Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Producing Periodical or Intermittent Motion by Electricity.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 21st Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Producing Periodical or
Intermittent Motion by Electricity.
I, HENRY BOSWELL PALMER, of 12, Elysium Row, King's Road, Fulham, in
the County of Middlesex, Railway Official, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:—
This invention relates primarily to means or apparatus for automatically pro-
ducing by means of electricity rotary or other motion or movement at any
pre-arranged periods or intervals, and in one or more devices or instruments.
The invention chiefly consists in the combination with an electric contact maker
of an automatic gravity balance containing mercury or other suitable liquid or
medium, the said contact maker having its position periodically and automatically
changed or altered, thereby alternately making and breaking or closing and
interrupting an electric circuit and bringing into action solenoids or electro magnets
or permanent magnets, or any or all of these in combination. The solenoid cores
or the armatures of the magnets are thereby caused to move and their movements
are transmitted to the devices or instruments which are to receive rotary or other
motion. In the preferred arrangement the movements of the solenoid cores or of
the armatures are also caused to alter the position of the contact maker and gravity
balance, the action being thus reciprocal, that is to say the contact maker makes
and breaks the circuit in which the solenoids or electro magnets are arranged and
thereby acts upon them while the solenoid cores or the armatures when thus acted
upon alter the position of the contact maker and gravity balance. Instead of the
contact maker I can employ for the purpose of making and breaking the contact
an electric pendulum or an oscillating armature or a small electro-motor.
The invention is applicable to a variety of purposes in which intermittent move-
ment, rotary or otherwise is required; for example it may be used to bring into
view in succession a number of pictures or advertisements carried by a revolving
disc or on a slide, band or tablet, in which case a magic lantern or other optical
instrument may be employed in combination therewith."
The invention can be carried into effect in various ways. According to one
modification I mount loosely upon a horizontal spindle a contact maker and gravity
balance, there are in the contact maker two chambers one at each side of the
spindle or axis, these chambers communicating through a restricted aperture;
the size of this aperture is preferably adjustable. These two chambers contain a
certain amount of mercury or other suitable liquid or medium and below them is
a third chamber containing an amount of free mercury or liquid, or it may be
small shot or other suitable medium. The contact maker and gravity balance are
fixed to a pawl plate and on the spindle upon which these are loosely mounted
there are fixed a ratchet wheel and a disc or screen carrying the pictures or objects
which are required to be intermittently moved so as to be brought in succession
into view. It will be readily understood that when the position of the balance is
changed in the one direction the pawl will move the ratchet wheel the distance of
one tooth together with the disc, and that when the position is changed in the
other direction the pawl will ride over the ratchet tooth; consequently the wheel
and disc are moved once for every two movements of the balance; but this
arrangement can be varied. Connected with the respective ends of the balance
are the cores of two solenoids which are both in connection with one pole of a
battery the other pole of which is connected with two contacts, ri.-one at the
lower part of each chamber of the balance. The balance has two other contacts
and these contacts are respectively in connection with the two solenoids. The

page_text: circuit between the two contacts in each chamber is alternately made and broken
by the mercury as follows,-Supposing the position of the balance has just been
changed, the mercury in the third chamber will have run to the lower end of this
chamber and will keep the balance in its changed position. The mercury in what
is now the higher of the two upper chambers of the balance will gradually flow
through the restricted aperture into the lower of these chambers, breaking the
circuit in the upper chamber and when the mercury in the lower chamber has risen
to a sufficient level to connect the two contacts of same the circuit with one of
the solenoids is closed and the solenoid core is drawn into its coil; this movement
of the core draws down the end of the balance with which it is connected and
therefore changes the position of the balance. The mercury then begins to flow
through the restricted aperture to the other of the two chambers until the circuit
with the other solenoid is closed and the position of the balance again changed.
As has been already explained the intermittent movements of the balance produce
an intermittent movement of the disc or screen or other device. The same result
can be obtained by arranging a series of permanent magnets with their poles at
right angles to the disc or screen and their crowns across the spindle, motion being
given by electro-magnets which attract and repel the permanent magnets and the
electro-magnets being alternately charged by the action of the contact maker.
According to another modification I fit the contact maker at each end with
horns which are respectively acted upon by the pole pieces of two electro magnets
when the circuit with the one or the other is closed by the mercury in the
manner already explained, so that the position of the contact maker is changed,
and arrange in the same circuits as these electro magnets two other electro
magnets which have a common armature in the form of a ratchet wheel which
they alternately act upon and move, the action being similar to that in an
electric engine. This ratchet wheel is fixed to the shaft of the disc or screen or
other device.
Or instead of the two other electro magnets in the last described modification
I employ electro magnets whose armature forms one arm of a lever or bar which
every time the armature is attracted acts by means of a pawl upon a ratchet
wheel carried by the spindle of the disc or screen. This may be so arranged
that the armature is attracted once for every two movements of the contact maker.
