IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES."-A commu-
nication from abroad by George Beardslee, of Long Island, in the State
of New York and United States of America.
Sealed the 22nd August 1861, and dated the 18th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th June 1861.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
5 in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES," to be as
follows:-
The first part of this Invention of improvements in magneto-electric engines
relates mainly to an improvement on what is known as the metallic frotteur
wheel or plate of magneto-electric engines, by which the currents which are
induced alternately in opposite directions are taken off and caused to return
continuously in the same direction. But as heretofore made they have
presented difficulties which have rendered such engines of little or no practical
value.

page_text: On a shaft is mounted what is termed a metallic frotteur wheel, which is
composed of two similar metallic rings insulated from the shaft by a sleeve
made of any suitable non-conducting substance, and from the collar and nut
which secure them to the shaft by rings of like non-conducting substance.
Each one of these metallic rings is formed with a series of spurs projecting
from its inner face in the form of segments of a cylinder. The number on
each ring is equal to half the number of magnets in the circle. They are
made with parallel sides and in the form of segments of a cylinder. When
the two rings are mounted on the shaft the segments of one ring lie in the
spaces between the segments of the other ring, and are perfectly insulated
from each other by laminæ of suitable non-conducting substance; when com-
pleted, the periphery of the frotteur wheel thus composed consists of two series
of segments and insulating laminæ. Just over the periphery of this wheel
of segments are placed two metallic conductors, the lower ends of which
should be accurately fitted to the periphery of the wheel. The thickness of
each conductor in the direction of the periphery of the frotteur wheel should
be a little greater than the thickness of one of the insulating laminæ, so
that when these in the rotation pass under the conductors one of the segments
shall not leave the conductor before the next succeeding segment is in contact
with it. To insure the constant contact of the conductors with the periphery
of the frotteur wheel, they should be borne down by springs. Each conductor
is fitted in a socket in which it is secured by a screw, so that it may be let
down as the lower end wears off. The socket is on a bar, the extreme outer
end of which is made sufficiently thin to spring, and that end is secured by
a screw to a suitable metallic part of the frame. The spring of this bar
holds up the conductor slightly clear of the periphery of the wheel, and the
required pressure to insure the contact is effected by the tension of an india-
rubber spring placed over the bar and there provided with a regulating screw
nut. In these engines the magnets travel from the core of one helix, say
No. 1, towards the next, say No. 2, in the direction of the rotation; the current
in helix No. 1 will be inward through the outer terminal wire from the outer
to the inner periphery of the helix, and out through the inner terminal, as
indicated by the arrows, whilst in the next helix, No. 2, the direction of the
currents will be just the reverse, and then as the next magnet in the rotation
takes the place of the former these conditions of the directions of the currents
are reversed. From this it follows that if the terminal wires of the helices
were directly connected to close the circuit no beneficial effect could be
produced, because each succeeding impulse would undo what the preceding

