AN IMPROVED APPLICATION OF MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY," POR DRIVING MACHINERY AND FOR NEUTRALIZING THE IMPULSIVE FORCE or MACHINERY IN MOTION
Year: 1853

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Scipion
Rousselot at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 26th November 1853:
I, JOSEPH SCIPION ROUSSELOT, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "AN IMPROVED APPLICATION OF MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY,"
POR DRIVING MACHINERY AND FOR NEUTRALIZING THE IMPULSIVE FORCE
or MACHINERY IN MOTION," to be as follows:-
:
In currying out' this Invention Lowplay by w

page_text: a means of giving motion to the working parts of any suitabi
arrangement of engine, which heated air when its elasticity has bee
partially exhausted I restore, and thus use the air again and again
The air is heated by submitting it in a closed chamber to the action o
the flame of pure hydrogen, which I generate by passing a curren
of electricity through water, and thereby resolving it into its clements
In applying my Invention to the driving of a locomotive engine
employ at starting a Grove's or other suitable battery for generating
the hydrogen, and when by the combustion of the hydrogen so gene
rated I obtain (for the time being) a sufficient motive power to set the
engine in full action I bring a magneto-electric apparatus into con
nection with the water to be decomposed, and obtain from that inex-
pensive source the current requisite for continuing the decomposition.
This apparatus consists of a series of permanent horse-shoe magnets,
which are fixed to the framing of the engine in such a position that
they will severally act in connection with an armature of soft iron
mounted on the axles of the running wheels of the engine, and
rotating therewith in close proximity to the poles of their respective
magnets. These armatures are severally covered by a coil of copper
wire, which transmits through its extremities the current of electricity
generated by the rotation of its armature in pulsations to a conductor
affixed to the framing. From this conductor wires lead to the water
to be decomposed, and as often, therefore as the circuit is completed a
current of electricity is passed through the water, and hydrogen is
thereby evolved.
To neutralize the impulsive force which the engine has acquired, and
to stay the progress of a train, I avail myself of the electric current
thus generated, and divert it from the course just indicated into the
coils of an electro-magnet attached to and revolving with the adjacent
running wheel, by which means I convert the wheel into a magnet, and 3
increase its tendency to adhere to the rail. I propose to provide any
number of the wheels of an engine or a railway carriage with electro-
magnets for the purpose of converting the wheels into temporary mag-
nets, and through the attraction set up between the wheels and the rails
to effect the stoppage of the train,
3

page_text: It will be obvious, that this Invention may be employed for driving
machinery generally and for checking the action of various kinds of
machinery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Scipion Roussclot in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 26th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOSEPH SCIPION ROUSSELOT, of Nimes, in the Empire of France, Elec-
trician, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Scipion Rousselot, Her
special license that I, the said Joseph Scipion Rousselot, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph Scipion
Rousselot, 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 "AN IMPROVED APPLICATION OF MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY, FOR DRIVING
MACHINERY AND FOR NEUTRALIZING THE IMPULSIVE FORCE OF MACHINERY
IN MOTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Joseph Scipion Rousselot, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Scipion Rousselot, do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner

page_text: the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say)
In carrying out the first part of this Invention, (viz,) the application
of magneto-electricity to the driving of machinery, I employ by pre-
ference atmospheric air as a medium for giving motion to the working
parts of any suitable arrangement of engine. This air I heat by the
combustion of gas obtained by passing a current of electricity through
water and thereby resolving it into its elements.
In applying my Invention to the driving of a locomotive engine I
employ at starting a Grove's or other suitable battery for generating
the gas, and when by the combustion of the gas a sufficient motive
power fairly to start the engine is obtained I bring a magneto-electric
apparatus into connection with the water to be decomposed, and obtain
from that inexpensive source the current requisite for continuing the
decomposition. This apparatus consists of a series of permanent horse-
shoe magnets, which are fixed to the framing of the engine in such a
position that they will severally act in connection with an armature of
soft iron mounted on the axles of the running wheels of the engine
and rotating therewith in close proximity to the poles of their
respective magnets. These armatures are severally covered by a coil
of copper wire, which transmits through its extremities the current of
electricity generated by the rotation of its armature in pulsations to a
conductor affixed to the framing; from this conductor wires lead to the
water to be decomposed, and as s often therefore as the circuit is
completed a current of electricity is passed through the water.
In order to neutralize, the impulsive force of machinery in motion
(which forms the second head of my Invention), say, for example, to
stay the progress of a locomotive engine and train, I avail myself of 3
the electric current generated as above described, and divert it from the
course indicated into the coils of an electro-magnet attached to and
revolving with the adjacent running wheel, by which means I convert
the wheel into a magnet, and increase its tendency to adhere to the
rail. I propose to provide any number of the wheels of an engine or a 5.

