IMPROVEMENTS IN DYNAMO- ELECTRIC MACHINES AND ELECTRIC MOTORS AND IN ELECTRIC CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS"
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Rowan, of Palace Chambers in the city of
Westminster, Consulting Engineer and Samuel Williams, of Newport in the
county of Monmouth for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN DYNAMO-
ELECTRIC MACHINES AND ELECTRIC MOTORS AND IN ELECTRIC CURRENT
DISTRIBUTORS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Rowan and Samuel
Williams at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th February
1883.
THOMAS ROWAN of Palace Chambers, in the City of Westminster, Consulting
Engineer, and SAMUEL WILLIAMS of Newport, in the county of Monmouth
." IMPROVEMENTS IN DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES AND ELECTRIC MOTORS AND IN
ELECTRIO CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS
"
The present invention relates partly to further improvements on our former
invention for which Provisional Protection was granted to us N° 49 dated the
third day of January, one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
In carrying out this portion of our invention we now construct the armature of
a framework or boss consisting of a very thin disc of hard wood, vulcanite or
other similar substance, arranged on a shaft. In this disc are formed holes of a
circular shape cut right through the disc along its face towards its circumference.
In the said holes are placed coils of insulated copper wire made of the form and in
the manner following. We construct a "winder" of iron consisting of two side
[plates rotated on a shaft, the said plates having slots cut right through on both
sides diagonally from the circumference to the centre, the said plates being
furnished with a washer moveable on the centre between them and all are held in
position with a nut or otherwise. In the thin washer is a slot and in this slot the
end of the copper wire is introduced and on the "winder" being rotated a flat coil
of wire is formed consisting of single layers one upon the other such coil
irrespective of its diameter being only of the thickness of the diameter or size or
thickness of the wire of which it consists; when the winder is nearly full very
thin strips of fine narrow insulating material. are introduced by means of the said
diagonal slots and as the winding of the coil approaches its completion and until it
'

page_text: is so completed each layer of wire, as every slot is successively reached, can be
laced tightly and firmly with the said stout material and finally fastened off in any
secure manner; we then pour over and rub in the interstices on both sides hot
shellac varnish, or other suitable material, to give structural rigidity to the coil as
also insulation. We construct our armature by providing the disc frame with what
may be termed two sets or rows of said coils one on one side of the disc and the
other on the other side, and there are as many of such coils as there are poles or
sets of field magnets in the machine; disposing the said coils in such a manner
that each set shall overlap the other by half the diameter of any single coil By
this means we not only obtain great facility of connections in the armature as the
outside end of each coil on one set or row connects with the inside end of each
coil in the other set or row, but we get the field of any given pair of field magnets
disturbed by a regularly recurring difference in the mass of the conductor which
by its extremely light construction can move with great velocity and by its small
dimension as regards its thinness is capable of being rotated in a magnetic field of
great intensity.
Our armature may be constructed of only one set or row of such coils as we
have described similarly held in a disc as aforesaid. On the sides of our armature
so formed and near the centre and the circumference respectively we attach another
form of wire conductor." The magnetic field extends to a considerable distance at
right angles from the poles in order to utilize this portion of the entire magnetism
given off by the field. magnets. We bend copper wire into an appropriate shape
for "tumbling" through the field, say in the shape of convolutions or zig-zag, and
two lengths equal to nearly the circumference of the armature we attach one to
one side and the other to the other side thereof but at right angles to the plane in
which the armature revolves; and two other such lengths we attach in a precisely
similar manner but nearer to the centre of the said armature.
81
By such construction we collect the magnetism from the outer portion of the field
and from the inner portion respectively
the
end
The field magnets, for our improved dynamo electric machine we form in the
following manner-we take bars of iron of suitable size the ends thereof being
screw-threaded, we then take ordinary iron washers of the required size and
thickness which are screwed on the said ends and, thus form an iron reel,
or cheek pieces of which when in use as an electro magnet constitute the pole
pieces. We insulate the length as well as the inside of the end pieces of this
reel with blotting paper saturated with melted paraffin or other suitable insulating
material and we treat each successive layer of wire thereon' in a similar manner.
One end of each of the reels as; above described is left sufficiently long to pass
through a corresponding hole in the side frames of the machine and is suitably
held in position. We provide that the ends referred to above as washers
are sufficiently thick to produce the extended magnetic field hereinbefore
.referred to.
