Movements of Motors and Other Rotating DURIES.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Mar., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 29th Apr., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by JAMES HARRIS ROGERS, of Bladensburg, Prince
George County, State of Maryland, United States of America.]
Movements of Motors and Other Rotating DURIES.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47. Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex.
gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention has reference to means for synchronizing or regulating the movements
of rotary motors or other rotating bodies and it is applicable especially to electric
motors. In many of the uses to which electric motors are applied it is necessary or
desirable that the operated parts should move in unison. To this end it is essential
that the governing parts should themselves be uniform in their action. This uniformity
is needful in printing telegraphs, electric clocks and various other classes of apparatus.
My present invention however is concerned with the synchronizing of motors as such
without special reference to the uses for which they are adapted.
My invention consists broadly in correcting the movements of one or more of a
series of motors or rotating bodies by reference to the deviation or variation from a
certain normal position or appearance of a visual manifestation caused or affected by
or in the rotation of the motor or motors.
In carring out my invention I have introduced certain novelties in general
construction and in detail which will be fully described hereinafter and more par-
ticularly pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings which illustrate my invention and form a part of this
specification.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electric motor having my synchronizing
apparatus applied thereto, the terminals and brushes of a connected motor being
also shown.

page_text: Figure 2. is an end elevation of the motor and its governing or regulating
mechanism.
Figure 3 is an elevation looking towards the end opposite that seen in
Figure 2.
Figure 4. is a plan.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate modifications.
Referring to the drawings by letter A Fig. 4 is the shaft of a motor located at a
sending station. I have represented on this shaft a belt wheel B thereby fitting it to
be run from a steam engine or other suitable source of power. Instead of this it may
be rotated by the operating mechanism of a printing telegraph transmitter. On the
shaft A are mounted two insulated segments a a to one of which is attached a brush a².
In proximity to the segments is fixed a standard to which is secured a circular
piece of hard rubber or other good insulator. A series of insulated segments cc are
secured around the periphery of the insulating piece C and each segment is provided
with a binding post as shown. These segments (six in number as I have represented
them) are located in the path of the brush a' which makes contact with them as the
shaft rotates.
At a. receiving station is located a rotary electric motor D of any suitable type
provided with any suitable governor or regulator. On the shaft of the motor or on an
extension thereof is loosely mounted a disk of hard rubber E to which are secured
insulated segments e e corresponding in number to the segments cc at the sending
station. On the same shaft or extension is keyed a ring F and in this ring is secured
a bent rod which carries a brush for making contact with the segments e.
pinion G on the motor shaft is the medium through which connection is made with the
receiving instrument of a printing telegraph or with any other mechanisin which it is
desired to operate.
A
At the extremity of the motor shaft a disk H is rigidly secured. The said disk
serves as a base for an electro-magnet I which is provided with the usual armature
front and back stop and retractile spring. A mirror J is secured to the back of the
armature for a reason that will be explained hereinafter.
A horizontal arm K is secured to the inner side of the insulating disk E and a
similar arm Kis pivoted to an independent standard k near the other end of the
motor. A rod L passes through the outer ends of these arms and serves as a means
by which they can be raised or lowered. They are normally held in substantially a
horizontal position by means of a spring 1 secured at one end to the rod L and at the
other to a projection from a contact arm of the governor. It is understood that
the disk E does not rotate with the shaft of the motor and that the lifting or depressing
of the rod L will move the said disk and change the position of the segments e e from
their normal one. A rod M extends forward from the arm K in which it is secured
and carries at its forward end a pointer m. The latter extends over into close
proximity to the mirror J.
The function and operation of the parts above described will be explained
hereafter.
