AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF MAGNETS AND ARMATURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING ROTARY MOTION, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER OR A MAGNETIC CURRENT FOR ANY OF THE VARIOUS PURPOSES FOR WHICH SUCH CURRENT MAY BE APPLICABLE."
Year: 1878

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Inven-
tion of AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGEMENT OF MAGNETS AND
ARMATURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING ROTARY MOTION, OR OBTAINING
MOTIVE POWER OR A MAGNETIC CURRENT FOR ANY OF THE VARIOUS PURPOSES
FOR WHICH SUCH CURRENT MAY BE APPLICABLE." A communication from
abroad by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, of Rome, in the Kingdom of Italy.
Sealed the 28th March 1879, in pursuance of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, and
dated the 17th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th September 1878.
"
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGE-
MENT OF MAGNETS AND ARMATURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING ROTARY
MOTION, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER OR A MAGNETIC CURRENT FOR ANY OF THE
VARIOUS PURPOSES FOR WHICH SUCH CURRENT MAY BE APPLICABLE." [A commu-
nication from abroad by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, of Rome, in the Kingdom of
Italy.]
This Invention has for its object chiefly to obtain motive power and produce
rotary motion which may be applied for driving various kinds of machinery. The
apparatus may also be used for producing a magnetic current which may be applied
for any of the various purposes in the arts for which such currents may be usefully
employed.
The Invention consists in applying a second set of armatures to a set of per-
manent magnets in such a manner that the activity of each of the magnets is for
a time rendered inert in succession. I take advantage of this arrangement of

page_text: magnets and armatures and of the effect produced thereby to obtain motion by
means of a permanent magnet or magnets in the following or any similar way :-
A disc of metal or other material carrying a number of armatures is made to
revolve either in a horizontal or vertical direction. A number of magnets equal
to the number of armatures of soft iron are arranged round this movable disc.
By bringing one of the second armatures either into contact with or in close
proximity to one of the permanent magnets, when the magnet and armature has
been drawn together by the permanent magnetism the disc or wheel will be allowed
to pass on by the neutralized magnet and be brought into the sphere of action of
the next magnet in the series, and so on in succession, thereby producing rotary 1
motion which may be communicated by gearing or any other suitable mechanical
device to any shaft that requires to be driven. It will be understood that a current
of magnetism will be thus set up, and may be used for any of the many purposes
for which such a current may be applicable.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
March 1879.
66
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OR ARRANGE-
MENT OF MAGNETS AND ARMATURES FOR THE PURPOSE OF PRODUCING ROTARY
MOTION, OR OBTAINING MOTIVE POWER OR A MAGNETIC CURRENT FOR ANY OF THE
VARIOUS PURPOSES FOR WHICH SUCH CURRENT MAY BE APPLICABLE." A commu-
nication from abroad by Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, of Rome, in the Kingdom of
Italy.
This Invention has for its object chiefly to obtain motive power and produce
rotary motion which may be applied for driving various kinds of machinery.
The Invention consists in applying a second set of armatures, which for con-
venience sake I will designate as "counter armatures," to a set of permanent
magnets and ordinary fixed armatures in such a manner that the activity of each
of the magnets in succession or at the same moment is for a time diverted from the
fixed armatures to the counter armatures.. I take advantage of this arrangement
of magnets and armatures and of the effect produced thereby to obtain motion by
means of a permanent magnet or magnets. In the accompanying Drawing a con-
venient way of constructing, arranging, and combining the various parts of the
improved magnetic apparatus is shewn: Fig. 1 is a plan view of one set of magnets
as seen from above; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
A disc a of metal or other material carrying a number of magnets b, b, b, is
mounted on a shaft c, and made to revolve by means herein-after described in a
horizontal, vertical, or any required position. A number of fixed armatures d, d,
are arranged round this moveable disc a, or the reverse arrangement may be
employed, viz., the disc a may carry the armatures d, d, and be surrounded by the
magnets which will then be fixed or stationary, but the arrangement shewn in the
Drawing is preferred. The secondary or counter armatures e, e, are by preference
divided, that is, they consist of two pieces, which are so far apart as to be just
clear of the legs of the magnet, but they are connected together by a vertical tie
bar e. Each of these pieces e, e, is mounted in a tram carriage e² which runs upon
rails projecting outwardly on each side of the permanent magnet, and therefore the
counter armatures are carried round with the permanent magnets.
By bringing one of these secondary or counter armatures or pair of counter
armatures c, e, into close proximity to one of the permanent magnets b when the
magnet and fixed armature d have been drawn together by the permanent
magnetism, the disc a carrying the magnets will continue its revolution, not being
arrested by the power of the permanent magnet because the attractive force of the
permanent magnet is temporarily diverted from the fixed armature d by the
presence of the counter armature e.
The magnet by the revolution of the disc a will be brought into proximity to the
next fixed armature d in the series, and so on in succession, thereby producing
rotary motion which may be communicated by gearing or any other suitable
mechanical device from the spindle c to any shaft that requires to be driven.
It is preferred to arrange the counter armatures of each magnet parallel to each
other, and connected together so that they may be made to approach the poles of
the permanent magnet from without and to pass over and recede from said poles
working upon the opposite faces of the magnet. Amongst the mechanical means
by which this may be effected is a tram of brass, gun metal, or other non-magnetic
or partially non-magnetic substance arranged as shewn in the Drawing, so that .
the parts of the counter armature being placed nearly in contact with the opposite
faces of the magnet may be made to travel outwardly beyond the poles of the
magnet. The connected counter armatures may be caused to ride to and fro at

