The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-06-17
pEnpErgAL MOTION
DIR. Massey, of this city, Solves tn G
Problem of Centuries with the
Electric Principle.
Motion Which Has Been Presery.
cd Two Months.
Louisville courier journal.

Louisville Courier journal.
DIR. G. b. Massey, who lives in the
West End, on Fifteenth Street, has /
solved the problem OF perpetual motion
with the aid of the electric principle, |
upon which it seems everything now |
depends. A reporter of the Courier
Journal, who heard of the Doctors |
work accidentally, made it his business |
to investigate it yesterday, and called
at his house. DIR. Massey was polite, |
but at first objected to giving the mat
ter publicity. This was overcome, !
however, and at length he led the way |
to his shop or labratOry, and unvail- |
ed " the machine. The wonderful
principle is contained in glass box
about TWO feet in each of its dimensions.
DIR. Massey described it technically to
the interviewer about as follows:
The box is made of glass, and is her. |
metically sealed it is about tlIree-quar-
ters full of water and Il weak solution
OF nitric acid. In the box there is an
iron wheel in constant rotation. The
aXles of the wheel turn i'm iron sockets
sunk into the sides of the box. The
wheel is made with paddles or wings,
somewhat after the fashion of steam
boat wheel. These wings are made of
two plates of iron, the upper plate be-
ing bent in an acute angle; the lower
plate is of triangular shape, perfectly
fiat, and is fastened in perpendicular
plane to the lower edges of the upper
plate the whole forms three sides of a
uyramid, the apex of which Is very
acute, and cuts the water readily.
There are seven of these wings on the
wheel. The motive power is obtained
| in the following manner: There Is in
one end of the box siphon made OF
iron, and working on the principle of
| what is known as Hero's fountain, an
apparatus whose working depends on
the compression and expansive force OF
air. The siphOn used by DIR. Massey
consists of one large and two smaller
tubes, the whole thing being surmount-
ed by a bulb. The bulb contains COM
pressed air to equaliZe, or rather neu-
tralize, the pressure of the air on the
spout of the siphon, which is placed
about two inches above the surface of
the water. AS the water is forced up
the large tube of the siphOn by the air
on the surface of the water, some of it
tends to go through one of the. small
tubes into the bulb; the air, becoming
further condensed by the influx of the
water, it's elastic force begins to exert
itself, and the flow of water into the
bulb is prevented, and the egress is
compelled to be through the spout. In
order to make this flow stronger, two
atmospheres are pumped into the box
over the surface of the water, and the
air in the bulb is compressed suffieien t.
Iy to work with this amount of pressure
on the water This nice adjustment of
the two pressures is the most difficult
performance in the construction of the
machine. 1t is quite impossible to give
an adequate idea of the intricate con-
struction of the siphon without cuts
illustrating it. These will doubtless be
|
alton given to the reporter was by
means of siphOn which the Doctor
took to pieces and explained. The wa
ter is started running out of the siphon
by merely sucking the spout; the flow
is then continuous. The stream of
water strikes the apex of one of the
wings of the wheel which is out of the
water, and turns it with considerable
force, enough to bring the next wing
above the surface and subject it to the
stream of water. AS the wheel turns,
the plates OH the wheel form a sort of
cup that holds the water and allows its
weight to aid the more fOrcible action
of the Jet. The revolution of the wheel
is further aided by the current in the
BODY of the water caused by the suction
of the siphon. aat . i''
Now comes description of the most
ingenious, if not the most intricate,
part of the apparatus. The great ev-
erlasting reason why perpetual motion
the fact that, through friction, all
moving bodies must eventually wear
out In DIR. Massey's discovery this
difficulty absolutely ceases. In the
machine every particle OF matter that
| Is subject to friction is made OF iron.
1t is well known chemical phenom-
enon that when iron, i'll what is known
rs its passive state" is immersed i'll
nitric acid it is unattached. Merely a
thin, superficial layer of the sesquioX-
ide of iron is formed. This sesquiOxide
of iron is electrically negative to pla-
tinum when the latter is pOlariZed.
DR.. Massey has pulverized some pla-
tinum as fine as il was possible to make
it. This he po1ariZed, charging it with
positive electricity. The dust was then
placed in the glass case with the water
land nitric acid and iron. Immediately
the entire surface of the iron was COW
cred with thin layer of platinum,
forming a complete shield to the iron.
After a thin layer is once formed, OF
course the repellant force of the posi-
tive platinum works on the similar
electricity in the remaining particles
of platinum that do not Immediately
attach themselves to the iron; and so
the apparatus is prevented from clog
ging. IN the meantime, millions OF
little particles of. the metal are con-
stantly shooting around in all direc-
tions in the water. They are prevented
from sinking and forming mass on
the bottom both by the constant stir
ring OF the wheel and by the repellant t
force of the similar electricity with
which each particle of platinum is
charged. AS the coat of platinum wears
off the iron surfaces, new particles are
constantly seeking to attach them
selves, and so absolutely no friction
occurs to the iron. The platinum may
be ground finer but this can make no
possible difference to the grand result.
The platinum can never escape, and
though its particles should become in
finitely small, they would still retain
all their original properties; the coat
on the iron would only become the
more impervious. aa 71a.i
This is general description of the
machine as given the reporter by DIR.
Massey with the aid of, a model that
was not in operation. as n..cas .f
In reply to All inquiry as to how long
the thing had been running, the Doc
tor said he had started it on the 25th
day of December, 1879. 1t had run
ever since. The principle had respOn-
ded to the tests during that time. The
Doctor had never discovered his in
vention to the public, because it would
be of no service to them, since he has
not succeeded in contriving any meth
cd for applying the force outside of the
box. Of this, however, he does not
| despair. The inventor had been first