Year: 1898

page_text: We, LA SOCIÉTÉ A. COENDET ET CIE. and PAUL ARCHAT, both of 166, Quai
Jemmapes, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mechanical Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The electro-static machines hitherto known and used are cumbersome, delicate
and fragile instruments, the working of which is not always certain and they
can be used only in the laboratory and would not be suitable for industrial
applications.
The present patent has for its object to avoid the various drawbacks of these
machines such as bulkiness, fragility, bending or warping of the discs, sensitive-
ness to dampness and dust, wearing out of the brushes and metallic framing of
the discs etc., and to obtain strong machines, of a small volume, the working of
which is reliable and can continue as long as it is desired, and which machines
can be used industrially in all cases requiring the employment of static elec-.
tricity such as ignition or primers for mines ignition of explosive mixtures in
explosive engines, medical electricity laboratories etc.
These results are attained by the following means:
The replacement of discs of insulating material (glass ebonite etc) by metallic
discs or rings, divided into a number of insulated sectors separated from one
another by an interval which is the larger the higher the tension to be given by'
the machine. All these sectors are secured by means of insulating material to
a central spindle which communicates to the whole a rotary motion.
The metallic ring thus formed by these sectors acts exactly in the same manner
as a glass or ebonite disc, each of the sectors, successively passing in front of the
inductors of the machine, takes up a charge of electricity which is afterwards
collected by means of combs, brushes, or rubbers etc.
The drawbacks of glass or ebonite discs (fragility, warping, quick wearing out
of the tin sectors, owing to the friction of the brushes, loss of charge caused by
humidity or dust adhering to their surface or by the alteration of said surface
produced by the continued action of ozone) are thus avoided, in fact, the metallic
sectors will not bend or break and will stand for a long time, without wearing
out, the friction of brushes or rubbers less fine than the brushes of Dutch gold
usually employed in static machines; the charge, moreover, cannot be lost through
the conductivity of the surface, as these sectors are separated from each other
by an air space.

page_text: It must be understood that these sectors may be of any material which is a
sufficiently good conductor; they may be covered by a layer of insulating material
or of a material that is a moderate conductor, and they may also be of any
material the surface of which is rendered conducting by depositing on it metal
or by any other means.
The combs and brushes of Dutch gold used to collect the electricity generated
on the discs of static machines and presenting difficulties of regulating and un-
certain contact, are replaced by flexible blades which engage with the metallic
sectors just mentioned or rather (especially in case of machines with several
discs or several rings of sectors) with collecting bars.
These bars are arranged parallel and circularly round the spindle of the
machine, in the same way as the blades of a commutator of a dynamo. Each of
these collector bars can support a series of sectors so that all these bars, cach
provided with their series of sectors and arranged. in a circle round the shaft
(to which they may be secured by means of two insulating jaws or parts) con-
stitute a whole with as many rings as there are sectors on each of these collector-
bars. This whole forms the movable part of the machine.
This movable part having been set in rotation the series of sectors secured to
each collector-bar are simultaneously charged with electricity in passing in front
of the inductors and when the end of their supporting bar comes in contact with
the rubber the charge of all the sectors secured to said bar is collected by said
rubber.
This arrangement thus enables the charge produced in any number of rings
of sectors to be collected with only one pair of rubbers; it may be also used with
insulating discs provided with tin foil sectors as generally employed in static
machines; in this case each collector bar passes through all the discs so as to be
in contact with all the tin sectors placed opposite one another on the same line
in a longitudinal direction and to collect the charge of all these sectors simul-
taneously.
The inductors are either of metal or metal covered with a varnish or insulating
or semi-conducting material, or they may be of card-board or other material.
which is a moderate conductor or preferably of tin-foil cemented to a plate of
insulating material and covered with varnished paper of a larger surface so as to
project sufficiently beyond the tin foil to prevent loss of the charge at the edges
of the latter or by sparks which would be produced between the inductor and
the movable part.
If the machine is to give a short spark and a large supply, for instance, for
ignition in a gas or oil motor, the inductors are separated from the rings or discs
only by air which alone acts as a dielectric; if, on the contrary, the machine is
to give high tension, they are covered with insulating material in order to avoid
the loss of their charge on the rings or discs.
