US982551A - Excessive-electrical-current arrester. - Google Patents

Description

M. E. VAUGHN.

EXGESSIVE ELECTRICAL CURRENT ARRESTER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 9, 1909.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

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, adapted for use in connection with tele-' MARION E. VAUGHN, OF PLAINFIELD INDIANA.

EXCESSIVE-ELECTBICAL-CURRENT ARRESTED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1911.

Application filed August 9, 1909. Serial No. 512,068.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ll'IARION E. VAUGHN, of Plainficld, county of Hendricks, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Excessive Electrical Current Arrester; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a very simple, cheap and yet efiicient device for arresting lightning, or diverting to the ground an excessive charge of electricity. It is particularly arran ed and phones, telegra hs and the like.

The nature 0 the invention will be understood from the accompanyin drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device mounted in connection with conductors partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the device on the same plane as the main conductor. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the lower half of the device. Fig. 4 isavertical section through the device centrally and transversely of Fig." 2 and with the casing and downwardly extending conductor removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a sheet of mica or other insulation.

The device consists of two halves formed very much alike, and between which the main conductor 10 lies. The current normally passes through this conductor. In telephones, telegraphs, and the like, the normal current is a weaklone as compared with the heavy voltage of a current caused by lightning or the contact of the main conductor 10 with a conductorcarrying a ourrunning proximity to the main conductor 10 that rent of very high voltage. A conductorll to the ground is arranged in such any excessive char e of voltage of current -will jump from t e main conductor and 14 of the upper casing. This overla'pping.

portion 14 is provided with slots 15 on opposite sides and opening downwardly and wide enough to receive the main conductor 10. Said conductor 10' is insulated by the insulation 16' from the casing. The two halves 12 and 13 of the casing are clamped together and on the main Wire 10 by screws 17 passing through the cars 18 on .the upper casing 12 and screwing into the ears 19 projecting laterally from the lower casing 13 through a notch or recess 20 in the lower edge of the upper casing 12..

Within the upper casing 12 there is a round carbon block 21 and a corresponding carbon block 22 in the lower casin This latter carbon block has a centra downwardly extending hole through it in which a copper tube 23 is secured and in which the ground-conductorll fits, and said conductor is held in place by the screw 24 that extends through a projection 25 in the lower end of the casing 13. The copper tube 23 eifects a 00d electrical connection between the car on block 22 and the ground wire ll.

A pair of copper disks 26 are placed on the main conductor 10, one on each side thereof and they are centrally grooved in order to fit around said conductor snugly, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 4. The are very thin disks, and between each 0 said disks and the carbon blocks 21 and 22 above and below the same, a perforated insulation disk 27 is located. This is ordinarily made of mica and is rather thin, it being shown relatively thicker in Figs. 2 and 4 than it should be, in order to plainly indicate it.

During travel of an ordinary current through the main Wire 10, there would be no disposition on the part of the current to jump from said wire to the carbon blocks because the perforated insulating disk 27 holds said blocks 21 and 22 sufiiciently away from the copperdisks 26, butif a large enough charge of current is passing through the conductor 10 to cause it to jump the short distance from the copper disks 26 to the carbon blocks 21 and 22, such current will largely, if not entirely, short-circuit to the ground. Hence the thickness of the insulating disk 27 may be varied to suit the position of use of the device for the voltage of current passing through the same. When the current jumps from the conductor 10 and copper disks 26 to the carbon blocks it passes through theperforations or holes in the insulating disk 27. By providing said disk with a arge number of such holes and by the relatively extended surface of said disk and the copper plates 26, there tion, so that the device does not have to be replaced or given attention after lightning or high voltage has passed through it to the ground. No further attention is necessary than what is required at long intervals to keep the device in general working order. This feature of use coupled with the sim le and economical construction of the device renders it on the whole an extremely cheap yet effective lightning arrester.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of. the class described including a main conducting wire, a carbon block on each side thereof, insulation between the carbon blocks and wire so as to s ace the blocks from the wire, means for c amping the blocks and insulation to the wire, and a ground wire running from one of the carhon blocks to the ground.

2. A device of the class described including a casing formed of two cup-like halves, adapted to place a main conductor, insulation between said casing and a main conductor, a carbon block in each half of the casing and on each side of the main conductor a disk of conducting material on each side of the main conductor, a disk of insulatin material between each carbon block an disk of conducting material, and a conductor running from the casing to the ground.

3. A device of the class described including a casing formed of two cup-like halves, one enlarged to overlap the other and the enlarged ortion of said overlapping part of the casing being slotted on opposite sides so that said parts of the casin may embrace a main conductor, means in said slots for insulating said casin from the main conductor, means for c amping the two parts of the casing to ether, a disk of conducting material adapte to be placed on each side of the main conductor, a carbon block in each half of the casin one of them centrally apertured, a per orated disk of insulatin material between each carbon block and tie disk of conducting material, a tube fixed in the aperture of one of said carbon blocks and made of conducting material, and a conductor fitting in said tube in communication with the ground.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

MARION E. VAUGHN.

Witnesses:

G. H. Bomx, O. M. MCLAUGHLIN.

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