The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.Byrn, Edward W. (Edward Wright)
History
The Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century.
Byrn, Edward W. (Edward Wright)
Inventions -- History; Inventions -- History -- 19th century
Among the early developments of the electric light was the Jablochkoff
candle, see Fig. 41, brought out in 1877. In this device two parallel
sticks of carbon G G were separated by a non-conducting layer of kaolin
I, and were held in an asbestos ferrule A. Metal tubes T T connected the
conducting wires F F to the carbons. The arc of flame passed from the
top of one carbon to the other, fusing the separating layer of kaolin,
and the whole burned down together as a candle. This form of electric
light was extensively used in Paris in 1877, and also in London, and
attracted considerable attention.
[Illustration: FIG. 43.--ARC LAMP FEED MECHANISM.]
From the Jablochkoff candle the arc light has resumed the form of two
vertically aligned carbons, and after passing through various forms and
patterns, of which the Weston lamp, Fig. 42, is a modern type, has come
into such universal and conspicuous use for lighting the streets of our
cities, and is so well known to-day, that but little need be said of its
development, since its real character has undergone no change in
principle, the improvements relating chiefly to means for regulating the
feed of the carbons and maintaining them at a uniform distance apart, so
as to avoid flickering. This result is obtained by automatic mechanism
operated by the electric current acting upon electro-magnets, as shown
in Fig. 43, in which the electro-magnets raise the upper carbon when it
is too close to the lower carbon, and lower the upper carbon when the
space becomes too great from burning away. Among those who have
contributed to the development of the arc light the names of Brush,
Weston, and Thomson and Houston are most conspicuous, and the patents of
Brush, No. 203,411, May 7, 1878, and No. 212,183, Feb. 11, 1879, and
Weston, No. 285,451, Sept. 25, 1883, are the most representative
developments.
[Illustration: FIG. 44.--NINE THOUSAND CANDLE POWER ARC LAMP.]
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