In case of a machine with several rings of sectors or several discs, all the
inductors, or all the insulating plates to which said inductors are secured, are
connected and supported by cross bars secured by their two ends to insulating
brackets to which are also secured the rubbers for collecting the electricity from
the collectors. This arrangement keeps the plates apart, prevents them from
warping or bending and enables all of them to be removed at once, for cleaning
or for any other purpose; one of these cross bars serves at the same time to
supply to each inductor the electricity required to keep up its charge. This
electricity is supplied by the machine itself, as in certain kinds of machines act-
ing by influence, by collecting a portion of the charge of the disc or discs or
rings, by means of a pair of rubbers or brushes, or, when the machine has a
certain number of discs or rings, by using one or several of them for exciting;
this exciting may also be obtained by a separate machine.
The machine may be provided with a third pair of rubbers connected by a
diametrical conductor as is done in certain influence machines.

page_text: In cases when the machine is to be utilised for producing successive discharges,
a condenser of a suitable capacity may be added to it.
If it is desired, for instance, to ignite explosive mixture in a gas or oil motor,
this condenser is charged by the machine (which may be operated by the motor
itself or by any other means) and its discharge is produced at the desired moment
by a contact produced at this moment by the motor, closing the circuit across
the ignition device where the spark appears.
In order to preserve intact the charge of the condenser until the moment when.
the discharge is to take place, and to avoid the dissipation of this charge either
through imperfect insulation of the outer circuit, wires, ignition device or con-
tact parts of the motor, or through atmospheric dampness or any other reason,
this charge is held in reserve by interposing between each armature of the con-
denser and each wire of the outer circuit a discharger constituted by two balls
or by two parts the surfaces of which facing each other are rounded or flat and
are separated from each other by an air space the width of which can be varied
as desired by bringing these two parts nearer to or farther apart from each other.
With such a device the charge of the condenser cannot pass into the outer cir-
cuit except by crossing the layer of air separating the two balls of each discharge
and producing a spark between these two balls. Consequently assuming that the
insulation of the outer circuit is not perfect, the resistance of this circuit, when
it is open, is nevertheless too great to enable sparks to be produced between the
balls of the discharging devices.
The condenser being thus completely insulated from the outer circuit retains
its charge which progressively increases owing to the continuous rotation of the
machine, until the moment when the motor makes contact, the resistance of the
circuit being then considerably reduced, the discharge of the condenser is suddenly
effected and the spark appears at the same time between the balls of the dis-
charging devices and between the points of the ignition device thus causing
explosion of the charge.
Preferably to avoid the drawback of dust and dampness the different parts
herein before described; the machine condenser and dischargers are enclosed in
a casing as air-tight as possible, and in the interior of which the air is dried by
any hygroscopic substances (quick-lime, calcium chloride, phosphoric acid etc)
and in which there is also a substance capable of absorbing ozone or of reducing
it to oxygen (linseed oil, essence of turpentine, salts of protoxide or iron, oxide
of manganese etc).
It must be understood that all the new arrangements hereinbefore described
can be applied to all electro-static machines of whatever system.
Dated this 15th day of April 1898.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.
We, LA SOCIÉTÉ A. COHENDET ET CIE and PAUL ARCHAT, both of 166, Quai
Jemmapes, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mechanical Engineers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
-
The electro-static machines hitherto known and used are cumbersome, delicate
and fragile instruments, the working of which is not always certain and they

page_text: can be used only in the laboratory and would not be suitable for industrial
applications.
The present patent has for its object to avoid the various drawbacks of these
machines such as bulkiness, fragility bending or warping of the discs, sensitive-
ness to dampness and dust, wearing out of the brushes and metallic framing of
the discs etc., and to obtain strong machines, of a small volume the working of
which is reliable and can continue as long as it is desired and which machines
can be used industrially in all cases requiring the employment of static elec-
tricity, such as ignition of primers for mines, ignition of explosive mixtures in
explosive engines, medical electricity, laboratories etc.
