A NEW OR IMPROVED ELECTRO MAGNETIC TRANSMITTER
Year: 1886

page_text: I, ALEXANDER HENRY REED, of Suffolk House, Laurence Pountney Hill, Cannon
Street, in the city of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said
invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED ELECTRO MAGNETIC TRANSMITTER 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 to electro magnetic conveyances or transmitters, and it
consists in the novel combination of devices hereinafter described and claimed,
reference being made to the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention;
in which
Fig. 1 represents a sectional side view.
Fig. 2 is a transverse section in the plane xx, fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an inverted plan of one of the helices on a larger scale than the previous
figures.
Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section when the core or carriage extends through more
than two helices.
Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the connections fig. 4, the several helices being
placed in a position parallel to each other instead of their true position in line with
cach other, in order to be able to show said connections.
Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the guide through the helices on which the core
or carriage travels, made in the form of a trough, and which may be made of any
desired cross section.
Fig. 7 is a transverse section of fig. 6.
Fig. 8 shows the guide made in the form of a skeleton track and which may
consist of two or more rails.
Fig. 9 is a transverse section of fig. 8.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

page_text: In this drawing the letter A designates a tube of brass or any other suitable
non-magnetic substance. Upon this tube are mounted at stated intervals at a
greater or less distance from one another, a series of helices B B1 B2 B³, wound upon
spools of wood or other non-conductor of electricity. The arrangement of the
helices apart from each other allows of the construction of the apparatus in curved
as well as in straight lines. This arrangement also lessens the cost of construction
as less wire is required than when the helices are in juxtaposition, and by lessening
the number of contact points, which is accomplished by thus arranging the helices
apart from each other, the expense of maintaining the apparatus is reduced. It
furthermore allows the carriage to move freely in its track without material
resistance from the air, as the air is free to pass out between the helices.
In the example shown in figures.1, 2, and 3, the tube A is made of brass, baving
one end of the wire from each helix brazed or soldered or otherwise metallically
connected thereto, while the other end of each helix is connected respectively to a
contact piece D D¹ which has a contact point a of platinum attached thereto (best
seen in tigs. 2 and 3). Through the flanges of the spools containing the helices
B B B B extends an electric conductor E which is insulated from the tube A and
from the helices, and on this conductor are mounted a series of magnets F F F F³
which in the example shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3 have the form of horse shoes and
which embrace the helices B, B1, B2, B³ respectively. These magnets are so con-
structed that they can swing a limited distance upon the conductor in a plane at
right angles to the axis of the tube A.
G is the body or carriage which fits the tube A and to which motion is to be
imparted. In the example shown in the drawing this carriage is made in the formn
of a permanent magnet, but a carriage of soft iron may be used as hereinafter
described. The opposite poles of this magnetic carriage are marked N and S in
fig. 1, while 'the opposite poles of the magnets F F F F³ are marked n and s (sce
figs. 2 and 3). The tube A connects by a wire 10 with one pole of a generator.
of electricity such as a dynamo electric machine H and the conductor E connects
by a wire 11' with the opposite pole of said dynamo machine.
When the carriage G is introduced into the tube A in the direction of arrow 1,
the north pole n of magnet F is attracted by the south pole S of said carriage as
soon as the same comes approximately opposite to the magnet and it is brought in
contact with the platinum point of the contact piece D, a circuit is closed through
wire 11, conductor E, magnet F, contact piece D, helix B, tube A, and wire 10,
back to the dynamo machine, the helix B is vitalized and by the axial magnetism
the carriage G is moved forward in the tube A. As soon as the south pole S comes
opposite to the north pole n of the magnet F¹ the helix B¹ is vitalized and a fresh
impulse is imparted to the carriage and so on by every helix through which the
carriage passes. At the same time whenever the centre or neutral point of the
carriage passes the north pole of one of the magnets F F F F³ the contact
previously made between said magnet and the corresponding helix is broken and
the vitalization of this helix stops. In order to impart to the carriage a continuous
motion through the tube A, it is necessary that the length of the carriage and the
distance between the several helices shall be so proportioned that the successive
helices are vitalized in time to keep up the motion of the carriage, or in other
words, the length of the carriage must at least be equal to the distance between
the magnets FF of the helices B B³ in order to insure its start; after starting, the
helices may be further apart. But the proportions above mentioned are preferable
in order that there may be no dead or neutral point in the apparatus, or in other
words, the carriage should be of at least such length that should the circuit become
broken through accident or otherwise, and the core or carriage coine to rest, it
cannot come to rest at any point but that when the circuit is again completed it
will be in position to be acted upon by the helices, and will resume its movement
If desired the carriage can be made of any desired greater length.

