IMPROVE- MENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Hodgson Lovel, Iron Merchant, of 51, Frederick
Street, Sunderland, in the County of Durhain, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES."
led the 7th August 1877, and dated the 22nd February 1877
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Hodgson Lovel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd February 1877.
JOHN HODGSON LOVEL, Iron Merchant, of 51, Frederick Street, Sunderland, in
the County of Durham. IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES."
"
These improvements consist in a disc or wheel attached to a shaft, one end of
which rests in a bearing fixed on a plate. The other end of the shaft is connected
to a crank fixed on a shaft working in bearings.
The disc or wheel fixed on the first shaft named is constructed of soft iron, solid
or in plates, or of soft iron and other metals; or the disc or wheel may have
annatures arranged in sections on or near its periphery, and to or near its centro;
around this disc or wheel are arranged electro-magnets at suitable distances and in
number as required by the power desired to be exerted on the crank pin before
described.
To the electro-magnets any suitable battery is applied, which when so applied to
the magnets they then attract the face or periphery of the disc or wheel nearest to
one or more of such magnets consecutively; and to effect this continuous consecutive
arrangement of attraction from the magnet or magnets, a commutator formed of a
dividing plate connected to the crank axle or shaft rotated, and is worked by a
spring or other suitable means from the crank axle. By these several means an
oscillating or undulating rotary action is given to the disc or wheel, and rotary
motion to the crank shaft for the purpose of delivering motive power from such
crank shaft.
For some purposes I arrange several discs or wheels around the one attached to

page_text: the crank for additional power, all of which are worked as herein-before described,
but to apply their force on the central disc or wheel.
For some purposes I employ a non-conducting material between the disc or wheel
and the magnets, and between the magnets themselves, for the purpose of preventing
impact of the several parts.
For some purposes I employ a wheel and pinion in lieu of the crank to give
motion to the shaft, from which motive power is to be taken, as herein-before
described.
For some purposes I fix the disc or wheel on the crank pin of a shaft rotating in
two or more bearings, and when I construct the periphery of such disc or wheel of
soft iron, entire or in sections, or of other suitable metals, I arrange the electro-
magnets around the same; by this arrangement the disc or wheel is drawn round
from the crank pin for its centre as an excentric, and rotary motion is given to such
crank shaft by the electro-magnet's battery and commutator acting as herein-before
described.
As my said improvements are capable of various modifications without departing
from the principle thereof, I do not restrict myself to the preciso form or dimensions
of the several parts, nor to the number of discs or wheels to be employed, nor to the
metals or batteries to be used, nor to the placing of the magnets around the discs
or wheels, as the same may be placed anywhere on the discs or wheels or around
the same, nor to the precise arrangement of the several parts thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Hodgson Lovel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd
August 1877.
JOHN HODGSON LOVEL, Iron Merchant, of 51, Frederick Street, Sunderland, in
the County of Durham. IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES."
"
The object of my Invention is to render electro-magnetic engines more certain of
action and more economical in working than those hitherto employed.
In those electro-magnetic engines constructed upon the reciprocating principle
wherein the attractive power of the electro-magnet is employed in a direction most
advantageous to its success, it has been found that the repeated impacts or con-
cussions of the armature upon the electro-magnet eventually renders the latter
comparatively useless by reason of the same becoming to a certain extent a
permanent magnet, or retaining a certain amount of magnetism which gradually
destroys the full efficiency of the machine. By interposing a thin strip of suitable
material between the electro-magnet and the armature, or as in those clectro-
magnetic engines designed on the revolving or sido pull principle, by preventing the
armature coming into actual contact with the electro-magnet this evil is reduced, a
loss of power however results from the employment of either of these remedies. To
remove this evil without entailing a loss of power I cause the armature or armatures
of the several electro-magnets constituting the clectro-magnetic engine constructed
upon my improved method to approach the said magnets by a rolling motion, which
motion obviates or prevents any concussion taking place between the surface at
rest and the surface in motion.