page_text: railway carriage with clectro-magnets for the purpose of converting the
wheels into teinporary magnets, and through the attraction set up
between the wheels and the rail to effect the stoppage of the train.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews in side elevation, and
Fig. 2, in longitudinal section, a locomotive engine suitably arranged
for working according to my Invention. a, is a Grove's battery of
sufficient strength for generating a current of electricity for starting
the engine and maintaining it in its progress until the
magneto-electric
apparatus comes into play. Connected with the opposite poles of this
battery are two platinum plates, which are immersed in water contained
in a gas generator b; this water I prefer to be boiled prior to using it
in order, to drive out the air, and also slightly acidulated to facilitate
its decomposition. A current of electricity being passed from the battery
through the water, the decomposition of the water will take place and
the gases thus generated will be conducted off to the gasometers c, c,
which consist each of a cylinder fitted with a weighted piston d, whereby
a pressure is put upon the gas sufficient to propel it forward and keep
up a supply to a gas burner e, which is enclosed in the chamber f, for
the purpose to be presently explained. The arrangement for keeping
up the pressure on the gas in the gasometers, and of cutting them off*
alternately from connection with the gas generator and gas burner, is
shewn best at Fig. 3, which is a cross section taken in the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 2. g, is a shaft actuated by a hand wheel, and carrying two cog
wheels h, the front one of which gears into two vertical racks i, i, which,
by means of levers, work the cocks for cutting off the supply of gas
to the gasometers alternately, and alternately opening the supply cocks.
The levers, are connected with other levers j, which command the
supply cocks of the branch pipe e*, leading to the burner e. By this
means, therefore, the two gasometers are alternately brought into
communication with the burner and gas generator. The back wheel h*;
Fig. 2, gears into a sliding rack k, carried by a rocking trough k*,
having its fulcrum in the framing at m. Connected to the rack are
two rolling weights which are carried by the trough and by means of
the wheel h, and rack k, are moved from end to end thereof. The
opposite ends of the trough press alternately upon one of the piston

page_text: rods, and thereby impart the required pressure to the gas in the
gasometers. In order to obtain the motive power requisite for driving
the pistons of the working cylinders of the engine, a force pump n
is employed for each cylinder to force atmospheric air into an air
chamber o, which is cylindrical and is fitted with a weighted piston for
keeping an equable pressure on the air supplied thereto. The com-
pressed air is conducted to a coil of pipe in the chamber f, and there
subjected to heat from the gas burner, whereby it is expanded, and in
that state is passed to the working cylinder p. Before entering this
cylinder, it passes through the valve box p, and is there subjected to
further expansion by an electric spark being produced in the presence
of the heated air. This is effected by providing the slide valve at its
back with a metallic projection which, as the valve works, comes in
contact alternately with one of two insulated brass plates (with which
the valve box is fitted) in connection with a battery or a magneto-
electric apparatus and the electric circuit is completed at every move-
ment of the valve. When the air has passed the slide, before it
enters the cylinder I subject it momentarily to the action of a flame of
oxy-hydrogen gas, which gas is supplied from a proper receptacle by
pipes q, having each two cocks which are worked so as to cut off the
supply from the main before any gas is let into the cylinder, and thereby
to prevent explosion. Gas jets are kept burning in the passages to the
cylinder for the purpose of igniting the oxy-hydrogen gas, and the
cocks are worked by the stroke of the engine, so as to time the supply
of gas to the motions of the slide valve. The air thus expanded will
enter the cylinder, and pressing upon the piston, will work the
engine in the ordinary manner, after which it will escape into the
atmosphere.
For working the force pumps I employ the arrangement of electro-
magnets shewn detached, and in front elevation at Fig. 4. A, B, are two
sets of coils of electro-magnets, into the coils of which an electric current
is alternately passed. The magnets C, C*, are suspended by links from
a rocking lever D, having its fulcrum in the framing E. Keyed to the
fulcrum pin of this lever is a metal rod F, in connection with one pole
of a galvanic battery or other source of electricity. The terminal of

