IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton of the Office for Patents
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer for an
invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING ELECTRIC CURRENTS."
A communication from abroad by Alphonse Isidore Gravier of Paris in the
Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1882.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the.
County of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING.
ELECTRIC CURRENTS [A communication from abroad by Alphonse Isidore
Gravier of Paris in the Republic of France.]
"
The object of the present invention is to construct in a cheap and efficient
manner a machine capable of producing currents, or of converting a given current
either into a continuous or into an alternating current, either in quantity or
intensity. The nature of the invention is described by my correspondent as
follows:-
For the production of continuous currents I form a ring either of iron wire like
the Gramme armature, or of sheet iron rolled up or cut to the desired form and
placed side by side, or more simply of cast iron.
This ring I surround with a series of coils of insulated copper wire, like a
Gramme ring: such wire having a suitable resistance for a given current, and being
of such weight as may be found desirable to produce the best magnetic effect in
the iron ring.
The ends of these coils are connected together in series, and from each junction
a wire is led to one of the plates of a commutator of any suitable construction,
carried by the axle on which the ring is mounted.
Supposing a current from some exterior source were passed by the aid of a pair
of brushes or rubbers into these coils of wire, it will be obvious that an annular
electro magnet would be produced with two consequent poles and two neutral
-

page_text: points at right angles thereto. If now the ring were rotated these poles and
neutral points would so to speak be fixed in space.
The coiled iron ring I surround with a second series of insulated wire coils
arranged and coupled up in a similar manner to the first series; the terminals
being connected to the plates of a second commutator situate on the opposite side
of the machine and provided with a pair of brushes or rubbers which are arranged
in a line at right angles to that of the first pair.
On causing this system to rotate the successive passages of the secondary coils
over the consequent poles of the annular magnet (which as I have explained above
remain fixed in space) will induce currents of electricity in those coils; which
currents may be collected by the second pair of brushes and utilized in any desired
manner.
I
In place of causing the ring to rotate, and having the brushes or rubbers fixed,
may in some cases find it convenient to fix the ring and rotate the brushes,
I may also find it advisable in some cases to place a mass of iron in front of the
consequent poles of the magnet and these masses of iron may conveniently form a
part of the framing of the machine.
When masses of iron are thus placed before the poles of a magnet capable of
rotating upon its axis and a current of electricity is passed through the primary
coils, the magnet will turn on its axis, and thereby induce currents of electricity
in the secondary coils.
The secondary coils I form either of thick or of fine wire as compared with the
primary coils, according as quantity or intensity currents are required.
By connecting the two secondary terminals to a pair of insulated metal rings
placed upon the axle of the machine, and furnished with suitable brushes
alternating currents may be collected and utilized in the ordinary way.
A rotating permanent magnet similarly surrounded with coils of wire and
provided with collectors and fixed brushes, will also furnish alternating currents.
I have described the primary coils as fed by a current of electricity from some
exterior source and this would be the case when the machine was used for the
transformation of given currents into continuous or alternating currents, either in
quantity or intensity; but it is obvious that the coils may be supplied either
wholly or partially by the current induced in the secondary coils. In the latter
case it is necessary there should be an exciting fund at the commencement.
fund may be either derived from a secondary battery, a permanant magnet; or
the magnetism of the earth itself.
This

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th September 1882.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane in the
County of Middlesex Civil Engineer "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR OBTAINING
ELECTRIC CURRENTS A communication from abroad by Alphonse Isidore
Gravier of Paris in the Republic of France
"
The object of the present Invention is to construct in a cheap and efficient
manner a machine capable of producing electric currents either continuous or
alternating in quantity or intensity
In the accompanying Drawing Fig: 1 is a diagram which shews an arrangement
of an inductor or transformer of currents by which a given current may be
converted into a continuous or an alternating current either in tension or
quantity.
Let us suppose that a small helix h surrounding the magnet A. B is shifted
circularly from 0 to B from B to 0¹ from O¹ to A and finally from A to O.
These successive movements in the same direction give rise to induced currents
which in the passage of the helix from O to B and from B to O' will be in the
direction of the arrows ci and in the passage from O' to A and from A to O will
be in the direction of the arrows c¹¹ which currents may be collected in tension
at the points O. O¹, or in quantity at the left of the line O. O¹ on one side, and at
the right on the other side.
By this arrangement it is obvious that the magnetic field and the resulting
current collected at O. O¹. are entirely utilized as the induced armature completely
envelopes the inductor as in the case in the Rhumkorff coil
This is an ideal type of magneto electric induction but such construction would
be impracticable
The same results may however be obtained in the following manner. For the
production of continuous currents, a ring is formed as shown in the Diagram Fig: 2
either of iron wire like the Gramme armature, or of sheet iron which may be rolled
up or cut to the desired form, and the plates placed side by side, or it may be
formed more simply of cast iron
This ring is surrounded with a series of coils of insulated copper wire similar
to a Gramme ring such wire coils having a suitable resistance for a given current
and being of such weight as may be found desirable to produce the best magnetic
effect in the iron ring
The ends of these coils are connected together in series and from each junction
a wire is led to one of the plates of a commutator of any suitable construction
carried by the axle on which the ring is mounted
Supposing a current from some exterior source were passed into these coils by
the aid of a pair of brushes or rubbers placed diametrically opposite each other
at ff, it will be obvious that an annular electro magnet would be produced with
two consequent poles at A B, and two neutral points at 001 at right angles
thereto. If now the ring were rotated these poles and neutral points would, so to
speak, be fixed in space. But if the ring be fixed and the brushes be caused to
revolve we should have two consequent poles and two neutral points travelling
around the centre C.
The coiled iron ring is surrounded with a second series of insulated wire coils
arranged and coupled up in a similar manner to the first series, the terminals being
connected to the plates of a second commutator situate on the opposite side of the

