US760970A - Means for controlling electric currents. - Google Patents

Description

No. 760,970. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

I. DEUTSGH.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC GURRENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 30, 1902. RENEWED JUNE 25, 1903.

NO MODEL.

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Patented May 24, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISIDOR DEUTSCH, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC AND TRAIN LIGHTING SYNDICATE, LIMITED, OF MONTREAL, CANADA, A

CORPORATION OF CANADA.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRIC CURRENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,970, dated May 24, 1904.

Application filed April 30, 1902. Renewed June 25,1903. Serial No. 163,122- (No model.)

To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsIDoR DEUTSCH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Montreal, in the district of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Controlling the Voltage from Electric Grenerators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for controlling the voltage from an electric generator, particularly those generators subject to sudden variations in speed; and the object of the invention is to effect an econ- 1 5 omy in the construction of such devices, to plify the arrangement of the parts, and to pro-i vide a regulator certain in its operation at a minimum expenditure of electric energy; and it consists, essentially, of a dynamo, arheostat in the shunt field-circuit of said dynamo, a cyl inder having a piston operating therein, a plurality of gears connected to the piston and to the rheostat-finger, a coil-spring designed to return the gears to their normal position, a 2 5 solenoid controlling an admission-valve in the feed-pipe to the cylinder, and suitable resistances, cut-outs, and batteries, the various parts being constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly described.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of my apparatus.

In the drawing, a is the dynamo designed to furnish the current.

6 is the pole-changer,connected, as shown, to 3 5 the dynamo a and to the circuit and designed to reverse brush connection with the reversal of rotation,-and thereby enable the dynamo to generate when running in either direction. The main circuit-wires starting from the pole- 4 changer Z) branch out as desired according to the uses to which the electricity is to be applied, and intermediate in the circuit the various devices forming parts of my apparatus are found in the order herein to be described.

0 is the shunt-field of dynamo. (Z is the rheostat, having the finger e and is located in series With the shunt field-circuit and connected, as shown in the drawing.

f is a gear-wheel securely keyed to the finger e.

g is a segmental gear journaled on the projecting pin it and meshing with the gear f.

5 is a helical spring attached to the pin it and to the face of the segmental gear.

2' is a cylinder having the piston j operating therein and the feed-pipe 72 leading thereinto.

A is a simple aperture in the piston-head of such dimensions that its eifect is readily overcome by the excess of pressure on the lower side of the piston.

Zis a piston rod pivotally connecting the segmental gear and the piston j.

m is the air-reservoir supplying compressed air or other expansile fluid to the cylinder c'.

n is a valve located intermediate of the length of the feed-pipe 7:: and provided with the stem 7.

i) is an arm rigidly attached to the valve-stem 7 and having a forked or slotted end 8.

p is a solenoid, and q the core thereof.

9 is a pin projecting from'one end of the said core within the slotted end 8.

r is an adjustable spiral spring designed to retain the core n normally in a position to keep the valve a closed.

8 is an automatic cut-out operated through the toggle-joint t and the electromagnet w.

'0 is the core of the electromagnet w, pivotally attached to the joint of the toggles.

a? is a spring adjustably attached at 1 and connected with the toggle-joint t, designed to hold the toggles in an angular position when the circuit is open.

2 is a series of lamps located in the lampcircuit.

3 is a storage battery or accumulator intermediate in the length of the main exterior circuit and designed to accumulate electricity from the dynamo.

10 represents safety-fuses.

Having described the arrangement and con struction in detail, I shall now more particularly explain the operation thereof. The armature of the dynamo being revolved causes a difference of potential at terminals of cutout magnet w. When this difference of potential becomes equal to the voltage of the through the negative side of the pole-changerv to the brush of the dynamo. In case the lights are on a portion of the current shunts to the lamp-circuit, and it will be here understood that the relative amount of current passing to the accumulator and lamp-circuits, respectively, depends upon the number of lamps lighted in the said lamp-circuit.

The arrangement th us far described is mostly known, and it is particularly concerning the operation of the rheostat with which this invention has to do.