page_text: had done, Now by the arrangement of the frotteur plate the impulses which
are alternately induced in opposite directions are thereby resolved into one
and the same direction. The outer and inner terminals of all the helices are
connected with the conductors, and as the magnets rotate the current at one
impulse will travel outward from the inner terminal wire through the standard
and spring conductor to the ring and its series of segments, whilst at the
same time the current will be induced in the opposite direction from the
other segments, their ring, spring conductor, its standard and outer terminal
wire, and at the next impulse these directions will be reversed. From this it
follows that at one impulse the current in one set of segments is induced in
an outward direction, and at the next impulse it is induced in them in an
inward direction, and vice versâ in the other series of segments; and as these.
directions are reversed as the magnets in the rotation pass from the core of
one helix to the core of the next, it will be seen that as- each segment in
succession passes under the conductor, the current for the time being in that
segment will be outward, and hence pass outward through that conductor
and through the wire leading to the solution in a vat, or to whatever else
closes the circuit, and back through the other conductor, and the segment
then passing under it and its connections back to the helix, so that the
currents which are reversed in the helices and their connections at each
impulse are resolved into a current in one and the same direction at all times
by the frotteur wheel of segments with its two conductors. The novelty in
the frotteur wheels of magneto-electric or electro-magnetic engines is making
the bearing surfaces of the two conductors (which bear upon and act in
combination with a wheel composed of metallic segments separated by in-
sulating segments) of greater extent than each insulating segment, and so
that one metallic segment shall not pass from contact before the next comes
in contact.
The second part of the Invention consists in connecting the cores of a series
of spools arranged in a circle by a ring of soft malleable cast iron or wrought
iron, or any equivalent substance which possesses the property of readily
taking and discharging induced magnetism, whether the circle of spools with
their cores so connected be used in connection with rotating magnets, or the
circle of spools be made to rotate and used in connection with stationary
magnets, or whether the magnets and the circle of spools be both made to
rotate.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th December 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 ELECTRO-MAGNETIC ENGINES," being a commu-
nication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The first part of this Invention of "Improvements in Electro-magnetic
Engines" relates mainly to an improvement on what is known as the metallic
frotteur wheel or plate of magneto-electric engines, whereby the currents which
are induced alternately in opposite directions are taken off and caused to
return continuously in the same direction. As heretofore constructed, electro-
magnetic engines have presented difficulties which have rendered such engines
of little or no practical value. The object of the present Invention is to avoid
such difficulties as have been heretofore experienced with such machines.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan of a frotteur plate or wheel;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a
magneto-electric engine, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same. In Figures 3
and 4, n and s represent a series of radiating magnets.
These magnets are placed on or connected with a shaft a, mounted in any
suitable manner for a magneto-electric engine, and b, b, represent the series of
helical coils arranged by the side of the series of magnets in a suitable manner
for such an engine.
The construction and arrangement of the magnets and helical coils form no
part of the present Invention, and are only named and represented with a view
to facilitate a clear understanding of the Invention.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying Drawings, on the shaft a
is mounted what is termed a metallic frotteur wheel, which is composed of two
similar metallic rings c, c, insulated from the shaft a by a sleeve d made of
any suitable non-conducting substance, and also from the collar e and nut f,
which secure them to the shaft by rings g, g, of like non-conducting subtance.
Each one of these metallic rings is formed with a series of spurs projecting
from its inner face in the form of segments of a cylinder. The number on
each ring is equal to half the number of magnets in the circle, and those on
the ring. c (Fig. 4) are marked h, and those on the ring care marked h².
They are made with parallel sides and in the form of segments of a cylinder.
When the two rings are mounted on the shaft the segments of one ring lie
in the spaces between the segments of the other ring, and are perfectly in-
sulated. from each other by laminæ i, of suitable non-conducting substances;
when completed, the periphery of the frotteur wheel thus composed consists
of two series of segments and insulating lamine. In Fig. 4 the section is
taken in a vertical plane passing through the two series of segments, and they
should be arranged in the circle relatively to the series of magnets as there
represented. Just over the periphery of this wheel of segments are placed
two metallic, conductors j, j³, the lower ends of which should be accurately
fitted to the periphery of the wheel. The thickness of each conductor in the
direction of the periphery of the frotteur wheel should be a little greater than
the thickness of one of the insulating laminæ i, so that when these in the
rotation pass under the conductors one of the segments shall not leave the
conductor before the next succeeding segment is in contact with it. A good
proportion to make each conductor is found to be about double the thickness
of the insulating laminæ, and the two conductors should be at a distance apart
from each other equal to one segment of the frotteur wheel that is equal to

