US982872A

US982872A - Electric-lighting system.

Info

Publication number: US982872A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick W Reeves
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1909-08-23
Filing date: 1909-08-23
Publication date: 1911-01-31
Anticipated expiration: 1928-01-31

Description

v P. w. REEVES.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING. SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 19 09.

Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET lv attouwq F. W. REEVES.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLIOATIOK IILBD we. as, 1909.

982,872, Patented Jan. 31, 1911.

4 BHEBTSSHBET 2.

/8 7 11mm, 9 1 2 I gmuzufoz @DMW V MQQHQW.

F. W. REEVES. ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG: 23, 1909. I 982,872, Patented Jan. 31,1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

r noznto'n wmlmw I 3 P. W. REEVES. ELEGTRIG LIGHTING SYSTEM. APPLIUATION'I'ILED AUG. 23, 1909.

' Patented Jan. 31,1911.

4 BHEETS-SHEET wwm n m m FREDERICK W. REEVES, OF PIFTTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

. ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

Patented Jan. 31,1911.

Application flied August 23, 1909. Serial No. 514,116.

To all whom it moy concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. Reeves, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in l llectric-l'lighting Systems; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact; description of the ini'ention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw lugs, and to the letters and figures of refer ence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to apparatus and systems for preventing current loss in incandescent lamps.

My invention has for its object to .provide a simple and practical system for electric lighting, including a. current interrupter and directing the current from the source of hti for ra 'iidly and periodically interrupting supply to a plurality of lamp circuits 'for the purpose of attaining higher economy than is possible in the ordinary-manner of uninterrupted current supply, said improvements being hereinafter more fully described in' the accompanying specification and particu larly pomtcdout 1n the appended claims;

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the system and apparatus audits application in practice, wherein,

l"igurc l, is an end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. It is a vertical section taken longitmlinally of the axis of the same. -,l ig. H1 is a transverse section on line X--X of Fig. ll showinga portion of the interior mechanism. Fig. IV is a like section on the same line showing the remainder of the interior mechanism. Fig. V an enlarged plan of the interior contacts and attending brushes. Fig. V a modified form of dead contact. Fig. VI. is a diagrannnatie \lPW illustrating the application of the appa ratus to a lighting circuit, in all of which views like detail parts are designated by muncrals of like character throughout the specification.

The apparatus as illustrated, wmpriscs in its structure the two stationary heads 1 and 2 spacial a pa rt: by the shell 3 having periphcral vents 4 therein, and aninterposed rotary member or disk 6. said heads and disk being provided with contacts and brushes as hereinafter described, also with vent openings 1', 2' and 6. The disk 6 is formed of insulating material and is rigidly secured upon the shaft 7 carrying the same, which shaft is mounted at one end in an extended bearing 8 formed upon the head 2, the other end extending within an opening formed centrally within the head 1, and is designed to be connected to suitable driving means, the-driving means in this instance being thatof the armature of a motor or the generator the shaft 9 of which is connected thereto by a suitable coupling 10. The heads 1 and 2 and shell 3 are rigidly clamped together by means of transversely disposed screws 11 and the casing structure thus formed held against movement by the arm 12 carried by the head 1 and connected to a fixed support, such as that designated as 13, and in order to permit the brushes-hereinafter described being brought exactly to zero position, adjustment of the asing struet-ure upon its axis is-provided for, which in this inst-anciconsists of a rcrtically dispo ed slot 13' formed in the support and a transversely. disposed slot- 12 in the arm 12' through both of which a bolt- 1% is passed.

\Yithin each of the casing heads is secured an annular ring of insulatingmaterial '15 to which the contacts and attending brushes are attached and as said contacts andbrushes are exactly-similar in form and rcgisterably disposed in the same direction in both instances a description of one .will sutlice. Each of these heads hasrigidly attached to the inner face portion of the insulating ring 15, four li\ 'e contacts 17, 18, l!) and 20, respectively and four dead contacts each designated as 21 arranged thcrcbetween, both sets of contacts being disposed in a circle. about-the fat-c of the said ring and elevated therefrom upon pins 23] so as to'pcrmit. frcccirculation of air Microbe-- ncath, said live contacts being.cach (see l ig'V) of general are shape increasing in width from .the forward end to and toward the rear or wide end, the forward or narrow end being formed on a line tangent 'with an imaginary inscribed circle hating a radius equal to the width of'the brush on:- ploycd; the rear end being on a line radial with the center. each of which contacts are provided with a wedgeshaped vent opening 22 the broad end of which is also formed upon' a line tangent to the same imaginary inscribed circle. The segmental dead con taets 21 arranged between the live contacts each has its end adjacent the broad end of said live contacts formed on a line tangent to that of the imaginar inseribedcircle as is likewise the projected end proper 23, the opposite end being forked to straddle the narrow end of the live contact the outer' leg of the fork being ofgreater' length than the inner one and the extremity, of each being on different radial lines, the longer leg of each contact being connected by a wire 23 to the shorter leg of the other, thus connecting them in series,

