IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENTS AND IN PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Blyth M.A. Professor of Mathematics and Natural
Philosophy in Anderson's College, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, and David Bruce Peebles, Engineer, of The Tay Works, Bonnington,
Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, for an invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENTS
AND IN
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Blyth & David
Bruce Peebles at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th June
1882.
JAMES BLYTH, M.A. Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in
Anderson's College, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and DAVID
BRUCE PEEBLES, Engineer, of the Tay Works, Bonnington, Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian, North Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENTS AND IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SUCH
CURRENTS
"
This Invention has for its objects the producing and measuring of electric
currents by improved apparatus.
For the production of electric currents by this Invention a dynamo-electric
machine is employed having a rotating armature consisting of a cylindrical ring of
soft iron by preference in the form of wire and having wound upon it a number of
separate coils of insulated wire. Between the coils there are iron links by means
of which the armature ring is fixed to one end or edge of a cylinder, by preference
of iron which has at its other end a disk or spokes connecting it to a boss fast on
the shaft to which the driving power is applied. The coils of a wire are connected
to a commutator on the shaft to and from which the current is led by usual
appliances. Separate electro-magnetic pole pieces are arranged to act upon the
outer and inner sides of the armature ring, and the magnet shanks or bodies of the
external pole pieces are excited by coils of insulated wire which are separate and
[Price 6d1

page_text: distinct from similar coils employed to excite the magnet shanks or bodies of the
internal pole pieces. With these arrangements what may be termed a double
machine is formed, as it may be used to produce currents with either the internal
or external electro-magnets removed, and its action is greatly increased when both
are employed.
For measuring an electric current produced by the dynamo-electric machine or
otherwise a shunt circuit of comparatively great and known resistance is derived
from the main circuit by means of two wires which are led to separate electrodes
immersed in water in a closed vessel. The shunt current causes electrolysis of the
water and the oxygen or hydrogen or the two combined are led from the closed
vessel by a pipe to a rotating drum arranged like that of an ordinary wet gas
meter. Counting wheels with indicators and dials are connected with the drum to
show the quantity of the gas going through the drum, and as the production of
this gas has a known and definite relation to the current passing through the main
circuit, the indications thus obtained serve as a convenient measure of that current.
When the electrolytic apparatus is arranged to deliver the oxygen and hydrogen
of the water separately the measuring drum of the meter is divided by an internal
partition or partitions which keep the gases separate when passing through it, and
provision may also be made for directing the gases to separate outlets after leaving
the drum. For keeping a sufficiently constant level of the water in the meter any
suitable apparatus or contrivance may be adopted such as is used in ordinary wet
gas meters; or a hydrocarbon or other oil of a non volatile character may be used
instead of water.
The meter for the electrolysed gases may be of the dry-meter kind if preferred
and in that case the flexible diaphragms may be of the materials ordinarily
employed in dry gas meters or of rubber or other more convenient or suitable
material which cannot be used with ordinary illuminating gas.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Blyth & David Bruce Peebles in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 6th December 1882.
JAMES BLYTH, M.A. Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in
Anderson's College, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, and DAVID
BRUCE PEEBLES, Engineer, of the Tay Works, Bonnington, Edinburgh, in the
County of Mid Lothian North Britain " IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
PRODUCING ELECTRIC CURRENTS AND IN APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SUCH
CURRENTS
"
Our said Invention has for its objects the producing and measuring of electric
currents by improved apparatus.
For the production of electric currents we employ a dynamo-electric machine
having a rotating armature which consists of a cylindrical ring of soft iron by
preference in the form of wire and having upon it a number of separate coils of
insulated wire. Between the coils there are iron links by means of which the
armature ring is fixed to one end or edge of a cylinder of iron or of gun metal or
other non-magnetic metal, which has at its other end a disk or spokes connecting
it to a boss fast on the shaft to which the driving power is applied. The coils of
wire are connected to a commutator on the shaft to and from which the current is
led by usual appliances. Separate electro-magnetic pole pieces are arranged to act
upon the outer and inner sides of the armature ring, and the magnet shanks or
bodies of the external pole pieces are excited by coils of insulated wire which are
separate and distinct from similar coils employed to excite the magnet shanks or
bodies of the internal pole pieces. With these arrangements what may be termed
a double machine is formed, as it may be used to produce currents with either the
internal or external electro-magnets removed, and its action is greatly increased
when both are employed.