As my apparatus is particularly well adapted to a railroad-train for lighting the passenger-coaches thereof, I shall confine my explanation to the construction and operation of the rheostat and regulator therefor to this application of the device. Immediately preceding the movement of the train cut-out contacts will be open and the dynamo, which is driven from the car-axle, will be at rest. The lamps, if lighted, will be fed from the storage battery 3 alone, the latter having been charged before being placed in the circuit, though it must be here understood that the previous charging of this battery is not necessary to the working of my system, as it is quite possible to charge it en route. As the train moves slowly at the start, the dynamo begins to generate, and when the proper speed is reached the cut-out contacts close, as before described. The speed still increasing, the dynamo continues the generation of more and more current until its normal load is reached, and as the speed increases some means of preventing the overload is necessary. When the normal current passes through the solenoid p, the magnetic influence or pull on its core (1 just balances the mechanical tension or pull of the spring 9'. If this normal current is exceeded, the magnetic pull is greater than the mechanical pull and the admission-valve 91/ is opened, admitting air to the back of the piston. The piston is thus forced up and through the operation of the intermediate gears causes the rheostatfinger to turn and cut resistance in the shunt field-circuit of the dynamo. The field is thus weakened and the load reduced as required. \Vhen the train is traveling at its normal maximum rate, the balance between the magnetic and the spring pull on the solenoid core q will be established, and in this position the ingress of air through the admission-valve a will equal the egress of air from the port in the piston-head. Otherwise the piston, and consequently the gearing of the rheostat-finger, will remain practically stationary during the continuance of the normal maximum speed aforesaid. It will be seen that such must be the case at any speed the train is traveling, provided that speed be constant for a given time, for the position of the piston, and therefore the rheostat-tinger, is determined by the variation in speed only. As the train approaches the stop and gradually lessens speed, the dynamo still revolving more and more slowly, and in order to keep the load within given limits the field strength must be increased. The current decreasing, the magnetic influence of the solenoid and its core 9 becomes less, and the pull of the spring 9' is greater than the magnetic pull of the core 1. This effects the rigid arm 0 and closes the valve 71.. The air in the cylinder 2 exhausts through the port 4: and the piston is forced down by the helical spring 5, which in the upward stroke of the piston has been wound around the pin it. The finger 0 thus returns to its normal position, gradually cutting resistance out'of the field-circuit, which was introduced when the train speeded up. As the train moves still more slowly the cut-out contacts open and everything resumes its original condition in readiness for the next run.

The supply of air or steam on a railway-train for the purpose of operating the piston governing the rheostat-finger is readily available, as there is always an air-reservoir which may be tapped, giving suflicient pressure to insure the raising of the piston and holding the same in such position for as long as may be desired.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the least variation in the speed of the dynamo will affect the position of the rheostat[inger, as the slightest diminution of the pressure behind the piston-head will be counterbalanced by the unwinding of the coil-spring 5, and in consequence lower the position of the piston. Thus it will be seen the rhcostat-linger will ,move gradually from step to step, or if the dynamo is suddenly arrested the said linger will jump several steps and cut out the resistance at once.

It must be understood that in this invention though Idescribe particularly the use of compressed air as a force to drive the piston any form of expansile fluid will answer equally well.

hat I claim as my invention is 1. In an apparatus for controlling voltage, the combination with a dynamo having a main exterior circuit, of a rheostat provided with a finger actuated by a gear mechanism, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a connectingrod to the aforesaid gear mechanism, a solenoid, an admission-valve to the cylinder controlled by the solenoid, an exhaust-port from IIO the cylinder, and suitable cut-outs intermediate of the circuits, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with the dynamo, having a main exterior circuit, of a rheostat, a gear-wheel securely keyed to the finger thereof, a coacting gear journaled to one side of the center of the rheostat, and arranged to oscillate, means for moving the oscillating gear in one direction, a solenoid in the circuit of the dynamo for controlling the operation of said means and a spring for moving the oscillating gear in the opposite direction, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with the dynamo, having a main exterior circuit, of a rheostat, a gear-wheel securely keyed to the finger thereof, a coacting gear journaled to one side of the center of the rheostat, means for turning the gear to movethe finger in one direction and a coilspring connected to one of the gear and bearing thereof, and designed to return the finger to its normal position, as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a device of the class described, a rheostat embodying suitable steps, a finger having a gear-wheel keyed thereto, a segmental gear meshing. with the said gear-wheel and journaled on a projecting pin, a coil-spring encircling the pin and attached thereto at one end, and at the other to the segmental gear, means for turning the said segmental gear and compressing the coil-spring, a solenoid, a main exterior circuit and a dynamo, as and for the purpose specified. I

