US1008391A - Method of controlling vapor electric apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

P H. THOMAS. METHOD OF CONTROLLING VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. El. 1964.

1,008,391. Patented Nov. 14, 1.911.

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OFFICE.

PERCY- KPTHOMALS OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY. ASSIGNOR TO"COOPER HEWITT CQMPANY, OF NEw YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

" Be itkn'own that'I, Pnnor H. Tuonas,

a citizen f the United States; and resident "of: Eastrange, county of-Ess'ex, State of- "Hew- Jersey, have invented certain new and juseful Improvements in Methods of Controland purposes a serious disadvantage. On

ling'Vapor Electric Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The lack of red rays in the spectrum of the mercuryvapor lamp is for some uses 'the'-'other'hand, the 'e'cono'myof the mercury vapor lamp'is so great as to secure its .a'dop-' tion in. laces where the question of the color of; thedight is of minor importance;

'Sonie"of the simple and com ound'gases give spectra tha'tcontain an a undahce of rediaysuvhen they are made-.lum11'1ons by of-Ienergy'which renders their use-inlamps the *or anelectric current. These gases,howei'er,often require an expenditure practically prohibitive. Alc'ombinatioiiof the r'ays'froni mercury vapor and fro'i'n some other gas-might, howeter; afl'ord an agreeable light and at the same time bresefrve reasonable limitsfof economy." The diliieulty I connected with employing some fired. or compound gas 111 combination w th mercury vapor'rcsides in the fact that without special care or .special .contrnances. the mercury the light-giving portion of the lamp. '.l his ispartlydue to .thefact, that in the ordinary unt :of mercury -vapor is the usual constructionlthis vapor, passes freely through I all portions of the coiitainerl- Another reason why' tl ieinereu1- v vapor is likely'toIdominatefl other gases in the lightgiving portion of the lamp is .thatthe moend-of the amp and to find difficulty in'retendency will cular or'atomic weight-of mercury vapor is ve great in comparison with most ases vaporis liable to be generated in excessive 5 .quantlties and crowd out the gases trnm i and t atfwh'enthe natural mingling o? the mercuryva or and other gases is disturbed. as by the ischarge'of an elgctriccurrent, the lighter as is likelv-to accumulate at oneturning to the opposite end where it might. mingle with emercury apor again This. made clear by considering amnion or con'rnonrmd varon nnncrmc APPARATUS.

. l Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov, 14, 1911, I

Application filed February 9, 1904. Serial No. 192,779;

tions, one does not takeheat from th other.

Furthermore, two gases at the same pressure are known'to contain the same number of molecules per unit of volume. F11 -m this it follows that two gases having tha same temperature and pressure are compc sed'of' cules of'the. other gas the result sing a;

selective action by' Wll1Cl1' thexnatursl uniformity of diffusion. of a'ses is disturbed,

the lighter gases'lieing orc'ed' to the-more remote port ons of the apparatus; The re- "sult will naturally be a difi'erence n the relative quiintity'of light emission from 'whatwould be expectedfromtheir relative quantities. This matter mav, of co'ul'se, be looked at in-a number of ditlerent ways and explained by other analogies. The above serves to elucidate the particular phenomenon referred to.

The present invention relates to means whereby the spreading of the mercury vapor through the body of the container is strained to acertain extent and lneuns whereby the lighter gas may be mule to mingle wit. the mercury Va or at all times during the operation of theamp'. "S ach is the scope of the present invention iS applied to the mercury vapor lamp. a

' In a still broader sense the invention 0ontemplates the-substitution for merct ry as the disintegratingand reoonstructiblc'substance within the lamp, of a materia'. such as molten tin, .the molecular or atomic weightor the. vapor' pressure of whme" vapor is considerably smaller than that 0: mercury Vapor for-w hich reason the ten :leucy to resist the mingling thereinof a lghtcr gas isless marked. Since the density )f the vapor developed from molten tin l5 liw, it

thereby renders the listribution of the light and heavy gases easier. In other worc' s, the invention contempllhs using in a light the 'followingfacts.- -Two gases are congiving source gases or vapors hiel will sidered to be at the same temperature when,' being separated 'byIheatrOnducting partimore readily oommingle than, for example, mercury vapor and thelighter gas. S iould nitr'ogen be selected as a fixed gas capable of developing red rays in combination with mthe temperature of the apparatus, the'development of mercury vapor, for example, would be checked or made less copious, while by increasing its temperature the amount of vapor developed would be in-' creased.