page_text: one segment and one insulating lamina. To ensure the constant contact of
the conductors with the periphery of the frotteur wheel, they should be borne
down by springs. Each conductor is fitted in a socket k, in which it is
secured by a binding screw 7, so that it may be let down as the lower end
wears off. The socket is on a bar m, the. extreme outer end of which is
"made sufficiently thin to spring, and that end is secured by a screw o to a
suitable metallic part of the frame. The spring of this bar holds up the
conductor slightly clear of the periphery of the wheel, and the required pressure
to insure the contact is effected by the tension of an india-rubber spring p
placed over the bar, and there provided with a regulating screw nut q. It
is proper that the connecting parts should be made so firm as to prevent
tremor when the frotteur wheel is rotating under the conductors at a high
velocity. There are two other metallic conductors u, u', (Fig. 3,) bearing
one on the periphery of each of the metallic rings c, c¹, as is usual in such
engines, these conductors being each provided with a standard v, v, to which
the terminal wires w, w¹, of the series of helical coils are attached, as is usual
in such engines. In these engines as the magnets n travel from the core
of one helix, say No. 1, towards the next, say No. 2, in the direction of the
rotation, the current in belix No. 1 will be inward through the outer terminal
wire w, from the outer to the inner periphery of the helix, and out through
the inner terminal, as indicated by the arrows, whilst in the next helix, No. 2,
the direction of the currents will be just the reverse, as indicated by the arrows,
and then as the next magnet s in the rotation takes the place of the former
one n, these conditions of the directions of the currents are reversed. From
this it follows that if the terminal wires of the helices were directly connected
to close the circuit, as by a conducting wire connecting the two rings c, c¹, as
required for use, say with a vat interposed and containing a solution for
electrotyping, that no beneficial effect could be produced, because each
succeeding impulse would undo what the preceding had done. Now by the
arrangement of the frotteur plate the impulses which are alternately induced
in opposite directions are thereby resolved into one and the same direction.
The two bars and should be connected on each side with standards r, r,
to which the conducting wires t, t, are to be attached for closing the circuit,
whether the engine be intended for electrotyping or other purpose requiring
the current to be in the same direction as if induced by a galvanic battery.
The outer and inner terminals of all the helices are connected as before stated
with the conductors u, u', and from what has been stated it will be seen
that as the magnets rotate the current at one impulse will travel outward

page_text: from the inner terminal wire w, through the standard v and spring conductor u,
to the ring c and its series of segments h, whilst at the same time the current
will be induced in the opposite direction from the other segments h¹, their
ring c¹, spring conductor u, its standard v', and outer terminal wire w³, and
at the next impulse these directions will be reversed. From this it follows
that at one impulse the current in the one set of segments h is induced in an
outward direction, and at the next impulse it is induced in them in an inward
direction and vice versa in the other series of segments h¹, and as these
directions are reversed as the magnets in the rotation pass from the core of
one helix to the core of the next, it will be seen that as each segment in
succession passes under the conductor j, the current for the time being in
that segment will be outward, and hence pass outward through that conductor
and through the wire leading to the solution in a vat or to whatever else
closes the circuit, and back through the other conductor ³, and the segment
then passing under it and its connections back to the helix, so that the currents
which are reversed in the helices and their connections at each impulse are
resolved into a current in one and the same direction at all times by the
frotteur wheel of segments with its two conductors. As heretofore made the
two conductors used, and for which in the present instance those marked j
and are substituted, have been mere points bearing on the periphery of
the frotteur wheel, and not made to present an extent of surface equal to the
thickness of the insulating lamina. By this condition of things an electric
spark was induced at each change, that is, at the passage of each insulating
lamina, under each conductor, and the evolution of such sparks. burned off
the surfaces, so that the parts required constant attention and such frequent
renewal as to render such engines of little or no practical utility. All these
difficulties can be avoided by making the conductors so as to present each
an extent of surface in contact with the periphery of the frotteur wheel a
little greater than the thickness of the insulating laminæ, so that one segment
shall not pass from contact with the conductor before the next segment is in
contact. In this way the evolution of sparks and all the evils consequent
thereon are entirely avoided.
Although I have described and represented the mode of construction which
I deem best, I do not wish to limit myself to such mode of construction, as
that may be greatly varied in application without changing the mode of
operation. And although the Invention is connected with and is specially
adapted for magneto-electric engines for evolving galvanic currents, it will
be obvious that it is equally applicable to electro-magnetic engines in which the
galvanic current is the motive power.