'
That portion of our armature which extends at right angles to the plane of
rotation we construct in the following manner: we provide an iron plate of oblong
shape moving on a pivot fixed at one end thereof. This plate carries a series of
iron pins or pegs in parallel rows on one of which pins or pegs the end of the wire
is secured and then a suitable motion is given to the plate which results in filling
the pins with wire; also attached to the plate is a moveable screw which can be
brought to bear on the wire with a pressure in a horizontal plane by which means
we get the convolutions of wire as close as possible to each other. The plate above
referred to may have parallel guides and other suitable adjuncts for keeping the
wire in position while the operation of giving it its zig-zag shape is being
performed. It is understood that on the pins getting filled the wire in its zig-zag
shape is taken off and another length is put on, starting with the last convolution
of the preceding length. On the completion of a sufficiency of this portion of our
armature we steep it in hot shellac varnish or other suitable material for the
purpose of imparting rigidity to the mass.
TT

page_text: Our invention further relates to an improved generator and distributor of
electric currents. It is well known that when a bar magnet is introduced into a
helix of conducting wire, a powerful current of electricity is made to circulate
therein, a similar effect but in an opposite direction as regards the flow
of the current being produced on the withdrawal of the magnet. It is
the effective mechanical application of this principle upon which this improved
apparatus is based. Round the insides of two ordinary side frames we mount
helices of copper wire which take the places of the field magnets in the improved
dynamo electric machine herein before described. Round a circular hollow frame-
work occupying the central space in the machine between the two sets of helices
as above; described we fix on revolving cams suitable steel bar, magnets. The
motion of each of the said cams alternately withdraws the bar magnet from its
respective helix on one side the said withdrawal effecting its simultaneous
introduction into the corresponding helix on the other side-These cams all gear
into and are actuated by a toothed disc, or wheel revolving in a continuous
direction in the centre of the machine in the relative position in fact occupied by
the armature in our improved dynamo electric machine herein before described.
Said toothed disc or wheel is in turn rotated by any suitable power. By means of
the improved apparatus thus described electrical currents of great power are
produced in rapid succession. No.comnibtator is required in this machine and the
leads for as many independent circuits are taken direct from connection with the
helices. Thus, for example, a machine consisting of twenty pairs of helices could
feed twenty arc lights, any number of which could be shut out of or put into the
circuit without interference with the photometric effect of those which remained.
It will be thus seen that our improved generator and distributor as hereinbefore
described, according to the size to which it may be constructed, practically solves
the question of indefinitely subdividing the electric current for arc or incandescent
lighting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Thomas Rowan and Samuel Williams in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 13th August 1883.
THOMAS ROWAN of Palace Chambers in the city of Westminster, Consulting
Engineer and SAMUEL WILLIAMS of Newport in the county of Monmouth
"IMPROVEMENTS IN DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES AND ELECTRIC MOTORS AND IN
ELECTRIC CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS
נו
The present invention relates partly to further improvements on our former
invention for which Letters Patent were granted to us N° 49 dated the third day
of January one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
In order to enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1, is an end
elevation shewing the construction of the armature to be employed with our
improved dynamo electric machine; figure 2, is a front elevation and figure 3, an
end view shewing an apparatus for winding the coils of the armature; figures 4, 5
and 6, are views shewing different methods of winding and connecting the coils;
figures 7 and 8, are an elevation and a longitudinal section respectively of the
complete machine. Similar letters in all the figures represents similar parts.
"
In carrying out the said first portion of our invention we now construct the.
armature as shewn in figures 1, and 8, of a framework consisting of two thin discs a,
of hard wood, vulcanite, vulcanized fibre, gun metal, or other suitable material.
arranged on a shaft b. In these discs a, we form hollow spaces of a circular or
other suitable shape cut right through the discs. In the said spaces are placed
coils c, of insulated copper wire, copper ribbon or other suitable conducting material
the coils being formed in the following manner. For forming the coils we construct a
" winder as shewn in figures 2, and 3, consisting of two side plates d, and e, rotating
on a shaft f,; one of the said plates e, is provided with radial slots g, g¹, and g³,
one of which g³, is cut right through as shewn from the circumference to beyond
the centre. The said plates are provided with a removeable washer or distance
piece h, between them and all are held in position, by the nut i, or by other suitable
means. The wire or conducting material is wound on the said, winder the end
being either brought through a hole in one of the side plates or fixed in a cavity in
the washer or distance piece h,; by means of the radial slots g, g¹, g³, lengths of
strong tape or other suitable material can be introduced and as each of the slots is
successively reached in rotating each layer of the wire or other material can be
laced tightly and firmly with the said tape or other material; we prefer to wind
these disc coils continuously that is without any break in the wire in the following
manner; on the completion of the first coil the side plate e, by means of the slot g³,
is removed from the shaft f, and the coil is slid along the shaft. The side plate e,
is replaced and a fresh coil is formed in the manner hereinbefore described there
being thus no break in the continuity of the wire or other conductor till the last
coil is finished. It will be seen that by alternating the direction of rotation of the
winder for each coil we obtain the proper winding of the disc coils for an alternating
field, the outside end of one coil leading to the inside or commencement of the
next coil as shewn in figure 4, We can impart structural rigidity to the coils by
rubbing into the interstices and on both sides hot shellac, varnish or other suitable
material.
