IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR EXCITING FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Ford Stanley, of Great Turnstile,.
Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Optician, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR EXCITING
FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY."
Sealed the 18th June 1869, and dated the 21st December 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Ford Stanley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 21st December 1868.
I, WILLIAM FORD STANLEY, of Great Turnstile, Holborn, in the County
of Middlesex, Optician, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven--
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR EXCITING
FRICTIONAL ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of improvements upon the well known ". plate-
glass electrical machine," by which electricity is excited by means of
a circular disc of plate glass which is caused to revolve between rubbers
by turning a cranked handle.

page_text: My improvements which are principally in the form of this machine,
and consist in the economical and convenient construction of the
framework and general details which are as follows, and which for
elucidation will be compared with the "plate glass electrical machine "
and the differences and improvements pointed out. Now whereas the
plate glass machine is uniformly fixed upon a stand from which is
raised two standards, between which the disc of plate glass revolves
upon a long metal axle of not less than six inches in any machine,
and the collectors and conductors are supported from such stand and
axle by various means, the friction rubbers being attached to a head
formed between the standards or apparatus raised from the stand:-
.
First. In my improvements the stand is entirely dispensed with, and
the portions of the framework which take the place of the standards
are reduced to two thin slips of wood, which instead of being widely
separated are brought nearly close together, so as to allow only a groove
between them sufficiently wide for the disc of glass and its fixing to
revolve. These slips of wood are united at one pair of ends so as to
form a handle by which the machine may be held without any other
support, and is thereby made portable and may be used in a horizontal
position. It will generally be convenient, in accordance with this con-
struction, to unite the other pair of ends of the slips of wood so as to
form a clamp to bite the edge of the table, or a small perpendicular
surface to press vertically on the table.
Secondly. All apparatus connected with the rubbers is dispensed
with, and the two slips above described which take the place of standards
form also the base of the rubbers which are merely pieces of covered
felt glued on the slips.
Thirdly. The axle of the "plate glass machine" is uniformly made
of metal; in my improvement it is made of wood being a cheaper and
better insulating material.
Fourthly. The disc of the plate glass machine is uniformly made
of plate glass, as its name indicates, in my improvements, the disc is
of common sheet glass.
Fifthly. With the above construction of electrifying machines the
remaining details become necessarily modified without much peculiarity,
excepting only in the conductor, which in my improvement I make
a simple ball, and a collecting comb made of wire gauze fixed by a

page_text: glass or vulcanite stem upon the slips of wood instead of the ordinary
brass tubework conductor.
These improvements may be applied to electrifying machines either
sonarately or united to form one machine
www
brass tubework conductor.
These improvements may be applied to electrifying machines either
separately or united to form one machine
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Ford Stanley in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
FORD STANLEY, of Great Turnstile, Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Optician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of December, in the year:
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Ford Stanley, Her special
licence that I, the said William Ford Stanley, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Ford
Stanley, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MACHINES FOR EXCITING FRICTIONAL
ELECTRICITY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Ford Stanley, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
These improvements which are constructed for economy and portability
consist,―
First. In making the framework of an electrical machine to consist
of two slips of wood united at the one pair of ends to form a handle,
and at the other to form a clamp, thereby obviating the necessity of
the stand universally made to every description of rotating electrifying
machine. The form of this frame is shewn at A in the accompanying
Drawings.
Secondly. The exciting rubbers E, E, are simply attached to the
frame instead of having separate carriages and adjustments.
Thirdly. The axle is made of wood instead of metal as in plate glass
machines.
Fourthly. The disc B, B, is made of sheet glass instead of being
made of plate glass.
Fifthly. The collector C is formed of a piece of woven wire gauze
instead of a comb of metal points. Generally the form and principals
of this Invention is shewn in the Drawings, the details of which may
be somewhat varied and still preserve the same idea, as, for instance.
two discs of glass may be used instead of one, or the glass may be
substituted by a disc of vulcanite or even a cylinder of glass by slightly
widening the frame, or the frame may be made of ebonite or other
similar material to take the place of wood.
One part of the Invention may be used without the entire Invention,
as the collector. The Invention is generally claimed for the entire
machine, or its separate parts if applied to any other form of machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Ford Stanley, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Seventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.