The rotary disk 6 of insulating material carries on each face a collector ring elevated upon pins to give vent space therebeneath and a rush, and'as said ringsare of peculiar formation and registerabl the same relation but electriea ly unconnected a deseription of the structure ofone will sutlice. These collector rings (better shown at Fig. V) each comprise in their structure the four equally spaced and like broad portions 24, each having its forward end 25 tapered, which taper begins.on a line radial with the axis of rotation decreasing to and meeting the narrow portion-26 on a line tangent to an imaginary inscribed circle having a radius equal to, the width of the brush employed, the rearend of each of said broad portions 24: being-on a line radial with the axis of rotation where it meets .the narrow portion 27, the broad portions 25 of the collector ring each havmg its forward end formed on aline tangent to that of theimaginary inscribed circle where it meetsthe aforesaid narrow portion 27, and its rear end on a line radial with the axis of rotation.

The insulated binding post 28 upon the head 1 is electrically connected to the yieldable holder 29 of a carbon brush 30 carried by said head, which brush bears upon the collector ring on that side of the disk 6.

Similarly, the insulated binding post 31,

' upon the head 2, is connected to a yieldable holder 32 of a carbon brush33 carried by said headand bearing upon that side of the disk. A- suitable carbon brush 34 is carried by one side of the rotary disk and connected by a wire 35 to the-collector ring of thatside and bearssuccessively upon the live and dead contacts carried by the adjacent head during rotation of the disk. Similarly, the collector ring upon the opposite side of the rotary disk is connected by a wire 36 with a suitable carbon brush 37 carried by the disk and bearing successively upon the live and dead contacts carried by the adjacent head during rotation of the disk said brush 37 being disposed 90 degrees in the rear of the other brush 34. The head '1 is further pro-.

larly, thehead 2 is provi e disposed in 40 and 40' and said post 39. Two other insulate'd binding-posts 41 and 4:2. are carried bly this head, the former being connected to. t elive contact 18 by a short wire, 41, which contact, is cross-connected to the opposite contact 20 through the medium of the wires 43 and 43' and said bindin 0st 42. Simiwith two in-' sulated

binding posts

44 and 45, the former being connected to the live contact 17 by a short wire 44', which contact is cross-connected to the opposite contact 19 through themedium of the

wires

46 and 46 andbindihg post 45. In the'other two binding-posts 4:7 and 48, the former is connected to the.eon-.

tact 18 by it short wire 47, which contact is cross-connected to the opposite. contact 20 by meansof the wires 49 and 49' and bindin post 48.-.

At Fig. VI, the a paratus described is shown din-grammatical y as connected to suply a system havin four independent lightzng circuits, in whic view the two'heads and rotary disk are shownas separated," thee-ollector rin disk in practice being disposed upon thesaid disk, in which instance the dlSk 6 and attending brushes will rotate in "upon' the ead'2 and the head 1 turned over the direetionto cause t-he'said brushes to Engage the are shaped fcontactssmall end rst. a

7 .The brush 33 carried by the head 2 is connected to .the binding-post 50 of a suitable pulsating current generator b a wireifil and from this binding-post to the brush 52 of one of the collector rings of the ene'rator by a 'wire 53, the other brush 54 o? the generator 'being connected to the generator bindingpost 55 by a wire 56, to which binding-post is connected a wire '57 extending up between and connecting with the lamps 58 and 58' arranged between the two wires 59 and (30 which are attached t'o the binding-posts 41 and 39 of said head 2 thus fori'ning'two indcpendent circuits in multiple. The brush -}0 carried by the head 1 is connected to the said bindin -post 55 of the generator by a wire i 61, am connected to the other binding-post, 50 of the generator is a wire (32 extending up between and connecting. with the lamps (i3 and 03' connected between the two wires (i-t and 65 attached to thebinding-posts 4i: and 47 of the head, thus forming twoimlependout lamp circuits in multiple.