By altering the shape of the washer or distance piece h, in the centre we can
make our disc coils of any corresponding shape or configuration desired.
To construct our improved armatures we take two of the circular frames a, with

page_text: the spaces therein as bereinbefore described and in each of the frames we fix one:
set or series of the disc coils c, disposing the said frames a, with the coils c, therein:
in such a manner that one set shall overlap the other; we have found that good
results are produced if this overlapping is about one half the diameter of any one
given coil as shewn in figure 1. It will be understood that the coils may be placed
overlapping one another without the aid of the frames a, a.
The coils of each set are connected either in series or in multiple arc and the
terminals are suitably led off to the.commutator. The connections may be made
thus: the coils are wound alternately to the right hand and to the left hand as
shewn in figure 4, the wire from the inside of one coil leading to the outside of the
next coil and from the outside of one coil to the inside of the next coil alternately the:
connecting wires of the coils of one set passing around the outer and inner.
peripheries alternately of the intermediate coils of the other set, or the coils may be
wound all right hand or all left hand the connections being then from the outside of
one coil to the outside of the next coil and from the inside of one coil to the inside of
the next coil as shewn in figure 5, or vice versa as in figure 6, in regular succession
the same method: being employed as to the arrangement and position of the
connecting wires as above described; with two sets of coils we have two separate
and independent circuits, both led off to the commutator k, figures 7, and 8; when
the coils c, are firmly placed in their proper places in the spaces of the frames a,
and overlapped as herein-before described both of the frames a, are well secured
together.
3
. Instead of the circular shaped disc coils hereinbefore described and shown in
figures 4, 5 and 6, for our armature we can employ any other suitable shape most: .
adapted for cutting the greatest number of lines of force such as that of an ellipse>
or oval or sector the elongated ends or acute angles of which extend above and
below the poles of the field magnets m, and in such case we form the said poles to
approximate in shape accordingly.
"
.J
We connect the coils either in series or multiple are using any one or two or...
more of the methods herein before described. Although we have described only two:
armature frames a, and their respective sets of coils it will be obvious that we can
employ a greater number than two by increasing the extent of the space between
the poles of the opposite sets of the field magnets. -
In addition to the usual method of coupling up the field magnets, videlicet,,
alternately N and S we have found the following method. of..coupling, up to give
good results, videlicet, the polarities of one set alternate N. N.SS and so on and
the poles of the opposite set are coupled up in the same way but so as to produce:
polarities of opposing signs, that is to say, two N N and two SS of one set are:
opposed by two SS and two NN, of the other set. In order to be adapted for
work in a magnetic field of this description and. with poles arranged in this manner.
our armature coils when circular in shape are of a diameter equal to the diameters:
and sufficient to cover any two of the field magnets. It will be obvious that we
can use any shape or size of field magnet and those forms of armature disc coils:
best adapted for cutting the greatest number of lines of force in the different shapes
or sizes of such field magnets used...
The commutator k, which we have found to give good results consists of a central:
boss of wood (or other insulating material fitted onto one end of the armature
shaft b; on this boss are fixed two separate sets of plates of brass, copper or other:
suitable metal such plates. being equal in number to the number of coils in the.
armature a, but just in the same way as one set of coils in the armature overlaps.
the other set, so one set of plates overlaps, or is in advance of the other set by half.
the width of a plate. In a machine with six disc coils in one side of the armature a,.
and six disc coils in the other, say twelve coils in all, these plates would be arranged.
in two. sets of six each Three of each set would be one hundred and twenty.
degrees apart measuring from centre to centre and be. sixty degrees in angular.
width, the said three plates being electrically coupled up together at each end of,
the commutator boss. This it will be seen provides for coupling up one pole.