Or when I use an armature forming one arm of a lever or bar which moves the
ratchet wheel as just explained I pivot to the lever near its other end a vertical rod
which is forked at its upper end. The branches of this fork act alternately upon
corresponding pins on the contact maker and gravity balance so that when this end
of the lever rises the fork pushes up the pin which for the time being is the lower
and thereby alters the position of the balance.
When I employ an electric pendulum instead of the contact maker and gravity
balance the pendulum imparts motion to a disc having a series of alternate contacts
which on the one hand are brought successively in connection with one pole of the
battery, and on the other hand are connected respectively with two commutator
rings. These rings are respectively connected with two electro-magnets which
impart intermittent motion to the screen or device which it is required to inter-
mittently move.
can
When employ an armature oscillating between two electro-magnets
connect it to a pawl plate which is loosely mounted on a spindle that carries a
ratchet wheel connected by suitable gearing with the rotary disc or screen or other
device, so that the latter is moved by the armature through the intermediation of
the pawl and wheel, or I can effect a similar result by means of a suitable electro
motor in place of the oscillating armature.
Dated this 25th day of March 1800
J. C. MEW BURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Producing Periodical or
Intermittent Motion by Electricity.
I, HENRY BOSWELL PALMER, of 12, Elysium Row, King's Road, Fulham, in
the County of Middlesex, Railway Official, 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 relates primarily to means or apparatus for automatically
producing by means of electricity rotary or other motion or movement at any
pre-arranged periods or intervals and in one or more devices or instruments.
The invention primarily consists in the combination with an electric contact
maker of an automatic gravity balance containing mercury or other suitable liquid
or medium, the said contact maker having its position periodically and automatically
changed or altered, thereby alternately making and breaking or closing and
interrupting an electric circuit and bringing into action electro-magnets or permanent
magnets or solenoids, or any or all of these in combination. The armatures of the
magnets or the solenoid cores are thereby caused to move and their movements are
transmitted to the devices or instruments which are to receive rotary or other
motion. In the preferred arrangement the movements of the armatures or of the
solenoid cores are also caused to alter the position of the contact maker and gravity
balance, the action being thus reciprocal, that is to say the contact maker makes
and breaks the circuit in which the electro magnets or solenoids are arranged and
thereby acts upon them while the armatures or the solenoid cores when thus acted
Instead of the
upon alter the position of the contact maker and gravity balance.
contact maker I can employ for the purpose of making and breaking the contact
an electric pendulum.
The invention is applicable to a variety of purposes in which intermittent move-
ment, rotary or otherwise, is required; for example it may be used to bring into
view in succession a number of pictures or advertisements carried by a revolving
disc or on a slide, band or tablet, in which case a magic lantern or other optical
instrument may be employed in combination therewith.
The invention can be carried into effect in various ways. One modification is
represented in Figures 1 to 5, Figure 1 being a front elevation, Figure 2 a plan
and Figure 3 a side elevation of the apparatus as applied to bringing into view in
succession a number of pictures or advertisements on a revolving disc in connection
with a magic lantern. Figure 4 is a front elevation on a larger scale of the contact
maker and gravity balance and Figure 5 is a view of the contact maker only in the
reverse position to that seen in Figure 4. In this modification I mount loosely
upon a horizontal spindle a a contact maker and gravity balance c; there are in
the contact maker & two chambers d and e one at each side of the spindle or axis a,
these chambers communicating through a restricted aperture f; the size of this
aperture is preferably adjustable. These two chambers d and e contain a certain
amount of mercury or other suitable liquid or medium, and below them is a third
chamber or gravity balance c containing an amount of free mercury or liquid or it
may be small shot or other suitable medium. The contact maker and gravity
balance are fixed to a pawl plate g and on the spindle a upon which these are
loosely mounted there are fixed a ratchet wheel and a disc or screen j carrying
the pictures or objects which are required to be intermittently moved so as to be
and
brought in succession into view, as for instance in line with the lenses p
reflectors of the magic lantern. It will be readily understood that when the position of
the balance and contact maker is changed in the one direction the pawl will move
the ratchet wheel the distance of one tooth together with the discj and that
when the position is changed in the other direction the pawl will ride over the
ratchet tooth; consequently the wheel and discj are moved once for every two
movements of the balance (but this arrangement can be varied). m is a stop wheel

page_text: for determining the movement in conjunction with the pawls and o.
