A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE MOTION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Curtis Spalding, of the Township of Bloomfield,
in the County of Essex, and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing in
London, for the Invention of "A METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING
THE MOTION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS."
Sealed the 24th September 1878, and dated the 26th March 1878.
Sealed the 24th September 1878, and dated the 20th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Curtis Spalding at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th March 1878.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING, of the Township of Bloomfield, in the County of
Essex, and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing in London. "A METHOD
OF AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE MOTION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS."
This Invention consists in employing a rotary ball governor, similar to those in
general use on steam engines, as a means of regulating the flow of electric currents
to one or more motor engines actuated by them. I effect these results by conveying
the motion of the motor to the governor either by bevel wheels or by a strap and
pulley, in the ordinary manner in steam engines. The centrifugal force of the balls
or weights of the governor, as its arms rise and fall by the acceleration or
retardation of the speed of the engine, actuate a combination of connected rods or
lever bars to which they are attached, and which terminate upon an electric switch
or conductor.
It will be seen that any excess of motion of the motor will at once be conveyed
through the governor with its connecting arms and levers or connecting rods to the
switch or conductor, and the action of the terminal lever or connecting rod will be
sufficient to cut or "switch" off the excessive quantity of electricity which was
previously being conveyed to the electric motor, and so govern or regulate its
speed,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Curtis Spalding in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
September 1878.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING, of the Township of Bloomfield, in the County of Essex,
and State of New Jersey, but temporarily residing in London. "A METHOD OF
AND APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE MOTION OF ELECTRIC MOTORS."
This Invention consists in employing a rotary ball governor, which may be
similar to those now in general use on steam engines, for the purpose of regulating
the flow of electric currents to one or more motor engines actuated by them. I
effect these results by conveying the motion of the motor to the governor, either by
bevel wheels, or by a strap and pulley, or in any other suitable manner.
The
centrifugal force of the balls or weights of the governor, as its arms rise and fall by
the acceleration or retardation of the speed of the motor, actuate (by means of a
connecting rod or spindle) one or more connected levor bars, which terminate in or
upon an electric "switch" or conductor, along which the electrical current is con-
ducted as it passes to the motor. It is the movement of this "switch" or conductor
which regulates the amount of electrical current that is supplied to the motor.
"
To better explain my Invention, and the manner in which the same may be
carried into effect, I refer to the accompanying Drawings, in which the same letters
of reference represent corresponding portions of the mechanism throughout both
Figures thereof.
Figure I. is an elevation; Fig. II. is a plan of the lower portion of Figure I.,
illustrative of our form of apparatus which may be employed for the herein-before
mentioned purpose.
As the rotary vibrating arms A, A, rise and fall, when the motion of the motor is
accelerated or retarded, they cause the spindle or connecting rod B to raise or lower
the conductor C to which B is attached. This conductor Č may be formed of any
suitable conducting material, but I prefer to use a series of laminated sheets or
plates of copper, as great conductivity is thereby acquired. D is a suitable insulated
pivot or fulcrum upon which C oscillates, and at which point it may be connected
with the conductor from the magneto-electric engine or other source of electrical
supply. One end of C I find it convenient to form into a shape, upon the upper
portion of which I place a cup of glass or other suitable material G, which contains
water or any liquid that will resist the too free passage of the current to the eon-
ductor E when the points "a," "a¹," are separated by the depression of C, which
will be caused by centrifugal force acting on "A," "A."
Should the speed of the motor, and consequently the governor, become excessive,
C will be so far depressed that the points b, b', will come into contact, and the
current will then be carried off by the shunt F.
Instead of the cup G and its contained liquid I may prefer to use a "resistance
coil" formed of iron wire or other suitable material, over or upon which one
portion of the conductor C may be made to travel, giving a greater or lesser
resistance to the passage of the current as the distance between the copper points
is increased or, diminshed.
Having described my Invention, and the manner in which the same may be
carried into effect, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. The automatic conducting lever which vibrates between the direct and
shunting conductors, for the purposes set forth.
Second. The combination of the revolving vibrating arms and the reciprocating
spindle, so connected with an electric conductor as to impart motion thereto, for the
purposes herein-before described.
Third. The combination of the automatic vibrating conducting lever with a
cup or other receptacle containing a "resisting" liquid, as and for the purposes
specified.

page_text: Fourth. And generally the apparatus herein-before described, or any evident
modification thereof, to be used for the purpose of regulating the motion of electro
motors.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Curtis Spalding, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
HENRY CURTIS SPALDING. (L.S.)