(No Model.) 2. Sheets-Sheet 1.

N TESLA,
ELECTRIC ARC LAMP,
No. 335,786, Patented Feb. 9, 1886,

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N. PETERs, Photo-Lithographer, Washington, D.C.
 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.
NIKOLATESLA, OF SMILJAN LIKA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO THE
TESLAELECTRIC LIGHT AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF RAHWAY,
NEWJERSEY.

ELECRC-ARC AMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,786, dated February 9, 1886.
Application filed March 30, 1885. Serial No. 160,574. (No model.)

To all whon it may concern sired objects and to remedy the before-men SO
Be it known that I, NIKOLATESLA, of Smil tioned defects. I combine two electro-mag
jan Liika, border country of Austria-Hungary, nets--one of low resistance in the main or
have invented certain new and useful Im lamp circuit, and the other of comparatively
5 provements in Electric-Arc Lamps, of which high resistance in a shunt around the arc-a.
the following is a specification. movable armature-lever, and a novel feed 55,
My invention relates more particularly to mechanism, the parts being arranged so that
those arc lamps in which the separation and in the normal working position of the arma
feed of the carbon electrodes or their equiva ture-lever the same is kept almost rigidly in
IC) lents is accomplished by means of electro one position, and is not effected even by con
magnets or Solenoids in connection with suit siderable changes in the electric circuit; but
able clutch-mechanism; and it is designed to if the carbons fall into contact the armature
remedy certain faults common to the greater will be actuated by the magnets So as to move
part of the lamps heretofore made. the lever and start the arc, and hold the car
The objects of my invention are to prevent bons until the arc lengthens and the arma
the frequent vibrations of the movable elec ture-lever returns to the normal position.
trode and flickering of the light arising there After this the carbon-rod holder is released by
from, to prevent the falling into contact of the the action of the feed mechanism, so as to feed
electrodes, to dispense with the dash-pot, the carbon and restore the arc to its normal
clock-work, or gearing and similar devices length.
heretofore used, and to render the lamp ex My invention consists, mainly, in the par
tremely sensitive, and to feed the carbon al ticular manner in which the armature is com
most imperceptibly, and thereby obtain a very bined with the magnets and acted upon by
steady and uniform light. them and in the feed-controlling mechanism.
25 In that class of lamps where the regulation In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of
of the arc is effected by forces acting in oppo the mechanism made use of in the electric 75
sition on a free movable rod or lever directly lamp. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same be
connected with the electrode, all or some of low the line a (c. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the
the forces being dependent on the strength balancing lever and spring, and Fig. 4 is a de
of the current, any change in the electrical con tached plan view of the pole-pieces and arma
dition of the circuit causes a vibration and a tures upon the friction-clamp, and Fig. 5 is a So
corresponding flicker in the light, This dif section of the clamping-tube.
ficulty is most apparent when there are only M is a helix of coarse wire in a circuit from
a few lamps in circuit. To lessen this diffi the lower-carbon holder to the negative bindo
35 culty, lamps have been constructed in which ing-screw -e.
the lever or armature, after the establishing N is a helix of fine wire in a shunt between
of the arc, is kept in a fixed position and can the positive binding screw -- and the negative
not vibrate during the feed operation, the feed binding-screw -. The upper-carbon holder
mechanism acting independently; but in these S is a parallel rod sliding through the plates
lamps, when a clamp is employed, it frequently S' S of the frame of the lamp, and hence the
occurs that the carbons come into contact and electric current passes from the positive bind
the light is momentarily extinguished, and, ing-post -- through the plate S, carbon
frequently, parts of the circuit are injured. In holder S, and upper carbon to the lower car
both these classes of lamps it has been gustom bon, and thence by the holder and a metallic
45 ary to use dash-pot, clock-work, or equiva connection to the helix M.
lent retarding devices; but these are gener. The carbon-holders are of any desired char 95
ally unreliable and objectionable, and increase
acter, and to insure electric connections the
the cost of construction. springs l are made use of to grasp the upper
My invention is intended to effect the de- carbon holding rod S, but to allow the rod to
 335,786