A still further adaptability p'ossessedby the present invention is that it may be applied to thcjdevelopm'ent of the peculiar spectra of various fixed or compound gases withoutthe employment of a disinte rating reconstruct'hle electrode. For examp e, wit-h a negativeu e ectrode constituted of a material which 'does not harmfully exfoliate under the influence of current passing through a device of this character, a gas, suchas nitroen, might be utilized as the sole medium or carrying the currentthrou h the device; or a 'mixture of gases ca culated to produce particular spectra might be employed in thecontainer. I have found that silicon and aluminum, wunh of proper.

purity, mayboth be made use ofas' negative electrodes in lighting apparatussuc'h as is contemplated herein, and that no injurious exfoliation takes place whereby the efiiciency of the apparatus is seriously afiected. Accordingly, the present invention may be ap-. plied to'vapor lightin apparatus having as' its negative electr e either .silicon or. aluminum or such other solid material as does not harmfully exfoliate under the in= fiuence of the current, such [negative electrode forming part of an apparatus con-. taining a fixed or compound gas, or a mixture of gases, introduced into the apparatus during the process of manufacture and constituting the sole path 'for'the current in the a I have shown my invention in the drawn s which llustrate some of the means wliereby the various functions referred to above are accomplished.

-Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, illustrate several forms of devicessuitable'for carrying out my invention. I

Referring first ,to Fig.'2, I' show means wherebya lighter gas, such as nit'ro' en, may be-introduced into the container 0 alamp having mercury or some other disintegrating andself reconstructin material as one of its electrodes. In this figure, 1- is'a container of glass hr other transparent material .havin" aigenlargement, 2, at its top, and-having other-.enlargements, 3 and 54, at; different points" along its length'l iilfheipos'itivei lelec- 5 trode in this instance is shown at 5, and the same may be constructed of iron or other suitable conducting material. ,The leadsaid electro e within the bulb or enlargement 2. The negative electrodeis located at 7, and maybe assumed to be composed of -mercury. or molten tin. The n ative electrode is connected to the externa circuit by a lead-wire 8. The .main portion of the luminous part of the a pp aratus is located between the enlargements 2 and 3. Between the enlargements 2 and 4, extends a comparatively small tube, 9, the purpose of which .will be explained later on. This figure 'of the drawings shows the lamp in the process of manufacture, a tube 10 bein joined to the bulb or enlargement 3, and serving as an inlet throu h which the nitrogen or other gas may be forced into the amp. After a suflicient quantity of gas has been pumped in, the tube 10 may be sealed off at 11, and 'thelamp-will, then ap ear without the attached tube 10. It wil be understood that the tube 10 is'connected witha suitable pumping up aratus which seal n off the tube.1.,Assumingthe.lamp to be sea ed 01f andoompleted and. assuming that t h e proper current is ap lied" to the term nals; of fthe lamp. througli- 'denses aconsiderable portionof the merbu] T e action 0 he'bulb 4 is similar and will have served to cut down the amount of free mercury vaporin the light-giving portion of-the container by condensing a porti'onof it and allowing ittotreturn to the electrode l. .f B'y; pro rly r0 rtioningthe size of thebulbs 4 an 3 o the throat 12, the'tgmdunt of free mercury 'vapor. in the light-giving'portion of the container 1 can be-cut'dow-n to any other words, the relative proportions pf the mercury, yapor and the nitrogeng 'gas, or

will,however, be disconnecte by the act of t h t e" lit-givingthe two cu va orWhiehfpasses through the said wire, 6, sup arts 'or is connected with the p the leadwires 6 and. 8, the vapors generated by the bulb, 3, by reason of its cooling effect condesired amount. In t such 'pther-f ses and vapors as may-be se- 'l'ecfed, may .under control, briugl about; stablo' .cond1t'ons When. such stable conditions exist, the'lamp may be run upon a' constant potential circuit and the spectrum of the combined gases will appear, thereby counterbalancing the insufliciencies of the mercury yapor spectrum alone.

I have observed in practice a tendency for the lighter gases to accumulate near. the positive electrode or in other places out of 19 the influence of the current. This may be counteracted to a great extent by means of the tube 9, connecting the region near the positive electrode with the part-adjacent to the negative electrode. The excess of nitro- 15 gen or other comparatively light gas in the nei hborhood of the positive electrode will find an outlet through the pi e 9 and will,

accordin to the law of the istribution of gases an va rsQmingle with the vapors in the part of t e lamp near the negative electrode and thus supply the deficiency of gas in that region.

