Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-11-05
ELECTRICAL idea
OF, LOCAL BOY
NOW PATENTED

Yesterday there were filed with the
treasurer of the territory the articles
of association Of the Girvin Electrical
sDeselopment Company, Ltd. This
company is one formed to take over
the ownership Of ali the patent rights
to and to develop an electrical inven-
ticf gotten out by Charles w. GiFVin,
who, as many viii remember, was
resident Of Honolulu for many years.
Mr.. Giryin was d member OF the
1891 class Of the Honolulu high school
but left school in 1908 to enter the
employ Of the Hawaiian Electric Com,
paIiy. remaining there for three years.
In September, 1906, he went to San
Francisco and entered the employ OF
the Pacific Gas q Electric Company
and spent three years with this com
pany during the reconstruction period
after the great IRE. In the summer
OF 1909 he went east and entered Cor
nell University to take up the study
CT electrical engineering, and 1t was,
during his third year there that hei
conceived the idea of the present m
vention.
The Invention is an electric machine
capable of use as generator or mo-
tor on direct current and Is suitable
particularly for direct current voltages
far higher than now possible with ex-
listing types Of direct current MAJ
chimes
Patents on the invention are now
pending In the United States, Canada,
Austria and Hungary and are already
granted and issued Id six other of the
principal European countries.
Z Two small models OF the invention
have been built and operated success
fully. The FIRST was for Is kw at
about 1900 volts. The second was for
about s XIV at about $4,000 volts.
which is the highest direct current
voltage ever achieved BY a single ma
chine.
Upon the completion Of the second
machine, the granting of patents be-
ing by that time assured, negotiations
for the disposal of the patent rights
were entered into with the three larg-
est American electrical maHufactur- !
ing companies and with the Siemens-
Schuckertwerke Of Berlin. the largest
electrical manufacturing company in
Europe. ALI these companies were
very highly interested m the inven-
ton, the General Electric Company,
the Allis-C Chalmers Manufacturing
Company, and the German company
each going so far as to send their |
chief engineers to Washington to see !
the model and to Interview Mr.. Girvin |
II proved. however that although
these companies were very highly In /
terested IN the invention, their inter-
est was confined to the use Of the |
for railroad work. and for !
this work the machine was not yet |
developed for them to take
up. The Siemens- acknowledgements |
Company wished to look further into |
The invention, so, at their own ex-
pense, took GirFin. and the $4,000 volt /
model TO Berlin. where for four months /
tests on the model were +
made and the whole matter given
thorough study by their technical and
engineers. At the end
1f this time their engineers were sat
SIZED with the possibilities of the In
gention and made Mr.. Girvin salts
factory for a license under all the
European patents and a contract was
signed up in May. 1914.
Giryin then returned to America in
Tune, 1914. and was negotiating with
he General Electric Company with a
1iew to their taking up the develop
nent of the. invention in this country.
The German company had started the !.
development in July, but both their
work and the negotiations with the
General Electric Company were stop
bed by the war in Europe.
The Giryin Electrical Development I