US289630A - Josiah w - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

J. W; DYER. CIRCUIT BREAKER AND LIGHTNING ARRESTER FOR ELEGTRIG CIRCUITS.

No. 289,630. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

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UNITED STATES JOSIAH W. DYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA., ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOMATIC PATENT OFFICE.

CURRENT PROTECTOR AND ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER AND LIGHTNING-ARRESTER FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,630, dated December 4-, 1883,

Application filed Mayi. 1883.

To (6 whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osL-lH W. DYER, of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Combined Circuit- Breaker and Lightning-Arrester for Electric Circuits, of which the following is a specifica-ition. My invention has reference to combined to circuit-breaker and lightning-arrester for telephone and telegraph circuits; and it consists in certain construction of apparatus, the de tails of which are fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable instrument to be interposed in an electric circuit, which shall either ground the excessive charge of electricity, due to lightning striking the electric wire, or, if the same be of low tension and large quantity, shall break said line-circuit to protect the telephone, telegraph-instruments, or any electrical cable to which it is applied. It is equally 2 5 adapted to protect the said instruments against excessive charges of electricity, due to the crossing of a dynamo-electric circuit (electric-light circuit) with the telephone or telegraph wire, and in this case, as the charge is constant, the

line is automaticallybroken and kept open. If

from any cause the circuit-breaking mechanism should be injured, then the current would be grounded, provided it have sufficient tension. XVhen the circuit or line is broken, an

alarm may be sounded, and so notify the op erator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aside elevation of my combined circuit-breaker and lightningarrester,'and Fig. 2 is a plan view of two of 40 such instruments arranged upon the same stand.

A is the base. 13 is the electromagnet, the core 0 of which is made like a horseshoe, and only one leg of which has the coil of wire 5 wound thereon. This makes the instrument more compact and increases its strength with a given amount of wire, thus reducing the re sistance in the line to a minimum and increasing the strength of the magnet to a maximum. The extra resistance inserted in the line by' interposing the magnets of the circuit-breaker is objectionable, particularly in telephony,

(No model.)

and it is desirable to reduce this resistance to a minimum without reducing the strength of the magnet below that required to make the circuitbreaker operate under all eondltions;

and to do this I use a horseshoe-core with a coil about one of its legs only, as set forth. D is the armature, and is provided on its end with a catch, (Z, and is seeured'to the post E by a spring, D, to withdraw the said armature away from the poles of the electro-magnets. The post E is connected to a plate, F, by a thumb or milled screw, G, which plate is in circuit with one end of the contact-block H of 6 5 the lightning-arrester, the other end of which rests upon support i, and is secured to a binding-post,I, to whichtheline-wire M is connected. This block H rests upon a ground-block, J, provided with a binding-post, L, for the ground-wire Z.

The blocks H and J may be made of metal or carbon, and are separated by a paper as bestus sheet, K; but I prefer to make the blocks of carbon and separate them by a thin sheet of asbestus, because the carbon is not so apt to fuse and form points to make con tinuous grounds as are metal, and the asbestus, when perforated by a current of high ten sion, does not carbonize, like paper, and form a continuous ground, so that by using asbestus between the contact-blocks the insulating layer or sheet K would not have to be changed for an indefinite period. It might be perforated in a hundred places without permanently 8 5 grounding the instrument. This is particularly useful in telephone and telegraph circuits, as it obviates the necessity of constantly changing this insulation, as was formerly neces sary when paper was used. Asbestus has an 0 additional feature in its favor, and that is, that it is not as good a non-conductor as paper, and may be used thicker with the same effects, thus separating the blocks J and H to a greater extent, and thereby tends to prevent permanent 9 5 grounding. Of course it is evident that the said blocks H and J might be separated by air only; but in this case it would be necessary to put them very close to each other, and much danger would occur from dust or a small IOO grain of carbon getting between them, and would in time make a permanent ground. Vhen a large number of these instruments are placed side by side, the ground-plate of carbon would offer considerable resistance, owing to its length, and to reduce this I placea copper strip or plate, J, under said carbon J and connect it with the ground binding-post L.

