IMPROVE- MENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1862

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Johann Ernst Friedrich Lüdeke
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th November 1862.
I, JOHANN ERNST FRIEDRICH LÜDEKE, of Marke, in the Kingdom of
Hanover, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MAGNETO-ELECTRIC APPARATUS FOR OBTAINING AND APPLYING MOTIVE
POWER," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improvements in apparatus actuated by
means of magneto-electricity, whereby power may be obtained applicable to
various useful purposes, such as for driving machinery, or propelling carriages
or vessels.
One form of apparatus consists of a square foundation plate, having four
vertical standards supporting a table, from the under part of which is sus-
pended by means of two rods a double bar of brass, between which a series of
permanent horse-shoe magnets, of five or other number, are clamped and held
firmly in an inverted position by means of nuts and screws. A corresponding
double brass bar of smaller dimensions serves to clamp in like manner a
similar series or number of flat iron needles or pointers, the points of the
needles standing vertically uppermost, and the lower part or flat head forming
the armatures for the magnets. This double bar is suspended by rods, and
moves either on a pivot, knife edge, or hinge.
In the centre of the table is suspended a pendulum, the rod of which is

page_text: formed like a double fork, the prongs of which pass on each side of the magnets
and needles, and at the central part of this fork the metal is enlarged to allow
of a horizontal pivot being inserted, which passes through the centre of the
double bars of the magnets, the pendulum itself reaching almost to the foun-
dation plate. On each side of this pendulum are arranged pillars on which
are supported bell crank levers, which give motion and alternate vibration to
the pendulum by means of descending levers from the bell cranks, which are
provided at their lower part with small friction wheels to act against the
surface of the pendulum.
The extremity of the horizontal arms of the bell-crank levers pass one in
front and the other behind the pendulum, and there is attached to each a
wire or cord ascending to the bars of the needles, and secured thereto one on
each side by means of a stud or projection. Thus it will be evident, that as
the pendulum vibrates from side to side, together with the magnets, the
needles will be magnetized by the north and south poles of the magnets alter-
uately passing under them, by which the needles will be attracted and drawn
alternately towards the north or south pole (the apparatus standing in a
direction to allow of the line of magnets lying due east and west). This
alternate rocking motion of the needles and their double bar actuates the studs
on each side thereof, and consequently draws each cord or wire alternately
upwards, whereby descending arm of each bell-crank lever is simultaneously
forced against the side of the pendulum, thereby producing a continuous
motion of the apparatus.
A modification of the foregoing principle consists in the arrangement of a
series of permanent magnets placed horizontally on a standard and within a
drum, which rests on an axis near the centre of the magnets; each side of the
periphery of the drum is supplied with a row or circle of the rocking needles,
as before described, each needle working in a slot or opening in the periphery
of the drum or cylinder. It will thus be obvious, that as the needles pass
front of the north and south poles of the magnets they will become mag-
netized, and diverge the one series to the north and the other to the south, as
in the first form of apparatus, and a continuous rotary motion will be effected
by these influences:
in
Another modification of the Invention consists of a bed plate and two
standards supporting a fixed axis, which passes through the centre of a rotating
horizontal drum; this fixed axis supports a series of permanent magnets. As
in the last instance, four or more rows of rocking needles are set in bearings
from end to end of the cylinder.
The influence of the magnets upon the armatures of the rows of rocking

page_text: needles, and the attraction created thereby will communicate a rotary
motion to the cylinder, and a driving pulley or a toothed wheel being attached
to the axis of the drum, power may be communicated to drive machinery, or
to propel carriages or vessels, by means of driving straps or other ordinary
gearing. In both these latter instances the apparatus must be placed so that
the needles shall rock towards the north and south poles, as in the first
example.