page_text: machine and provided with a pair of brushes or rubbers f'f' which are arranged
at right angles to the pair f. f.
On causing this ring to rotate the successive passages of the secondary coils
over the consequent poles of the annular magnet (which as above explained
remain fixed in space) will induce currents of electricity in those coils, which
currents may be collected by the second pair of brushes f¹ f' and utilized in any
desired manner.
In place of causing the ring to rotate and having the brushes or rubbers
fixed, it may in some cases be found convenient to fix the ring and revolve the
brushes
It may also be found advisable in some cases to place a mass of iron in front of
the consequent poles of the magnet, and these masses of iron may conveniently
form a part of the framing of the machine as shown in Figures 3 and 4.
The arrangement shewn in Fig: 3 will be found convenient when the ring
rotates, and that shewn in Fig: 4 when the ring on the contrary is fixed.
Under the conditions of the ring being moveable and the mass of iron fixed
before its poles, as an excitant, the action may be reversed.
If a current of electricity is sent into the primary circuit (the brushes being
suitably placed to obtain the effect desired) the ring will turn on its axis in
order to obtain a position of stable equilibrium in front of the mass of iron.
From the very fact of this rotation a current will be induced in the coils of the
secondary circuit.
The secondary coils are formed either of thick or of fine wire as compared with
the primary coils according as quantity or intensity currents are required.
By causing the two secondary terminals f¹. f¹ to rotate with the ring and by
connecting them with a pair of insulated metal rings placed upon the axle of the
machine furnishing them with suitable collecting brushes, alternating currents will
be produced which may be collected and utilized in the ordinary way.
If however the coiled ring be fixed, and the two pairs of brushes ff. f'f' be
revolved, a continuous current will be produced in the secondary circuit so long as
the primary circuit is traversed by a current.
When the movement of the coiled ring is due to exterior mechanical action an
induced current will result as in the ordinary case of induction.
When the movement of the ring is due to the electro-magnetic action of the
primary current upon the exterior exciting mass of iron the resulting induced current
is a simple transformation of the primary current.
In each case the currents may be collected upon the insulated metal rings mounted
upon the axle.
A rotating permanent magnet similarly surrounded with coils of wire and provided
with collectors and fixed brushes will also furnish alternating currents.
It has been supposed for the sake of argument that the inductors were fed with
a current of electricity from some exterior source which will be the case when the
apparatus is to be employed for the transformation of given currents into continuous
or alternating currents, but as it is a matter of absolute indifference whether the
inductor receives the current from the secondary coils or from any other source, it
may either be supplied from an outside source as has been supposed, or it be
supplied wholly or partially by the current induced in the secondary coils; but in
the latter case it is necessary that there should be an exciting fund at the
commencement. This fund may be either the current from a secondary battery for
priming, a permanent magnet, or even the magnetism of the earth itself; the
movement of the coiled ring will do the rest.
may
In this mode of construction the inductors and the magnetic result of the inductors
are utilized to the utmost to the profit of the induction.
The result of this better utilization is that the weight of the apparatus for the
same inductive effects may be considerably reduced, and the cost of the manufacture
also consequently reduced
On examining more closely the actions and reactions of the machine it will be

page_text: recognized that they are reciprocal and in the same direction, without however
having the same value, for the inducing and induced masses, are not equal. There
are therefore two useful currents from the same apparatus the inducing current
which is reinforced by the movement, and the induced current.
The system which is composed of one single piece may be mounted on any
moving axle which will have sufficient speed, or for which the inductor will have
been arranged.
Thus an excellent electrical generator may be made of the fly wheel of a workshop
motor, a gas engine, or of the driving wheel of a locomotive, which will require no
particular care since the motor itself has a special superintendence and the
supplemental weight added to the fly wheel would be an advantage to it.
Having now described the Invention of "Improved machinery for obtaining
electric currents" as communicated to me by my Foreign Correspondent and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim The arrangements of
machinery above described in which a ring is used to carry inductor coils and
overlying induced coils for the purpose of producing electric currents.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Edward Newton have hereunto set my
hand and seal the eleventh day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.