Electric-Current Controller. Page: 2 of 3
[1], 3 p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this patent.
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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE
JAMES BOULDIN BREEDING, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
ELECTRIC-CURRENT CONTROLLER.
SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,393, dated April 18, 1899.
Application filed August 13, 1898, Serial No. 688,472. (No modelTo all w'ho7m it 7a7/ concern:
Be it known that I, JAMES BOULDIN BREED-
ING, of San Antonio, in ihe county of Bexar
and State of Texas, have invented a new and
5 Improved Electric - Current Controller, of
which the following is a full, clear, and exact
description.
This invention relates to improvements
in electric - current controllers particularly
Io adapted for use in connection with incandes-
cent electric lamps; and the object is to pro-
vide a simple and comparatively inexpensive
device by means of which the lamp may be
caused to burn at various stages of brilliancy
15 from that of a very dim light to the full candle-
power of the lamp,and,further,to so construct
the device that the use of fine wires is obvi-
ated, thus preventing the controller from be-
ing burned out by an excessive current
20 I will describe an electric-current controller
embodying my invention, and then point out
the novel features in the appended claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying
drawings, forming a part of this specification,
25 in which similar characters of reference indi-
cate corresponding parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a partial elevation and partial
section of a controller embodying my inven-
tion. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section show-
30 ing a slight modification. Fig. 3 is a section
through the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig 4 is a
longitudinal section of one of the resistance-
blocks employed, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section
thereof.
35 The controller comprises a number of re-
sistance-blocks 1, consisting of plumbago or
similar resistance material and arranged side
by side, so as to practically form a cylinder.
Each one of the resistance - blocks is sur-
40 rounded by a casing 2 of insulating material,
so that one block is insulated from another.
The several blocks are connected in series by
conductor-plates 3, which have insulating
material 4, arranged between them and the
45 blocks. These conductor-plates have their
lower ends 5 engaging electrically with the
lower end of one resistance-block, and the
upper end 6 is turned to engage upon the up-
per end of the next adjacent block. Arranged
50 between the first and last block of the series
is a block 7 of insulating material the pur-
pose of which will hereinafter appear. Theseveral blocks may he secureel together in
any desired mann er These resistan ce-blocks
are supported between cap-pieces S and 9 of 55
insulating material-such, for instance, as
porcelain-and surrounding the blocks and
engaging with the caps 8 and 9 is a casing 10.
A metal rod 11 extends through the center
of the series of blocks; but the blocks are in- 6o
sulated from said rod by an insulating-sleeve
12 The end of the rod 11 which projects
through the cap 9 has a screw-contact 13,
adapted to engage with one pole in an incan-
descent-lamp base, and a ring 14, secured to 65
said cap, is designed to engage with the other
pole in the lamp-base This ring 14 has an
electrical connection15 with a plate 16, which
is in electrical connection with the first of
the series of blocks and here indicated by 17. 70
The end of the rod 11 which projects through
the cap 8 has an electrical connection 18 with
a binding-post 19, with which the conductor
20 connects. The other conductor 21 con-
nects with a binding-post 23, which is in 75
electrical engagement with a spring-contact
23, mounted on the cap 8 and designed to
bear with its free end upon the portion S of
the conductor-plates. The cap 0 is designed
to rotate on the rod 11, so that there may be a 8c
relative rotary movement between said cap
and the body portion or that portion in which
the resistance-blocks are placed. For con-
venience in turning one part relatively to the
other I have shown in Fig. 1 a finger-piece 85
24 as extended from a metal cover 25, en-
gaged with the cap S. In Fig. 2, however, I
have shown a handle or finger-piece 20 as
extended from a socket 27, connected with
the cap 0. 90
In operation when the contact 23 is in en-
gagement with the block 7 of non-conducting
material it is obvious that the current will
be cut out from the lamp By rotating the
parts, however, so that the contact 23 engages 95
with the plate portion 6, engaged with the up-
per end of the block 17, the current will be
through the wire 21, the spring-contact 23,
the resistance-block 17, the connection 15, the
ring 14,through the lamp-filament, and thence 100
through the rod 11 and out through the wire
20. By rotating the parts still further, so
that the contact 23 will engage with the plate
portion 0 on the top of the resistance-block
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Breeding, James Bouldin. Electric-Current Controller., patent, April 18, 1899; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth510467/m1/2/: accessed June 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.