Improvements in Reciprocating Electric Engines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1991
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Reciprocating Electric Engines.
I, CHARLES JOSEPH VAN DEPOELE, of Lynn, in the County of Essex and
State of Massachusetts, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in electro magnetic reciprocating engines
and comprises improvements upon the general invention set forth in my previous
Patents No. 34190 and No. 6378º¹.
The invention comprises an improved method of operating a reciprocating drilling
engine, together with a novel arrangement of circuits and connections whereby the
combined effects of a plurality of motor coils are imparted to a magnetic piston
adapted to be reciprocated therethrough.
The invention will be more fully set forth in the following description :
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits and connections of an electro
magnetic reciprocating engine embodying the invention.
Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 1, differing therefrom in the addition
of certain circuit shifting apparatus.
In the drawings, A, is the sectional commutator of an electro dynamic machine
of the continuous current type which, as set forth in my previous Patents, may be
either a generator producing continuous current or a motor run by a continuous
current operating as a counter electro motive force device and said commutator is
provided with the main stationary positive and negative commutator brushes
indicated by the sign. In addition to the main brushes are two moving brushes B, C,
arranged to be rotated about the commutator in any desired manner.
The reciprocating engine comprises, as here shown, three motor coils E, F, G,
and it should be understood that although I have shown only three coils and shall
describe the invention in connection therewith, that the number of coils may be
increased and other modifications made in accordance with the principles of the
invention, the principal feature of which consists in the improved method and
apparatus whereby I am enabled to operate a machine of the type hereinafter set
forth, with a three-wire circuit, whereas, as pointed out in my said prior Patents,
four wires have been required to accomplish the same result. Furthermore by
appropriately shifting the circuit connections of the centre coils the propelling force
applied to the plunger may be caused to preponderate in one direction or the other.
This latter feature I regard as of special value as, for instance, where a very heavy
drilling tool is being employed, it would be of great advantage to apply the pre-
ponderance of power to retracting the tool or lifting it from the hole, that is, in
drilling vertically downward, the conditions of course, being reversed in drilling
vertically upward. Again, where a very light tool was employed, the preponderance
of power would be directed to the power stroke in order to add to the effective
force of the blow.
As set forth in my said prior Patents, the machine embodying my improved
method comprises a continuously magnetized coil or coils the current flowing in
which is of constant or substantially constant potential, that is to say, has no defined
rise and fall. In the present instance however, the constant polarity coil is
magnetized by a rising and falling current, so that while its magnetic strength rises
and falls with each stroke or movement of the magnetic plunger, the polarity of the
said coil does not change.
As indicated, E is the central constant polarity coil, F, G, are coils placed at

page_text: each end of the central coil, and these coils are supplied with alternating currents.
A plunger H, of iron or other magnetic material is arranged to be reciprocated
within the combined coils and is magnetized by the central coil. The magnetization
of the plunger does not change although it may vary in strength, and said plunger
will therefore be alternately attracted and repelled by the alternating polarity of the
end coils. The end coils are wound or connected in opposite directions so that
whatever their polarity, like poles will exist at the extremities of said coils, that is,
north poles at their outer ends and south poles at their inner ends, or vice versa.
Current is supplied to the coils F, G, by two rotating brushes B, C which are rotated
about the commutator A, in any desired or convenient manner and which, as set
forth in my said prior Patent, will give rising and falling alternating currents the
rate of which will depend upon the speed at which the said moving brushes are
rotated about the commutator. The commutator A is connected by conductor 1,
leading from moving brush B, to the outer terminal of coil G. The inner terminal
of coil G, is connected by conductor 2, with the inner terminal of coil F, and the
outer terminal of coil F is connected by conductor 3, with the other moving
commutator brush C.
The central coil E, has one of its terminals connected with one of the main
stationary brushes of the machine, for instance, by conductor 4, with brush b, and
the other terminal of said central coil is connected to one of the alternate current
conductors, being, as shown in Fig. 1, connected by conductor 5, with conductor 3.
Since the local terminal e, of the coil E, is connected with the outer terminal of one
of the alternate current coils, this connection will be made at the machine and
consequently but three conductors 1, 3, and 4, are required to extend from the source
of current to the engine.
The local terminal e, of the constant polarity coil E, may be connected with
either one or the other of the alternate current conductors 1, 3, as indicated in
Fig. 2, where said local terminal e, has its conductor 5, provided with a switch h,
which may engage either of the contacts I, J, the contact I connecting by
conductor 6, with alternating current conductor 1, and the terminal J, by
conductor 7, with alternating current conductor 3. By closing the switch h, upon
one or other of the terminals I, J, the force of the movement of the plunger will
be greater in one direction or the other. When the switch is closed upon contact I,
the force of the plunger will preponderate in the direction of the coil F, and
vice versa.
Were the central coil E, constantly magnetized, the force of the movement of the
plunger would necessarily be equal in both directions. With the present arrange-
ment however, the central coil receives only one-half the impulses of the current,
that is to say, assuming that 400 impulses per minute pass through the alternating
current coil F, G, only 200 of said impulses will pass through the central coil E.
This results from the connection of the local terminal of the coil E, with one or
other of the alternating current conductors.
Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that when the moving brush C, is in juxta-
position to the commutator brush a, the coil E, will receive its maximum current,
whereas when the positions of the brushes are reversed, and the brush C, is opposite
or close to the commutator brush b, and the other moving brush B, in similar
relation to the moving brush a, the circuit of the coil E, will be closed upon itself
and no current can flow therein, so that the coil E, only receives every other impulse
which will necessarily be in the same direction. Naturally the magnetizing effect
of the coil E, upon the plunger will rise and fall but the sluggishness of demag-
netization thereof will prevent said plunger from entirely losing its magnetism,
although, of course, the force with which said plunger will be reacted upon by the
alternate current or motor coils F, G, will be least during the phase in which the
coil E, does not participate and strongest in the other one, thereby imparting
greater force to the movement of the said plunger in one direction than the other,
which effect may be utilized as described.

