Electro-magnetic Motor for Maintaining Uniform Speed.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th May, 1894-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Electro-magnetic Motor for Maintaining Uniform Speed.
GEORGE LEE ANDERS, of 33 Peak Hill Gardens, Sydenham S.E., Electrician,
and WALTHER KOTTGEN, of 10 Jeffrey's Square E.C. Merchant do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide an electro magnetic motor which will
rotate at a given speed independently of the strength of the current by which it
is impelled, so that the same may be applied to different uses, such as for clocks to
indicate time, or as a regulator to control other clocks electro-magnetically, and
also to control the speed of electro motors of ordinary construction to which it
may be attached or with which it may be combined, and for other uses which require
a uniform speed or movement.
In one form it consists of a ball of metal which rolls upon a disc, pivoted at the
centre, actuated by electro magnets, so as to cause the disc to be depressed slightly
in advance of the rolling ball, thereby keeping up a continuous and uniform circular
movement of the ball so long as the current passes through the electro magnets.
Another form in which this device may be constructed is to take a circular plate
of iron pivotod at its centre upon an adjustable pin around which it can "wobble."
Underneath it and near its periphery are a series of electro magnets to the poles
of which the iron plate may be attracted.
On the top and in the centre of this circular iron plate is a commutator or series
of contacts, the outer edge of which forms au inner rail; on the periphery of the
plate is raised a metal rim which forms an outer rail; upon these two rails rolls a
metal ball. Through this metal ball a current will pass from the outer rail to one
of the segments of the commutator, then through the electro-magnet to which it
is connected to battery and back to outer metal rail. The ball being in contact
with any one segment will send a current through the magnet next in advance of
the ball, consequently the iron disc or plate will be attracted to this point, and as
it is lower than the ball, the ball will roll toward it. In doing so, the ball will
close the next segment and the next magnet in advance. In this way a continuous
and uniform movement of the ball is maintained. The speed of the ball will
depend on the inclination given to the circular plate, or the rails upon which the
ball rolls; this inclination is regulated by the adjustable pin on which the plate
wobbles. It is evident that there are many modifications of the above described
device, thus the magnets may be arranged in two sets, one to rotate the ball in
one direction, and the other in a reverse direction. The ball need not form part
of the circuit, for a steel ball may roll upon a glass plate and actuate a series of
permanent magnets to close the electro-magnets to maintain a rotation of the
hall etc. The essential feature of the invention being the maintenance of inclination
of an inclined surface on which a ball will roll by gravitation, the speed of the
ball being dependent on the inclination and not on the force by which the inclination
is brought about.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1893.
GEORGE LEE ANDERS.
WALTHER KOTTGEN.

page_text: Electro-magnetic Motor for Maintaining Uniform Speed.
We, GEORGE LEE ANDERS, of 33 Peak Hill Gardens, Sydenham, in the
County of Surrey, Electrician, and WALTHER KOTTGEN, of 10 Jeffrey's Square,
in the City of London, Merchant, 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 :-
The object of the invention is to provide an electro magnetic motor which will
rotate at a given and uniform speed independently of the strength of the current by
which it is driven.
The invention itself consists in means for maintaining a given surface in an
inclined position in respect of a body lying upon it, which latter will therefore be
kept moving forwards and apparently downwards, by gravity, the speed of the
said body being dependent on the angle of inclination and not on the force by which
the inclination is produced.
The invention is accordingly applicable for the purpose of maintaining a uniform
speed in any rotating body with which it can be connected either mechanically from
the said surface or the said body, or electrically from the circuit containing the
coils of the motor. It may be constructed in numerous forms and ways, for the
reason that the invention is not confined to any particular form or arrangement of
parts or relative position of parts, but includes any form, arrangement or position in
which a given surface is maintained, by a regular or an alternating series of electro-
magnetic attractions, in an inclined position in front of a body adapted at the
moment to move by gravity down the incline so produced. It is a matter of
indifference whether the body be used as part of the circuit. It may or may not
be so used, as will appear from the Specification and drawings which disclose both
types of our invention. It is of importance that this independence of particular
form, arrangement of parts, relative position of the parts and the like, which
characterises the present invention, should be clearly understood and borne in
mind, otherwise the amount of detail which is illustrated in the drawings might
tend to produce the impression that they illustrate the invention in its entirety
instead of only two types or modes of it.
