IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1885

page_text: I ALFRED GEORGE BROOKES of the firm of Wm Brookes & Son of 55 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do
hereby declare the nature of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GENERATION
AND DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRICITY AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has for its object to enable power to be economically and
conveniently employed for generating electricity, and the said electricity then to
be employed for any of the usual purposes for which electricity is used, either for
producing light or heat or mechanical power.
Usually when electrical energy of any kind is to be distributed among various
consumers it has been common to generate the electricity at one main station and
then convey it by suitable conductors to the various stations or buildings where it
is to be used, and the generator of the electricity is not under the control of the
consumer.
The present invention is embodied in an apparatus in which a mechanical power
or motor is employed to actuate an electrical generator, the said motor being
controlled by an electro magnet, the circuit of which extended to all the points
at which the electricity is to be used.
When several different instruments are to be operated by the current produced
by a single generator the said instruments will be arranged in multiple arc circuit,
and each branch circuit containing an instrument will have a corresponding
substitute branch of substantially the same resistance which will be closed when
the branch containing the instrument is opened thus maintaining the circuit of the
generator substantially uniform.
The switches or keys controlling the circuit of the magnet that controls the
motor are preferably operatively connected with the switches controlling the
circuits of the instruments, in such a manner that when the circuit of any instrument

page_text: is closed the motor will be set in operation and it will remain in operation until all
the switches controlling the instruments are opened, so that no one consumer can
cut off the power when others are desirous of using it.
The drawing shows in diagram the apparatus for distributing power and
electricity in accordance with this invention.
The electric generator a of any suitable or usual construction is actuated by any
suitable mechanical motor b, which is itself actuated by the pressure of a fluid in
the pipe c which may be the steam pipe from a steam generator or may be connected
with a street main for supplying compressed air as a motive power.
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The flow of fluid through the pipe c, to the motor b is controlled by the valve h
the stem of which is provided with a bell crank lever h¹ one arm of which is acted
upon by a weight h² tending to move it in the direction to close the valve, and the
other arm of which is connected with a piston k, operating in a cylinder k
connected with a chest itself communicating with the pipe c and containing a
fluid under pressure, which when admitted to the cylinder will move the piston k
and connected lever h¹ opening the valve h.
The admission of fluid from the chest 2 into the cylinder is controlled by a
valve m operated by the armature of an electro magnet m¹ which when energized
attracts the said armature, opens the valve m and permits the fluid to pass into the
cylinder to act on the piston / therein.
The said piston has a loose fit in the cylinder k¹ but when pressed forward comes
to a seat upon the head preventing the free escape of the fluid around the piston
the pressure of which behind it keeps it pressed against its seat.
The piston is not however absolutely tight on its seat and when the valve m
is closed so as to no longer maintain a supply of fluid behind the piston the fluid
in the cylinder will escape permitting the weight h² to dislodge the piston k from
its seat when it will be moved back through the cylinder the fluid in the cylinder
escaping around the piston which is however cushioned by the said fluid.
The circuit of the generator a consists of wires 2. 3. from either terminal thereof,
having branches 4 connecting them, and including the instruments n of any suitable
or usual construction for utilizing the electricity the said instruments being either
electro-motors for doing mechanical work, or lamps, or heating devices as may be
desired.
The branches 4 also include switches o by which they may be opened or closed
to set the instruments n in operation or to cause them to cease operating.
In order to keep the resistance substantially uniform in the circuit and
instruments n that are in operation when one or more of the said instruments n
are thrown out of operation, branches 5 are employed containing resistance n'
equal to that of the instruments n the resistance preferably being of such nature
that the current flowing through it may be utilized in some manner, it being
possible to place such resistance at any desired point so that as the instruments in
are open circuited the substitute branches will be closed and the resistance n¹
included in the circuit, the switches & being arranged to close the branches 5, in the
movement by which they open the branches 4.
In order that the generator may be set in operation whenever one or more of
the instruments n are to be used the circuit 6 of the battery B* and magnet m'
controlling the valve m and through it the valve h is provided with closing
branches 7, including switches o¹ mechanically connected with the switches o so
that when the latter are moved to open or close the branches 4 containing the
intruments the branches 7, will also be opened and closed and it is only when all
the said branches are opened or all the instruments n thrown out of operation that
the said circuit 6 will be opened causing the valves m and to close and thus
stopping the motor.
If desired, the switches o o¹, may be operated automatically as by an electro
magnet included in that portion of the branch 4 which is left open when the
branch 5 containing the substitute instrument n' is closed.