slide freely through the same. These springs the core M'. If, now, the are becomes too
l may be adjusted in their pressure by the long, the current through the helix M is less
Screw m, and the spring l may be sustained sened, and the magnetism of the core N is in
upon any suitable support. I have shown creased by the greater current passing through
them as connected with the upper end of the the shunt, and this core N attracting the seg
core of the magnet N. mental armature r lessens the hold of the
Around the carbon-holding rod S, between clamp R. upon the rodS, allowing the latter to
the plates SS, there is a tube, R, which forms slide and lessen the length of the are, which
a clamp. This tube is counterbored, as seen instantly restores the magnetic equilibrium 75
O in the section Fig. 5, so that it bears upon the and causes the clamp R to hold the rod S. If
rod Satits upper end and near the middle, and it happens that the carbons fall into contact,
at the lower end of this tubular clamp R there then the magnetism of N is lessened so much
arearmature-segments r of soft iron. A frame that the attraction of the magnet M will be
or arm, n, extending, preferably, from the core sufficient to move the armature a and lever A
N, supports the lever A by a fulcrum-pin, 0. so that the armature b passes above the nor
This lever A has a hole, through which the mal position, so as to separate the carbons in
upper end of the tubular clampR passes freely, stantly; but when the carbons burn away a
and from the lever A is a link, q, to the lever greater amount of current will pass through
t, which lever is pivoted at y to a ring upon the shunt until the attraction of the core N'
One of the columns S. This lever t has an will overcome the attraction of the core M and
opening or bow surrounding the tubular clamp bring the armature-lever Aagain into the nor
R, and there are pins or pivotal connections mal horizontal position, and this occurs before
w between the lever t and this clamp R, and the feed can take place. The segmental arma
a spring, , serves to support or suspend the ture pieces rare shown as nearly semicircular.
25 weight of the parts and balance the same, or They may be square or of any other desired
nearly so. This spring is preferably adjust. shape, the ends of the pole-pieces MN being
able. made to correspond in shape.
At one end of the lever A is a soft-iron arma I claim as my invention
ture block, a, over the core M of the helix 1. The combination, in an electric-arc lamp,
M, and there is preferably a limiting-screw, c, of the electro-magnets in the main and shunt
passing through this armature-blocka, and at circuits, respectively, an armature-lever and
the other end of the lever Alis a soft-iron arma connection to the movable carbon-holder, the
ture-block, b, with the end tapering or wedge core of the shunt-magnet passing across the
shaped, and the same comes close to and in end of the armature-lever, substantially as set IOO
35 line with the lateral projection e on the core forth, so that the two magnets act in conjunc
N. The lower ends of the cores M N are tion on the armature-lever in moving the car
made with lateral projecting pole-pieces M: bon to form the arc and in opposition to each
N, respectively, and these pole-pieces are con other beyond the normal position of the arma
cave at their outer ends, and are at opposite ture-lever, substantially as specified. IO5
sides of the armature-segments r at the lower 2. The combination, with the carbon-hold
end of the tubular clamp R. ers, of two magnets, one in the main circuit
The Operation of these devices is as follows: and the other in a shunt-circuit, and an arma
In the condition of inaction the upper carbon ture-lever to draw the arc, and a feeding
rests. upon the lower one, and when the cur mechanism and pole-pieces upon the electro IIO
45 rent is turned on the electricity passes freely, magnets to act upon the feeding mechanism,
by the frame and spring l, through the rod S substantially as specified.
and carbons to the coarse wire and helix M, 3. The combination, with the carbon-hold
and to the negative binding-post W, and the ers, of two magnets, one in the main circuit
core M thereby is energized. The pole-piece and the other in a shunt-circuit, and an arma II5
Mattracts the armaturer, and by the lateral ture-lever between two poles of such electro
pressure causes the clamp R to grasp the rod magnets to draw the arc, and a feeding mech
S, and the lever A is simultaneously moved anism and pole-pieces upon the other two
from the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. oles of the electro-magnetS to act upon the
1, to the normal position shown in full lines, feeding mechanism, substantially as specified.
55 and in so doing the linkg and levert are raised, 4. The combination, with the carbon-hold
lifting the clamp R and rod S, separating the ing rod in an electric-arc lamp, of the clamp
carbons and forming the arc. The magnetism R, levert, spring ", armature-lever A, and
of the pole-piece e tends to hold the lever A electro-magnets M N in the main and shunt
level, or nearly so, the core N being energized circuits, respectively, the pole-pieces MN, 125
by the current in the shunt which contains and armature-segments, substantially as set
the helix N. In this position the lever A is forth.
not moved by Ordinary variation in the elec 5. The combination, with the carbon-holder,
tric current because the armature b is strongly of a tubular clamp surrounding the same, an
attracted by the magnetism of e, and these parts armature - lever connected to said tubular
are close to each other, and the magnetism of clamp, and electro-magnets in the main and
e acts at right angles to the magnetism of shunt circuits,respectively, and armature-seg
 335,786 3.

ments upon the tubular clamp adjacent to the into action or releasing it, substantially asset Io
lateral poles of the electro-magnets, substan- forth.
tially as set forth. Signed by me this 25th day of March, A.
6. In an electric-arc lamp, the combination, D. 1885,
5. With the carbon-holding rod, of a clamp, two NIKOLA TESTA.
armatures upon the clamp, and electro-mag
nets in the main and shunt circuits, re- Witnesses:
spectively, the poles of which act upon the GEO. T. PINCKNEY,
armatures of the clamp for bringing the same CHAS. H. SMITH.