IMPROVED MEANS OF OBTAINING CURRENTS OF ELECTRICITY
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Buller Fullerton Elphinstone, Baron Elphinstone,
of Carberry Tower, Musselburgh, North Britain, and Charles Wilson Vincent,
of Harvist Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist, for the
Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF OBTAINING CURRENTS OF ELECTRICITY,"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Buller Fullerton
Elphinstone, Baron Elphinstone, & Charles Wilson Vincent at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1879.
WILLIAM BULLER FULLERTON ELPHINSTONE, Baron Elphinstone, of Carberry
Tower, Musselburgh, North Britain, and CHARLES WILSON VINCENT, of Harvist
"IMPROVED MEANS OF
Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist.
OBTAINING CURRENTS OF ELECTRICITY."
The object of tbis Invention is to obtain electric currents with a less expenditure
of motive force than has beretofore been required in working magneto-electric and
dynamo-electric machines. To this end we employ an arrangement of rotating
coils, so applied as to cut the lines of magnetic force of the earth, and thereby
induce in the coils copious currents of electricity, which may be used as intensity
or as quantity currents.
The apparatus consists mainly of a number of copper bands or wires insulated
from each other, and wound around a drum or over drum heads in the direction of
their axis, and having their ends in contact with a suitable commutator.
The drum when in use is to be placed with its axis cast and west, or at right
angles to the course of the earth's magnetic currents. On causing the drum to rotate
at a suitable speed, currents of electricity are generated in the insulated coils or
conductors. These currents are collected by the commutator, and can be used for
lighting, plating, or telegraphic and other purposes.
In order to strengthen the currents the drum may contain within it a single
magnet or a battery of magnets having poles of different lengths, these magnets
being so fixed that the drum carrying the conductors in which the current is to be
induced may run freely about them. The poles of these magnets will be directed in
accordance with the magnetic dip.

page_text: Outside the drum, and in close proximity to the coils or conductors, but leaving
them free to move, may be disposed a second series of magnets, whose poles are
opposed to the poles of the other magnets.
The coils will thus in their rotation cut a very large number of lines of magnetic
force, of great intensity, and a corresponding quantity of electricity will be gene-
rated in them.
-
Masses of soft iron may be employed in the interior of the drum, and on its
-exterior-in-place-of-permanent magnets..
These masses of iron may be each in one solid piece, or may be in many pieces.
They may also, in whole or in part, be surrounded by coils of insulated wire supplied
with a current of electricity derived from the machine itself.
The reverse of this principle may likewise be employed, the wires or other
conductors being kept stationary, whilst the inducing magnets or electro magnets
are made to rotate about them in such a manner that the largest number possible
of lines of magnetic force may be crossed by the coils or conductors.
When intensity of current is required we propose to obtain the same by mounting
two or more drums on the same shaft, and bringing their coils into connection with
each other.
These masses of iron may be each in one solid piece, or may be in many pieces.
They may also, in whole or in part, be surrounded by coils of insulated wire supplied
with a current of electricity derived from the machine itself.
The reverse of this principle may likewise be employed, the wires or other
conductors being kept stationary, whilst the inducing magnets or electro magnets
are made to rotate about them in such a manner that the largest number possible
of lines of magnetic force may be crossed by the coils or conductors.
When intensity of current is required we propose to obtain the same by mounting
two or more drums on the same shaft, and bringing their coils into connection with
each other.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Buller Fullerton Elphinstone, Baron Elphinstone, & Charles
Wilson Vincent in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th July 1879.
WILLIAM BULLER FULLERTON ELPHINSTONE, Baron Elphinstone, of Carberry
Tower, Musselburgh, North Britain, and CHARLES WILSON VINCENT, of Harvist
Road, Holloway, in the County of Middlesex, Chemist. IMPROVED MEANS OF
OBTAINING CURRENTS OF ELECTRICITY."
"
The object of this Invention is to obtain electric currents with a less expenditure
of motive force than has heretofore been required in working dynamo-electric and
magneto-electric machines. To this end we employ an arrangement of rotating
coils, so applied as to cut the lines of magnetic force, and thereby induce in the
coils copious currents of electricity, which may be used as intensity or as quantity
currents.
