IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DYNAMO- ELECTRIC, OR MAGNETO-ELECTRIC, AND ELECTRO-DYNAMIC MACHINES, AND IN GOVERNING OR REGULATING THE SAME
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Matthews, of Hyde, in the County of Chester,
, for an invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF DYNAMO-
ELECTRIC, OR MAGNETO-ELECTRIC, AND ELECTRO-DYNAMIC MACHINES, AND IN
GOVERNING OR REGULATING THE SAME,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Matthews at the
IMPROVEMENTS IN
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th July 1882.
ROBERT MATTHEWS of Hyde in the County of Chester
THE CONSTRUCTION OF DYNAMO-ELECTRIC, OR MAGNETO-ELECTRIC, AND ELECTRO-
DYNAMIC MACHINES, AND IN GOVERNING OR REGULATING THE SAME
"
This invention has for its object the construction of dynamo-electric or magneto-
electric and electro-dynamic machines in such a manner as is hereafter described to
accomplish the following results.
First. In continuous current machines to be able to give a current of more
uniform strength and continuity; and also increasing the efficiency of the electro-
magnets in the machines hereafter described.
Second. In alternate current machines to make the electro-magnets more
efficient, and arranging part of the armature coils to be commutated into an
intermittent continuous or a practically uniform continuous current to supply the
electro-magnets of the machine and the remaining armature coils commutated to
give the desired alternate currents for use in the main circuit.
Third. The construction of the commutator brushes or wheels in such a manner
as is hereafter described to prevent grooving or wearing irregularly.
Fourth. To regulate the speed of the machine to suit the current. To accomplish
the aforesaid results I arrange any number of magnets or electro-magnets so as to
present any number of magnetic fields uniformly round a circle or circles presenting
a number of successive fields of like polarity.
A number of coils of insulated wire or bars, or strips may be wound or fixed

page_text: either on cores of iron or on wooden or other non-magnetic material, or may be
arranged without any cores so as to allow the air to pass through the coil or coils,
but by preference when cores are used I make the core of thin sheet iron strips or
short bars of iron wire arranged to pass through the lines of force of the polar fields
and parallel thereto and on to these cores the coils of insulated wire or bars or
strips are fixed, the pole pieces of the core are attached to each other by the strips
or bars of iron wire through the coil and also externally by bars or strips; the
armature coils may be stationary and the magnets or electro magnets made to
revolve or both may be made to revolve in opposite directions, but by preference
the coils are fixed onto an axis by the revolution of which these coils are caused
to pass through the successive magnetic fields of force or polar fields above
mentioned.
.
The number of armature coils for continuous currents is by preference less or
greater than the number of fields of force by any number either odd or even, for
currents of greatest uniformity in strength the difference in number would be one,
but in cases it may be more convenient or preferable to couple up the armature
coils for high tension or low resistance and in that case the numbers of polar fields
and armature coils would by preference be commensurable, and coupled up
accordingly and commutated by any known methods or similarly to the one
hereafter mentioned.
Another part of my invention consists in improving machines with alternating
polar fields by arranging any odd number (commensurable or incommensurable) of
coils on the armature with an even number of alternating magnetic or aforenamed
polar fields so as to get greater uniformity in generators and the power more
constant in electro-dynamic machines than in any existing machines where the
number of coils and the polar fields are the same or vary by an even number.
In alternate current machines the invention consists in having the magnetic
or aforenamed polar fields of like polarity, similar to the continuous current
machine, so as to keep the lines of force more concentrated and prevent circuitous
lines of force passing from one pole to its neighbour instead of passing direct across
to its partner as in existing machines; and also in constructing the machine so that
part of the commutator coils may be commutated to form an intermittent con-
tinuous or practically uniform continuous current to supply the electro-magnets of
the machine, and the remaining coils are commutated to give the required alternate
currents; this latter part of the invention is applicable to existing machines having
magnetic or polar fields of alternating polarity.
To prevent the commutator from being worn unevenly and into grooves the
invention consists in giving the brushes or contact wheels a to and fro side motion
(in addition to the ordinary motion) which may be worked by worm and wheel
from the main axle or any other arrangement.
The commutator for the continuous current machine will by preference be made
in rings with teeth or projections the number of which will be equal to the number
of magnetic or polar fields and a similar number of spaces somewhat larger than the
teeth between them so that the teeth of one ring will be placed in the spaces and
between the teeth of the other ring arranged thus in pairs.
The number of rings will be equal to twice the number of armature coils where
the number of coils and fields are incommensurable but in machines where it is
preferable to have a commensurable number of coils and fields the number of rings
would be equal to twice the number of armature coils divided by the greatest
common measure; the aforesaid rings would be made so that the length of tooth,
on which would bear the brushes or by preference a large contact wheel, would be
such as to receive the whole or very nearly the whole of the induced current.