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan.
Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking at
the latter from the left hand.
Figure 3 is a front elevation corresponding with Figure 1.
The preceding figures illustrate a type or mode of the invention according to
which the moving body is part of the circuit.
Figures 4 and 5 are sectional side elevations both illustrating a type or mode of
the invention according to which the said body is not a part of the circuit.
Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3, a is the base. It is shewn as made of conducting
material. b, b, b are the electro-magnets. They are arranged in a circle on the
base a to which they are made fast with their cores vertical and equidistant. The
pole pieces b', 6' of the series of magnets stand all in one and the same horizontal
plane. is a vertical metal rod held fast to but insulated from the base a. It
stands up from the latter in a central position thereon and has its lower end made
as a binding screw to receive the positive conductor d. e is a disc of a sufficient
diameter to stand over the pole pieces of the magnets b.
It must be made of a
good magnetic material so far as to act as a conductor and also as an armature.
This disc is centrally supported upon the rod c in such a way that the distance
between its point of support and the plane of the pole pieces of the electro magnets,
shall be adjustable, for a reason which will appear further on. The supporting
device consists of a cone c and a screw faxially adjustable in the disc e and
having a conical cup in its nose. The angle which the sides of the cup make

page_text: with each other is more obtuse than the angle of the cone c' to allow of the wobbling
motion which the invention requires on the part of the disc e. 9, 9 are the segments
of a commutator or a series of contact pieces. They are arranged radially round
the post c upon the diso e to which they are, respectively, made fast by binding
screws g, being at the same time insulated from each other as well as from the disc.
The binding screws are likewise insulated from the disc. h, are the conductors
from the respective binding screws to the magnets b, and h¹, those from the
magnets to the base a. i is the negative conductor from the base a.
The invention requires that the disc shall be kept constantly inclined in order
that it may always be presenting an incline in front of the moving body. As the
disc is held at the centre by the engagement of its supporting device with the
metal rod c, the required incline, constant and constantly on the move round
the said centre, would be provided if the magnets could be closed seriatim. To
close them seriatim, I provide a body free to move by gravity and a track for it
to move on. This body may he either a sliding or a rolling body. When a bail
is used, the track is provided by the outer edges of the segments g and the edge
of a rail et which stands at the same height as the said edges and is electrically
connected with the disc e, due provision being made against the ball leaving the
track. is the ball. It must be heavy enough to roll steadily. In the type or
mode of the invention now under specification, it forms part of the circuit. These
two considerations decide its material. The conductor from any one segment g
is led not to the electro-magnet immediately underneath it, but to one of those
in advance thereof. In the motor illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, each
conductor is led to the second electro magnet in advance. It is this combination
of closed electro-magnet in advance and the position of the point of support c²
above the plane of the pole pieces, that makes the production of the constant and
constantly moving incline, practicable.
b
The type or mode above described works in the following manner. Current
having been turned on, flows through the conductor, the metal rod c, the disc e,
the rail e', the ball, the particular segment g with which it is at the moment in
contact, the respective binding screw ', conductor h, electro-magnet 6, and
conductor, the base a and thence through the negative conductor i back to
battery.
The excitation of the said respective electro-magnet attracts that portion of
the disc e immediately above it to itself, thereby inclining the disc e, the particular
incline for the purpose of the invention being the one extending from the position
on the track occupied by the ball to the said portion of the disc e. Forthwith the
ball begins to roll down the incline in question, but the incline remains stationary
only until the ball leaves the said particular segment g and contacts with the next,
thereby cutting out the last mentioned electro-magnet and exciting the next but
one in the direction of the travel of the ball. Thus the incline is maintained at
a constant angle, constantly moving around the post c as a centre, and constantly
in front of the ball. The incline being constant, the rate at which the ball will
roll will be constant too, thereby maintaining regularity of speed in the moving
parts of the motor as well as regularity in the current impulses. A corresponding
regularity will be maintained in any rotating mechanism or electrical system
placed under the control of the motor. It is obvious that the rate at which the
ball will roll, will be fast or slow according to the angle which the incline makes
with the horizon. The rate is increased by increasing the distance between the
disce when it is stationary and the plane of the pole pieces, and decreased by
decreasing that distance.