page_text: The switch will be provided with an armature for the said magnet p which so
long as the branch 4 remains closed will retain the switch o. o¹ in position to close
the branches 4 and 7 but in case of the breaking of the branch 4 as by the
destruction of the instrument n therein the switch being no longer held by its
magnet will be moved by its retracting spring p' to close the branch 5.
When the power for a number of different substations or buildings is to be
derived from one common or main station the power or prime motor M at the
main station (a portion of which is shown) will be employed to compress air into a
main reservoir A. from which the air will be conveyed by suitable main pipes B
leading through the streets to small branch or service pipes C leading into each
building or substation which is provided with a reservoir D that supplies the pipe c
leading to the motor as before described.
The reservoir D will be of sufficient size to store power enough to drive the
motor for a considerable length of time in case the supply from the main pipe B
should be exhausted.
The pipe C is provided with a check valve E which prevents the air from
escaping from the reservoir D back into the pipe B when the pressure in the said
pipe is below that in the reservoir D.
By the employment of reservoirs D at each sub-station the motor at the main
station may be run practically continuously compressing air, which is stored in the
various reservoirs so that it may be used during a portion of the time at a rate
greater than that which the main motor is capable of supplying if operating only
while the consumption was going on.
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. In an apparatus for distribution of electricity a mechanical motor and electric
generator actuated thereby combined with an electro magnet controlling the
application of power to the said motor and circuit therefor, and a circuit for the
said generator and instrument operated by the current therein and switches con-
trolling the circuit of the said instruments and the circuit of the controlling magnet
substantially as described.
2. In an apparatus for distribution of electricity a motor and electric generator
actuated thereby, and an electro magnet controlling the application of power to the
said motor combined with a circuit from the said generator having branches each
containing apparatus for utilising the electric current, and a circuit for the motor
controlling magnet, and a switch controlling both the said circuits simultaneously
substantially as described.
3. In an apparatus. for distribution of electricity a motor and electric generator
actuated thereby and an electro magnet controlling the application of power to the
said motor combined with a circuit from the said generator having branches con-
taining electrical instruments, and substitute branches of equal resistance, and a
circuit for the motor controlling magnet, and switches controlling the branches of
the generator circuit and the circuit of the generator controlling magnet simul-
taneously substantially as described.
4. A system for distributing power and electricity comprising the following
elements in combination, a main station containing a main reservoir for fluid under
pressure substations each containing a reservoir connected by pipes with the main
reservoir and a motor and electric generator actuated thereby; and an electro
magnet controlling the passage of fluid from the reservoir to the motor, and circuit
for the said generator and controlling magnet, having circuit controlling instruments
accessible in common substantially as described.
5. The combination of a prime motor for storing power, a secondary motor
adapted to be actuated thereby, an electric generator actuated by the said secondary
motor, and an electro magnet, circuit and circuit controlling device governing the
application of power to the secondary motor, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. The combination of a prime motor operating to accumulate a fluid under
pressure, a main reservoir for said fluid and distributing pipes leading therefrom
secondary reservoirs connected with said pipes at sub-stations where the power is
to be used, secondary motors and electric generators actuated thereby at the said
sub stations; and electro magnets, circuits, and circuit controlling devices governing
the application of power to the secondary motors substantially as described.