US447482A - Barton b - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

B. B. WARD. ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

No. 447,482. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

$ 5 4113 axiom tugs m in. Cart 4 0M144 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTON B. \VARD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC CON- STRUCTION AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,482, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. l, BARTON l3. WARD, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Regulators for Electric-Light Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for main-' out of use an equivalent resistance may be substituted. This has sometimes been done at each lamp by means of a number of resistance devices-that is, one for each lamp in the system-and these resistances have been made as nearly equal to the normal lamp resistance as could be readily done. \Vith this arrangement the difficulty and expense of preserving an exact balance in the several branches have been considerable, and by my invention the difficult yand expenseare largely reduced. 1 may use the individual resistances above referred to at each lamp; but in that case it is unnecessary to carefully gage each resistance to equal that of its lamp. It is only necessary to make them approximately of the proper resistance and the system will be automatically balanced at a point external to the lamps and at one point for all the lamps in the two branches.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, G is a generator, and l 2 the main circuit wires or leads. At some convenient point in the system where multiple-arc branches are led to translating devices is placed a regulator 3, which consists, essentially, of an artificial resistance and means for transferring resistance from one branch to another as the necessity arises. R h is such resistance, shown in this instance as a strip or rod of high-resistance material. Difierent forms of resistance are shown in Fig. "hen he resistances of branches 4 and 5 are equal, the contact 6 of the circuitcontroller to which line 1 is connected by a flexible or movable connection will be held at the center of R h. \Vhen, however, the resistance increases in either line, the coil 7 or 8, as the case may be, in the other line will be more strongly energized and will move the core to cut out resistance from said first line into the other line, thus at once equalizing resistance in the two lines or branches and maintaining the remaining lights at their normal intensity. The coils are preferably wound on insulating-spools, so that there may be no danger of cross-connection between the core and the branches at 5. In branch at are shown several arc lamps 9 and in branch 5 several incandescent lamps 10. The lamps will preferably, though not necessarily, be provided with a resistance R 72/ in a cut-out branch, which should be ap- 75 proximately equal to the resistance of a normal arc. The circuits of the first lamp are diagrammatically indicated. 11 is the main magnet. 2 is a magnet with a small number of turns also in the main line and serving during the normal operation of the lamp to hold its armature away from the contact 14:.

15 is the shunt-magnet of the lamp, and the circuit therefrom passes to a coil on magnet 12, so Wound as to have an opposite magnetic effect from the main-line coil. \Vhen, therefore, the current in the shunt becomes strong enough to neutralize the attractive force of magnet 12, as would be the case, for example,

if one carbon should be broken, so as to open the circuit between the two carbons, the armature will move to its back-stop and close the circuit through R 71 but it will be understood that this action does not occur during the ordinary operation of the carbon- 5 feeding apparatus of the lamp. If resistance R 7L2 is just equal to the resistance of a normal arc, the contact 6 of regulator 3 will remain at the center of its resistance. It, however, as is generally the case, there is a dif- IOO ference, the contact 6 will be moved up or down and at once adjust the resistance, as before described. R 7&2 could be omitted, especially in a system in which a small numberet lampssay three or four-are placed in each multiple-arc branch. The resistance R h and the range of movement of contact 6 would then have to be greater, and the regulation would not be so quickly and perfectly attained.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the regulator. Each coil 7 8 has a separate contact 6 (3', co-operating with a separate resistance. There is a flexible connection 16 between the line and the sliding contacts, and as said contacts of the circuit-controller move more or less of the resistance is shunted, as will be apparent from the drawings. It will be understood that the lamps in this arrangement are preferably provided with resistances corresponding to R k of Fig. 1. When one or more of the lights in branch 4 are thrown out of use, ifit increases the resistance, more current is thrown to coil 8, which will move 6 upward, throwing resistance into its branch. At the same time the weakening of coil 7 will permit contact (5 to move downward, cutting out resistance from its branch, and thus the balance is immediately re-established in the system.

Fig. 3 shows another application and a further development of the invention. The regulator 3 controls the resistance of branches 4 5, which mayinclude lamps, as above described. The branch 4 is subdivided into twobranches t 5', the former including arc and the latter incandescent lamps, (or both including lamps of the same character, or other translating devices,if desired.) At the point of division is placed a regulator, similar to regulator 3, for controlling the resistance of sub-branches 4: 5. Branch 5 is also subdivided into two branches 4:" 5" in the same manner and is providedwith a resistance regulator at the point of division. The operation of these systems will be apparent without further description. I The invention is especially valuable in circuits having arc lamps in one branch and incandescent lamps in the other, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an electric-lighting system, the combination of the main wires orleads, multiplearc branches containing translating devices, a resistance-regulator for each pair of branches between one of the leads and the translating devices, said regulator comprising a coil in each branch, a resistance, part of-whichis in one branch and part of which is in a second branch, and a contact connected with one of the line-wires bearing on said resistance and moved by the coils to throw resistance from one branch to the other, substantially as described.

2. In an electric-lighting system, the comcoils in said branches controlling a contactbearing on the resistance between the points where the branches are connected, whereby movement ofsaid contact throws resistance out of one branch and into the other, substantially as described.

3. A resistance-regulator consisting of a resistance thetwo terminals of which are connected'through coils to'two lines, in combina tion with a contact connected to the source of current bearing on the'resistance between the two terminals and controlled by the armature ot' the coils, whereby resistance is thrown from one line to the other as required, substantially as described.

4. In an electrical lighting system, the combination of the main wires, multiple are branches containing translating devices, a resistance-regulator for eachpair, consisting of a coil ineach of said branches, a resistance in each branch, said resistances being-substantially equal'when the'working-resistances of the branches are equal, and circuit-controlling devices moved by the coils for simultaneously cutting resistance outot one branch and cutting resistance into the other branch, substantially as described.

This specifieationsigned andwitnessed this 7th day of March, 1890.

BARTON B. WARD.

\Vitnesses: CHARLES M. CATLIN, W. PELZER.

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