The governor which I show in connection with the motor is in its main features of
the well known Phelps type. The motor shaft, in this instance communicates motion
to an upright shaft N through the bevel wheels nn. The shaft N is the Governor
shaft carrying the usual governor balls. O is the frame of the governor in which the
shaft N is mounted. A pinion o on the said shaft engages with the cogwheel P at the
upper end of whose shaft is formed a worm r. The latter operates through a gear
wheel Q and shaft q a platinum covered contact wheel R which moves through oil in
a box r. S is a bracket secured to the frame O but insulated therefrom. To the said
- bracket is pivotted a yoked pieces the free end of which makes contact through a
platinum points with a wheel or disk R. The spring as has been stated already, is
connected to a projection extending from the contact arm s. In this way it will be
observed the spring serves a double purpose of keeping the rod L in position and
holding the arm s normally in good contact with the disk R. Of course when the
arm L is raised the contact will be lightened and when it is lowered the contact will
l

page_text: be increased. It will be observed that there are binding posts T and T connected
respectively to the bracket S and the disk R for making the necessary electrical
connections. The latter binding post is insulated where it passes through the frame O
and is electrically connected to the disk through a spring and a hub on the
disk. It should be stated that the disk R and hub are insulated from their
shaft.
The yoke of the contact arm & passes around a sleeve U on the shaft N and above a
disk on the said sleeve. This sleeve is normally pressed downward by a spring u.
The outward movement of the governor balls however, due to the rapid rotation of the
shaft lifts the sleeve and if the outward movement becomes extreme on account of an
excessively rapid rotation the sleeve and the disk thereon may be raised far enough to
lift the arms out of contact with the wheel R.
Such being the main features of the mechanical construction and operation it
remains chiefly to describe the electrical circuits and connections.
The motor D may be fed from any suitable generator. The circuit of the said
generator will generally pass to the field magnet of the motor through the
contacts Rands. It may however pass through those contacts to the armaturo or in
the case of a series motor these contacts may be located in a loop between the
armature and the field magnet. This being the case it is evident that a too rapid
rotation of the motor will ultimately correct itself by the breaking of the motor circuit
through the action of the governor. But this would only take place under unusual
circumstances. The other circuit connections are illustrated by a diagram in Figure 4.
V is a battery one pole of which is connected to the ground. The other pole is
connected to one of the binding posts on the disk C. The particular segment c to
which that binding post is attached is connected by the brush a² segment a and a
wire with one of the segments e on the disk E. For convenience I will call the
former segment e² and the latter segmente. From the latter segment the circuit
continues when the proper contact is made by way of brush f bent rod fring F and
wire we to and through the magnet I and to ground. Now it is evident that whenever
the brush a² is on the segment and the brush is on the segment eat the same
instant of time the circuit of battery V will be complete and the magnet I will be
energized and attract its armature. In the normal operation of the two motors it is
designed that they should rotate with such uniform speed that this circuit shall be
completed once during each revolution of the motor shaft and at equal intervals
during successive rotations or to express it in another way that the relative positions of
the two brushes with respect to the two segments concerned shall be continually and
exactly the same. There will necessarily be deviations from this if the movements of
the motors are controlled by independent regulators and it is to correct such deviations
that I have invented my supplementary devices.
At a suitable distance from the mirror J. I place a candle or other source of light.
As the mirror rotates with the motor shaft the image of the candle will appear in the
mirror as a ring or circle of light or rather it would appear so if the mirror rotated
constantly in the same plane. But the movement of the mirror caused by the
attraction of the armature disturbs the uniform appearance of the image and causes a
slight projection like a nib to appear at one portion of the ring or circle. If now the
motor and the motor at the sending station rotate with absolute uniformity the
circuit of battery V will be completed at absolutely uniformn intervals the armature of
magnet I will be attracted also at uniform intervals and the nib or projection of light
will always appear in the same position on the mirror. If however the circuit is
completed a little sooner or a little later than at the expiration of the normal interval
the nib will appear a little in advance or in the rear of its normal position. The rod L
is first adjusted so that the pointer m shall point to the position which the nib normally
occupies. It can always be seen therefore 'by observing the positions of the pointer
and the nib or projection whether the motors are in unison. Suppose now it is found
that the nib is in a position where it indicates that the motor D is in advance of its
companion motor. An operator will slowly lift the rod L-thereby relieving somewhat
the contact at Rs' and at the same time readjusting the relative positions of the seginent e²

page_text: and the brush f¹. The lightening of the contact R s will slow up the motor causing
it to resume its normal speed whereupon the nib or projection will reassume its original
position and the rod L can be lowered into place.
