The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-03-20
AN IDEA FOR YOURSELF
A WINDMILL TO ILLUMINATE YOUR
HOME WITH ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
james j. Feely, Lawyer I'm Massa-
chuHetts, Laughs I'm His sleeve
at Electric Companies.


pole, Mass, with perchant for me-
chanics.
With wind as the fundamental factor
this observation-disclosures operates
private light plant, forces water all over
his estate, operates farm machinery, cuts
wood, turns lathes and fills storage bat
teries for use in horseless carriages.
1t was no easy task which Mr.. Feely
set himself out to accomplish when he
undertook to develop this windmill cleo
trio plant" for his own use on his ample
private estate.
From an electricians point of view the
greatest obstacle and one which it was
claimed could not be overcome, was the
variability Of the wind and the consequent
erratic fluctuations Of the electric pres
sures which rendered their utilization inn
possible by subjecting the ordinary me-
chanical connections to excessive and ia
tai strains.
Early in his experiments Mr.. Feely
found that one Of the first problems to
be solved was to determine accurately
the wind velocities and efflciencies dur
ing the various months Of the year.
This was determined by the use Of an
thermometer, made especially for that
particular purpose, and very similar to
those in use by the United States wealth
er bureau, with the exception that while
the government instruments record the
mile rate of the wind, the one made for
Mr.. Feely recorded the wind at each 5Oth
Of mile.
After some months Of hard thinking and
harder work, the machinery with all it's
improvements was finally set in place,
and when all connections were made Mr..
Feely anxiously awaited the first trial
which should demonstrate the failure or
success of his pains and labor.
The windmill proper is the ordinary
kind, common in all out of town and
county places where there is no public
water supply. The steel frame or sup
ports extend so feet above the second
story of the stables, as shown in the
picture.
At the top Of this frame are the wheel
and fan which are operated by the wind.
AS the wheel revolVes under the influence
of the slightest breeze it operates a ser
les of cog wheels which work upon a long
vertical shaft running from the nead Of
the machine to the basement or cellar OF
the stable where it communicates with
dynamo of the plant.
From this dynamo lead two sets of
wires. One set carry the current to the
various parts of the estate, where it is
utilized for power PURPOSES and for light
Ing, while the other set Of wires receive
the surplus current and store it in stor-
age batteries for use when the tickle wind
is not sufficiently strong to give power
enough to supply the necessary voltage.
When there is a high wind there is nat
urally a much stronger current than is
necessary and in order that 1t may not be
wasted or play havoc with the lights the
surplus energy is led into these storage
batteries and there kept until needed.
An Ordinary Windmill.
A feature of this dynamo is that the
same one which generates the current
when there is a breeze also acts as a
motor during a calm and can be used
with the energy always on hand in the
storage batteries. This double service by
a dynamo has never before been accom-
plished.
In the comparatively light breeze which
was blowing when the first trial was
made, the wheel of the windmill began
TO SLOWLY EBVOlVSt IuSn IdSlSE anu faster
1t went until 1t looked like one solid piece
of circular wood spinning about in the
air.
A number OF electric lights had been
put up in the stable as a test, and when
these were turned on after the windmill
had been working some time, they showed
a brilliant, steady light, the equal of that
supplied by any electric light company in
the country.
The experiment was a success and
combination of windmill and motor
aad been found at such a comparatively
slight cost that the matter of expense
was hardly worth considering.
Once the practicability of the machinery
was assured, Mr.. Feely lost no time in
putting electric lights throughout his
house and stables and about his private
grounds and utilizing the new agency for
various household and farm purposes.
The whole secret of the success of his
work is in the dynamo which in a number
of ways is different from the usual cleo
trio dynamo. In an ordinary dynamo the
voltage depends upon the speed with
which its armature is driven and it was
found that owing to the various speed
at which the windmill was driven, an
oIuildTy dynamo would De entirely use
less for such purposes as Mr.. Feely in
tended, hence it was necessary to con-
struct the special one.
In devising such a dynamo three
things were essential 1t must be self
regulating, free from all mechanical
contrivances and above all 1t must be
efficient.
The self-regulating part Of the requis-
ties was accomplished by a peculiar and
somewhat complicated arrangement of
Its integral parts and not by any mechan-
ical addition. 1t required no little
thought and many trials to eventually
accomplish this end. but It was finally
done and moreover II was done without
adding or taking anything from the
machine.
When the dynamo was tried It was
found to work perfectly. BY keeping the
voltage constant it was found that sub
stantially all the power OF the windmill,
however erratic, could be utilized by
simply increasing the current in proper
ton to the increase of the speed of the