A CLEVER ELECTRICAL DEVICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1265, 21 October 1911, Page 13

A CLEVER ELECTRICAL DEVICE.

4 PATENTED IN WELLINGTON. Ono can regulate the quantity of gas consumed by an ordinary burner by manipulating tho lap, but hitherto it has not been found possible to reduec the power of an electric light by the snmc simple means. From tho working model of a switch submitted to a representative of Tiib Dominion yesterday, it would appear that -Messrs. llarvey and Grabhain, of Wellington, have effectively solved the problem with a simple little switch I hoy have invented, which fo far Ims stood every test applied to it by electrical engineers. It is a switch that will take up very little more room than the ordinary switch used in an averagesized room, and can be applied for light, heat, .tiifl power with equal effectiveness —that is to say, that with these switches installed just enough light, heat, or power may bo applied as is required without using (ho full capacity of the resistance gear as is at present the ease. With tho aid of a combined anipi-volti-mctor, it was demonstrated yesterday hoiv current pacing through tho JTarvey-Gnil>-ham switch could be regulated. The switch is at present a small copper cylinder, bound down with tapo to a wooden base, not more than four inches long. There are screw terminals rising vertically from both ends of tho cylinder for the reception of the two ends of the wire, whilst at ono butt end of the cylinder is a. screw, the manipulation of which increases or diminishes tho light or power immediately. It was shown by means of a 1G candle-power carbonfilament lamp, n candle-power carbonfikiment lamp, and a 32 candle-power Tnetallic-filnmeat lamp, that by simply twisting tho screw tho light could bo reduced right down to a mere glow too small for tho ampi-meter to record. A company is now being formed in Wellington to place the new patent switch on the market's of tho world.