US946812A - Protecting device for vapor-converters. - Google Patents

Description

P. H. THOMAS.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR CONVERTERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1904.

946,812.- Patented Jan. 18,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. THOMAS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR-CONVERTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

Application filed May 25, 1904. Serial No. 209,656.

protect vapor electric apparatus comprising a glass container and electrodes, one of which may be of mercury or similar conducting vaporizable material, by providing one or more cushions at a point or points in the apparatus, which are particularly subjectto shock, said cushion or cushions being either independent of the glass container or attached thereto. Such cushions may act'as distributers or deflectors and relieve the nat- I cracking or breakage.

urally unprotected parts from the danger of The most exposed parts are those which generally constitute the receptacle or receptacles for the mercury or other conducting liquid and into which the lead-wires are sealed.

To avoid the difiiculty of attaching the distributers or deflectors in the form of cushions, which have usually been made ofglass-wool or similar material, I have devised a protecting device which consists of a glass disk or prongs or similar devices attached to one or more of the lead-wires and extending into the path which is naturally taken by the mercury or other liquid when the container is reversed in position, either in the process of manufacture or in transportation. The disk or prongs may be of glass and they may be secured to the inner end of the leadwire or wires, or they may be bent over, forming contin'uous pieces with the glass of the container itself. In either case, the disk or prongs serve to provide a constriction of the path through which the mercury or other liquid would naturally pass, the said constriction being such as to prevent the free passage of the liquid from one part of the apparatus to another, but permitting the passage of a certain amount of liquid, Where- -by a vent is formed which relieves the hammer effect which would otherwiseresu'lt from a sudden stoppage of the liquid.v The disk or prongs placed as described have the further effect of holding a considerable portion "of the liquid constituting the electrode from displacement by reason of any momentary agitation of the apparatus. Accordingly, such an agitation does not result in leaving the lead-wires exposed nor in emptying the pocket containing the electrode. In other words, the presence of the disk or prongs is a safeguard against the sudden exposure of the lead-wire and the formation of a destructive are at this point, and at the same time serves to retard the outflow of liquid from the electrode.

In Figure l of the drawing I show a disk of glass secured to the inner end of a lead Wire; and in Figs. 2 and 3 I illustrate modifications.

In the drawings, 1 is a container of a vapor apparatus showing at 2 an electrode of mercury or other suitable conducting liquid. For convenience I illustrate my protective device solely in the neighborhood of this electrode, it being understood that other parts of the apparatus might be similarly protected. 7

The positive electrode is shown at 3, and the same may be either of mercury, protected as in the case of the negative electrode 2 or it maybe of iron, the back beyond the electrode bein protected by similar means. I

The lea -wire for the positive electrode is shown at 4 and that for the negative electrode at 5.

In Fig. 1 I show a disk, 6, of glass sealed to the inner end of the lead-wire, 5, and extending out therefrom nearly to the walls of the pocket in which the negative electrode 2 is contained. It is found 1n practice that these prongs serve to reduce the shock of the mercury or other conductin liquid when the position of the apparatus is shifted so that there is no danger of cracking or breaking the apparatus by reason of the shock. At the same time a suflicient surface of electrode material is left above or beyond the disk to constitute an electrode without the development of undue heating thereat.

In Fig. 2 the lead-wire 5' is sealed into the glass as before, but the glass itself is bent over and formed into prongs 6, 6,'as shown.

The principle is the same as before.

In Fig. '3 the constriction of the passage for the mercury orother liquid is formed at the middle of the pocket insteadof at the sides or edges thereof. In this figure, a ring'7 is formed in one piece with the glass of the pocket and is provided with a central opening, at 8.

In a divisional application, filed by me contain a mercury electrode of an exhausted container, the combination with a central leading in wiresealed to the glass pocket and supported centrally in said pocket, ofan extension of the lass sealed around the leading in wire a apted to block the flow of mercury directly to said pocket said extension lying centrally in the pocket.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 21st day of May, A. D. 1904:.

PERCY H. THOMAS.

\Vitnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL, GEORGE H. STOCKBRIDGE.

Images