Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1892-Accented, 3rd Sept., 1892
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electrical generators;
and the invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement and com-
bination of different parts, whereby dynamic electricity in any desired form of
current is generated by means of statical induction, all as more fully hereinafter
described.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved generator partly in vertical section.
Fig. 2 is a section on line - Fig. 1 looking towards the left of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a similar cross-section on line y—y looking towards the right of the
machine.
Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the sector wheels of the revolving
armature.
Fig. 5 is a section on line ww, Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of one of the inducing sectors.
Fig. 7 is a detached perspective view showing the means of clamping the inducing
sectors in position.
Fig. 8 is a cross section on line - in Fig. 3.
A is a bed plate; B are supporting standards; C are suitable bearings in
which the shaft D of the armature is journaled, and E is a pulley for revolving it.
The armature has a series of insulated metallic sectors F radially secured in
planes at right angles to the armature shaft, there being one or more in each
plane; the drawings showing four of such sectors in each plane placed equidistant
apart.
In the preferred construction shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, these sectors are
united in pairs at the base by a segmental circular bridge a, which has a stem b, for
securing them into the hub.
Each sector is preferably made of suitably thick sheet metal of a kind best
adapted for inductive purposes and is secured upon a spoke a¹ which unites it firmly
to the bridge a.
The sectors are made as light as possible, of equal thickness throughout, and
finished smoothly with rounding edges and corners.
The hub consists of two disks cc of insulating material, between which the
stems b are removably and adjustably clamped in any suitable manner as by means
of the clamping spiders d d', one of which is provided with a bushing e, which
secures the hub upon the armature shaft. The bridges a, fit the periphery of the
hub and form a commutator for taking off direct currents as more fully hereinafter
described.
Four pairs of sectors thus form a wheel, of which the two opposite pairs of sectors
are brought in electric connection with each other, such as by means of metallic
strips one on each side, which pass over on the sides of the hub out of contact
with other metallic parts.
The armature consists of any desired number of these sector wheels adjustably
This
secured upon the shaft, so that they may be grouped in different ways.
grouping depends upon the kind of electrical effect to be desired. If a direct
uniform current is desired to be obtained, I arrange them so that the sectors or
pairs of sectors are grouped spirally around the shaft, as shown in the drawings,

page_text: whereby in an end projection of the armature the sectors are equally distributed
around the shaft or substantially so.
This armature revolves within a stationary electric field formed by inductors H,
which are secured in position from the frame in any suitable manner, such
as by means of longitudinal bars 1, which are secured between two vertical
standards J of glass (covered with shellac) or of some other suitable insulating
material.
The inductors H are of similar form and construction as the armature sectors,
and arranged in planes at right angles to the armature shaft, equidistant between
the armature sectors and in longitudinal line with each other, so that in an end
projection the sectors of one plane cover all the sectors in the other planes.
The inductors H are preferably constructed in pairs substantially in the manner
described for the sectors of the armature and provided with a stem at the base,
by means of which they are adjustably secured to apertured holding clamps g
which are secured by set screws or otherwise upon the bars I, the latter being
preferably secured detachably and adjustably, such as after the manner of securing
the bars M M as shown in Fig. 1.
The inductors H may thus be individually as well as collectively adjusted, it
being necessary for the proper operation of the machine that the planes in which
the sectors of the armature and field respectively are secured, should be exactly
parallel to each other and equidistant apart alternating with each other in the
longitudinal direction of the shaft; and that the inductive phases of all the sectors
of each sector wheel in relation to the adjacent inducing sectors should be
precisely the same.
The inductors H are rounded off at the inner end as shown and project within a
suitable distance towards the hub of the armature. All the edges and corners are
rounded off and the outer ends of each longitudinal series of inductors is covered
over or screened by a metallic plate K extending the whole length, all external
surfaces being smoothly finished and the diametrically opposite series of inductors
(which are to be of like electrification) are electrifically connected as shown, and
to reduce the loss from electric radiation the external surfaces of the inductors
are coated or covered with some insulating material.
The segmental circular bridges a between each pair of armature sectors form a
direct current commutator for each sector wheel, and these commutators are
provided with two sets of brushes L and L' which are arranged in the open spaces
between the inductors and adjustably secured in any suitable manner to the
longitudinal bars M M', which are in turn secured adjustably and removably
to the heads J, by passing through enlarged apertures therein, or in any other
suitable manner.
Each set of brushes is electrically connected by means of the longitudinal
bars M M or in any other suitable manner, and binding posts are provided in
metallic connection with the bars M M to which the terminals of an exterior
work circuit N are secured and in which the translating or transforming devices O
are placed.