page_text: While I have described the machine as having a central continuous polarity coil
and end coils energized by alternating currents, it must be understood that, as will
be apparent to those skilled in the art, the coils may be differently disposed, for
instance, the alternate current coils might be united to form a single alternate
current coil in the centre of the machine and the continuous polarity coil be divided
and placed at the extremities of the alternate current coils, the electrical operation
of the machine however, being the same.
Various modifications and changes of the hereinbefore described apparatus can
be made without departing from the spirit or nature of the invention in view of the
principles herein set forth."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
1. A reciprocating electric engine having one set of coils adapted to be energized
by an intermittent continuous current and another set energized by alternating
currents having a defined rise and fall.
2. A reciprocating electric engine having one set of coils adapted to be energized
by an intermittent continuous current, another set of coils energized by alternating
currents having a defined rise and fall, and an iron plunger placed under the
influence of both sets of coils.
3. A reciprocating electric engine having one set of coils adapted to be energized
by an intermittent current of continuous direction, a set of coils energized by
alternating currents having a defined rise and fall, an iron plunger placed under the
influence of and adapted to be reciprocated through both sets of coils and to be
continuously magnetized by the constant polarity coil or coils, and connections
between said coil or coils and one or other of the leads of the alternate current coils,
whereby the stroke of the piston will preponderate in power in one direction or the
other, as desired.
4. In a reciprocating electric engine, the combination with the commutator of a
constant current dynamo electric machine and the main positive and negative
brushes thereof, of a pair of auxiliary commutator brushes adapted to be rotated
about said commutator, a coil or coils in circuit with the moving brushes and
supplied thereby with alternating current impulses, a constant polarity coil or coils
and connections between one terminal of said coils and one of the stationary
commutator brushes, and between the other terminal of said coil and one of the
moving commutator brushes whereby said coil is intermittently supplied with current
of continuous direction, and a magnetic plunger arranged to be reciprocated through
and by the action of the combined coils.
5. The herein described method of operating reciprocating electric engines,
having a plurality of motor coils and a magnetic piston adapted to be reciprocated
therethrough, which consists in supplying an intermittent current of constant
direction to part of the coils for magnetizing the plunger and alternating currents
to the remainder of the coils for reacting upon and reciprocating the plunger.
6. The herein described method of operating reciprocating electric engines having
a plurality of motor coils, and a magnetic piston adapted to be reciprocated through
the coils, which consists in supplying alternating currents to part of the coils for
reacting upon and reciprocating the plunger and in sending every alternate impulse,
that is, all the impulses of like direction, through the remaining coil or coils for
magnetizing the plunger.
7. The herein described method of operating reciprocating electric engines having
plurality of motor coils and a magnetic piston adapted to be reciprocated there-
through, which consists in supplying a defined rising and falling current of
alternating polarity to part of the coils for reacting upon the plunger and in
supplying every other impulse, that is, all the impulses of like direction to the

page_text: remaining coil or coils for magnetizing the plunger, the constant polarity coil also
giving a preponderance of power to one direction of stroke or the other.
Dated this Third day of April 1891.
CHARLES JOSEPH VAN DEPOELE.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.