Improvements in Commutator Brushes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 1st Oct., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
JRUVIDIONAL DI MULTICATION.
Improvements in Commutator Brushes.
A communication from abroad by OTTO HERING, of Barutherstrasse 4, Berlin,
Prussia, Engineer.
1, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention has for its object to construct a commutator brush in such a way
as to obviate the considerable and irregular wear of the commutator that frequently
takes place when using commutator brushes as heretofore usually constructed of
wire and the like.
For this purpose a commutator brush according to this invention comprises a
closed metal box or case made of a soft metal and filled with twisted or plaited..
metal wire, or with metallic tissues, which, in order to increase their effect, may be
impregnated with fats or oils.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 show in plan two forms of brush according to this invention, parts
of the brush in each view being broken away to show the internal construction.
Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sections of the brushes shown in Figs. 1 and 2
respectively.
In Figs. 1 and 3, A is a closed metal box or case filled with plaited metal
wire B. In Figs. 2 and 4, the box or case is filled with metallic sheets of woven
wire. In each case I prefer to make the metal box or case A of aluminium,
because this metal being comparatively soft is given off to the surface of
the commutator uniformly and in such a quantity, that injurious roughening of the
commutator with which the brush is used will be avoided.
Instead of aluminium, though with a somewhat less advantageous result, copper
or tin or a suitable soft alloy may also be used for manufacturing the box or case.
Owing to their excellent capability to take up oils and fats simple plaits made of
fine metal wire such as shown in Figure 1, are specially suitable for use. By the
use of such plaits the quantity of oil given off will be proportional to the wear of
the brush, there being no liability of the oil suddenly flowing away.
To prevent the oils or fats becoming rancid when the brushes are stored for a
considerable time, the metal boxes or cases may be made air tight and simply
opened at one end and, if desired, on the two longitudinal sides, when the brushes
are to be used. For stiffening the box or case A, it may advantageously be
covered with a sheet D of woven copper wire having a small mesh; this stiffening
cover may,
if required, be made of two thicknesses of woven wire.
By using a brush constructed in the above described manner, production of
sparks and roughening of the commutator will be entirely avoided, and as the
current is given off in a completely constant manner, injurious heating of the
commutator will be also prevented, with the result that the wear of the commutator
will be considerably smaller than has heretofore been usual.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1894.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Commutator Brushes.
A communication from abroad by OTTO HERING, of Barutherstrasse 4, Berlin,
Prussia, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of London,
Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent, 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 has for its object to construct a commutator brush in such a way
as to obviate the considerable and irregular wear of the commutator that frequently
takes place when using commutator brushes as heretofore usually constructed of
wire and the like.
For this purpose, a commutator brush according to this invention comprises a
closed metal box or case made of a soft metal and filled with twisted or plaited
metal wire, or with metallic tissues, the interstices in or between which, in order
to increase their effect, may be filled with fats or oils.
In the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification,
Figures 1 and 2 show in plan, two forms of brush according to this invention a
portion of the brush in each view being broken away to show the internal
construction.
Figures 3 and 4 are cross sections of the brushes shown in Figs. 1 and 2
respectively.
In Figs. 1 and 3, A is a closed metal box or case filled with plaited metal wire B.
In Figs. 2 and 4, the box or case is filled with metallic sheets C of woven wire.
In each case the metal box or case is preferably made of aluminium, because this
metal, being comparatively soft, is worn away and given off to the surface of the
commutator uniformly and in such quantity, that injurious roughening of the
commutator with which the brush is used will be avoided.
Instead of aluminium, though with a somewhat less advantageous result, copper
or tin, or a suitable soft alloy, may also be used for manufacturing the box or case.
Owing to their great capability of taking up oils and fats, simple plaits made of
fine metal wire, such as shown in Figure 1, are specially suitable for use in the
box or case A. By the use of such plaits the quantity of oil or fat given off will
be proportional to the wear of the brush, there being no liability of the oil
or fat suddenly flowing away.
To prevent the oils or fats from becoming rancid when the brushes are stored
for a considerable time, the metal boxes or cases may be made air tight and simply
opened at one end, and, if desired, on the two longitudinal sides, when the brushes
are to be used. The box or case A, in order to stiffen it, may advantageously be
covered with a sheet D of woven copper wire having a small mesh; this stiffening
if required, be made of two thicknesses of woven wire.
cover may
By using a brush coustructed in the above described manner, production of
sparks and roughening of the commutator will be entirely avoided, and as the
current is given off in a completely constant manner, injurious heating of the com-
mutator will be also prevented with the result that the wear of the commutator
will be considerably smaller than has heretofore been usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. A commutator brush having an envelope consisting of a closed box or case

page_text: made of a soft metal or of a soft metallic alloy, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the drawings.
2. A commutator brush consisting of a box or case of the kind referred to in
the first claim filled with pieces of metallic tissue or fabric or with twists or plaits
made of fine metal wire, substantially as herein before described with reference to
the drawings.
3. A commutator brush provided with metallic twists or plaits of fine wire
substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings.
4. A commutator brush of the kind specified in the second claim in which the
spaces or interstices in and between the pieces of metallic tissue or fabric, or the
twists or plaits of wire, and the box or case are filled with oil or fat substantially
as hereinbefore described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 1st day of October 1894.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.