Any of the aforementioned machines may be employed as an electro-dynamic
machine when supplied with electricity from any source the said current being
commutated as aforementioned or by any known commutator in such a manner
that the poles on the armature coils shall be attracted or repelled by the field poles
as may be required.

page_text: Machines of known forms might have their polar or magnetic fields and armature
coils arranged so as to operate according to this invention, which does not relate
to any particular construction of the field magnets or coils, or any particular
method of producing the current in any one coil, but in the arrangement and con-
nection of the coils so as to produce the cumulative effect of the induction in the
successive coils, and the arrangement of the field magnets as beforementioned.
A similar arrangement and connection applies also to magneto-electric and
electro-dynamic machines in which electricity is applied to produce motive power.
The invention for regulating the speed of the machine consists in arranging an
electro-magnet with a movable core to which is attached a lever and balance weight
so that when the current increases it lifts the balance weight and to the same lever
are attached the necessary rods for working the valve of the governor as patented
by G. B. Goodfellow and R Matthews the 15th of February A.D. 1882 No. 723.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Matthews in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th January 1883.
ROBERT. MATTHEWS of Hyde in the County of. Chester IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF DYNAMO-ELECTRIC OR MAGNETO-ELECTRIC, AND ELECTRO-
DYNAMIC MACHINES, AND IN GOVERNING OR REGULATING THE SAME
This invention has for its object the construction of dynamo-electric magneto-
electric, and electro dynamo machines in such a manner as is hereafter described
to accomplish the following results.
First In continuous current machines with disc armatures to be able to give a
current of more uniform strength and continuity and also to increase the efficiency
of the electro magnets as is hereafter described; and the automatic distribution of
the current for the varying requirements in current and electro motive force.
In Sheet 1. of the annexed drawings Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation showing the
position of the magnets and armature coils when arranged as an alternate current
machine. Fig. 3 is a similar view arranged for a continuous current machine.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the commutators, brushes, and the reciprocating motion
for working the same. Fig. 5 is an arrangement showing the distribution of the
generated currents and Fig. 6 is a section of an improved governor.
To accomplish the above objects in dynamo-electric or electro-dynainic machines
with a continuous current I arrange the electro magnets M, round a circle, as in
Figs 1 and 3. Sheet 1 of the annexed drawings, allowing a space about the size of
themselves between them, the armature is arranged with a number of coils C
greater or less than twice the number of field magnets the nearer they are to the
same number and incommensurable the more uniform will be the current.
The electro magnets M. are arranged in pairs with all the north poles on one
side of the armature and as near as possible to the south poles on the opposite
side; the opposite ends are connected together by the frame A so that the
magnetism is not broken in the outer circuit thus forming a very intense magnetic
field as the lines of force of any one magnet have no affinity to its neighbour but
tend to pass direct to its partner on the opposite side of the armature. To keep
the armature as narrow as possible I prefer using narrow strips C of copper for the
armature as shown in Fig. 1. the coils are insulated from each other and are
attached by a core or pin P at the root of the coil the said pins are securely fixed
by the discs F on each side of the armature the whole being then keyed and
securely fixed onto the spindle D which turns in the bearing B, and is driven by a
strap passing round the pulley E.
When a practically uniform electro motive force is required I arrange or
distribute the current from the armature in the following manner as shown on
Sheet 1. Figs 4 and 5. excepting the alternate current brushes E' and F¹ working
on the commutator C' and Di which are not used for continuous current machines.
Having found the relative resistance between the lamp or other requirements and
the circuit or main; the necessary proportion of coils on the armature to give the
necessary magnetic field to induce the requisite currents are attached to a separate
commutator M', which commutates, the current into a continuous one and is used
preferably for magnetizing part of the field magnets in Fig. 5. The main commu-
tator A', commutates the remainder of current for the shunt to supply the electro
magnets M Fig. 5. and the main circuit, so that the coils of the armature which
are used as a series current, supply the current to overcome the circuit, and the
shunt supplies the varying resistance of lamps or other requirements.

page_text: Secondly. In alternate current machines to make the electro-magnets more
efficient (as before described for the continuous current machines) I-arrange the
magnets and twice their number of armature coils, as shown in Fig. 2 and I
arrange the main commutator (A¹ see Fig. 4) so as to form an intermittent
continuous shunt.current as regards direction for supplying the electro magnets M,
Fig. 5 the said shunt current being conducted from the attaching screw H₁
through the conductor Z to the solenoid S' which is formed of thin broad strips of
metal to expose as much surface to the consecutive coils as possible so as to
decrease the pulsation as much as practicable. The said shunt current after
passing through the solenoid is then passed round the magnets M. I also arrange
to work in conjunction with the above shunt current part of the armature coils in
series, which is commutated by the commutator M³, and conducted from the
brush P¹ through the conductor B¹ to the solenoid S and thence to the magnets M.