These results are attained by the following means:
The replacement of discs of insulating material (glass ebonite etc.) by metallic
discs or rings (Fig. 1) divided into a number of insulated sectors separated from
one another by an interval which is the larger the higher the tension to be given
by the machine. All these sectors are secured by means of insulating material
to a central spindle which communicates to the whole a rotary motion."
The metallic ring thus formed by these sectors acts exactly in the same manner
as a glass or ebonite disc each of the sectors successively passing in front of the
inductors of the machine, takes up a charge of electricity which is afterwards
collected by means of combs, brushes, or rubbers, etc.
The drawbacks of glass or ebonite discs (fragility, warping, quick wearing out
of the tin sectors, owing to the friction of the brushes, loss of charge caused by
humidity or dust adhering to their surface or by the alteration of said surface
produced by the continued action of ozone) are thus avoided, in fact, the metallic
sectors will not bend or break and will stand for a long time, without wearing
out, the friction of brushes or rubbers less fine than the brushes of Dutch gold
usually employed in static machines; the charge, moreover, cannot be lost through
the conductivity of the surface, as these sectors are separated from each other
by an air space.
It must be understood that these sectors may be of any material which is a
sufficiently good conductor, they may be covered by a layer of insulating material
or of a material that is a moderate conductor and they also be of any
material the surface of which is rendered conducting by depositing on it metal
or by any other means.
-
The combs and brushes of Dutch gold used to collect the electricity generated
on the discs of static machines and presenting difficulties of regulating and un-
certain contact, are replaced by flexible blades which engage with the metallic
sectors just mentioned or rather (especially in case of machines with several
discs or several rings of sectors) with collecting bars B (Fig. 2).
These bars are, arranged parallel and circularly round the spindle A of the
machine, in the same way, as the blades of a commutator of a dynamo. Each of
these collector bars can support a series of sectors S S¹ S etc. so that all these
bars, each provided with their series of sectors and arranged in a circle round
the shaft (to which they may be secured in Fig. 2 by means of two insulating
jaws or parts J J) constitute a whole with as many rings SS, S' S¹, S", S etc.,
as there are sectors on each of these collector-bars. This whole forms the movable
part of the machine.
This movable part having been_set in rotation the series of sectors S, S¹, Su
etc. secured to each collector-bar B are simultaneously charged with electricity
in passing in front of the inductors I and when the end of their supporting bar B
comes in contact with the rubber F, the charge of all the sectors secured to said
bar is collected by said rubber.
This arrangement thus enables the charge produced in any number of rings
of sectors to be collected with only one pair of rubbers, it may be also used with
insulating discs provided with tin-foil sectors, as generally employed in static
machines in this case each collector bar passes through all the discs so as to
be in contact with all the tin sectors placed opposite one another on the same line

page_text: in a longitudinal direction, and to collect the charge of all these sectors simul-
taneously.
The inductors I are either of metal or metal covered with a varnish or insula-
ting or semi-conducting material, or they may be of card-board or other material
which is a moderate conductor, or preferably of tin-foil cemented to a plate of
insulating material and covered with varnished paper of a larger surface so as
to project sufficiently beyond the tin foil to prevent loss of the charge at the edges
of the latter or by sparks which would be produced between the inductor and the
movable part.
If the machine is to give a short spark and a large supply, for instance, for
ignition in a gas or oil motor, the inductors are separated from the rings or discs
only by air which alone acts as a dielectric: if, on the contrary the machine is to
give high tension, they are covered with insulating material in order to avoid
the loss of their charge on the rings or discs.
In case of a machine with several rings of sectors or several discs, all the induc-
tors, or all the insulating plates to which said inductors are secured, are con-
nected and supported by cross bars T secured by their two ends to insulating
brackets E to which are also secured the rubbers F for collecting the electricity
from the collectors. This arrangement keeps the plates apart, prevents them
from warping or bending and enables all of them to be removed at once, for
cleaning or for any other purpose: one of these cross bars T serves at the same
time to supply to each inductor the electricity required to keep up its charge.