Another advantage possessed by the rolling motion over the reciprocating motion
is that while in the latter the armature at a period of its travel is placed at a dis-
advantage with respect to the attracting power, the armature of the former is always
relatively near its electro-magnet, and consequently immediately acted upon by the
same without loss of time and power.
Again, the advantages claimed by the revolving or side pull motion over the reci-
procating motion of the armature by the absence of the crank and its concomitant

page_text: dead centres is fully comprised in the rolling motion of the armature, and the
defects of the former system avoided by virtue of the electro-magnets acting in a
direct line, which permits without any ill effects the actual contact of the armature.
I will now proceed to describe more fully my Invention in detail, reference being
had to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked
thereon.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and Figure 2, a sectional plan on line 1, 2,
(Figure 1) of an electro-magnetic engine illustrating one of several ways of
practically carrying out my Invention.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are various details of the same drawn to a larger scale;
and Figure 1a a modified arrangement of Figure 1.
In all these Figures A is a circle (horizontal or vertical, according as the engine is
placed vertical or horizontal) of electro-magnets of any approved construction,
suitably fitted to the bed plate of the engine, and each provided, as in other electro-
magnetic engines, with positive and negative wires in connection with any suitable
galvanic battery. The poles of these electro-magnets are all adjusted to a uniform
level to receive the disc, plate, or wheel B, which is so mounted upon a shaft C,
rising in an oblique direction from the centre of the electro-magnetic circle, as to be
tilted or inclined towards one of the electro-magnets to which its under side forms
when in action the armature thereof. This wheel, plate, or disc rolls obliquely on
its edge (Figures 3 and 4) round the roller path " (Figure 2) which commu-
nicates to the said wheel a steady motion when travelling from magnet to magnet.
The lower extremity of the oblique shaft is supported in a suitable bearing ex, and
the upper end being connected by a ball-and-socket joint to the crank or arm g on
the driving shaft D (Figure 1) communicates motion thereto, from which motive
power may be derived by any ordinary mechanical means for many useful purposes.
In Figure 3 I have shown to an enlarged scale a plan of the under side; and
Figure 4, a section of the disc B, the height of the same upon the oblique shaft C
being regulated by the nuts c and c¹ (Figure 4).
The annular plate d may be of soft iron and continuous, as shown in Figure 3, or
if preferable divided into segments or plates with or without the interposition of
ivory or other non-conducting substance. This annular plate when in position
forms an armature to the electro-magnet directly beneath it, and by which it is
attracted when the same is rendered magnetic by a current of electricity.
To insure the armature plate d presenting a parallel face or surface to the poles of
the magnets a blocking piece of any suitable elastic material is inserted between
the annular plate and the disc B, to which latter the said plate is secured by the
screws e, e, which may also be employed for any fine adjustment of the armature as
may be required from time to time; but to prevent residual magnetism remaining in
the armature or poles after the electric current is broken, one pole only of the electric-
magnet is allowed to be in actual contact with the armature, the other pole being
made slightly shorter.
-
The action of my electro-magnetic engine when in operation would be as follows:-
The wires and (see Figures 1 and 2) being properly attached to any suitable
battery, a current of electricity enters the breaker D by the clip P (see also Figures 5
and 6). The said breaker is provided with a radial arm to direct the said current
to one of the electro-magnets beneath the rolling plate B, which is as before-
mentioned provided with an armature plate d (Figure 3). The position of the
radial arm determines which of the said electro-magnets shall be the recipient of the
electric current, which electro-magnet becoming magnetic attracts in a downward
direction the rolling plate B, causing the latter to roll and communicate a rotary
motion by means of the oblique shaft C and the crank or arm to the shaft D in
the direction shown by the arrow (Figures 2 and 5). The upper extremity of this
shaft is fitted with an ivory or other non-conducting insulator cap h (see Figures 7)
to receive and carry round with it the breaker D. The radial arm necessarily
participates in the said motion, and being provided with a small roller, as shown,

page_text: or other suitable contrivance to insure the actual contact of the connections during
the journey of the said arm round the tray F containing the binding screws or
communicators a², a², a³, a¹, a³, aº, a², a³, aº, a¹º, a", and a¹², Figure 5, carries the
electric fluid to the next communicator to be communicated to the electro-magnet
next following, which attracting the rolling plate in a similar manner to the fore-
going, and which being repeated from magnet to magnet completes the revolution
of the rolling plate B.