Pivoted to a support, a, is the hooked arm N, the upper part of which is curved over and terminates in a catch, a, adapted to be caught by the part d of the armature D. Vhen pressed up and caught, it compresses or bends a spring, 0, and when released by the armature D the arm N is thrown back and is caught between two spring-pieces, I, and supported there. The said arm N, in being caught by said springs, closes a local-alarm circuit, Q, provided with a battery, Q", and alarm-bell or buzzer Q. \Vheu the arms N are down and it is desired to raise them to close the circuit, if the line M be charged by a continuous current, as from an electric-light circuit, the moment the parts d and a touch, the operator would receive a heavy shock. To prevent this I provide said arms N with hard-rubber buttons N, so that when the arm is pressedup and caught by the armature D it will immedi ately drop, and thus indicate a continuous powerful current. As the armN forms part of the line. it would be impossible to hold it without such protection against shocks. The bottom of arm N or support a is connected with one end of the helix of the electro-magnet B by wire T, theother end of which helix is connected by wire S with binding-post R, to which the other or grounded end of the line M is secured, and having located therein the receiving-instrument T.

I do not claim that the principle of breaking a telephone or telegraph circuit is new, nor that the broad principle of the mechanism is new, but confine myself to the peculiarities of the construction of said mechanism, where by greatly-improved results are obtained.

The. operation is as follows: The line M entersat binding-post I and leaves-the instrumentby binding-post B, having passedthrough block H, conductor F, post E, armature D, arm N, wire T, magnet B, and wire S. Now, should an excessive charge of lightning of high tension strikethe wire M, then the said charge would pass to ground by block J and wire Z;

but should there. be considerable quantity the 1 'H and J with insulating medium K, line M,

magnet. B; would attract the armature D and:

open the line-circuit and ring the alarm Q, or. g

D, having catch (1, arm N, spring 0, horselshoe-core O, helix B on one leg of said magit may perform both of said functions-4'. 6., pass to ground and break the circuit. If' the electric charge be due to crossing with an electric-light wire, then the line. is broken and the alarm Q rings, and if it is attempted to close the lineby raising arm N the armature is immediately attracted and the arm N drops, while in the case of the line being opened by a lightning-charge the arm N is caught and retained, as the armature is not again attracted so as to free said arm N; hence the cause 'is at once known.

In this application I do not claim the specific construction of the lightning-arrester, as

that will form subject-matter of a future application.

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

1. The combination of line-circuit M, havin g receiving-instruments located therein, with a lightning-arrester and a circuit-breaker, the circuit-breaker being located in the line between the lightning-arrester and receivinginstruments, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A line-circuit and an electro-magnet located therein, in combination with a pivoted arm adapted to break the line-circuit, and latching mechanism controlled by said magnet and its armature to hold said arm, means to catch said arm when freed, and means, as set forth, actuated by said pivoted arm to sound an alarm after said line is broken, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of horseshoe-core C with a helix, B, about one of its legs, armature D, arm N, and wire T, the said armature being in circuit with one end of the line-wire, and helix B with the other end, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of conducting-blocks H and J with insulating medium K, line M,

ground-wire Z, an electro-magnet armature,

D, having catch (1, arm N, spring 0, horseshoe-core O, helix B on one leg of said magnet,

, and means to draw said armature away from the core, the electro-magnet being in circuit with the line, and located between the receiving-instruments and the conductors H and J, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of conducting-blocks H and J with insulating medium K, line M, ground-wire Z, an electro-magnet armature, D, having catch (1, arm N, spring 0, horseshoe-core G, helix B on one leg of said magnet, and means to draw said armature away from the core, springs P, forming the terminus of an alarm-circuit, the electro-maguet being in circuit with the line, and located be tween the receiving-instruments and the con ductors H and J, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of conducting-blocks ground-wire Z, an electro-magnet armature,

net, means to draw said armature away from 1 the core, springs P, circuit Q, battery Q and 3 alarm Q, the electro-magnet being in circuit with the line, and located between the receiving-instruments and the conductors H and J,

' substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JOSIAH XV. DYER. Witnesses J. ALFRED SMITH, \V. S. MCWADE.

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