5. In a device of the class described, arheostat comprising suitable steps, a finger having a gearwheel secured thereto, a segmental gear journaled on a projecting pin, and. meshing with the aforesaid gear, acoi-l-spring designed to windand unwind on the projecting pin, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, an admission-valve, an exhaust-port from the cylinder, a solenoid having a spring-held core connected to a rigid arm from the valve-stem and a dynamo designed to furnish current through the various wires, as and for the purpose specified.

6. In an apparatus for controlling voltage, the combination with a dynamo having a main exterior circuit emanating therefrom, of a rheostat provided with a finger having a gearwheel keyed thereto, a segmental gear meshing with the gear wheel, a coil-spring designed to wind and unwind with the turning of the segmental gear, a cylinder, a piston operating therein, a connecting-rod to the aforesaid segmental gear, a solenoid, having a spring-held core, an admission-valve in the feed-pipe controlled by the movement of the core and a suitable exhaust-port from the cylinder, as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a voltage-regulator, the combination with the dynamo and exterior circuit fed thereby, a solenoid, a spring-held core therein, a cylinder, a piston carrying a piston-rod, an admissionvalve,an exhaust-port, a gear mechanism connected to the said piston-rod, a rheostat provided with a finger operated by the gear mechanism, a storage battery and a suitable cut-out, as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a system for lighting or analogous purposes having as a source of current an intermittingly-operated dynamo, a circuit containing a storage battery and the translating devices, means for connecting the dynamo with said circuit and closing the latter at a minimum voltage, a rheostat having a gear-wheel keyed to its finger, a corresponding gear, a cylinder, a piston, an admission-valve, a solenoid having a spring-held core designed to control the admission-valve, an exhaust-port from the cylinder, and means for returning the piston to its first position subsequent to the release of the air or expansile fluid, as and for the purpose specified.

9. In a device of the class described, in combination, an electric generator having connection with a main circuit through a suitable pole-changer, a storage battery, a cut-out, a solenoid having a spring-held core, a cylinder, an inlet-valve to said cylinder controlled by the spring-held core, a piston operating in the cylinder having an exhaustport therethrough, a rheostat, a gear mechanism operating the finger thereof, a connecting-rod from the piston-head to said gear mechanism, and a coil-spring designed to insure the return stroke of the piston, as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a device of the class described, in combination, an electric generator having main circuit, a rheostat, a plurality of gears operating the finger thereof, a solenoid having a spring-held core, a cylinder, a piston having a reciprocatory movement therein, an air-reservoir connected to the cylinder, an admission-valve intermediate of the cylinder and air-reservoir controlled by the engagement of the solenoid-core with a rigid arm from the valve-stem, an exhaust-port from the cylinder, a connecting-rod to the aforesaid gears from the piston, a storage battery, a lampcircuit, and suitable resistances and safetyfuses intermediate in the circuits, as and for the purpose specified.-

11. In means for controlling electric currents, a cylinder having a suitable admissionpassage thereto, a piston provided with an exhaust-port, an inlet-valve intermediate with the length of the admission-passage, an arm rigidly attached to the Valve-stem and having a forked end, a solenoid located intermediate in an electric circuit, a spring-held core engaging the aforesaid arm, a rheostat, a plurality of gears designed to operate the finger thereof, and suitably connected with the piston, an electric source of power, and a suitable expansile-fluid supply connected to the admission-passage of the cylinder, as and for the purpose specified.

12. 111 means for controlling electric currents, a rheostat having a linger with a gear- Wheel securely keyed thereto, a segmental gear meshing with the gear-Wheel aforesaid, a helical spring designed to coil and uneoil on the shaft of said gear, a cylinder, a piston having a rod pivotally connected to the segmental gear at the apex thereof, an admission-passage to the cylinder, an inlet-valve, a solenoid having a core designed to control the

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