A New or Improved Regulator for Electric Generators and Motors.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Jan., 189:-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Regulator for Electric Generators and Motors.
I, ROYAL EDWARD BALL, of Temple Court, New York City, State of New
York, United States of America, Electrical Engineer, 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 relates to a new or improved electric regulator and has for its
object the provision of a new and simple apparatus for automatically regulating
or adjusting the position of the brushes on the commutator of a suitable electric
generator or motor.
Hitherto when the action of such machines has been regulated by the change
of position of the brushes, they have been provided with a device commonly called
the yoke for carrying the brushes and their holders. By the movements of this
yoke the positions of the brushes with relation to the commutator were shifted and
the action of the machine was thereby altered. In plain machines this yoke was
In the
moved by hand when conditions of load or of current required it.
automatically regulated machines this yoke was moved by means of various
electrical or mechanical devices, and they, in turn, were in some cases actuated by
and subject to some external electric controlling device.
By my invention, I dispense with all mechanism for the movement of the yoke;
and by changing the position and shape of the yoke I cause it to furnish its own
means of motion. It is well known that if a movable magnetic body be included
within a magnetic circuit, it will tend to place itself so that its axis of least
resistance will become parallel to the resultant magnetic line traversing the
magnetic circuit, and that the force with which it will tend to take this position
will be dependant upon the number of magnetic lines of force passing through it.
I utilize this principle by making the yoke of magnetic material and constructing
it so that it has two axes of different magnetic resistance at right angles to each
other and I place the yoke, or the portion of it which has the axes of differing
magnetic resistance in some part of the magnetic circuit of the machine and so as
to be free to move as required. In other words I make a portion of the magnetic
circuit of the machine movable and I also make this portion of different
magnetic resistances as measured on different axes. This movable part of the
magnetic circuit of the machine while serving as a regulator is also preferably
made to carry the brushes, or act as a yoke.
Having now described the nature of my invention I shall proceed to describe
how it is to be or may be performed or carried into effect. For this purpose
shall refer, by way of a type or example and not as defining the scope of my
invention, to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form which the
In these drawings,
apparatus constituting a part of my invention may assume.
Fig. 1 is a view of a well-known form of machine provided with my invention,
the right-hand end of the same being shown in vertical, central section.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 2, 2, in Fig. 1,
and looking in the direction of the adjacent arrow.
Fig. 3 is a transverse, central, sectional view of the movable magnetic portion of
the circuit, as hereinafter described, and
Fig. 4 is a side view of the same.
Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers of reference indicate like parts
throughout, 6 is an armature shaft mounted in the end pieces 7, 7, of the machine
frame; and 8 is the armature, and 9 the commutator cylinder. A. magnetic
part 10 of the right hand end piece (the piece which connects the field magnets at
the right hand side), is made movable, and is in the magnetic circuit of the

page_text: machine. This movable magnetic piece 10 has two axes a, b, and c, d, at right
angles to each other and of different magnetic resistances. In the present
construction, the movable magnetic part 10 is in the form of a circular plate, which
is provided with a central opening 11, and has a bearing upon a sleeve 12 extending
inwardly from the end piece 7, the plate being set in a corresponding cavity 13,
cut out of the end piece for its reception. To cause the plate to have two axes of
different magnetic resistance at right angles to one another I cut away portions of
the plate 10, on either face thereof. In the present construction this is
accomplished by forming parallel grooves 14 upon one face of the plate. The axis
of highest magnetic resistance will, therefore, be at right angles to these grooves
as indicated by line c, d, while the axis of least magnetic resistance will be parallel
to the grooves as indicated by line a, b.
Since the plate 10 is magnetic, and forms a portion of the circuit of the machine,
it will tend to move so as to place its axis of least resistance-namely, the axis a, b
parallel to the axis of the magnetic circuit of the machine, which is indicated by
the line,, in accordance with the well-known principle hereinbefore referred to.
I utilize this automatic movement of the body 10 as a means for regulating the
action of the machine by connecting, preferably, directly thereto the brush
holders 15, having brushes 16, as indicated in the drawings, so that as the body 10
shifts its position in accordance with the varying condition of the load or the
feeding current, as the case may be, the brushes may likewise be shifted or
displaced so as to maintain the requisite lead.
The force which tends to move the yoke or magnetic body 10 is balanced by a
combination of a weight 18 and a spring 19, which is connected to the yoke by
means of a curved link 20 and a stud 21. The full lines in Fig. 2 represent one
extreme movement of the yoke 10, and the dotted lines represent the other
extreme.
In order to reduce the friction to the lowest possible amount, I provide the
magnetic portion 10 with ball-bearings 17. This bearing, of course, may take any
of the well known forms of ball-bearings, and I find that such bearing is especially
efficient in this connection, since by virtue of it the part 10 is rendered more
sensitive in responding to the magnetic action thereon.
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 new or improved regulator for electric generators and motors substan-
tially as set forth.
2. In a regulator for electric generators and motors the employment for the
purpose described of a movable body having two axes of different magnetic
resistance constructed and acting substantially as set forth.
3. The specific arrangement and combination of parts constituting the form of
electric regulator illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Dated this 7th day of January 1901
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.M.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, Strand, London,
Applicant's Patent Agent.