page_text: proper intervals of time by means of a bell-crank lever through a slot in which
passes the pin e¹. This lever is actuated by a succession of cams g or their
equivalents arranged outside the disc a, and as the latter travels round and carries
with it the permanent magnets b and the counter armatures e, e, the latter will be
forced in and out by the tail of the bell-crank lever coming against the fixed
cams g, g, or their equivalents.
Another mode of causing the caunter armatures to intermittently absorb the
power of the permanent magnets at the required moment is to cause said counter
armatures (by any suitable mechanical device) to slide back from the poles of the
magnet upon a wedge of brass or other non-magnetic or partially non-magnetic
substance. Or the counter armatures may each be placed excentrically within a
cylinder of brass or other non-magnetic or partially non-magnetic substance, which
cylinders may be caused by suitable means to roll backwards and forwards from
the poles of the magnet in such a manner as to interpose the thicker portion of the
excentric cylinder between the magnet and the armatures contained in the cylinders.
Or the magnet may be narrower at the curve than at the poles, and advantage may
be taken of this form to insert into the narrower portion a wedge of brass, gun
metal, or other non-magnetic or partially non-magnetic substance, thus preserving
a parallel motion in the sliding armatures; or the interposing non-magnetic or
partially non-magnetic substance may be inserted in the magnet itself. Or the
counter armatures may be made in the form of vertical doors working between
centres, placed so as to be thrown off the magnet when approaching the fixed
armature.
It is important that the counter armature or armatures should not be brought
into immediate contact with the permanent magnets, as the result will be a sacrifice
of power in effecting their removal. If, however, owing to imperfections in the
mechanical means used or other causes there should be actual or partial contact
at one or more points, the result would not be entire destruction of, but only a
diminution of the available power of the motor.
In order to avoid unnecessary complexity in the Drawing only one rotatory disc
and only one set or series of permanent magnets with their accessories are shewn.
It must however be understood that two, three, or more discs with their magnets
and armatures and counter armatures may be adapted to the same spindle c, so as
to augment the power of the apparatus to any desired extent.
Having now described the nature of this Invention as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, the combination with a set or series of permanent magnets and
armatures of the ordinary kind, of a secondary set of armatures which I call
counter armatures, so arranged that the magnetism of the magnets shall be diverted
from time to time at the proper moment, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.