US3013347A - Lightning rod demonstrator - Google Patents

Description

Dec 19, 1961 w. U. AKERMAN LIGHTNING Ron DEMoNsTRAToR Filed Sept. 6, 1960 FIG. 3

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,013,347 LIGHTNING RGD DEMONSTRATOR Walter U. Alterman, 400 6th St., Dover, NH. Filed Sept. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 53,941 3 Claims. (Cl. 35-19) This invention comprises a novel demonstrator for lightning rod salesmen by the use of which prospective f customers may be shown in a striking manner the dangers from lightning to which an unprotected house and its occupants are subjected and the protection aorded by properly installed lightning rods.

It is important that such a demonstrator should be compact, easily portable and of light weight and also capable of being plugged in on rural service circuits in the territory covered by the salesman. All these requirements are to be found in the demonstrator of my invention which is characterized by an underlying ground plate having a miniature house standing thereon which is wired from the roof to provide spark gaps for different phases of the demonstrator. These, for example, may include one or more figures located inside the house or closely adjacent thereto and wired so that a high voltage discharge to the roof of the house will appear as a spark passing to the figures. As another phase of the demonstration an inammable pad may be placed in one of the spark gaps and ignited by discharge to the roof.

The inadequacy of an antenna to protect the house and the complete protection of my lightning rod system may also be shown by placing an antenna on the roof of the house with and without a lightning rod that may be inserted or removed during the demonstration to illustrate its action and effect.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a View in front elevation showing a lightning rod installed upon the house,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of one end of the roof of the house,

FIG. 3 is a View corresponding to FIG. l but with the lightning rod omitted, and

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the house in cross section.

As herein shown the demonstrator includes an underlying metallic ground plate and upon this stands an open front miniature house 11 having a pitched roof 12. On the inner surface of the roof are placed a pair of spaced apart metallic plates or foils 13 and 14 and these are bent upwardly forming a flange that extends to the .ridge of the roof but is there visible only as a line. From the plate 13 extends a branch 15 merging into a strip 16 that extends down the inside wall of the miniature house and terminates in a sharp point. Standing within the house adjacent to this wall are the iigures of a woman 17 and a man 18 and in the figure of the woman is included a transverse wire 17' terminating adjacent to the end of a wire 18 concealed in the lfigure of the man and extending through the floor of the house where it is grounded upon the plate `10. The circuit is such that a spark gap is formed between the lower end of the strip 16 and the Womans left elbow and also between the right hand of the woman and the left hand of the man.

A small hole is formed in the right hand wall of the house adjacent to the lower end of the strip 16. Outside the house stands the figure of a horse 19 and in this figure is concealed a wire 19 terminating near the hole 2l) and passing through one of the horses legs to a -ground ice connection with the plate 10. It will be seen that a spark gap is thus formed between the lower end of the strip 16 and the horses head.

A hole Z1 is formed near one end of the roof slightly to one side of its ridge and close to the metallic foil or plate 15. This hole is for the reception of an antenna 22 which may be placed as seen in FIG. 3 or removed during the demonstration.

A hole 23 is formed in the ridge of the roof adjacent to each end thereof for the reception of the removable lightning rod 24. This comprises two upright legs which are grounded at their lower ends on the plate 10 and connected at their upper ends by a horizontal tie section. This lightning rod may be easily placed as shown in FlG. l or removed as shown in FIG. 3.

The rooting end plate or foil 14 is connected with a metallic strip 25 secured to the inner left hand wall of the miniature house and terminating in a sharp point. A block 26 is secured to the floor of the house and provided with a metallic spike Z7 which is grounded at its lower end upon the plate 10 and its upper end forms a spark gap with the strip 2S. In this spark gap may be placed a pad 28 of textile material saturated with inflammable liquid such as lighter fuel.

The demonstrator is completed by a high voltage transformer 30 which may be plugged into any service outlet and is then capable of discharging a high voltage spark to the lightning rod 24 or the antenna 22 as suggested in FIGS. l and 3. The transformer 30 is a well known article of commerce and may be readily secured in the open market.

In carrying out the demonstration a high voltage spark may be discharged upon the antenna 22 or at any point along the ridge of the roof adjacent to the edge of the plates 14 or 15. Under these circumstances the electrocution of the man 18, the woman 17 and the horse 19 is graphically shown by heavy sparks formed at the spark gaps as indicated. The fallacy of depending upon antenna for lightning protection is thus demonstrated. Now, when the lightning rod 24 is installed as shown in FIG. lJ all discharges from the transformer 30 pass directly to the ground plate 1) without touching the figures.

A striking phase of the demonstration may be performed by placing an inflammable pad 2S between the lower end of the strip 25 and the spike 27 and then discharging a high voltage spark to the roof of the house adjacent to the plate 14. Under these circumstances the spark `formed instantly ignites the pad 2S, creating an ominous blaze as suggested in FIG. 3. This occurrence is also avoided when the lightning rod is in place as suggested in FIG. l.

In one satisfactory embodiment of the invention the miniature house is 8 x 5 inches in ground plan and stands about 6 inches in height. The metallic ground plate is approximately 13 x 6 inches and has sufiicient capacity to absorb and dissipate any charge used in the demonstration without additional ground connections.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that an effective demonstrator has been provided at low cost providing ideal equipment for its intended purpose.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A lightning rod demonstrator comprising an underlying ground plate of metal, an open front miniature house standing on said plate and having an electro-conductive member concealed in its roof, a branch of said member running. part way down one side wall of the house, and a figure standing in the house adjacent to said branch and having an electro-conductive connection with said ground plate.

2. A lightning rod demonstretor as described in clairn 1, further characterized in that two separate electro-conductive members are concealed in the roof of the house and these have branches upon the inner surfaces of the opposite side walls of the house, which branches lead into close proximityl to different located objects having electroeconductive connection with the ground plate.

3. A lightning rod demonstrator comprising an underlying ground plate, a miniature house standing thereon and having a roof with an electro-conductive circuit and an apertured side Wall on which the circuit extends, and an animal figure having an eleotro-conductive connection d with the ground plate outside the house and adjacent to the aperture of the side Wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Dodd et al. Apr. 4, 1899 Simpson June 28, 1904 OTHER REFERENCES

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