US593050A - Alternating-current regulator - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

D.0.HULL. ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATOR. No. 593,050. Patented Nova 2,1897.

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D. O. HULL.

ALTERNATING CURRENT REGULATOR.

No. 593,050. Patented Nov. 2,1897.

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DANIEL OSCAR HULL, OF CLYDE, OHIO.

ALTERNATlNG-CURRENT REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,050, dated November 2, 1897. Application filed October 17, 1895.1 Serial No. 565,947. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL OSCAR HULL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clyde, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Current in Circuits Fed from Alter nating-Current Constant-Potential Mains; and I do hereby 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.

The object of my invention is to automatically maintain any desired current (up to the capacity of the system) in a circuit which is fed from alternating-current constant (or approximately constant) potential mains, whatever be the number or resistance of the translating devices which may be connected in or cut out of said circuit. These results are secured in the manner and by the means hereinafter described, and the invention is definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view, partly diagrammatic, of a circuit and apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the switch for governing the motor which effects the desired regulation. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism for operating the auto-converter brush or contact finger. Fig. 4: is a vertical sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6,is a horizontal sectional view on line 6 6 of Fig. 4:.

Referring to the parts by letters, A A represent the two alternating-current constantpotential mains.

B represents an auto-converter which is connected across said mains. The windings of the auto-converter are connected at suitable intervals with contact-plates b. The circuit which it is desired to control has one terminal permanently connected with one main A, while the other terminal is connected with the movable brush D, which may be moved into contact with any one of the contact-plates b.

The translating devices 0 may be of any desired character and may be adapted. to be independently connected in the circuit in series or cut out, as desired. It is evident that by the movement of this brush D back and forth over the contact-pieces b any desired potential difference between the termi nals of the circuit to be regulated (up to the capacity of the system) can be obtained.

"When the translating devices C, which may be arc-lights, are located at a distance from the controlling mechanism and are liable to be severally turned on or off at any time, it is desirable to provide means which will act automatically to regulate the potential difference of the terminals and keep the current constant in the circuit notwithstanding the variations in resistance due to turning any number of lights on or off. The automatic movement of the brush D, as shown in the drawings, is effected by an induction-motor, and the direction in which the armature of said motor moves is governed by the switch G, which switch is actuated by the core of the solenoid-magnet I, connected in the circuit to be controlled. v

A particularly effective construction, co1nbination, and arrangement of parts for automatically moving the brush D back and forth upon the small contact-pieces b and for giving a quick make and break to the brush and contact-pieces is shown in Figs. 3 to 6. The contact-pieces b are arranged in the arc of a circle. I The brush 'D is carried on the wheel N, mounted in the center of said are. The wheel is agear-wheel, which is connected by a train ofv gears h h h2 with the motor H.

The brush D is secured to the under side of a metallic bar d, and this bar is pivotally connected with the outer end of the two or more parallel bars (1 (1 which are in turn pivoted to the bracket 17., carried by but insulated from the Wheel N. This bracket 72 is connected by Wire 02 with the main A. The bar at is always parallel with a chord which passes through these pivots of the bars d d which connect them with the bracket n. Springs 61 engage with the middle bar cl and tend to hold it in a radial position.

A ring K is fixed outside of the row of contact-pieces I), and it is provided with an overhanging :iiange 7c. On the under side of this flange are depending pins it, which are arranged one above each of the spaces between the contact-pieces I). The outer end of the middle bar (1! projects so far that when said bar is in a radial position it will enter between two adjacent pins 7c the brush D being at this time in contact with that one of the contact-pieces b which lies between said pins. \Vhen the wheel N moves in either direction, the engagement of said bar d with one pin 7; causes the bars (Z (Z to turn upon their pivotal connections with brackets 11 until the end of the bar (7/, being drawn inward by such movement, may pass said pin 7;. The spring (Z then swings said bars back to their normal position, and the end of the middle bar (1 strikes and is stopped by the next pin 7;. As the said bars (1 d are moving upon their pivots to one side or the other of the radial po sition the brush D is drawn inward or toward the axis of the wheel. The contact between it and the contact-pieceb is not broken, however, nor is any contact made between it and any other contact-piece until the bar (2' slips past the pin 7c, with which it is then in contact. Immediately thereafter as the arms (1 (7 move, as described, to the radial position the brush D is quickly carried from one contact-piece Z) to the next one.