The device being thus connected to the generator to form four independent lamp circuits the-operation and flow of current tluirethrough would be as follows: Assum- Ill] ing that the disk and attending collector v rings and brushes rotateinsynchronism with the current impulses of the enerator, then,

at each rotation, as the 'brus cs 37 and 3-1,

58' and 63 and after leaving these contacts and passing onto the next succeeding contacts and 19 the current will then again pass through the lamps 58 and 63. Thus the current is caused to pass successively from one set of lamps to the'other. The

brushes

37 and 34 in passing from one live contact to the other engage the intermediately disposed and connected dead contacts 21', which thus support the same during the interval of open circuit and pcrmittin' a raise of voltage to occur. The hrushesBa' and 34 which are dis posed 90 degrees apart and carried by the rotary disk, each has the forward side on a line tangent to an imaginary circle having a radius equal to the width of the brush and the rear side on a. line radial wit-h the axis of rotation and as the live contacts have their forward and rear ends formed 'on lines correspondin thereto, as previously set 3 forth, it is vldent that as the brush engages and leaves said live contacts their identical lines will coincide in both instances. Again, the brush in engaging each dead contact will likewise coincide at the point 23 and-shoul- '3'5 der of the plate proper in the same manner and as the opposite forked end of each of these dead contacts embraces the narrow end of the live contact the brush will be supportedin passing from .the' dead plate to the live 40 contact to such extent'as to lighten the contact on that end of the live contact even after passingofi' of the short leg and thus have a tendency to reduce the line voltage until the lamps can again assume their normal resistance; The general are shapes given the elevated live contacts together with the central opening causes the brush operating thereon to shift itspoint of engagement in traversing the suu'ieas well as to permit free circulation of air to the surface of the brush during such movement. The brush also engages on different points of the surface. of the dead contacts in the beginning and leaving the same than it does at its broadcst'por- 'tion, and as there is also an air space between t-he forked end of each and the small end of the live contact as well as at their opposite ends, the brush changes its point of contact in passing thereoven, and is more or less cooled in passing over the said air spaces. The irregularity of surface in the collector rings also permit the'brushes actiniir'thcreon'to increase and diminish surface engagement with the sameand be cooled'in passing over the narrow portionspit being understood that the disk ('3 in rotating at a high velocity induces a constant-how of air in and out through the vents l, 2', 4 and (i and central orifice in the head 1. By having the ends of the intermediate dead plates forkcd andstraddling the forward ends of the live contacts the brush bears very lightly on that end of said contact plate, assisting the brushes to pass over the narrow ends of the live contacts, taking up the wear on the same, etc.

It has been found that by having the dead plates connected in series. by means of the wires 23', the sparking otherwise occurring as the brush leaves the longer forked portions of the dead plates is obviated and the etiiciency of the apparatus is greatly increased. "lhese metallic dead plates connected in series act as aclosed circuit or path in which a current is seemingly induced by the reaction of breaking the cir-.'

cuit as the brush leaves the broad end of the live contact. Substitution of non-metallic plate for the metallic dead plates has been attempted with the result that it caused intense arcing on breaking the circuit.

At Fig. V, a slight variation in the form of the dead contacts 21 is shown, wherein the vent space between the forward end of the live contacts 18 and said dead contacts is increased and the forward end of the dead plate provided with a plurality of projections 23' to permit and more effectually diffuse the circulation of air. 4

By forming the contacts and collector rings irregularly and permitting a free cir-t culation of air to the same a nd brushes, and employing brushes formed of carbon, a lower temperature is maintained'than would be otherwise with a consequent reduction in resistance.

At Fig. II, a suitable fixed support 5, shown by dotted line is arranged at the elongated bearing 8 of the apparatus to assist in supporting the same in position and at the'same time permit any longitudinal adjustment as may be occasioned or desired.

