US913105A - Electric-current indicator. - Google Patents

Description

F. N. CONANT. ELEGTRIG CURRENT INDICATOR. APPLIGATIQN FILED JAN.11, 1907.

913, 105. l Patented Feb.23,19o9.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

` 'FRANKLIN N. CONANT, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CHASE-SHAWMUT CO., OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC-CURRENT INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application led January 11, 1907. Serial No. 351,7(

of Newburyport, county of Essex, State of y representing like struct ra por-table electric currentl indicator,

Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Current Indicators, of whichthe following description, in connection with` the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings arts.

; Thisginvention as for its object. to con- .which is' especially designed to be applied'to or placed in contact with an electric fuse or cutfout, to indicate whether or not the fusewirehas been disrupted, yet it may be used for a. variety of other purposes.

The invention consists 1n the employment of an incandescent electric lamp, which serves as the indicating-device, and means to mechanically and electrically connect it with "a suitable form of suplport whereby it may be conveniently han d. The suplport is provided with a pair of terminals, w ich are adapted to be placed in engagement with the terminals of an electric fuse or cut-out, to thereby connect the indicator in a shunt circuit around said. fuse or cut-out, and if the fuse-wire is disru ted the current will ass through the indlcator and cause the amp to glow; but if the fuse-wire has not been disrupted then no lappreciable part of the current will pass through the indicator and the lamp will not low. As a convenient form of support for t e indicating-device I prefer to employ a shell or case of insulating material, having end caps which serve as the terminals, and the indicating-device is contained in said shell or case and its terminals electrically land mechanically connected with the terminals of the shell or case.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation an electric current indicator embodyingthis invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same, taken on the dotted line 2 2. Fig. 3 shows a modied form of support for the indicating-device.

The indicating-device which I prefer to employ consists of an incandescent electric lamp a, of any suitable constructmn and of any required voltage, which is adapted-to be held in a lamp-socket a. also of any suitable construction. The socket c has a bottom of insulating material through .which eX- tends a screw a2 of conducting material, the head. of which occupies a position on the inside of the socket. The control stud or contact of the lamp normally engages the head of said screw. The socket a has attached to it oneend of a wire l), of any I suitable length, the opposite end of which is attached to a screw b of conducting material. The two screws a2 and b', therefore, serve as the terminals of the indicatingdevice. An uninterrupted path for the current through the indicating-device is provided as follows: screw a2, central lam contact, lamp filament socket a', wire and screw b. The indicating-device thus constructed is contained in a shell or case of any, suitable construction by which it is supported in such manner that it may be conveniently handled, and for the purpose of illustrating 'my invention the shell or case comprises a tubular cylinder c, of suitable dimensions and composed of insulating material, having end caps c', c2, of conducting material tted upon and secured to its opposite ends. The end ca s c', c2 have holes t rough them through which the screws .0.2, b', extend, and for the purpose of mechanically holdingthe parts assembled as well as for electrically connecting the screws a2, b', res ectively with the end caps, nuts c3, c, eit er or both, are turned on the screws, the end nuts, if two are employed on each screw, or the single nut thus employed, being brought to bear firmly against the end caps to insure an electric connection. When the parts are thus connected together the end caps become the terminals of the indicator. The length of the shell or case is such that the distance between the terminals is approximately the same as the distance between the terminals of the fuse or cut outs, so that the device may bel placed with its terminals in engagement with the terminals of the fuse or cut-out, to thereby determine whether or not the fusewire has been disru ted. The end caps, however, will be ma e quite long so as to engage the terminals of many different sizes of fuses or cut-outs. When the device is thus applied -to a fuse or cut-out the indicating-device will be connected in a shunt circuit around it, and if the fuse-wire is disrupted the current will pass through the indicator and cause the lamp to glow.

The shell or case is formed or provided with an aperture c5 through which the lamp may be observed, as shown in Figs. 1 or 2,

or the cylinder c may be composed of glass, or other translucent non-conducting material, as shown in Fig. 3, Which, for the purpose ofv my invention, Wl form the 'equivalent of the cylinder having the an aperture and also having Ia pair ofv metallic caps at its opposite ends, an incandescent lamp and socket therefor contained in said shell or case, means for rne- -chanically and yelectric-ally connecting said socket With one of said end caps, and means for, electricallyconnecting it With the other end cap, substantially as described.

2. An electric current inldicator consisting of an insulated indosing shell or case having an aperture, and lalso having a pair of metallic caps at its opposite ends, an incandescent lamp and soclzttherefor contained in said shell or case, Imeans for detachably connecting said socket with one of the end caps, a Wire leading from said socket to the opposite end of the shell or Case, and means for detachably connecting it with the other end cap, substantially as described.

3. An electric current indicator consisting "of an insulated .inclosing shell or case having an aperture and also having a pair of metallic caps at its opposite ends, an in-l candescent lamp and socket therefor contained in said shell or case, a screw extending from said socket through one of said end ca s, and a nut thereon, a Wire leading from the socket to the opposite end of the shell or case, a screw extending through 'the other end cap to which said Wire is connected and a nut thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to 'this specification, in the presence of tW'o subscribing vdtnesses.

FRANKLIN N. CONANT.

witnesses 2 B. J. Novas, L. H. HARRIMAN.

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