Electrical Apparatus having Movements Determined by Variations of the Electrical Resistance of Bismuth in a Magnetic Field.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 24th July, 1895-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Electrical Apparatus having Movements Determined by Variations
of the Electrical Resistance of Bismuth in a Magnetic Field.
I, JOHANNES HESSBERGER, Electrical Engineer, of Niedersedlitz, near Dresden,
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:
This invention relates to electrical apparatus, instruments and machines in which
notion is produced by the use of bismuth or alloys of bismuth as conductors of
current in an electro magnetic system of fixed and movable conductors, so that an
alteration in the resistance and in the current that causes the motion is produced by
the action of the lines of magnetic force.
The electrical resistance of bismuth and alloys of bismuth increases within
practical limits proportionally to the increase of the strength of the magnetic
field. This peculiar property of bismuth may be utilized in a variety of ways.
The accompanying drawing illustrates diagramatically one application as a Watt
meter for continuous or alternating currents, in which the variations of resistance
of bismuth or alloys of bismuth in a magnetic field are employed for the production
of motion which is transmitted to a counter.
As shown in the drawing there is a coil H formed as the arc of a circle traversed
by the main current and there is a shunt coil N fixed on a rocking shaft. The
main current coil H is of copper wire, the shunt coil N is of bismuth wire or an
alloy of bismuth. The direction of current in the coils is so arranged that the
pivottally suspended shunt coil N is drawn into the fixed main current coil H.
The operation is as follows:- -When the shunt coil N is drawn into the main
current coil H, the resistance of the bismuth coil becomes changed, so that the
main current coil can no longer hold in the shunt coil, and consequently the shunt
coil moves out of the main current coil to its original position, and then the original
conditions in respect of the resistance recur, and the action is repeated. Thus the
shunt coil is caused to oscillate, and these oscillations are directly proportional, both
to the strength of the magnetic field and to the number of watts.
Consequently the oscillations are also proportional to the volt-ampères or watts
consumed.
The oscillations may be transmitted in any suitable manner to an axle which
rotates in one direction, and works a counter.
In the arrangement shown, the shaft b on which the shunt coil N is fixed
has on it a toothed segments gearing with a wheel r, a pawl d on which acts
on a ratchet wheel e causing the axle a of the counter to rotate always in one
direction.
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 :--
1. Electrical apparatus, instruments and machines, in which variations of the
electrical resistance of bismuth or bismuth alloys in a magnetic field are employed
for varying a motive current and so producing or maintaining relative motions of
fixed and movable conductors or magnets.
2. The arrangement of apparatus such as is referred to in Claim 1, as a Watt-meter
for continuous or alternating currents, in which a shunt coil of bismuth or bismuth

page_text: alloy is alternately drawn into and moved out of a main current coil, in consequenc
of the variation of the resistance of the bismuth in the magnetic field, so that there
is produced a pendulous motion which is proportional to the watts consumed, and
which is transmitted to a counter.
T... 100%
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.