Having thus shown and described my iu-' vcntion, what I claim is: I

1. An electric lighting systcu ,comprising an iut-crrupter'in'cluding a plurality of spaced live contacts disposed -in a circular path. a like number of dead contacts disposed in alternate relation with and extending beyond the forward ends of the live contacts, a supply circuit, 'a rotary brush connected to the supply circuitandoperpting on said contacts. and a'lal'np circuit connected to the said live contacts and supply circuit.

2. An electric lighting system, comprising.

an interrupter including a pl-uralitv of live contacts disposed in a circular patln' a like number of connected dead contacts disposed ip alternate relation with the live contacts a sai contacts and connected to the supply circuit, and a lamp circuit connected to the live contacts and supply circuit.

3. An electric light ng system comprising .an interrupter including a plurality of ating on said contacts and connected to the sup 1y circuit, and a lamp circuit-connected to te live contacts and supply circuit, said spaced live contacts disposed in a circular" contacts being formed irregularly so as to a cause the brush to shift its surface engagement in traversing the same.

5. An clectric'lighting system, comprising an int-errupter including a plurality of spaced live contacts. disposed in a circular path, a like number of connected dead con- .tacts disposed in alternate relation with the live contacts, a supply circuit, a rotary brush operatin on said contacts and connected to the supp y circuit, and a lamp circuit connected to the live contacts and supply circuit, said contacts beingirregularly formed so as to cause the brush to shift its surface engagement in traversing the same.

6. An electric lighting system, comprising an interrupter including a plurality of spaced live contacts disposed in a circular path, a like number of connected dead contacts disposed in alternate relation with and extending beyond the forward ends of the live contacts, a supply circuit, a rotary brush operating on said contacts and connected to the supply circuit, anda lamp circuit connected .to the live contacts and supply circuit, said 'contacts being irregularly forme so as to cause the brush to shift its surface vn agcment in traversing the same.

h 7. An electric lighting system, comprising an interrupter including a pair of fixed heads each carrying a plurality of live con tacts disposed thereabout, a llke number of dead contacts alternately disposed betweenc'ach set of live contacts,'a supply circuit, a rotary memberarranged between said heads and carrying a pair of brushes each operating on one set of said contacts and connectedto the supply circuit,- and a lamp circuit connected to each set of live ccmtacts and the supply circuit.

S. Ancicctric lighting system, comprising supgply circuit, a rotary brush operating on.

an interrupter including a pair of fixed and spaced heads'eaeh carrying a; pluralityof spaced live contacts disposed thereabout, a like number 20f dead contact plates alternately disposelfl between each set of live contacts, asupply circuit, a rotary member arranged between ,said heads and carrying a pair of brushes'each operating on one of said contacts and connected to the supply circuit, and a lamp circuit connected to each set of live contacts and thesupply circuit, said contacts being irregularly formed so as toca'use the brush operating thereon to shift its surface engagement in traversing thesame.

9. An electric lighting system, comprising an interrupter including a. casing formed of a pair of fixed and spaced heads. each carrying a plurality of s' accd live contacts disposed thereabout, a like number of connected dead contacts alternately disposed between each set of live contacts and each extending beyondthe forward end of the succeeding live contact, a supply circuit, a rotary member arrlanged between-said heads and carrying a pairof brushes each operat-' ing on one set of contacts and conneeted to the-supply circuit, and a lamp circuitconnected to eachset of live contacts and thesupply circuit, said contacts being irregularly formed-so as to cause the brush to shift its surface engagement in traversing the set of live contacts, a. supply circuit, a ro--' tary member arranged between said heads and carrying a pair of brushes each operating on one set' of contacts and connected to the supply circuit, and a lamp circuit con nected to each set of live contacts and-the supply circuit, said contacts being irregularly formed so as to cause the brush to vshift 'its surface 'engagement in traversing the same, said casing being ventilated. Y 4 I 11. An electric lighting system. comprising an interrupter including a casing formed of-two'beads spaced apart and so held, a plurality of spaced live contacts arranged upon the inner'face of each head, a supply ,circuit, a brush carried by each head and connected to the supply circuit, a plurality of dead contacts alternately disposed be-"d tween each set of live contacts, a rotary member arrangedbetwccu said heads and provided upon each side with a collector ring each engaged by one of the brushes carried by the heads, a brush arranged on each side of the rotary member connected up to the collector ring-on that side and each.

cuit, a plurality of connected dead contacts engaging a set of contacts carried by the heads. and a lamp circuit connected to each set of live contacts and the supply circuit.

