US820348A - Vapor-electric apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

No.'820,348. 4 PATENTED MAY 8, 196a.

' .w. R. BURROWS.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS} .APPLIUATION FILED MAB-10, 1905.

Witnesses? Inventor:

William Rfi grrow's M t/ 7 Q b 10 current is con UN TED s'rAg j,

PATENT orrion 'ILLIAM R. BURRUVVS, OF NEWARK, NElV. JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV YORK.

VAPOR ELECTRlC APPARATUS. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

application filed March 10, 1905. Serial No. 249,340.

Patented May 8, 1906.

To M when it ntwy concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. BURROWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to yapor electric ap aratus of that type in which ducted through an evacuated chamber rendered conductive by vapor from a mercury electrode.

In such apparatus as heretofore constructed it has been customary to conduct the our rent to or from the mercury electrode by means of a platinum wire hermetically sealed through the glass wall of the evacuated chamber. Platinum is used for this purpose as its coefficient of expansion is substantially 2c the same as that of glass, so that the apparatus may undergo considerable changes in temperature without destruction of the seal. I have found that such seals are subject to deterioration because of the amalgamation of 2 5 the platinum wire, and I have also found that unless this platinum wire projects a considerable distance into the mercury there is liability of heating at the surface of contact of platinum and mercury. Another source of 1 3o danger to such tubes arises from the fact that when the tube is suddenly inverted, as may occur during transportation or manufacture, the rush of mercury from one end of the tube to the other is liable to strike the wall of the '3 5 fragile vessel with such force as to fracture it,

To overcome all these difliculties, I have devised the improved form of leading-in con ductor descri ed more particularly in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanyin drawings.

igure 1 is an e evation of a mercury lamp or rectifier provided with my improved form of leading-1n conductor. Fig. 2 is a detail View showing one modification of the leading- 4 5 in conductor adapted for lamps carrying high currents, and Fig. 3 is an enlar ed View of the leading-in conductor shown in Fi 1 The evacuated chamber 1, of g. ass or other suitable material, is provided with two anodes 5o 2 and 3 of carbon and a mercury cathode 4 contained in the tubular extension 5 of the evacuated chamber. An auxiliary electrode 6 is provided for the purpose of starting or exciting the tube in the manner well known to persons skilled in the art and in its mechanical details is essentially the same as the large electrode 4.

To seal up the lower end of tube 5, I turn the glass walls back to form a conical projec tion 7, through the center of which passes the leading-in conductor. This conductor is made up of three parts welded together end to end. The center part 9 is of platinum and is completely embedded in the glass Wall of the tube, and thereby protected from amalgamation. The upper part 11 of the leadingin conductor is of iron and is of considerable length and cross-section to increase the area of contact between. the solid conductor and the liquid conductor. The lower part 10 may be of copper or other suitable material. A cylindrical disk 12, of iron, is riveted or otherwise secured to the top of the iron conductor 11 and is of such diameter that a small annular space is left between the outer edge of the disk and the inner surface of the glass tube 5. This disk is located a considerable distance below the surface of the mercury electrode and serves not-only to increase the area of contact between the leading-in conductor and the mercury cathode, but also serves as a baflle-plate to constrict the passage-way into the tubular extension 5, and thus prevent the sudden rush of mercury into or out of this extension in case the apparatus is suddenly inverted.

By the construction above described am altime the apparatus is protected from the l shock of moving mercury. The lower end of the tubular rejection 5 may be embedded. in a mold of p aster-ofaris 13, contained in a co dper cup 14, to which the copper wire 10 is so ered or otherwise secured.

Fig. 3 shows in detail the bathe-plate 12, connected to the top of the conductor 11. Although this disk may be attached to the conductor in any convenient manner, I prefer to make a slight projection or enlargement 15 near the end of conductor 11 and to slip the disk on over the end of the conductor and rivet down the end, so that the disk is held firmly in place.

The modification shown in Fig. 2 is es ecially adapted for use in a lamp or recti ier carrying heavy current, as the (plurality of leading- 1n conductors 16, 17, an 18 gives a l i i \Vimt claiin new, and desire to secure 1 by Letters Patent of the United States, is

i. A frangible vessel having a leading-in oonduotor, said conductor consisting in part of platinum embedded in the Wall of said vessol, SiLiLi conductor having; another part con si ting of iion-amalgam ring IHQiaLi, and a body of mercury surrounding said his named part and con mating tliermvitli.

A frangible vessel containing mercury, and lezidi n condivz-tor comprising;- two nn" 0 of said "parts lining of non-nmalgz1- muting moti mid contacting with said znorwry, tin. ond part living of inntoriai sub-- inot to anmlgsnmtion and conipletoly oinbodded in ilw wall oi the frangible vossoi.

sni having; 1, loadingdn oon- A. Fragile) w:

iiiHiKH', H2Ll i oonoui-tni- (ionsistinn' in part oi platinum :El'liiMdtlOti in tliowall of sand vessel,

and liming: anollnrr part consisting of iron sin'inmmtrd in; mi iron disk, and a body of mercury surrounding said disk and contacting ti xvi tli.

4. i'i'ugilo vessel Having a leading-in conductor, said conductor consisting in port of a metal wlioso oooilioiont of host expansion is substantially equal to that of the Wall of said Vissul. in which itis embedded, said conductor having another part consisting of a non.-

nrgo contact area between the solid and the l l l l l l r amalganmting metal surmounted by s metal disk, and a body of n'ieroiny surrounding said disk and in Contact therewith and also in con.- tii-ot with sui d non-:nnnlginnziting metal A vapor electric apparatus having an evacuated chamber of fragile material, a inoronry shim-trod o therein, a plurality of lendingin conductors making elnoti'imi oontziotwith said n'iei'ourv, and a n'mtnl d1 mounted on said conductors and rigidly simportsd tlio1'e by, said disk and the inner Wti l of said charm be: forn'iing a rostriotrd passage-Way to reiiird tlio flow of said in orourv from its normal position.

6. it vapor electric apparatus having an evnci itod chamber, a, mercury electrode therein, 1L plurality of loading-in. ciniductors having" extensions of non-s1nalgnnmtingj metal immersed in said invii-nry olei'ztroi ie and making elnotrici-tl contact therewith, a, d an iron disk rigidly secured to said isnding-in conductors. said disk and the inner Wall of said chamber forming 2iv restricted passageway to retard the low of said n'ivrcury from its normal position.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th d ay of March, 1905.

v NILIJIAB'I R. BURROXVS.

Witnesses: Unis. Ii. HEELEY,

S. Vv'nrrrinEAn.

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