US942378A - Vapor electric apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

fine W 9 By-W M L. E. DEMPSTER. VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION TILED MAR. 19,}904.

942,378 Patented new, 1909.

Witnesses 4 Inventor;

I Leonard BDempste'r,

and 6 are @NTT LEONARD ERNEST DEMPSTER, 0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIG'NOB. TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A GORPORA'IION OF NEW YORK.

VAPOR ELECTRIC APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Application filed marc in, 1904. Serial 1%. 198,886.

To all whom 'it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LEONARD E. Dr. P-

srnn, a subject of the King of GreatBritain,

residin at Schenectady, countyof {Sphenectady, tate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vapor Electric A paratus, of which thefollowing is a speci cation. I

y present invention relates to the starting of vapor electric devices such, for example, as mercury vapor lamps or the like.

The novel features characteristic of my invention are pointed out with particularity in the appended claims.

The invention itself, however, will be made clearer by reference'to'the following description taken in connection with the accoinpanying drawin s which represent my invention as a plie to' the starting of a mercury vapor amp. I

In the drawings the highly exhausted envelop or container of the lamp consists of a tube 1 of suitable material such as glass. This tube is of indefinite length and is provided at its upper portion with an enlarge ment or bulb 2 constituting a condensing chamber. The tube 1 projects into the condensing chamber so as to form an annular recess in which is located a body of mercury 3 constitut-in one of the electrodes 01' the lamp. A body of mercury i at the lower end of the lamp constitutes the cob crating electrode. Suitable leadin -in con uctors 5 provided for e ecting electrical connection with the electrodes and are con- .neoted to the supply leads? and 8 of the lamp. I y

A tubular extension of the condensing 'chainberis provided at 9 and within this extension I locate an armature or core 10 of magnetic material. An inwardly projecting ridge 11 limits the movement of the core 10 in either direction and supports the core when the latter is in its lowest position. A

material. A laterally and downwardly extending filament 18 'is secured to the upper ortion of the filament l3 and dips at its ower end 19 into the mercury 3. An electrical connection is thus aii'orded from the main 8, through the solenoid 12, to the merc'ury 3, thence through the filaments 18 and 13 to the mercury 4 and to the other main 7. The solenoid'12 being thus energ'zed, the armature IQ is lifted, thus first lfftin the lower end 14 of the filament out or the mercury 4, whereupon themain arc starts between the two nnercury electrodes, and then lifting the filament 18 out of the mercury 3 thus cutting the two filaments out of circuit. l/Vhen the lower electrode 4 is to be the negative or cathode, the filament 13 should be separated from the mercury 4.- before the filament 18 separates from the mercury 3. The arrangement should be reversed when the upper electrode is made the cathode. filament-last to break connection is thus prevented.

By making the conductor 13 of filainein tary form and therefore of small cross section a considerable resistance is secured which has the etfect of causing ready transfer of the starting are from the end of the filament at which the break first occurs, to the mercury anode.

It is evident that numerous changes may be made in the practical embodiment of my invention without departin from the spirit of the invention. I there ore do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described, especially since the construction shown is intended merely as an illustration of but one or" the many ways in which my invention may be embodied in practice.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,-

1 In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of a plurality of mercur electrodes, a filamentary conductor initially connecting said electrodes, and means for dissimultaneously breaking the connections at the working surfaces of the" respective electrodes.

2.. In a vapor electric apparatus, the combination of an exhausted'envelop or container provided with electrodes, a filament extending from one electrode and making electrical connection with. the other, and

Disintegration of that end of the I 5 .-'tary' conductor electrically connecting said means for moving the filament relative to the envelop for breaking the electrical connection at each electrode.

1 3. In a vapor apparatus, the combination of a'container, electrodes therein, a filameni electrodes, and means for moving said conductor so as to break the electrical connection at the negative electrode and subseuently to break the electrical connection at t 0 positive electrode.

In a vapor apparatu the combination of a container, electrodes therein, a filamentary conductor electrically connectingsaid' bination of a container, electrodes therein, a

filament electrically connecting said elec-- gas, or vapor, a positiveand a negative elec trode therefor, of a continuous conductor between the positive and the negative electrode, and automatic means for separating the said conductor from both electrodes, the rupture at the negative electrode taking place prior to that at the positive.

-In witness whereof, I have hereunto Sci my hand this 18th day of March, 1904-.

LEONARD ERNEST DEMPS'IER. Witnesses BENJANUNB. I'lKLL, HELEN Onroim.

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