It is not absolutely necessary that the magnets should be made in two as shown
at Fig. 5. One set of magnets as in Fig. 2. might be used, and the shunt current
conducted round part of the magnets, and the series current through the remainder,
thus obtaining an automatic alternate current machine for an approximate uniform
electro-motive force; the governing apparatus Fig. 6. as hereinafter described may
be used when convenient.
Thirdly. I construct the commutator and brushes to prevent grooving as shown
in Fig. 4 where R R are two worm wheels worked by the worm J, on the spindle;
near to the centre of each wheel is placed a small excentric or crank pin R¹ so that
the rods S, S receive a reciprocating motion, and conduct it to the brass bush U, U
on which are fixed and insulated therefrom, and from each other the several
brushes E' E", F¹ F", G. and P. By making the wheel with say one hundred
teeth it would be a handy counter, or if it contained sixty teeth the speed of the
wheel per minute would be equal to the speed of the generator per second.
The commutator for the continuous current machine will (by preference) be
made in rings with teeth or projections the number of which will be equal to the
number of magnetic or polar fields and a similar number of spaces somewhat larger
than the teeth between them so that the teeth of one ring will be placed in the
spaces and between the teeth of the other ring arranged thus in pairs.
The number of rings will be equal to twice the number of armature coils, where
the number of coils and fields are incommensurable but in machines where it is
preferable to have a commensurable number of coils and fields, the number of rings
would be equal to twice the number of armature coils, divided by the greatest
cominon measure; the aforesaid rings would be made so that the length of
tooth on which would bear the brushes, or by preference a large contact wheel,
would be such as to receive the whole or very nearly the whole of the induce:
current.
Fourthly. I construct this brush wheel as shown at Fig. 7. Sheet 2 of the
drawings. It consists of a number of rings 1. 1. placed side by side fitted with
arms and springs 2, 2 pressing on the axle 3, to form contact on the commutator,
the above reciprocating motion being especially for keeping the surfaces clean. Or
another mode of manufacturing the wheel is to have the ring on a core 4 of very
flexible india rubber as shown in Fig. 8. The rods 5, 5 are for conducting the
current from the various coils.
Any of the aforementioned machines may be employed as an electro-dynamic
machine when supplied with electricity from any source, the said current being
commutated as aforementioned, or by any known commutator, in such a manner
that the poles on the armature coils shall be attracted or repelled by the field poles
as may be required.
Machines of known forms might have their polar or magnetic fields and armature
coils arranged so as to operate according to this invention which does not relate to
any particular construction of the field magnets or coils, or any particular method
of producing the current, in any one coil, but in the arrangement and connection of
the coils so as to produce the comulative effect of the induction in the successive

page_text: coils, and the arrangement of the field magnets as before mentioned. A similar
arrangement and connection applies also to magneto electric, and electro-dynamic
machines in which electricity is applied to produce motive power.
For regulating the speed of the machine when driven direct by steam, or other
fluid motor to give a constant current (see Figs 6 sheet 1) I arrange the current
to pass through an electro-magnet S2 in which works a core H against which
presses the spring L which. is adjusted to suit the requirements (or a lever and
weight with varying leverage may be used) so that when the current is too strong
it overcomes the spring, or weight, and works the lever J, and valve V, so that
steam or other fluid under pressure is admitted into the cylinder A, and the cataract
or liquid cylinder valve Vis also moved so as to allow the piston to move and
close or open the motor supply valve V.
The piston valves V' are so arranged that according to the fluctuation so will
the speed of the piston be; as described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to Benjamin Goodfellow and Robert Matthews dated February 15th 1882.
No. 722.
Having now described the nature and object of my said invention together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be. performed or carried into
practical effect I wish it to be distinctly understood that I claim as my invention.
First In dynamo-electric; magneto-electric, and electro-dynamic machines,
placing the magnets so as to form consecutive magnetic fields of like polarity,
substantially as and for the purposes herein before described.
Secondly In continuous or alternating machines the combination of the
current generated from part of the armature coils with a shunt current from
the main circuit, for magnetizing the electro-magnets, substantially as and for the
purposes heroinbefore mentioned.
Thirdly. The apparatus substantially as shown and described for imparting
an alternate reciprocating motion to the brushes or contact wheels of such
machines, in order to prevent grooving and to keep the surfaces of the contact
wheels clear.
Fourthly. The construction of contact wheels of such machines in rings flexibly
connected to the axis substantially as described.
Fifthly. The combination of an electro magnet with the valves of the governor
substantially in the manner hereinbefore described and illustrated by the drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Robert Matthews have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand
ROBERT MATTHEW .(L.S.)