page_text: respectively of each of the two citcuits into which as already, described we form our
armature, coils. The plates for the other poles jare, respectively coupled up by
connecting one.set of each remaining three to a flattmetal, ring round the boss at
the centre of.its length and [the other set of three, to a similar ring; or the connec
tions can be made by suitable wires passing through the boss itself, to the, metal
plates respectively as the alternation, of the currents requires. We have described
a continuous current machine in which the whole of the current can be used for
exciting the field magnets, but the current from one or, from both sets of coils in
the armaturé can be split and by duplicate or branch terminals led to the end of
the shaft opposite to the commutator end and be taken off, by suitable contacts as
an alternating current, or the entire current from one set of armature, coils can be,
led off as an alternating current, that from the other set of coils being employed for,
exciting the field magnets; on the end of the commutator we arrange two switches
which by suitable connection with the terminals of both sets of armature, coils,
enable us to, commute the current or shunt any particular circuit out, of contact.
with the brushes. The current arrangements of our machine, as described with
two sets of armature coils may therefore be classified as follows:
1
0,
A. The entire.current from the whole; of, the armature can be returned to the
machine for excitation and. be used for continuous current purposes.
1
**
B. The entire current from only one [set, of the armature coils, can, be
employed as above and the current from the other set be used for alternating:
current purposes.
a
C. The entire current from one set and a portion of the current from the second
set of the armature coils can be returned into the machine and be used for continuous
current purposes and the remaining portion of the current from the second, set be.
used for alternating current purposes.....
..J
D. A portion of the current from one set of the armature coils, can; be returned
into the machine and be used for continuous current purposes and the remaining.
portion of the current from that set together with the entire current from the other
Bet be taken off and used for alternating current purposes.
.
It will thus be seen that our improved machine is suitable for supplying.
currents either alternately or simultaneously for both systems of electric
lighting, viz, are lighting and incandescence lighting and at the same time is self
exciting.
Our Invention further relates to an improved generator and distributor of
electric currents: It is well known that when a bar magnet is introduced into a
helix of conducting wire a current of. electricity is made to circulate therein, a
similar effect but in an opposite direction as regards the flow of the current being
produced on the withdrawal of the magnet and this form of dynamo electric
machine is intended to be a simple mechanical application of this principle so as to
render it adaptable for the purposes of electric lighting.. Round the insides of
two suitable side frames we mount in a circle helices of insulated copper wire or.
suitable conducting material which take the, place of the field magnets in the
dynamo electric machine herein before described. In the centre of the machine
and inside the interior circumference of these field hélices, as we may term them,
we erect a circular and partially hollow frame work round the periphery of which
we fix on suitable revolving cams, steel bar magnets. The motion of each of the
said cams alternately withdraws its bar magnet from its respective helix on one
side, such withdrawal effecting its simultaneous introduction into the corresponding
helix on the other side. These cams all gear into and are actuated by, a toothed
disc or wheel revolving in a continuous direction in the centre of the machine in.
the relative position in fact occupied by the armature in the first described dynamo
electric machine. The said toothed disc or wheel is in turn rotated by any suitable
power. By means of this dynamo electric machine currents are produced in rapid:
succession, i no commutator is required and the leads for as many independent.
circuits as may be required are taken direct from connection with the helices.
Thus for example a machine.consisting of a given number of helices on each side.

page_text: capable of feeding a given number of arc lights could have any number of such
lights shut out of or put into circuit with the machine without interference with
the photometric effect of the others. It will be obvious that such currents from
any or all of the helices can be rendered continuous.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same we would have it understood that what we claim is :-
:-
Firstly. The general arrangement and construction of the dynamo-electric
machine substantially as herein before described and represented in figures 1,
7 and 8, of the accompanying drawing.
Secondly. In a dynamo-electric machine the method of forming the armature
coils and their peculiar construction substantially as herein-before described and
represented in figures 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawing.
Thirdly. In a dynamo-electric machine the construction and employment of an
armature having coils of conducting material so arranged that the coils of one set
shall overlap those of the adjoining set substantially as hereinbefore described and
represented in figures 1, and 8, of the accompanying drawing.
Fourthly. In a dynamo electric machine the employment in combination with
an armature such as that hereinbefore described of a commutator consisting of two
sets of plates one set being in advance of the other in a position relative to the
coils of the armature as and for the purposes herein before described.
Fifthly. The improved current generator and distributor herein described in
which helices of conducting material are employed in combination with suitable
magnets fixed on revolving cams substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described,
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Rowan for and on behalf of myself
and the said Samuel Williams have hereto set my hand and seal this thirteenth
day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty
three.
THOMAS ROWAN (LS.)