Improvements in Generating Electricity and Producing Air in a Luminous State, and in Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 28th May. 1892
COMPLETE PECIFICATION.
Improvements in Generating Electricity and Producing Air in a
Luminous State, and in Apparatus therefor.
I, TERRENCE DUFFY, of No. 1302 Golden Gate Avenue in the City and County
of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statements :-
The nature of my said invention consists mainly in a novel manner of making
and breaking the magnetic circuit between the poles of a horse-shoe magnet by
elastic tongues or strips of metal kept in vibratory motion by a blast or current of
air under pressure, and in certain novel construction of parts and mechanism
producing an improved machine or apparatus for generating electricity through
the agency of a blast or current of air as hereinafter fully described and set forth.
There is included in my said improvements the rendering air luminous or creating
a high degree of vibratory motion sufficient to produce luminosity by forcing or
blowing atmospheric air through or between elastic tongues or strips of conducting
metal having their tips or free ends set to vibrate in close relation to the poles of a
horse-shoe magnet.
These improvements and the manner of applying and carrying out the same are
fully explained in the following description in which reference is had by figures
and letters to the accompanying drawings that form part of this Specification. In
the said drawings—
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a complete apparatus for generating
electricity according to my invention.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the magneto-electric machine or the part of the
apparatus which I have termed the generator.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken in a vertical plane through the centre of
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a plan or top view of the generator.
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken in a vertical plane through Figure 4 at the
line X Y.
Figure 6 is a side view in detail of the long magnets.
Figure 7 is an end view of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a bottom view of a set or series of the principal magnets and their
commutators.
Figure 9 is a front view of one of the principal magnets and its commutators
and vibrators.
Figure 10 is an end view of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a bottom view of Figure 9.
AA* are horse-shoe magnets arranged in two sets or series upon opposite
sides of a horizontal plate or solid partition B. They are set with their poles
towards the partition and in such close order that the spaces inclosed between the
limbs of each series of magnets form a close, air-tight passage C. Between the
magnets are interposed plates DD of some suitable non-conducting or non-magnetic
material such as hard rubber, or metal properly coated with a non-conducting
substance, to separate them from direct contact with one another. An air-tight
casing E around the outside of the magnets completely incloses them.
An opening Cx in the partition B at one end connects the space C inclosed by
the upper set of magnets with the like space or passage below the partition, and
to one end of this double or return passage connection is made with a compresser X
(Figure 1) by a pipe F* coupled to an inlet F in the casing.

page_text: From the opposite end of the passage a pipe G carries off the air after making
the circuit of the passage.
To the poles of each magnet are fixed two sets of tongues, strips or narrow
plates of metal H H* which I have herein called commutators. The set H H is
placed in parallel order at spaced distances apart extending from one pole toward
the opposite pole, and the other set H* H* extending from the opposite pole of the
magnet in like order, those of one set being out of direct contact with those of the
other set; that is to say, the strips H in magnetic contact with the positive pole
extend across the field towards but not in contact with the negative pole, while
those of the other set H* extend from the negative pole across the field towards
the opposite pole in the same manner between the strips H in parallel order close
to but not in actual contact with them.
II are vibrating tongues, strips or narrow plates of thin and suitably clastic
metal fixed by their upper ends against one side of the head or cross-bar of the
magnet in close parallel order and in the same plane or line across the field between
the two poles of the magnet. The free ends of these tongues are set in close
relation to the commutators H H* to make and break magnetic connection in their
vibratory movements across the commutators.
I have termed these tongues "vibrators" for the purpose of distinguishing
them from the commutators or the other non-vibrating strips of metal. They are
separated from one another and also from the body of the magnet by suitable
insulating material such as hard rubber or some insulating compound, and each
"vibrator" forms the terminal of a conducting wire W of considerable length.
The wires from a number of the vibrators of a magnet are wound around the
same magnet in a coil and are brought together at a binding post Y on the outside
of the case. They are insulated from one another on the coil but are uncovered
at the ends where they are brought together and connected to a binding-post, at
which point they are twisted into a single cable.
The conductors Z Z are arranged to bring together all the cables from the
several binding-posts Y Y to one or more principal binding-posts Y* to which
conducting wires W* are connected to carry the generated electricity from all the
binding-posts to any point or locality for use.
In winding the wires of the "vibrators" they are laid in compact manner either
along the edge of the magnet, substantially as shown in the drawings or in close
coils around the limbs.
The wires are carried from one half of the vibrators on a magnet towards one
limb and from the other half to the other limb of the magnets as shown in Figure 5
and all are wound around the limbs in the same manner. They may be wound
several times around the magnet or they can be continued from one magnet to an
opposite magnet in the series on the other side of the partition B and wound in
coils or layers around it.
This style of generator having two series of magnets is intended for general
purposes; but a generator of smaller size can be produced from one set of magnets,
in which case there will be a straight passage without a return and the air will
be taken in at one end of the passage and discharged at the opposite end. The
arrangement of magnets in double series however gives the more compact form and
produces in small compass a generator of considerable power.
A² A³ are long magnets set longitudinally across the other magnets and having
"vibrators" K K which act on the magnetic strips or commutators below to make
and break connection between the pole of one magnet A' and that of the other
magnet A directly opposite.
These "vibrators" K set across the passage C in direct line with the blast or
current of air. This arrangement illustrates one mode of adding magnets to
increase the power of the generator without adding to its length.
Conducting wires W2 from the "vibrators" Kare wound around the limbs of
the long magnets and connected to any of the binding-posts.
The limbs of the short magnets are bent or offset as shown in Figure 10, in