The inducing sectors are preferably kept electrified from an exterior source, (not
shown) and this may be a statical generator of any known construction and driven
by suitable means adapted to regulate the speed thereof, but if desired the machine
may be made to maintain the electrification of the inductors while in operation in
the following manner:
One or more of the sector wheels, preferably those at one or both ends of the
shaft may be provided with commutator contacts of lesser length than the
commutator contacts of the other sector wheels, as shown in Fig. 2, and in
addition, two brushes or travelling contacts P P are secured to these armature
sectors.
In practice, the machine being constructed as shown and described is intended to
operate as follows:
The sectors H are electrified by being connected to a suitable static generator to

page_text: form alternate positive and negative statical inductors; thus when there are four
sectors in each plane there will be two positive and two negative inductors,
which are respectively diametrically opposite each other, as indicated by the signs
in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.
Starting from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, (in which the armature sectors
are midway between the inducing sectors with the armature rotating in the
direction of the arrow) it will be seen, that two of the armature sectors are
approaching positively electrified inductors and two are approaching negative
inductors. As the armature sectors revolve in planes parallel with and in close
proximity to the inducing sectors the armature sectors become polarized during
their approach, but as the armature sectors are electrically connected by the
circuit N, through the brushes L and L', as shown, a flow of electricity will take
place through the circuit N, to wit; positive electricity will flow out of the
armature sectors approaching the positive inductors and at the same time flow
into the armature sectors approaching the negative inductors and become bound
therein.
As soon as the armature sectors begin to recede from the inductors just approached,
the positive electricity that had become bound, is now set free, and flows through the
circuit N into the sectors that became negative while approaching, and becomes
bound therein, but as the armature sectors also changed contact at the same instant
with the terminal brushes of the exterior circuit, the current will flow in the same
direction exteriorly as the armature sectors now approach inductors of opposite
electrification, and the current will continue to flow (without any change of contact
with the brushes) until the sectors have fully approached the inductors towards
which they are moving.
Thus while half of the armature sectors F are passing from a positive inductor to
the next negative inductor, they will receive positive electricity from the terminal
brush of the external circuit, with which they are in electrical contact, and at the
same time the other half of the armature sectors will be discharging positive
electricity into the other terminal brush of the external circuit while they are
passing from a negative inductor to the next positive inductor.
As the armature sectors do not approach to or withdraw from the inducing
sectors simultaneously on account of the spiral arrangement of the sectors F, the
flow of electricity through the circuit N is made practically uniform and continuous
and will produce effects which can be utilized by translating or transforming
devices, the same as a direct current generated by magnetic induction or by a
galvanic battery.
The construction of the armature, however, permits of grouping the armature
sectors otherwise, if desired, to produce different effects; thus if instead of the
armature sectors being uniformly spiral they be clustered so that a greater number
of them approach to and recede from the inductors at certain times than at other
times, the current will be pulsating, and if arranged in longitudinal line like the
inducing sectors, and the arc of the circle between the inductors be of sufficient
length, the effect will be intermittent. When so arranged, and one half of the
armature sectors (which are in the same plane longitudinally with the shaft), are
electrically connected together, and to an insulated metallic ring on the armature
shaft, and the other half of the armature sectors are likewise connected with each
other and to a ring on the armature shaft, and the two rings connected by brushes
to the exterior circuit, the effect will be an alternating current,
If the machine is made to self maintain the electrification of the inductors after
the manner described, the armature sectors having the shortened contacts as shown
in Fig. 2, (have their electrifications maintained by breaking contact with the
brushes L and L', a little before the point at which they pass the inductors by
which they have been electrified; and when midway between the inductors are by
the brushes P and P, brought in electrical connection with the inductors towards
which they approach, thus their maintained electrifications will be communicated
to the inductors.

page_text: By the peculiar construction and arrangement of the armature and field sectors,
loss from internal discharge is avoided which in this class of machines is a point of
the utmost importance. It is also a matter of importance to adjust the sectors in
their proper relation to each other and this adjustment can be effected in my con-
struction, which also affords great facility for repairing or renewing any defective
part without dismounting the machine.
Instead of electrically connecting the opposite pairs of armature sectors, four sets
of brushes may be employed and it will also be understood that it is not necessary
to construct the sectors in pairs. By constructing in this manner greater facility is
obtained for securing them firmly in position, I however do not limit myself to any
specific construction.
To prevent overcharging a suitable governor may be provided, such as shown in
the drawings, in which R Rare two balls electrically connected to the positive and
negative inductors respectively, and metallic points T are arranged in adjustable
proximity to these balls, the points being electrically connected together. If the
fields then become overcharged a discharge will take place between the balls and
the adjacent points through a circuit 'connecting the points and thus reduce the
charge of the fields. The discharge may be utilized in a separate circuit connecting
the points, or, with a direct current, through the exterior circuit as shown.
