroke upon the bell, thus calling the attention of the attendant to the fact that one olthc lamps is out of order. The eam-whecl N will also be revolved in the manner described. The elevation of the lever 0 will introduce the resistance It, which is preferably about equal to that of the are under its normal conditions. This allows the bellhammer U to drop. As soon as the resist ance R is withdrawn, the hammer is again aetu atcd and a single stroke given, thus notifiying the operator that lamp No. 1 is out of order. This form of interpreting device I have devised to be used in connection with an automatic currentgovernor-such, for example, as that shown in my application for Letters Patent dated November 7, 1882. Such a governor will immediately restore the normal of the bell until called into operation by similar difliculti es oecurrin g in any of the remaining lamps.

The device 13 used in conjunction with the lamp A, while similar in all respects to that employed in conjunction with lamp A, is operated in a somewhat diil'erent manner. A dog X, may be used to sustain a weight, \V. \Vhen said dog is witlnlrawn by any lorce acting in opposition to the spring )Lsuch, for example, as the force which operates the cut out mechanism of the lamp--thc weight will be released, which will descend upon and dc press the lever 1 and thereby actuate the shalt K in the manner described in connection with the lamp A.

It is evident that the mechanism may be set in operation not only by the magnet E and weight \V, but by equivalent mechanical and electrical devices.

I do not narrowly limit myself to the exact devices shown; but

hat I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, substantially as here inbelore set forth, of an electric lamp, a device under control of the mechanism of said lamp for transmitting determinate pulsations to indicate the identity of said lamp, and a mechanism by which said pulsations are employed to produce a distinctive signal at am other point in the circuit.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbel'ore set forth, of an electric lamp, a device set in operation byincreases in the resist ance of the arc of said electric lamp for transmitting the determinate pulsations to indicate the identity of said lamp, and'mechanism by which sai d pulsations are employed to produce a distinctive signal at anotherpoint in the circuit.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electric lamp, a camwheel set in revolution by an abnormal resist ance created in said lamp, a loop-circuit oi.

adj ustable resistance automatically introduced into the main circuit as many times during a single revolution as there are cams upon said cam-wheel, and an interpreting mechanism actuated with each introduction of said loopcircuit.

L. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of an electro-nn1gnet actuated correlativel y with increases in the resistance of the are 01' an electric lamp, escape ment mechanism actuated by said electroinagnet, aeam-wheel set in motion by said escapeinent mechanism, a series of cams 01' number selected to designate said lamp, and a resistance automatically introduced into the main circuit by the revolution of said camv wheel.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbelbre set forth, of an electric light, a mainv circuit including alever, a loop-circuit including a resist-ance, a cam-wheel for automatically elevating said lever, and thereby opening the main circuit a predetermined number of times, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a circuit of electric lights, mechanism for establishing a definite number of pulsations throughout said circuit scribed my name this 24th day of November, immediately after the automatic withdrawal A. D. 1882. of any light from said circuit, and before the normal strength of current is restored by the ROBERT SHEEHX' 4f 5 action of the currentgovernor, and a signal- \Vituesses:

' ingdevice actuated first by the withdrawal of 4 DANIEL XV. EDGEOOMB,

the lamp and afterward by said pulsations. 'CHARLEs A. TERRY.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub-

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