IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER WHEN USING ELECTRIC CURRENTS."
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Edward Dering, of Lockleys, in the County
of Herts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE
POWER WHEN USING ELECTRIC CURRENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Dering
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th December 1854.
I, GEORGE EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER WHEN USING ELECTRIC CURRENTS" to be as follows:-
In the efforts heretofore made to obtain motive power by the use of electric
currents, the means usually resorted to have been to employ electro-magnets,
and to apply the attractive force thereof on keepers or armatures, as a source of
motive power. My Invention consists in applying that law which was discovered
by Ersted, that a magnet, when free to move in the neighborhood of a wire or
other conductor through which a current of electricity is passing, will have a
tendency to place itself at right angles to the conductor, the north and south
poles of the magnet assuming a definite position with reference to the direction

page_text: of the current in the conductor, as is well understood. In applying this
principle, I generally prefer to support the magnet by an axis passed through
it, about half way between the two extremities, and to surround it by a coil of
many turns of wire, a space being left within the coil for the magnet to move
upon its axis, the same as in the instrument known as a galvanometer, and
I so dispose the wire of the coil as to circumvent the magnet at all parts of its
revolution on the axis.
The continuous rotation of the magnet is effected by employing suitable
arrangements for letting on and cutting off the flow of electricity into the coil,
so that the current is caused to pass through the coil during such parts of the
revolution of the magnet, and in such direction, as to impart to it the motion
desired. And since there are portions of the revolution during which the
current cannot be passed with advantage, at which times the rotation is main-
tained by the momentum of the magnet and other moving parts, I find it
advisable in some cases to employ a second magnet upon the same axis, and a
coil surrounding it, and means of letting on and cutting off and reversing the
current, the whole being so arranged with reference to the other magnet, and
its corresponding coil and current changer, that the one shall be acted on by
the current at those parts of the revolution during which the other is inactive.
And several magnets may be combined in connection with the same axis in
any suitable position with coils acting upon them, and arrangements for
effecting the proper transmission of the currents of electricity through the
coils. The motive force may be transferred from the revolving axis by means
of pulleys and driving bands, or any other convenient mechanism for such
purpose may be adopted.
The motion of magnets upon this principle may be made reciprocating, the
same as the piston of a steam engine, instead of rotating, if desired, by
employing suitable means of alternately reversing the current of electricity,
and the coils may be made the moving parts of either a reciprocating or
rotatory action instead of the magnets, though, I believe, with less con-
venience; and various other arrangements for obtaining motive power by
the application of Ersted's laws may be resorted to, but I believe those
which I have described to be the most simple and efficient. The simplicity
of these arrangements, as compared with those heretofore proposed for
the same object, constitutes an important advantage, as also the facility
with which any extent of motion may be obtained, without resort being
had to the more or less complicated devices necessary for the attainment of
this object by the use of electro-magnets. But, perhaps, the most important
advantage in the employment of this principle consists in the rapidity with

page_text: which the coils of wire acquire and part with the electro-magnetic power, in
comparison with the slow rate at which masses of iron acquire and lose
magnetism under the influence of the current.
Magnets of various shapes may be employed, and they may be attached in
many different positions to the axis or other support. In engines of small
size I prefer to employ compound steel magnets, permanently magnetized, but
on a larger scale. I find that soft iron or steel not permanently magnetized
answers the purpose, becoming a powerful magnet through the influence of
the current upon it; and the tendency of the iron or steel bar to retain the
magnetism after the current has ceased, so objectionable in engines worked by
electro-magnets, is in this arrangement rather an advantage than otherwise,
as predisposing the bar to receive the next impulse from the coil. In some
cases I coil around the bar a separate conducting wire, through which currents
of electricity are made to pass continuously. I prefer for all coils employed
to conduct the current, wire rope of rectangular section, covered with cotton
or other insulating material in the usual manner, by which plan there is
less vacant space than in using a circular wire or wire rope of equal con-
ducting capacity; and I prefer that the separate wires composing the rope
be not twisted, but simply laid together and held in position by the outside
covering.
For the purpose of effecting the letting on and cutting off and reversing of
the electric current in arrangements for obtaining motive power, as I have
described, and for reversing at pleasure the direction of the motion of the
engine, the same means which have been before employed in electro-magnetic
engines or modifications of them may be employed. As a means of preventing
the destruction of the parts where contact is made and broken, I employ, in
connection with the contact-forming arrangement, any convenient device by
which a short circuit is made between the ends of the coil just previously to
the connexion with the battery or other source of electricity being broken,
and the induced current will pass harmlessly by this path instead of passing in
a destructive spark at the moment of the battery connexion being broken;
and in order to avoid the retarding effect of induced currents generated in the
coils by the motion of the magnets within them, I interpose plates of some
non-magnetic metal between the wire of the coil and the magnet, by which
means such currents are in a great degree prevented, as in Professor Henry's
well-known experiments upon induction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edward Dering, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 29th June 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, send greeting.
'
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the
year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Edward Dering, Her special licence that I, the said George
Edward Dering, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Edward Dering, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER WHEN USING ELECTRIC CURRENTS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Edward Dering,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent:
1
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Edward Dering, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):
:-
In the efforts heretofore made to obtain motive power by the use of electric
currents, the means usually resorted to have been to employ electro-magnets,
and to apply the attractive force thereof on keepers or armatures, as a source
of motive power. My Invention consists in applying that law which was
discovered by Ersted, that a magnet, when free to move in the neighbourhood
of a wire or other conductor through which a current of electricity is
passing, will have a tendency to place itself at right angles to the conductor,
the north and south poles of the magnet assuming a definite position with
reference to the direction of the current in the conductor, as is well understood.
In applying this principle, I generally prefer to support the magnet by an
axis passed through it about half way between the two extremities, and to