By adjusting the inducing sectors inwardly so as to project more or less between
the armature secters, or by adjusting the points T from or towards the balls R R¹
of the governor, the intensity or quality of the current may be increased or
decreased, while the quantity may be regulated by regulating the speed of the
armature.
From this description the scope of my invention will be clearly understood to
comprise broadly an electrical generator in which dynamic current effects are
produced in a work circuit or conductor, by making said conductor a medium
through which electric impulses of high frequency or long duration are transmitted,
said electric impulses being produced by means of statical induction between two
groups of metallic bodies, one group of which forms an electrified field of alternate
positive and negative statical inductors, while the other group moves in inductive
proximity thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In an electric generator, the combination of two groups of insulated metallic
bodies, one forming a statically electrified field of positive and negative inductors,
and the other group adapted to become polarized at intervals by moving in inductive
relation to said inductors, and an exterior work circuit having connecting devices
electrically connecting the induced bodies receding from a negative inductor and
approaching to a positive inductor with the induced bodies receding from a positive
inductor and approaching to a negative inductor during their polarizations, sub-
stantially as described.
2. In an electric generator, the combination of two groups of insulated metallic
sectors, one statically electrified to form positive and negative inductors, and the
other adapted to move in inductive relation thereto, the sectors of the two groups
being arranged in relatively different inductive proximity to each other, whereby
polarization takes place in the inducted sectors at different moments of time, sub-
stantially as described.
3. The combination in an electric generator of two groups of insulated metallic
sectors arranged radially around a common axis, one adapted to form a statically
electrified field of positive and negative electrification, and the other adapted to
revolve within said field, the two groups of sectors being arranged in alternating
planes parallel with each other and equidistant apart, and with portions of the
sectors of the two groups in relative different inductive proximity to each other, a
commutator and brushes for each portion of moving sectors having the same

page_text: relative inductive proximity to the inducing sectors and forming the positive and
negative poles thereof during their phases of polarization by the inducing sectors,
and an exterior circuit electrically connecting all the brushes, substantially as
described.
4. In an electrical generator, the combination of a group of insulated metallic
sectors arranged radially around a central axis, and adapted to form a stationary
electrified field of positive and negative inductors, of an armature arranged to
revolve within said field and composed of a shaft and a series of sector wheels
adjustably grouped upon said shaft and consisting of an insulating hub and metallic
sectors radially secured thereto in planes at right angles to the shaft, substantially
as described.
5. In an electrical generator, the combination of a group of insulated metallic
sectors arranged radially around a central axis, and adapted to form a statically
electrified field of positive and negative inductors, of an armature adapted to
revolve within said field and composed of a group of like sectors secured to
insulating hubs upon the shaft of said armature and forming sector wheels, adapted
to be independently adjusted upon said shaft, and of commutators, one for each
sector wheel and formed upon the hub of each sector wheel, substantially as
described.
6. In an electrical generator, the combination of a group of stationary inducing
sectors of positive and negative statical electrification, a group of movable sectors
secured to a revolving shaft in alternating planes between said stationary sectors,
commutator and brushes forming the positive and negative poles of the movable
sectors during their phases of polarizations, an exterior work circuit connecting such
poles, and a governor for regulating the inductive influence of the inducing sectors,
substantially as described.
7. In an electrical generator, the combination of stationary inducing sectors of
positive and negative statical electrification, movable sectors secured by insulating
hubs to a revolving shaft and forming sector wheels spirally grouped upon said
shaft in inductive relation between the stationary sectors, a commutator and
brushes for each sector wheel and forming the positive and negative poles thereof,
at coincident phases of polarization, of an exterior work circuit connecting such
poles, and a governor for regulating the inductive influence of the stationary
sectors, substantially as described.
8. In an electrical generator, the combination of stationary sectors of positive and
negative statical electrification, movable sectors secured to a revolving shaft in
inductive relation between the stationary sectors, connecting devices, whereby the
differently induced movable sectors are electrically united during coincident phases
of polarization and connecting devices between a portion of the stationary and
movable sectors for maintaining the electrification of the inducing sectors, sub-
stantially as described.
9. In an electrical generator, the combination of the revolving shaft, the sector
wheels adjustably secured upon said shaft, a commutator for each sector wheel, a
pair of brushes for each commutator, an exterior work circuit connecting all the
brushes, stationary sectors radially and adjustably secured in inductive proximity
between the sector wheels, and a governor for regulating the inductive influence in
the stationary sectors, said governor being connected into an exterior circuit, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this Thirtieth day of June 1892
WILLIAM HENRY.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.