The length of the incline is no part of the invention. It may be made longer
or shorter as may be desired. Neither is it a part of the invention that the ball
should roll in one direction only. It may be made to roll in alternate directions
through a given arc, by carrying the conductor from the segment at one end of the
are to the electro-magnet at the opposite end. The modifications necessary in
respect of the number and position of electro-magnets and method of wiring to

page_text: make the travel of the ball alternate, are too obvious to need detailed specification
and illustration.
Referring to Figure 4, only two electro-magnets are shewn, but a circle of them
is to be assumed. Neither the ball ; nor the disc e are parts of the circuit. The
disc is made of non-conducting material and for that reason it has a ring * on its
under face to serve as armature for the electro-magnets as the disc e of Figures 1,
2 and 3 serves as an armature to its magnets. Opposite and outside each one of
the electro-magnets of Figure 4, there is pivotted a permanent magnet k. It
carries a contact and the method of pivotting provides for this contact closing
with the negative conductor of the respectively opposite magnet b. The method
illustrated consists of a vibrating arm k standing up from the base a but insulated
therefrom. The attractive poles of the magnets stand in a circle just outside
the orbit of the ball. The latter inust be of good magnetic material for it has to
attract the magnets for the same purpose that the ball of Figures 1, 2 and 3 has
to pass current. The system of wiring illustrated in Figure 4 differs from that
illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 to the extent that the positive ends of the electro-
magnet wires are connected to the cores b', the cores are electrically connected to
the base a and the negative ends of the wires present themselves to the contacts k¹.
In other respects it is the same and admits of the same modifications as have been
described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The type or mode of the invention constructed as described with reference to
Figure 4, works in the following manner. The ball being a magnetic, holds in
attraction the permanent magnet k opposite to it, thereby making the respective
contact close the circuit through the particular electro-magnet which is two in
advance of the then position of the ball. Current being turned on, flows through
the positive conductor d, the metal rod c, the base a, the magnet core 61, the
magnet b, the negative conductor, the contact k', the permanent magnet k and
the conductor i back to battery.
The excitation of the magnet produces the incline and the latter is maintained
in the way already described.
In the type or mode of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, the construction
and operation of the invention are the same as already described, with this
exception in respect of construction, that the ball j replaced by a wheel or
disc. This latter has an acute angular, instead of a flat, tread, to facilitate its
following the arcual direction of the track. For the reason that, being a disc or
wheel, it would lack stability under centrifugal influence, it is held to the centre of
the disc e in any convenient way, e.g., by a stud e standing up from the said disc
and a yoke and arm I adapted to turn freely about the said stud.
The full lines of the ball and disc in Figures 4 and 5 respectively, shew it at
the top of its incline, the dotted lines shew it coming up to and attracting the
permanent magnet.
It is obvious that the ball or disc may be replaced by a weight free to slide and
that the track may be modified to suit the ball or disc or wheel or weight.
It is to be distinctly understood that our invention does not limit us to any
particular form or arrangement of parts, much less to the disc suspended in the
horizontal plane and the pole pieces set in a parallel one described with reference
to the accompanying drawings, because it is obvious that the invention may be
made as a motor revolving in the vertical plane, the ball being free inside it and
the inclined plane being the arc from the point to which the rotation of the wheel
carries the ball and the point to which gravity tends to return the ball.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
:-
1. The herein before described combination of electrical and mechanical means
for maintaining an incline in front of a body free to move down it.
2. The herein before described combination of a body free to move by gravity

page_text: on a given surface, a series of contacts and a circuit, in which combination the
position at any given moment of the said body provides for the production of an
incline in front of it by the closure of a circuit the acting armature in which is.
mechanically a part of the said surface.
Dated this 24th day of May 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.