Should the nib pass beyond its first position indicating that the motor is running too
slow the operator will press down on the rod L thereby increasing the speed of the
motor through a better contact at R s and again readjusting the relative positions of
the segment and the brush f¹.
The pointer m is so located with relation to the nib or projection that, in order to
correct the movement of the motor, it is necessary in every instance to move the
pointer towards the new position of the nib.
y, y, are flexible electrical connections running out from the segments e, e, to any
electrical device which it is desired to operate. These correspond to the different
segments 'c, c, with which they have electrical connection.
Figure 5 illustrates a modification of my visual device for observing the variations
of the motors. In this construction the wire winstead of passing to the magnet I
passes to the primary of an induction coil X. The secondary is connected in one
direction by wire with a conducting rod, the end of which is placed in proximity
to the periphery of the rotating disc H. The other terminal of the secondary is
connected by wire with a conducting rod z, which bears against the surface of said
disk. Whenever the circuit of battery V is completed a spark will pass between the
edge of the disc H and the end of the conducting rod and the position of this
spark will indicate, like the position of the nib on the reflected image, whether the
motors are running in unison. I may locate between the magnet I and ground another
electric motor having the same connections from the segment e² and brush that the
motor D has from segment c³ and brush . In this way I can easily control a series
of motors.
The visual manifestation need not necessarily occur at some point in a circular path,
as will be the case in both of the arrangements shown by Figures 3 and 5.
In the modification shewn in Figure 6 the visual manifestation is caused by a spark
as in Figure 3, but in this instance the line of path, at some point of which the
manifestation occurs, is straight. In Figure 6, H is a rotary cylinder having a helical
rib of conducting material. The conducting rod preserves during the rotation of
the cylinder an electrical connection with the rib, through the material of the cylinder
or otherwise. The conducting rod is placed parallel with the axis of the cylinder and
in close proximity to the surface of revolution produced by the helical rib. The latter
completely encircles the cylinder once.
When the spark occurs it will pass between some point of the rod and that portion
of the rib which is nearest. In case of synchronism the spark will take place opposite
the pointer m. If it takes place to the right or left of the pointer such fact will
indicate that the motors are not in unison and the operator will make the proper
correction as already described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner: the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
First-The method of securing the substantial uniform rotation of a rotary motor
or body, which consists in providing a visual manifestation of substantially the
character described which will vary or deviate from a normal or initial point according
to the departure from uniform rate of rotation, and adjusting the contacts of said motor
by reference to said deviation, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-
before set forth.
Second-The combination with the shaft of a rotary motor, a brush operated
thereby and an insulated segment with which the brush makes contact intermittently,
of an electro-magnet in circuit with the brush and segment, and said magnet being
mounted on the shaft and having a mirror attached to the armature, as and for the
purposes set forth.
Third The combination with two rotary motors, each having a rotating brush and
an insulated segment with which the brush makes intermittent contact, of an electro

page_text: magnet in circuit with both brushes and segments, the said magnet being mounted on
the shaft of one of the motors and having a mirror attached to its armature as and for
the purposes set forth.
Fourth-The combination with the shaft of a rotary motor, a brush operated
thereby and a segment with which the brush makes intermittent contact, said segment.
and brush being adjustable in position with reference to each other, of means operated
by the closure of the contact for causing a visual manifestation whose position with
reference to a normal or initial point will vary to correspond with changes in the
relative position of the brush and segment substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore set forth.
Fifth The combination with a rotary electric motor, having a rotating brush and
a segment with which the brush makes intermittent contact, of means mounted on the
motor shaft for causing a visual manifestation to assume a normal position when the
intervals of contact are uniform, and a lever operatively connected to the said segment
as and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth-The combination with a rotary electric motor having a rotating brush and
a segment with which the brush makes intermittent contact and means mounted on the
motor shaft for causing a visual manifestation to assume a normal position when the
intervals of contact are uniform, of a lever operatively connected to the said segment
and a hand or pointer attached to the said lever, the said hand pointing normally
towards the said normal position, as and for the purposes set forth.
Seventh In a regulating mechanism for an electric motor a lever operatively
connected both with the contacts of the motor circuit between the motor and the
generator and with segments on the motor shaft from which one or more external
circuits are led off as and for the purposes set forth.