Connected
to the pawl plate g (or it might be directly or otherwise indirectly connected to
the respective ends of the balance) are the armatures of two electro magnets
(or it might be the cores of two solenoids connected with the respective ends of the
balance) which are both in connection with one pole of a battery, the other pole
of which is connected with two contacts, I and 2, ez-one at the lower part of
each chamber de of the contact maker. The contact maker has two other
contacts 3 and 4 and these contacts are respectively in connection with the two
electro magnets. The circuit between the two contacts in each chamber riz.
between 1 and 3 and between 2 and 4 is alternately made and broken by the
mercury as follows. Supposing the position of the balance has just been changed,
the mercury in the third chamber e will have run to the lower end of this chamber
and will keep the balance in its changed position. The mercury in what is now
the higher of the two upper chambers d and e will gradually flow through the
restricted aperture into the lower of these chambers breaking the circuit in
the upper chamber and when the mercury in this lower chamber has risen to a
sufficient level to connect the two contacts of same, the circuit with one of the
electro magnets is closed and the armature is attracted; this movement of the
armature draws down that end of the balance with which it is connected and there-
fore changes the position of the balance. The mercury then begins to flow
through the restricted aperture to the other of the two chambers until the
circuit with the other electro magnet is closed and the position of the balance
again changed. As has been already explained the intermittent movements of
the balance produce an intermittent movement of the disc or screen (or other
device) I find in practice that the lower chamber e is not essential and may be
dispensed with if the position of the contacts 1 and 3 relatively to each other,
and similarly the position of the contacts 2 and 4 relatively to each other, and
the quantity of mercury in the contact maker are such that when the mercury is
flowing through the restricted passage from the chamber d to the chamber & or
rice-cers it makes contact between 2 and 4 about the time that it breaks contact
between 1 and 3 and vice-versú so that the required alternation of the electric
circuits is produced and the two ends of the pivoted contact maker bare
alternately attracted by the respective electro magnets.
According to another modification which is represented in front elevation in
Figure 6 and in side elevation in Figure 71 fit the contact maker at each
end with horns, which are respectively acted upon by the pole pieces of two
electro magnets, when the circuit with the one or the other is closed by the
mercury in the manner already explained so that the position of the contact
maker is changed and I arrange in the same circuits as these electro magnets as
shown two other electro magnets t, which have a common armature in the form
of a ratchet wheel which they alternately act upon and move. This ratchet
wheel is fixed to the shaft a of the disc or screen or other device.
Or instead of the two other electro magnets, in the last described modification
I employ an electro magnet as shown in Figure 8 whose armature forms one arm
of a lever or bar which every time the armature is attracted acts by means of a
pawl upon a ratchet wheel carried by the spindle a of the disc or screen j. This
may be so arranged that the armature is attracted once for every two movements
of the contact maker.
When employ an electric pendulum iustead of the contact maker and gravity
balance the pendulum imparts motion to a disc having a series of alternate contacts
which on the one hand are brought successively in connection with one pole of the
battery and on the other hand are connected respectively with two commutator
rings. These rings are respectively connected with two electro magnets which
impart intermittent motion to the screen or device which it is required to intermit-
tently move.
This modification is shown in front elevation in Figure 9 while Figure 10 is a
transverse section of the contact disc. e is the electric pendulum and 1, are the

page_text: electro magnets which actuate the same. The pendulum imparts motion through
the intermediation of the pawl z, ratchet wheel y, pins and ratchet wheel A (or
otherwise) to a disc B having a series of alternate contacts 1, 2-1, 2-which on
the one hand are brought successively by a spring 5 in connection with one pole
of the battery and on the other hand are connected with two commutator rings 6, 7.
These rings are respectively connected as shown with the two electro magnets t, t
which impart intermittent motion to the shaft a of the disc j or device to be inter-
mittently moved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim in respect of means or apparatus for producing periodical or intermittent
motion by electricity is :-
:—
1. A contact maker containing mercury or other suitable liquid or medium and
having contacts connected with a battery and with electro magnets the armatures
of which are respectively connected directly or indirectly to opposite parts of the
contact maker (or with solenoids the cores of which are respectively connected
with opposite parts of the contact maker), the arrangement being such that the
mercury (or other medium) by moving from one part of the contact maker to
another, periodically and automatically makes and breaks the circuits of the electro
magnets (or solenoids) alternately, and that the armatures (or cores) of these,
reciprocally and automatically change the position of the contact maker, thereby
automatically producing a periodical or intermittent motion which can be utilized
for various purposes, all substantially as herein before described.
2. The apparatus for producing periodical or intermittent motion constructed
and working substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 1—5
whether the third or lower chamber c be employed or not.
3. The apparatus for producing periodical or intermittent motion constructed
and working substantially as herein before described and represented in Figures 6
and 7.
4. The apparatus for producing periodical or intermittent motion constructed
and working substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figure 8.
5. The apparatus for producing periodical or intermittent motion constructed
and working substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in Figures 9
and 10.
Dated this 29th day of December 1890.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 and 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.