IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR APPLYING OR USING MAGNETISM OR ELECTRO-MAGNETISM AS A MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1859

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Columbus Hurry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
October 1859.
I, HENRY COLUMBUS HURRY, of the City of Worcester, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
APPLYING OR USING MAGNETISM OR ELECTRO-MAGNETISM AS A MOTIVE POWER."
to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain a more effective motive power than
heretofore, from the combined forces of a number of magnets (electro or other).
with constant poles and others, the poles of which are changed periodically, as
herein-after described. This object is effected by the following arrange-
ments:―
A number of horse-shoe or other magnets are fixed in a cylinder or barrel
in such a way that their poles or ends are exposed on the outer surface of the
cylinder, the line of the poles of each maguet being parallel or thereabouts to
the axis of the cylinder. The magnets are so arranged that when the cylinder
revolves freely upon its axis, the magnets shall be in one or more tiers; the
magnets of each tier being in the same plane; around the cylinder or barrel is
placed a fixed cylindrical frame containing a number of magnets with their
poles or ends so exposed that the ends or poles of the magnets of the revolving
cylinder will closely pass them without contact. I prefer that both the moving
and stationary magnets should be so placed or formed that the surfaces of
their ends or poles shall not be tangential to the circumference of the cylinder.
The number of magnets in the moving cylinder should-differ from the number

page_text: in the fixed frame, so that only a part are exactly opposite to each other at the
same time; either the moving or the stationary magnets must have their poles
constant and arranged alternately, and the polarity of the others must change
as they pass or are passed by the opposing magnets. I prefer that the magnets
in the fixed outer framing should have their poles constant, and that the
change of polarity should take place in the magnets of the revolving cylinder.
In this case the polarity of the magnets is changed by the coils terminating in
arms or pillars projecting from the surface or end of the cylinder, which
press upon the inner surface of a hollow fixed cylinder; such inner surface
being composed of a more conducting material, inlaid with two circles of recur-
ring tablets of metal. The tablets of the two circles communicate in pairs
with the opposite poles of a battery, and the polarity of the tablets of each
circle must alternate in like manner to that of the fixed magnets, so that the
arms in passing from one pair of tablets to another will reverse the current
through the coil of the changing magnets, and this must be arranged to occur
at the time that the poles or ends of the changing magnet are passing exactly
opposite the ends or poles of each of the fixed magnets. I prefer a large
number of small magnets to a small number of large magnets, and that the
fixed magnets in each tier be placed as close to each other as practicable. It
will be understood that means for accurate adjustment of the position of the
magnets must be provided.