12. An electric lighting system, compris- 5 ing an interrupter including a casing having two spaced heads, a plurality of spaced live contacts arranged upon the inner face of each head, a supply circuit. a brush carried by each head and connected to the snpplyeiralternately disposed between each set of live contacts and each extending beyond the forward end of the succeeding live contact, a rotary member arranged between said heads and provided upon ach side with a collector ring each engaged by one of the brushes car- -ried by the heads, a brush carried by each side of the rotary member ca'ch connected to one of the collector rings and operating on 29 a set of contacts carried by the heads,and a and lamp circuits connected to he live con-' taets and supply circuits, said coiitacts bemg rregular in form so as to cause the brush to shift its surt'acc engagement in,

traversing the same.

14. An electric lighting system, comprismg an interrupter including plural sets of posed in a circular path opposite one another upon fixed members, a like number of irregularly formed and connected dead contacts arranged upon said members in alternate relation with the live contacts.- a brush carried by each of said members, a rotary member arranged between said fixed members and provided with a plurality of irregularly formed collector rings engaged by the brushes carried by the fixed members, a

plurality of brushes carried by the rotarymember each connected to one of the col lector rings and opcrating'on a ofcontacts, a supply circuit connected to said fixed brushes, and lamp circuits connected to each set of live contacts and the supply circuit.

15. An electric lighting system,'compris- 'i-ng an interrupter including plural sets of irregularly formed live contacts eitcb set disposed in a circular patlropposit-e one another upon fixed members, a like number of connected dead contacts arranged upon said members in alternate relation with the live contacts and each extending beyond the forward end of" the succeeding live contact, a brush carried by each of said members, a

irregularly formed lire contacts each set .(liseeis'ra rotary member arranged between said fixed members and provided with a plurality of irregularly formed collector rings, aplurality ofbrushes carried by the rotary member each connected to one of the collector rings aiid engaging a set of contacts on the fixed member. a supply circuit connected to the lixed brushes, and lamp circuits connected to the supply ircuit. and live contacts.

16. The combination of a generator. a current interrupter having a plurality of alternately disposed lire aml dead contacts and a brush operating on the contacts and connected to one terminal of the generator. and a lamp circuit connected to the live contacts and the other terminal of the generator.

17. The combination of a generator, a current interrupter having plural sets of contacts and brushes operating thereon. the brush for each set being connected to a terminal of the generator. and multiple lamp circuits, each circuit being connected to one setof contacts and to the other terminal ofthe generator.

18. The combination of a generator, :1 eurrcn t. i n l erru pt or having plural sets of contacts and brushes operating thereon. each setof contacts being connected in series and each brush connected to a terminal of the gener' ator, and multiple lamp'cireuits, each circuit being connected to one set of contacts and to the other terminal of the generator.

19. An electric lighting system, compris ing a supply circuit, an interrupter including plural sets of spaced live contacts each set having alternately disposed dead contacts therewith .which are connected to one another. means for conductinglhe current" from the supply circuit to and operating on the eon-tarts. and lamp circuits connected to the livecontacts and supply circuit. 7

20. .An electric lighting system, comprising a supply circuit,an intcrrupterincluding plural sets of irregularly shaped live contacts, plural sets of irregularly shaped dead contacts disposed in alternate relation with the live contacts and connected to one another in a closed circuit, -a plurality of collector ringsand brushes for conducting the .current. from the supply circuit to and oplector rings and brushes for conducting the current from the supply circuit to and operating on the live contacts, and a plurality of lamp circuits connected to the supply circuit and live cont-acts, said collector rings being irregular in form.

"22. An electric lighting system, comprisconnecting one terminal of the gel'lemtor' tacts for each set of each set with its individual set of interrupter mg n generutor,'plu1'al sets of l;1n1ps,'a wire contacts, the lamps in each' set, being connected in multiple. with one terminal of each lam p in the plural I sets, an interrupter hav ing a plurality of con lamps and a; rotary member operating on the contactgn wire connecting the rotary inember with the other terminal of the generator, and a wire con: neoting the other terminals of the-lamps in hire, in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK w. REEVES. \Vitness'es:

' D. B. O u s',

.R. -S,,:H1 \R RISON-' In testimony whereof, I affix my signa-