An Improved Arrangement for Strengthening Electric Currents.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Sept., 1897-Accepted, 15th Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Arrangement for Strengthening Electric Currents.
I, MORIZ REICHSRITTER VON LEON, of IX, Rothen-Löwengasse, N-10, Vienna
in the Empire of Austria, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement: —
The object of my invention is to strengthen continuous electric currents and
thereby to increase the efficiency of the same by means of a particular apparatus
and arrangement in circuit hereinafter described.
In the accompany drawing:-
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the apparatus and the arrangement in oircuit
forming the subject matter of this invention.
Figures 2 and 3 are similar views showing modifications thereof.
Figure 4 shews a further slight modification.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.
A indicates an apparatus generating a continuous electromotive force, such as
a battery, a dynamo electric machine or an electromotor, C is the external circuit
connecting the terminals thereof A¹ is a metal ball or body provided with one or
more sharp points suspended or otherwise supported above the ground and located
as near as possible to the same but not touching it. A is a similar ball or body
of metal arranged at as high a level as possible above the ground. The said balls
or bodies are each connected by thoroughly insulated conductors with one electrode
of a Geissler tube B and B¹ respectively, the other electrode of such Geissler tube
being connected with the positive and negative terminals of the generator A, so
that the ground body A¹ is connected with the positive and the high level body A³
with the negative terminal of the said generator A.
One of the Geissler tube electrodes is preferably pointed and the other is
preferably spherical the ground body A¹ being connected with the pointed electrode
of its Geissler tube and the high level body As with the spherical electrode of its
tube.
I have discovered and ascertained by numerous and careful experiments that
by this arrangement the strength of the current generated in or passing through A
is considerably increased such increase amounting to from 25 to 40 per cent. and
being dependent on the varying atmospheric and other conditions. I am there-
fore of opinion that this result is due to the action of the atmospheric electricity
on the balls or bodies A¹ A³ which action is not yet fully known and which there-
fore I am not able to explain.
As shewn in Figure 4 the ball or body A¹ may be replaced by a metal ball or
body E on an iron rod E driven into the ground one of the points of such ball
or body E¹ being in close proximity to, but not touching, the external end of the
preferably pointed electrode of the lower Geissler tube B.
The arrangement shown in Figure 2 differs from that shown in Figure 1 only

page_text: by the following features; the ground ball or body A¹ and the high level ball
or body A are directly connected with each other by a thoroughly insulated
conductor G with the interposition of a condenser I) and of the primary coil P
of a transformer, the ends of the secondary coil S of such transformer are con-
nected each with one electrode of a Geissler tube B and B¹ respectively the other
electrode of which is connected with the positive and the negative terminal respec-
tively of the apparatus A generating a continuous electromotive force.
In Figure 3 it is supposed that no high level balls or bodies can be conveniently
provided; in this case 1 employ an iron core H provided with points on both free
ends, carefully insulated from the ground and surrounded by a coil I well insulated
from such core. The ends of this coil are each connected with one electrode
of a Geissler tube B or B respectively the other electrodes of such tubes being
connected with the positive and the negative terminal respectively of A. The
coil I here acts as the secondary while the core acts as the primary of a trans-
former as shown in Figure 2.
The operation and the effect of both these arrangements are substantially the
same as those of the arrangement shown in Figure 1.
Obviously the bodies or balls A¹ and A² need not be made entirely of metal ;
it is sufficient to make the points carried by them of metal or some other con-
ducting material and to conduct them electrically with the conductors leading to
the Geissler tubes or the condensers and transformers respectively. The con-
nection between such points and the said conductors may also be established by
winding round each point tin foil or a metal strip well insulated from such point
and connecting such strips with the said conductors. This arrangement is
obviously substantially the same as that shown in Figure 3 and its operation and
effect are also the same as described with reference to this figure.
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 combination with an apparatus producing a continuous electromotive
force and having each of its terminals connected with one electrode of a Geissler
tube, the external circuit of such apparatus, a conductor of electricity, having its
upper end provided with points another conductor, of electricity having its lower
end provided with points such ends being situated in different levels and means
for connecting such ends with the other electrodes of the Geissler tubes either
directly or through the medium of a transformer, substantially as described.
2. In combination with an apparatus producing a continuous electromotive force,
the external circuit of such apparatus, two Geissler tubes, each having one of its
electrodes connected with one of the terminals of the said apparatus, two balls
or bodies provided with points and situated at different levels and conductors_con-
necting the points on each of such balls or bodies with the second electrode of
the said Geissler tubes, substantially as described.
3. In combination with an apparatus producing a continuous electromotive
force, the external circuit of such apparatus, two Geissler tubes each having one
of its electrodes connected with one of the terminals of the said apparatus, two
balls or bodies provided with points and situated at different levels the points
of one ball or body being connected with those of the other by a conductor acting
as or including the primary coil of a transformer the secondary coil of such
transformer and connections between the ends of such secondary coil and the other
electrodes of the Geissler tubes, substantially as described.
4. In combination with an apparatus producing a continuous electromotive
force, the external circuit of such apparatus, two Geissler tubes each having one
of its electrodes connected with one of the terminals of the said apparatus, two
balls or bodies provided with points and situated at different levels the points
of one ball or body being connected with those of the other by a conductor acting
as or including the primary coil of a transformer, a condenser included in such

page_text: conductor, the secondary coil of such transformer and connections between the
ends of such secondary coil and the other electrodes of the Geissler tubes, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of September 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.