page_text: this rod oscillates between two points which are each connected by wires
with their respective sets of coils, and these coils are connected by wires
to the opposite poles of the battery.
The magnets C, C, are also linked to levers G, which vibrate
independently on a shaft carried by the standards G*, and the opposite
ends of the levers G, are connected by links to the piston rods of a pair
of force pumps. As therefore the direction of the current is changed
from one set of coils to the other, the magnets C, and C*, will be
alternately drawn down and the pumps will be set in action. I have
said that I employ a battery for starting the engine, but when the engine
is in motion I throw the battery out of use, and decompose the water in
the gas generator by means of magneto-electricity. For this purpose,
adhering generally to the ordinary arrangement and form of magnets
and coils, I substitute for the one compound magnet pairs of permanent
compound horse-shoe magnets, as shewn in the longitudinal sectional
view, Fig. 2, and in the cross section, Fig. 5. The magnets (of each
pair) are placed at opposite sides of the shafts of the running wheels,
and secured in position by being attached to the framing of the engine.
These magnets present four poles (two negative and two positive) to
induce electricity to the revolving coils I, which are soldered to a brass
collar (see the detached section, Fig. 6), carried and rotated by the.
shaft K, but insulated therefrom by gutta percha, wood, or other
suitable non-conducting material. For breaking the circuit I provide
a disc of hard wood, in the face of which four segments of brass aro
inserted, and I secure this disc to the flange of brass collar. The
conducting rods L (Figs. 2 and 5), which are insulated, are provided
with spring pressers, which bear against opposite sides of the revolving
compound disc, the one being always in contact with metal, and the
other alternately with wood and metal. From these conductors copper
wires properly insulated convey the electric current (which proceeds in
a series of pulsations or discharges) to the electrode in the gas generator.
It will be understood that when one of the coils I, is opposite the
positive pole of one magnet, the other coil is opposite the negative pole
of the other magnet of the pair; and, therefore, that by this disposition
of the magnets a great quantity of electricity is obtained, inasmuch

page_text: as the circuit is broken and completed eight times instead of four for
every rotation of the coils of the armature.
Interposed between the conductors L, L, of the several pairs of
magnets, and the electrodes of the gas generators are rods L, L*,
which connect the several pairs of magnets with the electrodes, and
form conductors for the induced electricity. By referring to Fig. 2, it
will be seen that, in addition to employing all the shafts of the running
wheels but the driving shaft for carrying and rotating armatures,
I provide also additional pairs of magnets, as at M, M, and drive the
armatures of these magnets from grooved pulleys N, on the running
wheels (see Fig. 1); by means of metal straps which pass from such
pulleys over pulleys O, on the axles of the armatures. An arrangement
of levers and rods for cutting off and regulating the supply of gas to the
burners and of air to the serpentine pipes is shewn at Fig. 2, but other
arrangements may be used, if thought desirable..
I will now explain my improved mode of arresting the progress of a
train by the aid of electro-magnetism. Figs. 7, shew in front and back
elevation, and also in cross section, a running wheel fitted according
to this part of my Invention. P, P, are two temporary electro-magnets
attached to the wheel and made of soft iron (insulated), and covered
with insulated copper wire. The outer ends of these bars of soft iron
project through the periphery of the wheel, and carry flange pieces
which fit into recesses made in the periphery, and as the wheel rotates
are brought into contact with the rail. Q, Q, are insulated brass rings
affixed to the side of the wheel, and to these rings are respectively
attached, as shewn, by soldering. Through the engine or carriage-
frame two brass bolts R slide (one only is shewn in the Draw-
ing), and by means of a spring bearing upon their rear end they
have always a tendency to keep in contact severally with one of the
rings Q. These bolts are connected by wires to opposite poles of tho
electro-magnetic apparatus, and they are held back from contact with
the rings Q, by means of a parallel motion S, capable of being actuated
by the engine-driver or brakesman. A horizontal rod of this parallel
motion is brought to bear against anti-friction rollers on the forward end
of these bolts; and keep them out of contact with the rings, but by

page_text: releasing them from this pressure the bolts will come into contact with
the rings and complete the electric circuit. Electricity will now
circulate through the coils of the magnets, and as the outer ends
thereof come in contact with the rail, the wheel will have a tendency
to cling thereto, and thus the impulsive force of the train of carriages
will be checked and neutralized. When the brakesman forces the
bolts out of contact with the rings Q, the circuit will be broken, and the
attractive power of the magnets will be destroyed. I would remark
that I propose to furnish the wheels and axles of all the carriages in
the train with a like arrangement of apparatus to that described.
Figs. 8, shew in vertical and horizontal section a wheel with a wooden
filling, furnished with electro-magnets according to my Invention.
It will be readily understood that this part of my Invention is equally
applicable to the stopping of machinery in motion generally.
Having now described my Invention of "An Improved Application
of Magneto-Electricity for Driving Machinery and for Neutralizing
the Impulsive Force of Machinery in Motion," I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First, mounting the armatures of permanent magnets on the axles of
the running wheels of locomotive engines and carriages for the purpose
of actuating the magneto-electric apparatus and obtaining a current of
electricity therefrom.
And, secondly, I claim "braking" the wheels or retarding the speed
of railway carriages, and of the brake wheels of machinery generally,
for the use of electro-magnetism, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Scipion Rousselot, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
four.