IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-GALVANIC MACHINES FOR PRODUCING MOTION BY GALVANIC ELEC- TRICITY
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Vergnes, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRO-GALVANIC MACHINES FOR PRODUCING MOTION BY GALVANIC ELEC-
TRICITY."
Sealed the 20th January 1857, and dated the 21st July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Vergnes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st July 1856.
I, MAURICE VERGNES, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-GALVANIC MACHINES FOR PRODUCING MOTION BY GALVANIC
ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
I make use of four wheels, composed of wood, or any other suitable material,
which revolve on a common axis, and each wheel includes an electro-maguet,
forming its diameter, and so arranged, that in each pair in either wheel the
magnets are parallel but with contrary adjacent poles. Each pair of magnets
communicates with a separate galvanic battery, and whatever may be the
position of the wheels the polarization of the magnets remains unaltered and
continuous. Each pair of magnets revolves in a peculiarly arranged multi-
plying coil, the two coils being side by side and parallel with each other, and

page_text: each communicating with separate galvanic batteries; four distinct batteries
being therefore made use of, and equal in intensity.
The direction of the electric current is reversed in the multiplying coils by
means of pole changers at every half revolution of the wheels, and is effected
in each coil at its minimum intensity, and at the moment when the other is
exerting its greatest intensity, the force of course varying according to the
position of the magnets in relation to the coils. The conductive power of the
multiplying coil should be as nearly as possible equal to the conductive power
of the helix of the electro-magnet revolving therein. When deemed best, the
electricity of the magnets may be reversed instead of that of the coils.
When the machine has acquired sufficient or the requisite velocity, its
power is developed, or motion given to machinery by a mechanical arrange-
ment of three or more steel rods, which fit loosely in slots in the axle of the
machine, and which rods are firmly attached to the spokes of the wheels; the
spokès moving freely through the rim of the wheels, and the rods having
balls sliding upon them, the rotary velocity of the wheel increasing, presses
the rods against a pinion, and communicates motion to a cog wheel, and to any
machinery.
What I claim is, the concurrent action of two or more electro-magnets,
parallel and with contrary adjacent poles, revolving upon an axle common to
both, and within a double multiplying coil, arranged or running between and
on the outside of the magnets in opposite directions, and acting upon both
sides or faces of the magnets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Maurice Vergnes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MAURICE
VERGNES, of the City and State of New York, United States of America, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, A.D. 1856, in the twentieth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Maurice Vergnes, Her special license that I, the said
Maurice Vergnes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Maurice Vergnes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRO-GALVANIC MACHINES FOR PRODUCING MOTION BY GALVANIC
ELECTRICITY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Maurice
Vergnes, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Maurice Vergnes, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters of reference thereon, and making a part of this Specification.
My Invention consists in converting the oscillating movement of a double
astatic galvanometer into a rotary one. Having discovered and observed that
in two galvanometers, one double the other in dimensions, and consequently
weighing about eight times more, that the larger one required but twice or
double the electricity used in the first to attain the same velocity, I concluded
that if the galvanometer was made on a large scale, that it would give great
force, or have great power, although submitted to a feeble electric current, and
that the more these machines would be increased in size they would, com-
paratively, require less electricity. My Invention, in other words, therefore,
consists in the rotary action of two, or a greater number of electro-magnets,
perpendicular to each other, and attached to a common shaft, after the
manner described below.
Upon a common shaft M, N, Fig. 1, I place two or a greater number of
electro-magnets, A, B, perpendicular to each other, and revolving in the coils
C, E, D, G, F, H, so that they maintain a continued revolution. Each side of
the coils, and parallel to the electro-magnets, are two parallel plates of iron
a, a, b, b, which serve to augment the intensity of the electro-magnets; to
prevent these plates from approaching each other by the attraction of the
magnets I place braces, as shewn in the Figure. This machine is put in
motion by means of two seperate voltaic batteries, one connecting with the
electro-magnets and the other with the coils. When the magnet A lies
parallel with the coil C, E, it tends to place itself perpendicular to the current,
which movement places the magnet B, in its turn, parallel to the coils