It will be observed that as the edge of the rolling plate travels upon the roller
path d (Figure 2) there can in no case be concussion between the rolling surface
of the armature d (Figure 4), and the stationary surface of the electro-magnets, but
a uniform rolling or gliding motion will be produced, which will leave unimpaired
the poles of the clectro-magnets.
The binding screws or communicators contained in the tray F, Figure 5, are dis-
connected from one another by insulators i, i; indeed the whole of the arrangement
for breaking and reconnecting the clectric current is, as is usual in such cases,
suitably fitted with insulators to prevent the electric fluid dispersing or becoming
deranged in its action. This being so well known to electricians, no further explanation
of the breaker and its appurtenances is required, save that by moving the lever /
the engine may be reversed thereby or set in motion or stopped as may be found
necessary. This lever is rigidly connected to the tray F, and capable of turning the
same round or partly round in its support J (Figure 6), thus assuming the engine
to be revolving in the direction shown by the arrow o (Figures 2 and 5), and the
lever placed on the point m marked on the segment 7, the communicators have then
been all moved in the same direction as the engine, which will occasion the electric
fluid to flow into an electro-magnet in the rear of the track of the rolling arma-
ture. This will stop and eventually reverse the motion of the engine.
Although I prefer the mode above described of carrying out my Invention, there
are other methods of gaining the same ends which are mere modifications of the
rolling plate; for example Figures 8 and 9 in my Drawings, show respectively side
and end views of an electro-magnetic engine consisting of one or more wheels B, B,
which coincide in effect with the rolling plate or dise B, Figure 1. These wheels
are carried on crank pins c, c, of the shaft D, from which latter motive power may
be derived. D* is the breaker; and A, A, the electro-magnets, all operating in a
manner similar to that explained in the foregoing description. In these Figures
and in Figures 1 and 2' W is a fly wheel which may or may not be required.
In Figure 10, elevation, and Figure 11, plan, the rolling wheel B is mounted on an
oblique shaft C. As the other letters in these Figures refer to similar parts in
Figures 1 and 2, they do not require further explanation.
In Figure 12, drawn to a reduced scale, is shown a diagram of an electro-magnetic
engine, wherein the rolling motion of the armature above described is converted
into a rocking motion. The rocker B, actuated by the electro-magnets A, A, placed
in line, is attached by a connecting rod C to the crank g of the crank shaft D.
The breaker and its appurtenances are not shown in the diagram, but they would
be attached to the shaft D and operate in a somewhat similar manner to that shown
in Figures 5 and 6 before described.
In Figure 1 the circle of electro-magnets are arranged to form the frustrum of a
cone, the inclination of the sides of which may be regulated at will by the adjusting
screws shown under the bed plate of the engine to suit the angle of the oblique
shaft to which the armature plate may be at right angles. The upper portion of
this Figure being similar to Figure 1 is not shown in the Drawing.
Having now set forth the nature and object of my said Invention, and particularly
described the means of carrying the same into practical effect, I would observe in
conclusion that what I claim as new and therefore secured to me by the above in
part recited Letters Patent is, the means employed, as above described, and illus-
trated upon the accompanying Drawings, to convey a rolling or rocking motion to
the armature or armatures of the electro-magnets employed in electro-magnetic

page_text: engines or other electro-magnetic machines, or any mere modifications of such
means.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hodgson Lovel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
WILL". MONDAY.
J. H. LOVEL. (L.S.)