In order the better to explain the nature of our Invention we have shewn in the
accompanying Drawing various views of a dynamo-electric machine constructed in
accordance therewith. Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a side
view; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view; and Fig. 4, a longitudinal vertical
section taken through the centre of the machine. In these Figures A, A, are two
standards connected together by the bridges B, B, B, and constituting therewith the
framing of the machine, Mounted in bearings in the standards A, A, is a hollow
drum C, made of brass or some other non-magnetic material, and provided with
hollow journals c, c, which project from the closed ends of the drum. Upon one of
these journals, and external of the framing, is keyed a driving pulley D. On the
outer periphery of this drum any suitable number of coils of insulated copper wire
E, E, is placed.
The method of laying the coils will be better understood by referring to Fig. 5,
which represents an end view of the drum and commutator detached, and with
two coils placed thereon. The wires forming these coils are laid parallel with the
axis of the drum from end to end, and over the ends or heads thereof, E representing
the end of one coil, and E¹ the end of another coil, the free ends of each coil being
connected with a commutator F.
By this mode of forming the armature coils a large proportion of the wire is
rendered efficient, and the amount of useless internal resistance is consequently
reduced.
Mounted upon a dead shaft G, which passes through the hollow journals of the
drum C, is an electro-magnet G¹. This magnet is formed of pairs of radial plates
of soft iron, which stand out from the central axis, and are each wound around with
insulated copper wire from end to end, as shewn in the Drawing, and in such a
manner as to ensure that upon the passage of a current of electricity through the
wire, their outer extremities will become alternately of north and south polarity, as
indicated by the letters N and S (which mode of winding is well understood by
electricians). The terminals of these wires are brought out through grooves or
holes formed longitudinally through or upon the ends of the shaft G, which is kept
from rotating with the drum C by means of the bridge piece H, to which it is
secured by set screws or otherwise. In the Drawing we have shewn the fixed
magnet G', as composed of six radial plates, but we do not limit ourselves to this
number.
Outside the drum C, and in close proximity thereto, are placed three electro
magnets I, I, I. These magnets are secured to the bridge B, B, of the main frame
by the bolts and nuts b, b, by which they can be adjusted, and they are so placed
with respect to the radial plates of the magnet G' that their poles are opposed to
the poles of the magnet G¹.
The magnets I, I, I, are wound with insulated copper wire in such a direction
that upon the passage of the current their poles will be in opposition to the poles

page_text: of the magnet G¹, as indicated by the letters N, S. The commutator F is formed of
thin plates of metal placed radially around the hollow journal of the drum C, and
insulated from each other and from the journal by vulcanite or other suitable material:
The brushes for collecting the induced currents are carried by a ring K, secured to
the main frame of the machine, but insulated therefrom. In the Drawing we have
-shewn-six-of these collecting-brushes, which will thus provide three independent
currents, one of which may be caused to circulate around the electro-magnets G
and I, whilst the other two may-be-used-to-produce-the-work for which the machine_
is required, or all the currents may be sent, either together or separately, through
the wire around the magnets. By increasing the number of collecting brushes
according to the capacity of the machine, a larger number of distinct and separate
currents may be obtained; which may be used either singly or combined, as may be
found desirable.
By substituting permanent magnets for the electro-magnets above described, we
obtain a magneto-electric inächine; which among other advantages over those already
constructed, possesses the property of retaining its magnetism when the machine is
out of use; whereas the magnetic force of magneto-electric machines, as usually
constructed; is liable to deteriorate under similar circumstances.
We may remark that instead of causing the coils E, E, to revolve between the
stationary magnets G₁ and I, as above explained, the drum C, which carries these
coils, may be fixed, and the magnets may be mounted in a rotating frame, the
driving of which will produce the result above explained.
When intensity of current is required we propose to obtain the same by mounting
two or more armature drums on the same shaft, and bringing their coils into
connection with each other.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention for "Improved Means of
Obtaining Currents of Electricity," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, we wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent we claim,
First: The means above described with reference to the Drawing, whereby the
lines of magnetic force are cut so as to produce two or more separate and distinct
currents simultaneously.
Second. The use of the multipole magiiet above described.
Third. Coiling the armature in the manner and for the purpose above described.
Fourth. Arranging the magnets G' and I, I, with respect to each other, and with
a fixed or rotary armature, whereby the field of magnetic force is concentrated, and
powerful electric currents are obtainable, and a large amount of residual magnetismi
is retained.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Buller Fullerton Elphinstone, Baron
Elphinstone, and Charles Wilson Vincent, have hereunto, set our hands and
seals, the Twentysixth day of July, in-the-year-of-our-Lord-One-thousand
sight hundred and seventy nine
ELPHINSTONE.
(L.S.)
CHARLES W. VINCENT. (L.S.)