This electricity is supplied by the machine itself, as in certain kinds of machines
acting by influence, by collecting a portion of the charge of the disc or discs or
rings, by means of a pair of rubbers or brushes F¹ F¹, or, when the machine has
a certain number of discs or rings, by using one or several of them for exciting:
this exciting may also be obtained by a separate machine.
The machine may be provided with a third pair of rubbers connected by a
diametrical conductor as is done in certain influence machines.
In cases when the machine is to be utilised for producing successive discharges,
a condenser C of a suitable capacity may be added to it.
If it is desired, for instance, to ignite explosive mixture in a gas or oil motor,
this condenser is charged by the machine (which may be operated by the motor
itself or by any other means), and its discharge is produced at the desired moment
by a contact produced at this moment by the motor, closing the circuit across
the ignition device where the spark appears.
In order to preserve intact the charge of the condenser until the moment when
the discharge is to take place, and to avoid the dissipation of this charge either
through imperfect insulation of the outer circuit, wires, ignition device or con-
tact parts of the motor, or through atmospheric dampness or any other reason,
this charge is held in reserve by interposing between each armature of the con-
denser and each wire of the outer circuit, a discharger constituted by two balls D
D¹ or by two parts the surfaces of which facing each other are rounded or flat
and are separated from each other by an air space the width of which can be
varied as desired by bringing these two parts nearer to or farther apart from
each other.
With such a device the charge of the condenser cannot pass into the outer
circuit except by crossing the layer of air separating the two balls D D¹ of each
discharger and producing a spark between these two balls. Consequently assum-
ing that the insulation of the outer circuit is not perfect, the resistance of this
circuit, when it is open, is nevertheless too great to enable sparks to be produced
between the balls of the discharging devices.
The condenser being thus completely insulated from the outer circuit retains
its charge which progressively increases owing to the continuous rotation of the
machine, until the moment when the motor makes contact: the resistance of the
circuit being then considerably reduced, the discharge of the condenser is suddenly
effected and the spark appears at the same time between the balls of the dis-

page_text: charging devices and between the points of the ignition device, thus causing
explosion of the charge.
:.
Preferably to avoid the drawback of dust and dampness the different parts
herein before described, the machine, condenser, and dischargers are enclosed in
a casing as air-tight as possible, and in the interior of which the air is dried by
any hygroscopic substance (quick lime, calcium chloride, phosphoric acid. etc.);
and in which there is also a substance capable of absorbing ozone or of reducing
it to oxygen (linseed oil, essence of turpentine, salts of protoxide of iron, oxide
of manganese etc.).
In order to ensure a better insulation, all the parts of the machine are pre-
ferably lubricated with petroleum or other insulating lubricant applied either
from time to time by means of a brush or in other manner, or continuously 'from
reservoirs which allow a supply of lubricant to fall upon the parts whilst revolv
ing or working, or by forming the enclosing casing as a gear-case containing
a supply of petroleum or other insulating lubricant, which becomes projected upon
or applied to the moving parts of the machine, during the working of the latter.
It must be understood that all the new arrangements herein before described
can be applied to all electro-static machines, of whatever system.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our. said.
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In electro-static machines metallic insulated sectors circularly arranged in
a ring and separated from one another by air-spaces, in place of the disc of insu-
lating material 'hitherto used.
2. In electro-static machines collectors enabling the charge from several rings.
of sectors or several discs to be collected simultaneously by means of a single
pair of rubbers, brushes or combs.
3. In an electro-static machine the connection of all the inductors with several
discs or rings by means of cross bars arranged to maintain them at their proper
distances apart to prevent their warping or bending, to supply to them the elec-
tricity required to maintain their charge, and to enable them to be all removed
together for cleaning or for any other purpose.
4. In electro-static machines, chiefly for ignition purposes in gas or oil motors,
dischargers adapted to insulate the machine and its condenser from the outer
circuit and to prevent the loss of charge of the condenser until the moment when
it is to be utilised, substantially as described.
-
5. An electro-static machine of the character described in combination with,
an air-tight box or contained in which the air is dried and ozone decomposed or
absorbed.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete electro
static apparatus substantially as described or illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 10th day of Janua1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.