OBTAINING motive POWER BY THE ELECTRIC CURRENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, ROBERT BODDY GANT, of 39 Artillery Place Woolwich Kent, Chemist and
Druggist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for OBTAINING motive
POWER BY THE ELECTRIC CURRENT, to be as follows:-
An Armature or Motor formed in the shape of a drum, or short cylinder has on
its periphery a number of bar electro-magnets which act and re-act by attraction
and repulsion on field magnets, causing rapid revolution on its axis. By the
construction of the motor, and the peculiar arrangement of the magnets, the
principles of leverage, momentum, and induction are combined in an advantageous
manner, so as to produce the greatest amount of power, with a comparatively small
expenditure of electric energy.

page_text: '
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
o
I, ROBERT BODDY GANT, of 39 Artillery Place Woolwich, in the county of
Kent, Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER BY THE ELECTRIC CURRENT, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement.
An armature or motor formed in the shape of a drum, or short cylinder is to be
constructed of wood or metal in the lightest manner consistent with sufficient
strength, having an axle in the centre of its diameter with suitable bearings. On
the periphery is to be placed, parallel with the axis, a number of bar electro-
magnets, close together, and completely surrounding the armature. Any number
of magnets may be employed, even numbers being the best, eight to sixteen being
the most practicable for medium sized Motors. The magnets are to be made of soft
iron, wound in the usual way with insulated copper wire *leaving about an eighth
part of the length bare or unwound at each end*. The end of each winding is to
be joined to the beginning of the next, so as to form one unbroken circuit or series
throughout. At the junction of each two wires as just described a conducting wire
is to be connected, and continued down to the contact-breaker, or pole-reverser as
it may be termed, which is placed on the axle.
The electric current is to be conveyed to the contact-breaker by springs or
brushes in connection with the source of electricity.
In order to bind the whole motor together and to conduct the magnetism of the
armature to the field magnets; a band or hoop of soft iron or iron wire is to
encircle the poles of the armature where the metal is left bare as above described
(see above).
+
The field magnets are placed one on each side of the armature, perpendicularly,
the length being about three fourths the diameter of the armature. The width of
the field magnets is the same as the width of the periphery. The poles are
inverted, and hollowed out to meet the poles of the armature. The field magnets,
relatively to each other, are of opposite polarity, with the revolving armature
between them.
The width of the periphery of the motor is about the same as the length of its
radius.
The method of working the motor is as follows. The carbon electrode of
a battery is connected with the binding screw on the left of the contact breaker,
the zinc being in connection with the other binding screw on the right. The
current traverses the conductor to the junction on the left, where it divides into
two branches, one traversing the magnets on the upper half of the motor making
north poles to the front, the other branch traversing the magnets on the lower half
'of the armature making south poles to the front. The current re-unites at the
junction on the right hand and passes to the battery. The effect of this is, that
the iron band or hoop surrounding the armature magnets is made strongly
magnetic, top and bottom being of opposite polarity, and is attracted or repelled by
the field magnets according to their relative position. The upper or lower
magnetism remains constant, in consequence of the successive contact of each
conducting wire with the springs, and which wire also conveys the current to the
magnet to which it is connected. To reverse the motion, reverse the connections
with the battery.

page_text: The features of this invention are
1st Novelty of construction. The leading idea being to obtain leverage by
increasing the diameter. Each armature magnet may be considered to be on one
end of a lever, the other end on the axle, thus applying the power in the most
advantageous manner. The diameter to be increased according to power required.
2nd Increased momentum.-For the same reason, the greater part of the weight
being placed on the periphery, the important mechanical principle of momentum is
recognised and applied to assist the developement of the motive power required.
3rd Saving of current by division.-It will be seen by the drawing that on
applying the current, it divides into two branches, one going through the top set of
magnets, the other through the lower set, making them of opposite polarity, these
two currents attract and strengthen each other by induction, thus effecting a
saving in the main current employed..
Lastly, motors constructed on the principles above described, will do a larger
amount of work, or require a less amount of current to work them, than motors
constructed on methods where those principles are not sufficiently recognised.
It should have been mentioned before, that the field magnets may be either
perinanent magnets, or if electro-magnets, they may be put in circuit with the
armature, or magnetised by an independent source of electricity.
•
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
A is the revolving armature or motor. B. the hoop or band encircling the
armature magnetic poles; a similar band encircles the other end of the magnets,
not shewn in the drawing. C, the conducting wires to the contact-breaker, or pole-
reverser D. D, has on its circumference as many copper plates, insulated from each
other, as there are magnets. E, the wires connecting the motor with the source of
electricity, e, the springs or brushes continuing the samé. F, the field magnets.
N, and S, are north or south poles respectively.
The arrows inside the circumference of the motor, show the direction of the
current and its division.
The arrows on the armature magnets show the direction in which the magnets
are wound with insulated wire.
The arrows outside the motor show the direction in which it revolves.
The arrows at E or e show the direction of the current from the battery.
Baving 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
1st Novelty of construction.-The body or frame of the motor being constructed
in the lightest manner, of metal, or preferably of wood to ensure insulation, the
axial length being short while the radius is lengthened to utilise the power
employed.
2nd A new method of placing the armature-magnets, and connecting them in
such manner that a division of the current is generated, rendering it unnecessary to
have more than two springs or brushes to conduct the electric current.
3rd I claim as new, the band, ring, or hoop of soft iron or iron wire encircling
the motor on each side, and closely fitting the poles of the armature-magnets, where
the metal is left bare in the winding, as described on page 1 of the complete
specification.