page_text: D, G, F, H. It is easily conceived, that by a mechanical arrangement which
will change the currents, the system will produce a continued motion or revo-
lution of the magnets, and of the shaft to which they are attached. This will
be more clearly perceived and understood by considering Figures 3 and 4
representing the elevation and plan of the machine.
A, B, is the shaft, revolving on rollers, and to which are attached the electro-
magnets N, S, N¹, S¹; the coils are designated, by C, D, E, F, and the plates and
their braces are lettered N", S", N, Su It will be evident that the electro-
magnets N, S, N', S', from their great length, and by means of their parallel
plates, which are magnetized in contrary senses, must obtain great power.
The same wire excites both the electro-magnets, and passes longitudinally
through the marble cylinder, represented in Fig. 2, one of the extremities
being in connexion with the copper ring P, Fig. 2, and the other with the
ring Q. These two rings, correctly represented in Fig. 2, are insulated from
the shaft by means of a cylinder in marble, or any other insulating matter, and
receive their electricity by means of the two rollers X, Y, the elevation of
which is shown in Fig. 5. These two rollers communicate with the positive
and negative poles of a voltaic battery or pile in such a way, that whatever
may be the position of the electro-magnets their polarization will remain the
same. This marble cylinder, encircled sometimes partially, sometimes wholly,
by copper rings, also receives the electricity by means of two rollers, Z, V,
which communicate with the positive and negative poles of a second voltaic
pile. The two rollers 1 and 2, Figs 2 and 4, communicate with the two
extremeties of the left coil C, D, Figure 4, and the rollers 3 and 4 communicate
with the extremeties of the right coil. In the position of the cylinder in
Fig. 2 the roller I receives the electricity directly from the roller Z, whilst
the roller 2, touching the part R', which is in communication with the ring R,
by means of a metallic band in the interior of the marble cylinder, receives
consequently the electricity of the roller V, while the rollers 3 and 4, touching
the part M", which is insulated, receives no electricity. In this position the
magnet on the left is parallel to the wire of its coil, while the magnet on the
right is perpendicular to its coil. The influence of the left magnet causes the
apparatus to move, and before the part M, which is neuter, suspends the
electricity of the rollers 1 and 2, the metallic parts O and T, one communi-
cating to the ring K and the other to the ring I, electrify the rollers 3 and 4,
like the rollers V and Z. In this position the right magnet enters its coil and
completes a half revolution, while the left magnet raises itself in its coil,
deprived of electricity. By this arrangement, the electric spark is almost
entirely destroyed, because the current is never interrupted. The other half

page_text: revolution is executed by similar peices on the other side of the commutative
cylinder.
Figure 6 represents the plan and elevation of a pole changer. When the
arrow stands perpendicular to the rotary plane of the magnet the electricity
of one of the voltaic batteries is interrupted, and when the same arrow is
parallel to the plane of rotation it indicates by its point the direction of the
action. The direction of the electric current is reversed in the coils by
means of these pole changers, and is effected at every half revolution of the
magnets and in each coil when at its minimum intensity, and at the moment
when the other is at its greatest intensity.
The arrangement of the magnets as described, that is, in sets, the centre being
an electro-magnet, and having on either side of it plates, which of course become
maguetized, and are made magnets, at the same time with the centre one, I
deem preferable to the use of a pair, or two magnets in each wheel; and the
number of these sets may be increased, if desired, the coils, &c., being con-
nected with them being also increased in like proportion. Two batteries will
also generally be found sufficient instead of a greater number.
Motion or power may be transferred to any machinery by any arrangement
of mechanism preferred; either by causing the centrifugal power, when the
machine has gained a certain velocity, to throw a pinion into gear, or through
a cog-wheel on the shaft, as shewn in Figure 4.
What I claim is, the Invention of an electro-dynamic engine, substantially
as above described, by means of the concurrent action of two or more electro-
magnets perpendicular to each other, the individuals pieces of each series or
set being parallel, and with contrary adjacent poles, revolving upon a common
shaft, and with multiplying coils, as described, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Vergnes, have heretofore set my
hand and seal, this Third day of January, A.D. 1857.
MAURICE VERGNES. (L.S.)