For measuring an electric current produced by the dynamo-electric machine or
otherwise a shunt circuit of comparatively great and known resistance is derived
from the main circuit by means of two wires which are led to separate electrodes
immersed in water in a closed vessel. The shunt current causes electrolysis of the
water and the oxygen or hydrogen or the two combined are led through. a meter
such as is used for measuring illuminating gas. As the production of the gases
has a known and definite relation to the current passing through the main circuit
the measurements and indications of the quantities of gas passing through the
meter serve as data for calculating the quantities of the main current.
And in order that our said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood we hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings
to be hereinafter referred to and representing modifications of our improved
apparatus for producing and measuring electric currents.
Figures 1 and 2, on the accompanying sheet of drawings are longitudinal and
transverse vertical sections showing the principal parts of our improved dynamo-
electric machine. Figures, 3, and and 4 are a side view and a section of a modified
form of the internal field magnets. Figures 5 and 6, are a plan and a sectional
elevation of our improved current measuring apparatus. In these drawings the
same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
In the dynamo-electric machine shown in figures 1 and 2, the framing consists of
two vertical end standards, 7, 8, of castiron which are connected by the outer field
magnets, 9, 10, extending between them and fixed to them by screw bolts. The

page_text: main shaft, 11, runs in bearings one of which is in one, 7, of the end standards
whilst the other is in a bracket, 12, bolted to the other end standard 8. The
driving pulley, 13, is on the end of the shaft projecting through one end
standard, 7, and the commutator boss, 14, is on the part of the shaft which is
within the bracket, 12, fixed to the other end standard, 8.
For carrying the rotating armature the shaft 11, has fixed on it a gun-metal
piece consisting of a disk, 15, having a central boss, and a cylindrical part, 16, and
the armature, 17, which consists of a cylindrical coil of iron wire, is secured to the
cylindrical part or carrier, 16, by iron links, 18, these links being fixed by screws
to the carrier. In the spaces between the links, 18, coils of insulated copper wire
are wound upon the armature ring, 17, and one of these coils is indication in section
at 19, in figure, 2. There is a space between the armature ring, 17, and the edge
of the cylindrical carrier, 16, for the passage of the coil wires, the armature ring
being kept in its proper relative position by three or four distance pieces inserted
between it and the carrier within some of the links, 18.
The external field magnets, 9, 10, are at their middles formed with pole
pieces, 20, having concave parts which extend some distance round and nearly in
contact with the outside of the rotating armature as shown in figure, 2. The:
internal field magnets 21, 22, are also formed with pole pieces, 23, and these have
convex parts extending round and nearly in contact with the inside of the rotating
armature. These internal field magnets, 21, 22, are fixed each at one end to one, 7,
of the end standards, whilst their other ends which project inside of the cylindrical
armature carrier, 16, are steadied by having fixed to them a disk, 24, which rests
on the shaft, 11, being fitted with a brass bush which is loose on the shaft. The
shanks of both the external and the internal field magnets 9, 10, 21, 22, have
wound upon them coils, 25, of insulated copper wire through which currents are
made to pass for exciting the magnets, such currents being derived from a separate
machine or apparatus or being part of the current produced in the machine itself.
Or permanent magnets may be substituted for the electro magnets.
In the modification shown in figures 3 and 4, the internal pole pieces, 23, are
formed upon a single magnet piece, 26, formed with a central tubular boss to be
carried loosely on the shaft, 11, and having parts between the boss and the pole
pieces on which coils of insulated wire are wound in a manner to excite opposite
polarities in the pole pieces. This magnet piece is to be kept from rotating with
the shaft by any convenient stop or piece connecting it to the framing.