In Fig. 1, I show a single large bulb 13 just above the ne ative electrode, the func- 5 tion of the bulb ing that of condensing a large proportion of the vapors generated from, the said electrode and preventing an excess of such vapors from entering the light-giving portion 1 of-the lamp.

a0. 5 Between the rece tacle containing the negative electrode and the condensing chamber above the said electrode, 1 may place a constricted passage or throat which will in the first instance choke oil a portion of 9 the vapor from entering the bulb or enlar ement above the electrode as illustrated, or example, in Fig. 2. In other words, the constricted path for the vapor developed in the operation of the device may be arranged either beyond the first enlargement or between the receptacle for the negative electrode and the first enlargement or at any other efi'ective pointer points.

It "'11 be understood that the enlarge-' 45.ment 3'may be dispensed with or that any number of bulbs or enlargements maybe utilized to secure the ends aimed at by the invention. a The employment of a considerable numher of condensing chambersarranged along the luminous co umnis shown in Fig. 3, where bulbs 14, 15, 16 and 17 appear, their function being to control the amount of condensable' vapor in the luminous rtion Q15 of the container arisingfrom the is'integration of the negative electrode. Should it be desired to increase the relative proportions of condensable vapor in the apparatus,

can be accomplished by artificial heat- 60 ing applied to the negative electrode or to the ap aratus as a whole. On thefother hand, the total light efl'ect may be varied in the opposite sense by introducing'into the lamp a relatively large pic rtion of nitrogen orother gas. By providing a condensing chamber near the positive electrode, or at intermediate points, the operation of the apparatus as producing a s trum con-jtainin large quantities of r may be improve Under some conditions tis found that the relative proportions of (lifl'erent colors may be controlled by the stre ugth of the current applied to the apparal us. In some instances, I have used a compo 1nd gas in place of nitrogen or other fixedg is, such compound gas having-a larger atomic or molecularweight than the nitro en or other acid gas, for example," and this gas- It ay give in'conjunction-w'ith mercury vapor, a. spectrum containing all the colors of-sun light in approximately the same proportions. This result is achieved with a .consi lerabl smaller expenditure of energy. and :om hcation of apparatus than is the case w en nitrogen is used.

In Fig. 4 I show a simple form of apparatus in which the positive electrodc 5 may be of iron, silicon, or other solid material and in which the negative electrode, 7 is of pure silicon or aluminum orother suitable solid material. 'In the container .1, I. place during the process of manufacture a gas such as nitrogcnycarbonic acid gas, or a mixture of gases, the single gas or mixture being adapted to develop under the ii .fluence of currenqpasslng through the appan Ltus'tlie peculiar s ctrum of; their class. [11 this Way the c aracter of the light emiwted'by the lamp may be predetermined.

It will be understood that the tu ie 9 in Fig. 2 may be connected at one end to any point where the non-condensable glses or led thence to any other oint in tilt apparatus where the condensa 1e gases or vapors are likely to be present in excess. I

In speaking of condensable and n in-con-. densable gases or' vapors in the present specification and claims, reference is bad to comparative degrees of condensabili 1y, one gas \being less easily condensed th am the other. I find that gases having hea moledular weight are generallymc re e cient as sources of,ligbt. I have found that a very efi'ective means, under some conditions, for assistin the elimination of the excess of condense 1e vapor is the sur rounding of a portion of the apparatus with water a or other cooling materia Under so: in conditions, the cooling material, such as water,

y replaced by a forced draft 0! air or other cooling fluid.

into the apparatus, care should be tr ken to favoid such as will be made active in a chemi-- \cal sense. in the presence of any of t 1e materials in the container.

In certain divisional applications filed respectively November 5th, 1904, Serial Numgas. Such a gas is represented y (arbonic vapors are likely to accumulate and nay be i In choosing the gases or vapors intr Jduced producing va I t reaches the lggh plication.

I claim as my invention: 1. In a vapor electric lamp including'an exhausted container and a v'aporizable oath.-

ode, saidcontainer including alight giving portion distinct from the cathode chamber in which light is produced throu h the action of electric current on a'suitab e gas, the method -.of operation which consists in passing curiint through a gas having the desired sp trum, continuing said currentinto a vaporizable cathode thereby continuouslyr,'opposing flow of said vapor and con ensing escaping vapor before t givin path.