page_text: order to bring the "vibrators" I in line across the centre of the set of commutator
strips H H that they may vibrate across all the commutators in the set.
The apparatus to force air through the passage C should be of suitable power
to maintain a continuous blast at uniform pressure and keep the vibrators in constant
motion across the commutators.
The degree of pressure employed will depend on the size or power of the
generator say from 2 pounds to the square inch upwards to such pressure as may
be found necessary to keep the vibrators of the magnets in motion. For this
purpose an air-pump or rotary blower coupled to a reservoir or an accumulator is
employed. This apparatus is represented in Figure 1 where E indicates the
generator, S an air compresser, and X a reservoir or an accumulator to give uniform
pressure of air. The passage C of the generator is connected to the air reservoir
by the pipe F. Any other mode of supplying and directing a strong current of
air through the generator to keep the "vibrators" in motion can be employed;
but a regular and constant blast or current should be maintained through the
generator.
From the outlet G I carry off the air through glass tubes or transparent
conductors WW' connected to that outlet by close joints or couplings so that
when the electric or vibratory condition of the air resulting from the action of the
"vibrators" upon the air passing between them produces luminosity to a degree
sufficient to make it available for illuminating purposes it can be conducted away
from the machine to several points or localities to supply light. By virtue of the
transparent character of these conducting tubes the air will shine through them
and produce luminosity.
66
It should be understood from the foregoing description that the tongues or strips
of metal designated as
"
commutators are in magnetic contact or connection with
the poles of their magnets, and should be constructed of the best conducting metal
to be had; also, that the "vibrators" are insulated from the body of the magnets
and are terminals of the conducting wires that are wound on the magnets. These
last named strips should be formed of metal having proper conductivity.
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-
1. The electric generator herein described consisting essentially of a series of
horse-shoe magnets insulated from one another, the commutator-strips, the vibrator-
strips or tongues arranged for vibratory movements across the commutator-strips,
the conducting wires, connected to the vibrators and to binding-posts and means or
apparatus arranged and applied to force a continuous blast or current of air through
ur between said vibrators to impart to them vibratory motion substantially as
herein before specified.
2. The combination with a horse-shoe magnet of the commutator-strips H H*,
the vibrators II fixed to the magnet and having their free ends set with relation
to the commutators as described to make and break magnetic connection between
the poles of the magnet by their vibratory movements substantially as herein before
described.
3. The manner of producing vibratory movements of the vibrators II across
the magnetic field between the poles of a horse-shoe magnet by forcing air in a
continuous blast or current through or between said vibrators substantially as
herein before described.
4. The combination of the electric generator having an air conducting passage
between the poles of a number of horse-shoe magnets, the vibrators arranged across
said passage, the air pressure-blower connected to the inlet of said passage and the
transparent conducting tubes leading from the outlet of said passage substantially
as herein before specified.
5. The manner of producing luminosity consisting in forcing or blowing air
through or between vibrating tongues or strips of magnetised metal and confining

page_text: and carrying away the air through transparent conductors after its passage through
said vibratory strips substantially as herein before specified.
Dated this 5th day of April 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.