Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-06-14
A Wonderful Invention.

~
Another invention, wholly unlike that
OF Prof. Bell, yet related to it, as exhibit
ing another phase of the same wonderful
and mysterious element in nature. has ap-
peared TO share with the telephone, the
telegraph and the magnetic needle the
glory and triumph of magnetism. 1t is
means of utilizing the power of the per
manent magnet for mechanical purposes; :;
something which, like the transmission of
sound through hundreds of miles of space,
until recently has been regarded as an
impossibility.
Electromagnetic, as everybody knows,
has been made available as a motive
power, but only for limited uses, on ac-
count of the inconvenience and expense
of maintaining the powerful batteries re-
quired but the power of the permanent
magnet, inexhaustible, as it is, and cost
ing nothing, has, like gravitation, been
considered until now wholly impractic
able for mechanical use. But as in the
case OF some other great inventions, what
was Supposed to be impossible has been
achieved. .,- ..r tr
The new invention is that of Prof. Wes-
ley W. Gary, lately of Pennsylvania, now
Of5this city, who exhibited his invention
on Thursday evening last before the In
stitute of Technology and has shown it to
hundreds of our citizens, and who, unlike
the proprietor of the 6 Kelley MOTOR .
does not seek to shroud his discovery in
mystery but invites for it the fullest in
vestigation, and submits it to the severest
scientific and mechanical tests. -
1t is well known, not only to the scien-
tific, but to all who have observed the or
dinary phenomena of magnetism, that
when a bar of soft iron is made to APP
proach theipoles of permanent magnet,
it becomes magnetiZed, and while in that
position is itself magnet by induction,
having polarity and the power of attrac-
tion and repulsion like other magnets, op-
posite poles attracting and like poles re-
pel1ing each other. But Prof Gary has
discovered what is not generally known,
that as the bar of iron is brought nearer
the poles of the magnet, when very near,
yet not quite in contact, its polarity
changes, the positive pole becoming neg
ative and the negative pole positive. The
discovery of this law is the very point on
which the invention turns. By encircling
the bar with very slight current of elec-
tricity to produce an equilibrium between
the magnet power of the bar and that of
this current being changed, by means of
current changer, to correspond with the
change of polarity in the bar, at the in
slant such change takes place attraction
ceases and repulsion begins, and reverse
motion is obtained. ts.
Then by using two magnets, or sets of
magnets, one to attract while the other re-
.pels the bar of iron, which may be at
tached to walking beam, pendulum, or
other lever. is moved to and fro with
rapidity and regularity suited to any me-
chanIcal use, and with power limited
only by the power of the magnets applied.
1t is as if the pile-driver should discover
asmeans whereby, at the instant his fall
ing hammer reaches the earth. the power
of gravitation could be reversed to send
the ponderous weight back again TO strike
an upward blow, and then down again
with the same force as before, and so on
perpetually.
In using the ordinary electromagnetic
power, the current of electricity must be
equal TO the power of the magnet which
it operates; but, in this case, as compared
with the available. power of the perma-
nent magnet, the power of the electric
current may be less than one to one hun
dred, and it may be taken rom a small
StiNdniC Cup, VI IL may .-DC SSuCI dtt u Wy
friction of the machinery as it runs, SO that
the cost of producing it is next to nothing.
The engines which Prof. Gary has al
ready constructed upon this principle are
of the size for running dental machines,
sewing machines, jig saws and other
small machines requiring little power, but
he sees no reason why, by using larger
magnets, and more of them, the available
power may not be increased indefinitely.
The easiest way of disposing of Prof.
Gary's claim is to .denounce it as hum
bug, as it is the custom to do with other
things that appear Incredible But there
is no doubt that, as he sees mis- invention
working successfully day by day before
his eyes, he believes it genuine. and if
some of our savans who know all about
such things do not expose tsfallacy soon,
there is danger that he will dispose Of his
invention. and it may be doing good work
in, half the Nation before its worthless
ness is discovered. AS he does not close
his doors nor discourage scientific scrutiny
and investi cation, here is a chance for
some wise philanthropist to- save the
world from another magnificent imposi-
tion.-B0Ston Commercial Bulletin. --r-; p.