The current measuring apparatus shown in figures 5 and 6, comprises a glass
vessel, 27, which is inverted and has its mouth closed by a plug of any suitable
non-conducting material fixed so as to be watertight. Through the plug there is
fixed an inverted siphon tube, 28, for introducing water and which is provided
with a screw stopper. A second inverted siphon tube, 29, is provided for leading
off the gas and is connected by a flexible or other tube, 30, to the inlet nozzle of
a. wet gas meter, 31. In the vessel, 27, there are fixed a pair of platinum
electrodes, 32, which are connected by wires, 33, to screw terminals, 34, 35, fixed
to a base, 36, of wood or other non-conducting material. One, 34, of the terminals
is in metallic connection with a terminal, 37, to which one end of the main circuit
wire, 38, can be fixed; and the other terminal, 35, can be put by means of a
plug, 39, in metallic connection with a terminal, 40, to which the other end of the
main circuit wire, 38, can be fixed. The two terminals, 37, and 40, are connected
by a rod or wire, 41, so that when the connecting plug, 39, is in place the current
passing through the main circuit wire can pass partly through the wire, 41, and
partly through the shunt wire, 33, and electrolysing vessel, 27. The route through
the electrolysing vessel, 27, is made to have a comparatively high resistance, and
the ratio of that resistance to that of the wire, 41, being known or determined the
quantity of the total main current can be easily calculated from that of the shunt
current through the electrolysing vessel whilst the latter can be deduced in a well
known way from the quantity of gas produced by decomposing the water. The
meter 31, has its counting and indicating mechanism arranged so that the main

page_text: index on the counter dial makes a turn for every turn of the measuring drum in
order that the measurements of small quantities of gas may be accurately and
clearly indicated.
The water in the electrolysing vessel, 27, is as usual slightly acidulated with
sulphuric or other suitable acid, and a small hydrometer or a specific gravity bead
may be provided inside the vessel in order that the strength of the solution of acid
may be noted at any time.
The electrolytic apparatus may be arranged to keep the oxygen and hydrogen
due to the decompostion of the water separate, and if it is wished to keep them
separate, one only of them may be passed through the meter, or the meter may be
divided by an internal partition with a drum on each side of it for each gas, the
drums being fast on the same spindle and being of sizes proportioned to the known
relative volumes of the gases. With this arrangement separate inlets and outlets
will of course be provided for the two gases. For keeping a sufficiently constant
level of the water in the meter any suitable apparatus or contrivance may be
adopted such as is used in ordinary wet meters; or a hydrocarbon or other oil of a
non-volatile character may be used instead of water.
The meter for the electrolysed gases may be of the dry-meter kind if preferred,
and in that case, the flexible diaphragms may be of the materials ordinarily
employed in dry gas meters or of rubber or other more couvenient or suitable
material which cannot be used with ordinary illuminating gas.
Having thus particularly described our said Invention and the manner of
performing the same we have to state that we do not restrict ourselves to the
precise details herein described or delineated but that what we believe to be novel
and original and claim as the Invention secured to us by and in terms of the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-
1. The combination of parts forming the improved rotating armature herein-
before described and consisting principally of the iron armature ring having coils
of insulated wire wound upon it and being attached to a cylindrical carrier by
iron links placed between the coils substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination in a dynamo-electric machine of a rotating armature with
external field magnets and with separate and distinct internal field magnets, the
parts being arranged substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The combination of electrolytic apparatus with a gas meter, the parts being
arranged and operating substantially as herein before described.
4. The employment of a non-volatile oil in a gas meter arranged in combination
with electrolytic apparatus substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described.
In Witness whereof, we, the said James Blyth and David Bruce Peebles
have hereunto set our hands and seals this fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-two.
Witness:
EDMUND HUNT
Patent Agent
Glasgow
JAMES BLYTH.
(L.S.)
D. BRUCE PEEBLES. (L.S.)