page_text: surround it by a coil of many turns of wire, a space being left within the coil
for the magnet to move upon its axis, the same as in the instrument known as
a galvanometer, and I so dispose the wire of the coil as to circumvent the
magnet at all parts of its revolution on the axis.
The continuous rotation of the magnet is effected by employing suitable
arrangements for letting on and cutting off the flow of electricity into the coil,
so that the current is caused to pass through the coil during such parts of the
revolution of the magnet, and in such direction, as to impart to it the motion
desired. And since there are portions of the revolution during which the
current cannot be passed with advantage, at which times the rotation is main-
tained by the 'momentum' of the magnet and other moving parts, I find it
advisable in some cases to employ a second magnet upon the same axis and a
coil surrounding it, and means of letting on and cutting off and reversing the
current, the whole being so arranged with reference to the other magnet and its
corresponding coil and current changer, that the one shall be acted on by
the current at those parts of the revolution during which the other is inactive.
And several magnets may be combined in connection with the same axis in
any suitable positions, with coils acting upon them, and arrangements for
effecting the proper transmission of the currents of electricity through the coils.
The motive force may be transferred from the revolving axis by means of
pulleys and driving bands, or any other convenient mechanism for such
may be adopted.
purpose
The motion of magnets upon this principle may be made reciprocating, the
same as the piston of a steam engine, instead of rotating, if desired, by
employing suitable means of alternately reversing the current of electricity;
and the coils may be made the moving parts of either a reciprocating or
rotatory action instead of the magnets, though, I believe, with less con-
venience; and various other arrangements for obtaining motive power by
the application of Ersted's laws may be resorted to, but I believe those
which I have described to be the most simple and efficient. The simplicity'
of these arrangements, as compared with those heretofore proposed for the
same object, constitutes an important advantage, as also the facility with
which any extent of motion may be obtained, without resort being had to
the more or less complicated devices necessary for the attainment of this
object by the use of electro-magnets. But, perhaps, the most important
advantage in the employment of this principle consists in the rapidity with
which the coils of wire acquire and part with the electro-magnetic power, in
comparison with the slow rate at which masses of iron acquire and lose mag-
netism under the influence of the current. Magnets of various shapes may be

page_text: employed, and they may be attached in many different positions to the axis or
other support. In engines of small size I prefer to employ compound steel
magnets permanently magnetized; but on a larger scale I find that iron or
steel of any description, not permanently magnetized, answers the purpose,
becoming a powerful magnet through the influence of the current upon it,
and the tendency of the iron or steel bar to retain the magnetism after the
current has ceased, so objectionable in engines worked by electro-magnets, is
in this arrangement rather an advantage than otherwise, as predisposing the.
bar to receive the next impulse from the coil. In some cases I coil around
the bar a separate conducting wire, through which currents of electricity are
made to pass continuously. I prefer for all coils employed to conduct the
current, wire rope of rectangular section, covered with cotton or other
insulating material in the usual manner, by which plan there is less vacant
space than in using a circular wire or wire rope of equal conducting capacity;
and I prefer that the separate wires composing the rope be not twisted, but
simply laid together, and held in position by the outside covering.
For the purpose of effecting the letting on and cutting off and reversing of
the electric current in arrangements for obtaining motive power as I have
described, and for reversing at pleasure the direction of the motion of the
engine, the same means which have been before employed in electro-magnetic
engines, or modifications of them, may be employed. As a means of pre-
venting the destruction of the parts where contact is made and broken, I
employ in connection with the contact-forming arrangement any convenient
device by which a short circuit is made between the ends of the coil just pre-
viously to the connexion with the battery or other source of electricity being
broken, and the induced current will pass harmlessly by this path instead of
passing in a destructive spark at the moment of the battery connexion being
broken. And in order to avoid the retarding effect of induced currents gene-
rated in the coils by the motion of the magnets within them, I interpose plates
of some non-magnetic metal between the wire of the coil and the magnet, by
which means such currents are in a great degree prevented, as in Professor
Henry's well-known experiments upon induction.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine mysel
to the details of the description which I have given of my Invention, as the
mode of carrying out the same may be greatly varied; but what I claim is,―
First, the application, as herein described, of the laws discovered by Ærsted,
of the mutual influence of magnets and electric currents, to obtain motive
Dower.

page_text: Second, the employment of wire rope of rectangular section as a conductor
in arrangements for obtaining motive power by the use of electric currents.
Third, the means described of preventing the destruction of the parts where
contact is made and broken in arrangements for obtaining motive power by the
use of electric currents.
Fourth, the means described of preventing the retarding effects of induced
currents in arrangements for obtaining motive power by the use of electric
currents.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Dering, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
GEORGE E. DERING. (L.S.)