The circuit of the translating devices is divided at a point between the solenoid I and the motor ll, one part of the current passing over the wire j in which an inductive resistance J is connected, while the other portion passes over a wire j, in which a non-ind uctive resistance is connected. The ends of these wires are connected with contact-pieces g which are secured to but insulated from the under side of a pivoted lever g, and are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 and shown more fully in Fig. 2. The end of this lever is connected by a link t' with the core of the solenoid. g g" represent curved contactplates which lie beneath the lever g, their ends being so close together that the space between them may be bridged by the contact-pieces 9 The motor II has two field-circuits, the wiresjj being parts of these circuits. The first of these wires is connected with the contactplate 9, the other with the contact-plate hen the desired current is flowing through the circuit of the translating devices, the contact-pieces g" are in contact with both 0011- tact-plates g g, being held in this position by the action of the solenoid upon the lever g. Under these conditions neither of the motor field-circuits has the lead, and therefore the .motor does not move, but when by connecting into the circuit one or more of the translating devices or by disconnecting some of the said translating devices the current is temporarily decreased or increased the solenoidcore is caused to move out of or into the coil, with the, result of moving the lever 9 so that each of the contact-pieces g" is in contact with only one of the contact plates 9 g". That one of the field-circuits which includes the non-inductive resistance gets the lead of the other field-circuit, and the motor begins to move in one direction or the other, as the case may be. This causes the brush D to be moved from the contact-pieces Z) in the proper direction and far enough to restore the current to its normal amount.

Having described my invention, 1 claim 1. In an apparatus for maintaining a constant current in a circuit ted from alternating-current constant-potential mains, in combination, an auto-converter connected across said mains, a row of contact-pieces connected with the windings of said auto-converter, a movable brush adapted to contact with any of said contactpicces, the circuit to be controlled connected at one terminal with one of the mains and at the other with said. brush, an induction-motor, and a solenoid, both connected in said circuit, a reversing motorswitch connected in the circuit between the solenoid and motor, mechanism connecting the movable part of said switch with the armature of said solenoid, and mechanism for transmitting motion from the motor to the converter-brush, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

2. In an apparatus for maintaining a constant current in a circuit fed from alternating-current constant-potential mains, in con1 bination, an auto-converter connected across said mains, a series of contact-picces arranged in a circular arc and connected with the windings of said converter, a gear-wheel. mounted concentrically with said series of contactpieces, a brush carried thereby and adapted to contact with any of said contact-pieces, the circuit to be controlled connected at one terminal to said brush and at the other with one of the mains, an induction-motor, and a solenoid, both connected in the circuit to be regulated, a train of gears connecting said motor with the brush-carrying gear and a reversing motor-switch operated by the solenoid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a series of contacts, a movable brush-carrier, two or more parallel bars pivoted thereto, a bar pivoted to all of said bars and lying parallel to a plane passing through said pivots, a brush carried by said bar, a series of pins adapted to engage with one of the parallel bars, and a spring for returning said parallel bars in the described normal position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of a series of contact pieces arranged in a circular are, a wheel pivoted at the center of said are, a ring fixed outside of said contact-pieces and having an nial position, substantially as and for the pur 1o overhanging flange, and a series of pins depose specified.

pending from said flange, with two or more In testimony whereof I aflix my signature parallel bars pivoted to and projecting out in presence of two Witnesses.

from said Wheel, a bar pivoted to the ends of said bars and lying parallel to a plane pass- DANIEL OSCAR HULL ing' through the pivots of said parallel bars, /Vitnesses: a brush secured to the said bar, and a spring ALBERT LONGBRAKE,

for returning said parallel bars to their nor- JOSEPH HLAVAOK.

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