2, The meth of 'com ining the rays of a gas or amixtur'e'of gases whose spectrum contains red 'withthe rays of mercury vapor in a lamp, and preventing the dominaqtion'of'the characteristic rays of mercury in the resulting spectrum, which consists in introducing into the lamp a definite quantity of a gas, and limiting the free passage of mercury vapor to the light-giving column. j "-3. The method of securing a pro er operating mixture of gases having itferent spectra for the'purpo'se oftproducing a predetermined luminous effect under the influence of electric current, one of, the said.

ases bein'g'condensable and the other noncondensable, which consists in roviding a definite quantity of the non-cont ensable gas in a container and controlling the amount of condensable gas by mechanically or physically limiting the supply of said gas within any given portion of the container.

4. The method of securing a proper operating mixture of gases having different spectra for the purposes of producing a predetermined luminous etl'ect under the influence of electric current, one of the said gases being condensable and the other noncondensable, which consists in controlling the supply of condensahle gas by regulating the temperature of the apparatus.

5. The method of securing a proper -opcrating mixture of gases having different spectra for the purposes of producing a predetermined luminous eifect under the influence of electric current, one of the said gases being condensable and the other non-condensable, which consists in regulating the supply of condensable gas by controlling the temperature of the apparatus and limiting the free assage of said condens'able' throu gh t e container.

he method of securing a proper 'opei f" V gases bein condensable and the other nonture o fqthe apparatus and limiting the free passage ofitiie'poiidensable gas through the The method of securing a proper c0m-' apparatus.

mingling of a non-condensable gas capable of developing; additional rays with mercury vapor in a vapor lamp, which consists in sup lyin a definite uantity of the noncon ensa le gas to the amp, developingl the mercury vapor from a mercury electro e in the lamp'a'nd limiting the free passage of the mercury vapor through the light-giving column; V

8. The method of securing a proper mingling of a 'noncondensable gas capable of developing additional rays with mercury vapor in, a vapor lamp, which consists in supplying a definite quantity of the noncondensable gas to'the lamp, developing the mercury vapor froma mercury electrode in the lamp and controlling the amountof mercury vapor developed in the lamp by regulating the temperature of the lamp.

9. The method'of securing a proper operating mixture of gases having different spectra forthe purposes of securing a predetermined luminous effect under the influence of electriccurrent, which consists in introducing a plurality -of gases differing in molecular weight, passing current through said gases for the'purpose of obtaining light therefrom and resistin the tendency of the gas of lighter molecuar weight to be reduced below thenormal amount in the path traversed by the current by providing an excess of said gas in the non-operating condition. Y

' spectra for the purposes of producing a predetermined luminous effect under the influence of electric current, which consists in exposing to the passage of current between the electrodes a mixture of a lurality of gases having. difierent molecu ar weights and opposing the natural relatively greater tendency of the as of heavier molecular wei ht to remain in the current path by re-' ducing the relative quantity "of said'heavy gas in the non-operating condition below that required for the properlight'spectmm inlfthe'current path during operation;

1." In an-electric' lamp .coniprisin an extainer and electgs'odes t ercfor,

"sting mixture of gases having .dilferent ass:

5'' tra for the purposes of producing a pref A etermined luminous effect under the insaid condensable vapor'in the light; giving fpath by successively and repeatedl applying the process of condensing and trottling to the condensable vapor between the point 5 of generation and the light giving path.

122 T he method of 'predeterm1mng the I Spectrum to be given by a vacuum electric apparatus, which consists in inclos'ing within the vacuum-chamber definite quantities r of permanent gases improportions adapted to give the desired. spectrum and supplymg in a non-operating condition an excess of a gas'having a rielatiyely high dispersive.

tendenc under the influence of electric current, 'said e cess, being suflicient to maintain inthe light giving ath the n0rmal proportion of said gas in tiie operating con-- dition.

13. The method of getting a definite qualit of light from an electric apparatus con- 1 taining a gas. or mixture of gases giving the desired spectrum, which consists .in producing light by thepassage of current through the apparatus,-through ,the action of said current producing a 'condensable gas, said gas ,notbeing required'asa light givin mediu'mf'iandreducingithe quantity of sai unnecessary gas in the vapor column to a negligible quantlty.