page_text: What I claim as new in the frotteur wheels of magneto-electric or electro-
magnetic engines is making the bearing surfaces of the two conductors (which
bear upon and act in combination with a wheel composed of metallic segments
separated by insulating segments) of greater extent than each insulating segment,
so that one metallic segment shall not pass from contact before the next comes
in contact for the purpose specified.
The second part of the Invention, which also relates to an improvement in
magneto-electric engines, consists in connecting the cores of a series of spools
or coils arranged in a circle by a ring of soft malleable cast-iron, or wrought-
iron, or any equivalent substance which possesses the property of readily taking
and discharging induced magnetism, whether the circle of spools or coils with
their cores so connected be used in connection with rotating magnets or the
circle of spools be made to rotate and used in connection with stationary
magnets, or whether the maguets and the circle of spools or coils be both made
to rotate.
In all magneto-electric engines heretofore made with a series of spools or
coils arranged in a circle and with a series of magnets, the cores of the circle
of spools or coils have been connected by a disc or ring of non-magnetic
substance, such as brass, and when so made, whether the series of magnets
be made to rotate by the spools, or coils, or the circle of spools. or coils by the
magnets, the cores of the spools or coils do not close the circuits of the magnets.
Now it is well known that the magnetic influence is much greater when
the poles of a magnet are closed by an armature, that is, when the armature
extends directly from one pole of a magnet to the other, than if two separate
arinatures be applied each to one pole of the magnet, whether the said
armatures be entirely separate, or what is the same thing connected by some
non-magnetic substance, such as brass. As the cores of the spools or helices
in a magneto-electric engine operate as armatures to the magnets, it has been
found that in magneto-electric engines consisting of a series of magnets
arranged in a circle, and one or more series of spools, coils, or helices arranged
in a circle or circles that the magnetic influence is greatly increased if the
cores of the spools, coils, or helices be so arranged and connected that in the
rotation the said cores can act successively in pairs as closed armatures, and this
result can be obtained by connecting all the cores of each circle of spools,
coils, or helices by a ring of soft malleable cast-iron, or wrought-iron, or any
other substance which will readily take and discharge magnetism, as the
magnetic influence from the two poles of each magnet in the series will act
through the cores of any two helices for the time being under its influence, and
through that part of the ring extending from the one core to the other, thus

page_text: constituting for the time being the two cores, and that part of the connecting
ring a closed armature for one magnet.
In Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings the numbers 1 to 12 represent
two series of spools, coils, or helices, such as are used in magneto-electric.
engines, arranged in two circles with the cores of each series inserted in and
secured to a ring a, which I prefer to make of what is known as soft malleable
cast iron, but which may be made of soft wrought iron or of any other suitable
substance which will readily take and discharge magnetism.
The rings a, or either of them, can be attached in any manner desired to a
disc b, of cast iron or any other substance, on a shaft c, or attached to any
suitable frame. The two series of magnets d, d, are represented as arranged
in two circles in planes parallel with and near to the planes of the outer ends
of the series of cores, but as the arrangement of the magnets and the number
of spools, coils, or helices, or the number of series of helices make no part
of the present Invention, the arrangement and number represented are only
given as an example. Whether the circle of spools, or coils, or the series of
magnets be made to rotate, the cores of the spools or coils will act in pairs
in the following manner, vizt. :-In the position represented in the Drawings the
two cores 1 and 2, and that portion of the ring a extending between them, form
a closed armature for the two poles of the magnets n³, s¹, the cores 3 and 4, and
corresponding portion of ring for magnet n², s2, and in that order through the
circle, the usual change taking place as the rotation continues, and the spools
or coils acting in pairs as armatures for the magnets, the magnetic influence
taking the shortest direction through the conducting substance, connecting the
cores if such connecting substance possesses the property of readily taking and
discharging magnetism.
From the foregoing it will be seen not only that a stronger magnetic influence
can be obtained than by any other magneto-electric engine heretofore known,
but that at the same time the rings which connect the cores of the spools,
coils, or helices can be attached directly to a disc or wheel of cast iron, or
of any other metal which would become permanently magnetic if the cores
were attached directly to it. When the cores are connected by soft iron or
any other substance which possesses the property of readily taking and
discharging magnetism, the whole may then be attached directly to cast iron
or any other substance which possesses the property of becoming permanently
magnetic without being so influenced by inducing magnetism in the cores
and their connecting ring. Cast iron, which is cheap and strong, may, therefore,
be used to form the connection with the shaft or other part of an engine

page_text: instead of using brass or other costly material of less strength than cast
iron.
What I claim as constituting this part of the Invention is, connecting the
cores of spools, coils, or helices in magneto-electric engines by a ring of
soft malleable cast-iron, or wrought-iron, or other equivalent substance
possessing the property of readily taking and discharging magnetism for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)