Improvements relating to Electrical Machines, and to Reversing and Interrupting Apparatus for use in connection therewith.
Year: 1891

page_text: VOMI LEIE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electrical Machines, and to Reversing and
Interrupting Apparatus for use in connection therewith.
1, CORNELIUS BENNETT HARNESS, of the Medical Battery Company, Limited,
52 Oxford Street, in the County of London, Consulting Electrician, 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:
My invention relates to electrical or electro-static machines, chiefly designed for
medical purposes. And, my said invention has for its object to provide for
automatically reversing or interrupting, at predetermined regular intervals, the
flow of the electric fluid between the machine and the patient to be treated.
In the use of electrical or electro-static machines for medical purposes, it is, in
many cases, important to be able to put the negatively electrified and the positively
electrified conductors of the machine alternately, at regular intervals, in communi-
cation with the patient while the latter is insulated from the earth, so that the
patient may be charged alternately with negative and positive electricity. In
other cases, it is important that the operator should be able to alternately interrupt
and establish the communication between the negatively electrified or the positively
electrified conductor and the patient, so that the patient may be repeatedly charged
at regular intervals with negative electricity or with positive electricity.
By my said invention, provide simple and efficient means whereby such
reversals or interruptions will be automatically effected at regular intervals, the
duration of which may be accurately determined and may be varied at will.
For these purposes, I employ oscillating or vibrating arms constituting a kind of
pendulum, which is connected by a conductor or conductors with an insulated
platform or stool whereon the patient is to be supported. These arms are so
arranged in combination with the conductors of the electrical machine that, at the
termination of each movement of the arms in one direction, one of the said arms
will make contact with or will be brought into proximity to the negatively
electrified conductor, and at the termination of each movement of the said arms in
the reverse direction, the other arm will make contact with or be brought into
proximity to the positively electrified conductor. The platform or stool on which
the patient is supported is thus charged alternately with negative and positive
electricity.
To adapt my apparatus for alternately interrupting and establishing communi-
cation between the negatively electrified or the positively electrified conductor of
the machine and the said platform or stool, I make the said arms adjustable so
that either of the same can be put out of action, leaving the other arm to be
used alone.
I provide, moreover, suitable means for regulating the frequency of the oscillations
or vibrations of the said arms or pendulum, and thus determining the duration of
the intervals between the reversals or interruptions of the flow of the electric
fluid.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of my apparatus adjusted to serve as a
reverser.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus adjusted to serve as an
interrupter for positive electricity.
Figure 3 is a similar view showing the said apparatus adjusted to serve as an
interrupter for negative electricity, and

page_text: Figure 4 is a side elevation illustrating one mode of applying my said apparatus
to an electrical machine.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
N and P indicate respectively the negatively and positively electrified conductors
of the electrical machine.
The improved apparatus comprises an inverted pendulum having two arms or
branches à provided with discs or heads N¹, P1, and arranged to move, each in its
turn, to and from the corresponding conductor N or P of the electrical machine.
The required movement of the pendulum is effected by mechanism or clockwork
such as is used in the metronomes usually employed by musicians, which mechanism
is enclosed in a box or case b. The said pendulum is provided with a rod c having
thercon an adjustable weight d whereby the frequency of the reversals or interruptions
may be determined.or varied at will by increasing or diminishing as required the
time of oscillation of the pendulum.
h
The box or case containing the metronome movement or mechanism, may, with
advantage, be fixed on one side of the glass case of the electro-static machine as
shown in Figure 4. A rod or spindle e is firmly fixed in the boss or hub of the
pendulum, and serves as a conductor to the platform or stool upon which the
patient is to be placed, which platform or stool is mounted in the usual manner
upon glass feet g. is a support for the conducting rod or spindle e of the pendulum
and serves also as a conductor to the said platform or stool.
As will be seen, each of the branches of the pendulum is telescopic, being made
in three sections a, a¹, a fitted to slide one within another like the tubes of a
telescope.
This arrangement permits of the shortening of either of the said arms
when the apparatus is to work as an interrupter, so that the said arm will not be
brought into contact with or proximity to the conductor which is not for the time
being to be made use of.
Each arm a is provided with an adjustable weight or compensator designed to
change the position of the centre of gravity of the branch which is shortened, and
thus equalize the action of the two arms. This arrangement allows the metronome
movement to work regularly, any modification of the equilibrating weight of the
pendulum by the shortening of one or other of the arms thereof, being compensated
for by the adjustment of the weight upon the said arm.
In Figure 1, the apparatus is represented as adapted for reversing the flow of the
electric fluid. When the parts are in the position shewn in Figure 1, the branch N¹
puts the insulated platform or stool in communication with the negatively
electrified conductor N. When the pendulum has accomplished its oscillation or
movement in the direction indicated by the arrow, this branch N' will have left
the said conductor, and the branch P will be in contact with or proximity to the
positively electrified conductor P. Thus, in the oscillation of the pendulum, the
platform or stool will be charged alternately with negative and positive
electricity.
Figure 2 represents the apparatus arranged to work intermittently as an
interrupter, the patient receiving electricity from the positive conductor only.
Figure 3 represents the interrupter so arranged that the patient will receive the
electrical charge intermittently from the negative conductor only.
If it is desired to have the flow of the electric fluid constant from the negative
conductor N or from the positive conductor P, it is only necessary to arrest the
movement of the motor in the required position, the pendulum being inclined for
this purpose in one or the other direction as the case may be.
The invention above described affords a solution long desired by constructors
and by medical electricians, and constitutes an important step in advance, as it
considerably augments the therapeutic field of action of medical electro-static
machines.
I do not confine myself to the employment of the apparatus above described, as
other suitable apparatus can, if desired, be used for carrying into effect my improved

page_text: method of automatically reversing or interrupting the flow of the electric fluid at
predetermined regular intervals as above set forth.
It is evident that, if the apparatus is intended only for causing the intermittent
discharge of electricity from one conductor of the machine, one of the said arms or
branches of the pendulum may be dispensed with. Moreover, instead of using a
pendulum with two arms or branches for reversing the flow of the electric fluid, I
can, if desired, employ a single vibrating arm having a swing or movement of
greater amplitude than the double-armed pendulum.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The herein described method of providing for the automatic reversal or
interruption, at predetermined regular intervals, of the flow of electric fluid in
electrical or electro-static machines.
Second. A reversing or interrupting apparatus comprising one or more oscillating
or vibrating arms and suitable means for automatically operating the same, for the
purposes above specified.
Third. The combination, with an electrical or electro-static machine, of telescopic
arms connected with an insulated platform or stool and adapted to make contact
with or be brought into proximity to the conductors of the said machine respectively
and mechanism for imparting regular oscillatory or vibratory motion to the said
arms, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Fourth. The combination of the oscillating or vibrating telescopic arms, the
adjustable weights attached thereto, and the adjustable weight for regulating the
frequency of the oscillations or vibrations of the said arms, substantially as, and for
the purposes, above specified.
Fifth. The reversing and interrupting apparatus consisting of the parts con-
structed and combined substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and operating as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Dated this 20th day of November 1801.
VITI
nanTזי
C. B. HARNESS.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.