' 14. The niethcd'of preventing the domination offa spectrum .of "a given electric lamp by aproduction in excess of a condensable vapor-from a vaporizableelectrode through the action of the current, which i v consists in passing current through the apparatus, causing said current to produce 1 ght within the apparatus through the action of a suitable gas and operatingaportion of the apparatus in contact with the 9 condensable gas at a temperature at which the vapor tensionof said condensable gas isadapted tothe n'ormal roducti'on of light. 15. Ina gas electric amp containing a mi'vtureof gases in which there is a tend- 5 ency fortoolarge a quantity of one gas to collect in a portion of the light-giving column, said gas being condensable the method of getting the properspectrum. which consists in perating the light-giving portion of the electric lamp at a temperature low enough to reduce the partial pressure of any condensahle'gas which tends to excess below the harmful point. i

16, In anglectric lamp in which a mix- 5 ture of a condensable and noncondensable gas is utilized fora production of light of a definite spectrum. the method of operation which. consists in passing current through the lamp thereby accumulating an excess of a noncon'rlensable gas in one location out of the light giving path; returning a said accumulated gas into the light giving path and generating a condensingvapor from a negative electrode within the lamp. 17. The method of operating an electric 'weight'by limiting the relative quantity of lamp in which current excites light; from a suitable mixture of'one or more noncondensable gases with a condensable gas, which. consists in passing current through th e light giving portion of the lamp, causing said current to produce a circulation of l noncondensable gas through a closed pith ineludingv said light giving portion and gen-." .erating and condensin a condehsahlegas from an electrode within said lamp.

18. In-a vapor electric lamp, the method of securing high etliciency and ligh'; of a proper spectrum, which consists in sezurin'g a mixture of mercury vapor and a gas' adapted to supplement-the mercury'spec trum and having a relatively large mol ecular weight. and passing current-througli these gases in a suitable container. I

19. The method of securing a proper mixture of gases having definite spectra in an 35.5

electric lamp, which consists in pro iding, the proper .iroportions of said gases in -th current path to give the desired spectrum, and providing out of the current: pr? than excess of eaph gas corresponding in on intity to its molecular weight to maintain th c said desired proportion. a

20. In an electric lamp rel ing f )1. --its spectrum on thecharacter 0 the-gasor gases in the light giving portion, the n ethod of ope-ration which consists in passing ci'irrent through the light iving portion, thereby producmg light and generating by said current from a cathode in said lamp a disintegrated nonvaporizable material.

21. The method of securing-aproper commingling of mercury vapor and a. gas adapted to develop red rays under the. mfluence of an electric current, which cc nsists in combining a'vith a mercury vapor, a gas adapted to develop red rays and having a. relatively high molecular weight ant. preventing the domination of the spectrum of this material in view ofits heavy molucular said material .in correspondence with said. molecular weight.

In a vapor electric lamp compi'ising ,a container,- electrodes therein and u gas therein adapted to develop a suitable spectrum under the influence of electric c1" rrent traversing the same, the method of cpera-- tion which consists in including a su table gas in the light giving portion of an exhausted container passing current therethrough. maintaining a vapor in another portion .of said .-container passing the current therethroughand preventing. diffusion between the gas and the vapor. 23. In an. electric lamp in which li'g ht of a definite spectrum is produced by the action of current on a suitable mixture 0:? gas,

the method of operation which consi: in passing current thlOlfil'l the alalght'filvmg 18o,

portion of the lamp, ereby a noncondensable gas at one end, returning said gas out of the current path at the other end of said light giving portion and 'generating and condensing vapor from an elec-.

trode with said'lamp.

'24. The method of manufacturing vapor electric lamps adapted to produce a desired spectrum by combination of one or more permanent gases with a condensable gas,

which consists in connecting the apparatus to an exhaust pump; removing the air therefrom, introducing into the apparatus a definite limited quantity of permanent gas,

conditions and sealing of! gas externally cooling produce a con- I ensation of-a portion of said condensablo g t; i It; .i 30 26. The method of producingapredetermined luminous effect by means of a gas or vaporelectric apparatus containing as one of its electrodes a conducting 'liquij capable of being ,volatilizedand condensed. under .35

the influence of A electric current and also containing a'gas or va or otherthan the one which is developed rorii the conducting liquid under current influence, which con sists in starting the apparatus by any ap- 40 proved means and condensin all or a por-. tionof the vapors develope -from the described electrode at or near the point of development, thereb permitting current to pass mainly throug "the said'other gas or and; er g its Characteristi light. I t

Signed at New York,-

the county 'NewYork and State of New York, this-8th day of February 'A; D.1904.";-

.WM. H.

j Gnome 1H, I 1:

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