page_text: In figs. 4 and 5 the horse shoe magnets F F F F³ are substituted for the steel
bar magnets F F F F F F F When the carriage is introduced at Be the
the magnet F is attracted against contact n (fig. 5) and a circuit is closed through
wire 12, contact nº, magnet Foe, wire 20, helix B5 and wires 21, 13, back to the
dynamo machine, the helix B5 is vitalized and causes the carriage to move in the
direction of the arrow marked thereon in fig. 4. When the carriage has reached
the position shown in fig. 4, the south poles of the magnets F and F are attracted
against the contacts and 8 respectively (fig. 5) while the north poles of the
magnets F2 and F are attracted against their contacts n and m respectively.
A current passes from the dynamo machine through wires 12 and 18, contact n²,
magnet F02 wire 19, helices B1 B2, wire 16, magnet F4, contact s¹, and wires 17
and 13, back to the dynamo machine and a small portion of the current also passes
from the dynamo machine through wires 12 and 14 to contact n¹ thence through
magnet For and wire 15 to the helices B B B2 and through wire 16, magnet Fo
contact 8; wires 17 and 13 back to the dynamo machine and the carriage keeps
moving in the direction of the arrow marked on it in fig. 4. As the movement of
the carriage proceeds the magnets F03 F02 F01 are successively changed until the
carriage finally stops. In this case the tube A can be dispensed with but the
helices B B1 B2 B3 B* B³ are vitalized and devitalized by the action of the carriage
the same as in the example shown in figs. 1, 2, and 3.
If the apparatus is to be used for transporting purposes the carriage must be
made hollow and of a size suitable for the purpose for which it is designed.
The tube A can be made circular or of any other desired cross section, or a trough
or a track may be substituted for the tube.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1
1. The combination with a series of three or more helices placed at suitable
distances apart, and with a tube, trough, or track extending through said helices of
a hollow core or carriage which can freely pass through said helices, a series of
circuit closers, one for each helix, detached from said carriage, and their connections
with a dynamo machine or other source of electricity said circuit closers being
actuated by the passing carriage and serving to close and break the circuits through
the successive helices in the series substantially as described.
2. The combination substantially as herein shown and described with a series of
helices placed in line with each other and with a magnetic core or carriage which
can freely pass through all the helices of a series of circuit closers actuated by the
magnetic influence of the core or carriage, contacts for said circuit closers, and the
connections of these contacts and of the helices with a dynamo machine or other
source of electricity.
3. The combination substantially as herein shown and described of a tube,
trough, or track, a series of surrounding helices, a magnetic carriage constructed to
move upon the track through the helices, a series of circuit closers actuated by the
magnetic influence of the carriage, and their connections with a dynamo machine
or other source of electricity.
4. The combination with a metallic tube, trough, or track connected to one pole
of a generator of electricity, of a series of helices which surround said tube or
track, and one end of each of which connects with said tube or track, a series of
contacts, one for each helix and connected to the other end thereof a series of
magnetic circuit closers, one for each helix, and all connected to the second pole
of the carriage constructed to pass through the successive helices, said circuit
closers being operated by the magnetic carriage, substantially as described.
5. The combination with a series of helices, three or more, provided with a series
of circuit closers, one for each helix, and a tube, trough or track extending through
the helices, of a magnetic core or carriage arranged to pass through said helices in

page_text: said tube, trough or track, said circuit closers being actuated by the magnetic
influence of the carriage, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a series of helices two or more surrounding a tube, trough,
or track, and a magnetizable core or carriage free and detached from the other
parts of the apparatus and extending at least from the inside of one helix to the
inside of the second succeeding helix, together with circuit closers for introducing
the said helices into an electric circuit substantially as described.
7. The combination of a helix, a magnet constructed to close the circuit-through
said helix, and a core or carriage constructed to pass through said helix and to
actuate said magnet, substantially as described.