IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC MACHINES.”—A
communication from abroad by Jim Billing Fuller, of Brooklyn,
New York, and John Newland Crandall, of Norwich, Connecticut,
both in the United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 25th September 1875, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine; Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for “IMPROVEMENTS IN

page_text: unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters
Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that it has been
communicated to me from abroad by Jim Billing Fuller, of Brooklyn,
New York, and John Newland Crandall, of Norwich, Connecticut, both
in the United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing forming a 1
part of this Specification :-
My improvements relate to combining the electric waves or impulses
induced alternately in opposite directions in the armature of a magneto-
electric machine, and forming them into constant currents flowing
uniformly in one direction, by the employment of radial arms arranged 1
around a shaft or cylinder and wound with coils of insulated wire, the
ends of which are so joined as to form a series of connected radial
electro-magnetic coils communicating at proper points with corre-
sponding parts of a sectional commutator, and caused to revolve
between or near alternately opposite magnetic poles, whereby said:
electric waves thus induced in the said coils are collected together in
two equal electric currents of similar name, and caused to flow each in
opposite directions from said pole through all the intermediate coils to a
point in said wire nearest the next opposite pole, where said currents
meet and combine, passing through an external circuit in one direction,
and whereby said currents are also delivered at the points in the
armature, which for the time being arc situated nearest the said
magnetic poles where the magnetic and electric energy is the strongest.
My improvements also relate to pointed or tapering magnetic poles, as
herein-after described, whereby the abrupt falling off of the magnetic
force is prevented and the resulting current rendered more uniform.
Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, shew detached portions of the said 85
machine.

page_text: A, A, represent several radial iron arms or cores arranged around and
secured to the cylinder A² in any convenient manner, each being covered
with a coil of insulated wire B; O represents the outer end of one
coil, and C¹ the inner end of the next coil, these ends being joined
¡ together and connected to a section of the commutator D, as shown.
This commutator is made in any convenient form in a number of
sections corresponding with the number of radial arms, each section
being insulated from the others and also from the shaft and armature;
E is the shaft upon which the said arms revolve in suitable bearings,
and it may be provided with any convenient means for receiving rotary
motion; F, F, are metal springs which bear on the commutator for
conveying the currents through the external circuit J; G and Gare
fixed magnets; H is the positive pole, and H¹ the negative pole. The
magnetic poles are situated diametrically opposite each other. These
poles are pointed or tapered towards the neutral point as indicated by
I, I, I, I'; K is the bed plate on which the apparatus rests, being made
of wood or other non-magnetic material.
Any desired number of arms may be employed, and they may be
placed in line with the shaft or at any desired anglo thereto, and
although I prefer to set them radially the outer ends may be inclined
cither forward or backward.
Any number of permanent or electro-magnets may be used, and
currents from a galvanic battery from a magneto-electric machine, or a
suitable number of coils from the above described machine may be
employed for magnetizing the electro-magnets, or two coils may be
placed on each arm, the outer coil connected to one commutator and the
inner coil connected to the other commutator. One set of coils may be
employed for exciting the above-named fixed electro-magnets, while
those of the other set send their currents through an external circuit to
be used as desired.
+
There should be as many commutator springs for each commutator as
there are magnetic poles, and each spring should bear on the section of
the commutator which for the time being is nearest the poles. Each set
of springs will deliver separate currents, which may be used separately
or together as desired.
It is well known that meanatic force is weakened in nonnation to the

page_text: tapering poles herein shown prevent this abrupt falling off of magnetic
force as applied to the revolving armature, and cause the electric waves
to be gradually reduced on one side of the poles, and gradually increased
on the other, the difference in the waves may be compared by reference
to Figuro 6, corresponding with the straight pole, and Figure 7, corre-
sponding with the tapering one; L, L, L, L³, represent the clectric
waves formed from straight faced magnetic poles; M, M², M³, M³,
represent the waves as formed by the tapering poles, the latter when
lapped together forming currents sufficiently uniform for all practical
purposes. I prefer to have these poles taper from both ends to a point
at or near the centre, but the taper may be all on one side, so that one
end of the armature will leave the poles before the other end, and in
that way gradually lose its magnetic influence, or the magnetic poles
may be set at an angle to the axis line and produce the same effect.
.
In a machine used for telegraphic purposes having several sets of
magnets and springs, and consequently several complete circuits, each
circuit may be employed separately for separate lines of telegraph or
several circuits may be combined for long lines, and one circuit may be
used instead of a local battery for operating the sounder, while a number
of circuits combined are working the main line.
The operation of this apparatus or machine, and the formation of
currents therein, is as follows:-The electric waves induced in the coils
by the north magnetic pole will be positive (+), and will flow away from
the said north pole in two opposite directions through the connecting
coils, while the waves induced in the coils by the south magnetic pole 2
will be negative (-), and flow from the two opposite directions through
the connecting coils towards the south pole. At the neutral point a
change in these currents thus formed takes place, not in direction but
from positive (+) to negative (-), and that change greatly intensifies
the currents. Thus it will be seen that the two waves passing in from 3
the external circuit divide at the section of the commutator then nearest
the north pole, one passing to the right and the other to the left
through all the intermediate connected coils, meeting again in the
section of the commutator nearest the south pole, and combining in a
current in the external circuit.
Figure 5 shews the direction in which the currents flow while in the
8

page_text: the positive (+), and dotted arrows the negative (-) currents. There are
constantly one series of positive (+) and one series of negative (-) waves
passing in the direction of rotation of the armature. There are also one
series of positive (+) and one of negative (-) waves passing in the
opposite direction, and these waves are the most energetic when the coils
in which they are induced are nearest the poles. While one positive (+)
wave grows positively weaker as the coil in which it is induced is
passing away from the north pole, another positive (+) wave will be
growing positively stronger as the coil in which it is induced approaches
the opposite side of the north pole. At the same time while one
negative (—) wave grows negatively weaker as the coil in which it is
induced moves away from the south pole, another negative (—) wave will
be growing negatively stronger as the coil in which it is induced
approaches the opposite side of the south pole. Therefore waves. thus
formed flowing through the whole series of coils and combined in the
external circuit, tend to give uniformity to the current. It will be seen
also that there will be many of these waves passing through the series at
the same moment, each lapping over the next, and thereby giving
additional uniformity to the current.
The magnetic poles tapering towards the neutral point prevent the
falling off abruptly of the strength of the waves, and equalize the
strength of the resulting current. The springs should be so set as to
bear on at least two sections of the commutator at the moment of
passing from one section to another, so as to prevent any break in the
3 current.
These machines may be employed for electro-plating, electric light, or
other industrial purposes, but are especially intended for producing
currents uniform in quantity, intensity, and constancy, suitable for
telegraph purposes.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspendents, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
First. The combination of the arms A, the coils B, and the sectional
commutator D, when the ends of the wire forming said coils are
; connected together and to the commutator as herein set forth, in
such a manner that when said coils are caused to revolve between or
near alternately opposite magnetic poles developing electric waves or

page_text: currents in said coils, said currents shall be received and discharged
continuously at the points in the wire forming said coils nearest said
'poles, or where the magnetic force is strongest.
Second. The magnetic poles H and H³ having points or angles
tapering towards the neutral magnetic point, as herein set forth and for 5
the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of September,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
1
Witness,
H. JA. NOONE.
W. ROB. LAKE. (L.S.)