US1838033A - Electromechanical starting device for quartz mercury arc lamps - Google Patents

Description

1931: w.--T. ANDERSON, JR, ET AL 1,838,033

ELECTROMEGHQNICAL STARTING DEVICE FOR QUARTZ MERQURY ARC LAMPS Filed July 26,. 1930 NVENTOR! m fiwyg ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'WILLIAM T. ANDERSON, JR., AND LESTER F. BIRD, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS T HANOVIA CHEMICAL AND Is EANUFACTUR-TNG COMPANY, OF NERVARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY ELECTROMEGI-IANICAL STARTING DEVICE FOR QUARTZ MERCURY ARC LAMPS Application filed July as,

This invention refers to starting devices for are lamps containing mercury in a closed envelope, by means of which the mercury is moved to strike an are between the ends of the arc tube.

There are several methods that have been devised and used for lighting mercury arc lamps. The most common of these is that of hand tipping or tilting the arc tube to strike an arc. Other methods are those of producing motion of the mercury by applying heat to portions of the are envelope, or by pro ducing motion of the envelope by the use of magnets or solenoids so that motion of the mercury will strike an arc.

By far the larger number of devices are those of the magnet or solenoid type tilting the envelope to agitate the contained mercury and so starting an arc.

When the problem of starting an arc is considered in connection with therapeutic mercury arc lamps in quartz envelopes the lighting problem is much more acute for several reasons. Among the first of these is the cost of the arc tube. It is not desirable to expose a valuable arc lamp to sudden motions that may in any way damage the burner.

For this reason the therapeutic lamps of this type have been generally started by hand. The burner is ordinarily mounted in a movable support such that the burner is free to move through a vertical arc about a pivot near the cathode end of the burner,

- and motion is imparted to the burner by hand through chains or lever arms.

This method of lighting is satisfactory for most purposes, but there have arisen cases where automatic lighting is more desirable;

j especially when the arc lamp is mounted in a more or less inaccessible place. Very often in solarium installations the burner is in such a location that it is diflic-ult to apply a hand operated device; moreover, it is often desirable that atotally inexperience-d person be able to operate the arc lamp.

Even with hand tilting, care is necessary in order that the burner is not damaged; and there is too much risk attached to the starting of these lamps by inexperienced people.

It is an object of this invention to provide 1930. Serial No. 470,951.

a device which will light a quartz mercury arc lamp safely, quietly, quickly, and without danger to the burner.

This and other advantageous objects are attained by the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this disclosure.

The drawing shows diagrammatically the arrangement of the elements involved in the device.

Referring to the drawing, a mercury arc burner 1 is shown in the normal burning and cold position. The burner includes a well 2 of mercury connected with the cathode 3, and a well 1- of mercury connected to the anode 5, the electrodes 3 and 5 being connected to a source 6 of electrical current.

The burner is supported adjacent the well 2 by an arm 7 pivotally connected to a support 8. An arm 9 ad iacent the well 4; is pivotally connected to a link 10, the latter being pivoted. to a crank arm 11, fixed to a shaft 12. The arrangement above described enables the anode end of the burner to be lifted through a vertical are from the normal burner position so that mercury may be caused to flow from the anode end to the cathode end to strike an arc. The normal burner position is such that excess mercury will not remain at the cathode end but will flow back to the anode end.

Fixed to the shaft 12 is a cam 13 and a worm wheel 14. the latter meshing with a worm 15 fixed to the shaft of an electric motor 16. The worm wheel and worm are for the purpose of speed reduction, and obviously other gear arrangements may be used for such speed reduction. The electric motor is connected. to source 17 of electrical current.

Positioned in the path of cam 18 is a spring member 18 adapted to engage a contact 19 to close a circuit in which is included the elements 20 and 21 of a push button switch.

In operation, when the push button is depressed to cause engagement of the elements 20 and 21, the circuit is closed through the motor 16, and the rotation of shaft 12 causes the anode end of the burner to be raised to strike an arc, and then lowers the anode end to the normal burning position.

As shaft 12 rotates, spring contact 18 is caused to engage contact 19, which engagement is maintained for a one-half revolution of shaft 12. Since engagement of contacts 18 and 19 will also close the circuit through the motor, it will be seen that the push button switch need be only depressed momentarily.

The cam 13 is positioned so that it will hold the contacts 18 and 19 in engagement all of the time the burner is out of the burning position.

As soon as the burner is back in the burning position the cam 13 releases the contacts so that the circuit is broken through the motor. I

When it is desired to continue the tilting of the burner until an arc is struck, an arm 22 is provided to lock contacts 21 and 21 in engagement. The arm 22 is pivoted at 25 to a suitable support, and normally urged upwardly into engagement with contact 21 by a spring 23.

Contact 21 is wedge-shaped, and when the push button is depressed, the arm 22 snaps against the flat face of contact 21 and holds the latter into engagement with contact 20. Now, when the burner is lighted, a circuit is closed through an electromagnet 24, positioned adjacent arm 22, and the arm 22 is drawn downwardly to release contact 21 and open the circuit through the motor.

Obviously, the cam 13 and contacts 18 and 19, will restore the burner to normal burning position irrespective of the location of burner when an arc is struck and electromagnet 24 is energized, otherwise the motor would be stopped with the burner out of proper position.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provided a device for lighting a therapeutic quartz mercury arc lamp with no danger to the burner, the latter being handled with the gentlest ofmotions and being moved to the positions most suitable for speedy lighting.

It will also be seen that the device is automatic in its operatiomand capable of repeating its motions until the burner is lighted.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as: descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention, of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with a mercury vapor are lamp, a device for tilting'the lamp to strike an arc, comprising an electric motor,

a push button switch for momentarily closing an electrical circuit through the motor, a normally open switch, means connected to one end of the lamp and operated by the motor to tilt the lamp, and cam means operawed by the motor to close the normally open switch to maintain the circuit closed through one-half cycle of the tilting means.

. 2. In combination with a mercury vapor arc lamp, a device'for tilting the lamp to strike an arc, comprising an electric motor, a normally open switch for closing a circuit through the motor, means for locking said switch in a closed position, means connected to one end of the lamp and operated by the motor to tilt the lamp, and an electromagnet for releasing said locking means when the lamp has been lighted.

3. In combination with a mercury vapor arc lamp, a device for tilting the lamp to strike an arc, comprising an electric motor, a normally open switch. for closing a circuit through the motor, means for locking said switch in a closed position, means connected to one end of the lamp and operated by the motor to tilt the lamp, and means for releasing said locking means when the lamp has been lighted.

This specification signed this 21st day of July, 1930.

WILLIAM T. ANDERSON, JR. LESTER F. BIRD.

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