IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MOTORS AND DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES, ALSO IN MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Spencer Raison, of Porchester Terrace, Bayswater,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRO-MOTORS AND DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES, ALSO IN MECHANISM
EMPLOYED THEREIN."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Spencer Raison at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th January 1882.
"
HENRY SPENCER RAISON of Porchester Terrace Bayswater in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MOTORS AND DYNAMO ELECTRIC
MACHINES ALSO IN MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREIN."
All forms of electro motors and dynamo machines must be considered as
consisting of two parts, viz.—the electro magnet and armature each then being a
part of the other and the motion that takes place between them is that tending to
render them as forming one whole.
In any number of divisions of the electro magnet the same fact remains.
It has hitherto, either through the mechanical difficulty or some other reason
been found necessary to firmly fix one part causing the force produced in it to
become latent.
Now according to my Invention I have endeavoured to make them both active
by taking the form of two balls of preferably spherical or oval form one rotating
inside the other. The outer one revolves in an opposite direction to the inner one
but there may be several that is to say supposing that five globular electro magnets
of this form were employed three may be connected together and revolve in one
direction and the remaining two intervening ones also coupled revolving in the
opposite direction.
The inner ball is firmly fixed on the shaft and the pole pieces are at right angles
to it which form projections of a sufficient distance and are solid with it which also
serves to keep the wire in its place, wound round it and continued in the direction
of its axis to the other or opposite side. The shaft revolves on a fixed and adjustable
centre at one end.

page_text: The outer ball revolves also on the said adjustable centre and also on the revolving
shaft or a separate bearing at the other end.
The outer ball is made for example in two parts and bolted or otherwise secured
together having two pole pieces and wound with wire in the same manner as the
inner ball. The outer ball is consequently free to rotate around the inside one and
it to revolve inside the outer one but in opposite directions. The power is taken
from them by pulleys one attached to the shaft from the inside magnet and the
other pulley preferably at the opposite side to the outer coil and revolving in an
opposite direction to the opposite pulley and by belts or otherwise motion is trans-
mitted to a counter shaft.
It is not absolutely necessary that the bearing of the outer coil should be on the
shaft at the one end but it has the advantage of making it more simple and
reducing its bearing surface by revolving on a sleeve fixed to the standard.
The shaft is hollow so far as the inner ball or may be a tube along which two
insulated wires are conveyed which are the ends of the inner coil they are brought
through the shaft and through the ball again to the outside forming the coils on
the outside of the inner ball, one end is connected to a complete copper ring on the
end of the shaft. The other end is brought through the shaft which is fixed and
forms a stud to make contact with a half ring of copper on the outer ball. The
ends of the outer coil are connected to two half rings of copper insulated by a flim
of mica and revolve with it. Upon the shaft is another complete ring which has a
stud projecting upon it opposite the stud which makes contact with the other half
ring upon which presses the battery terminal.
One end of the wire from the inner coil is brought through the hollow shaft and
connected to a ring on the end thereof upon which presses one battery terminal.
This ring is insulated from the shaft. The other end of the inner coil is also
brought along and through the shaft to make contact with one end of the wire
upon the outer coil. The ends of the outer coil are attached to two half rings of
copper which revolve with it. The end of the inner coil presses upon one of these
half rings and the battery terminal presses upon the other making contact with a
complete copper ring upon the shaft which has a projecting stud pressing upon the
one half of the copper ring.
In the theory of induction and the electro-magnetism and the parallelism of
conductors conveying electric currents, it is known that two conductors along
which a current is passing would if free to move in all directions revolve round
each other. But it is not one of simple rotation, but the two poles of each conductor
tend to revolve in an opposite direction to each other.
If then two wires are placed at right angles to each other they would tend to
place themselves parallel to each other, with their unlike poles attracted.
They have therefore for the time all the properties of an electromagnet, or a
magnetized steel needle.
But a wire conveying a current induces a current flowing in an opposite
direction in another wire parallel with it lasting but for a moment with the make
and break of contact and a variation of the current "strength" which causes a
retardation where rapid action is required.
In a coiled wire it acts upon itself in a similar manner over its several layers or
convolutions, therefore a coil of wire appears to offer a greater resistance than when
in a straight line and uninfluenced.
It is also known that magnetism and electricity mutually reproduce each
other.
These principles being understood let us see what takes place in the machine
designed by me, and why I have chosen a globular form. Let us take the inner
soft iron ball which I call the core, and cover it evenly over its entire surface
excepting the pole pieces, with three layers of insulated wire perfectly even and
parallel in the direction and across its axis, the two extremes of the core at right
angles to the flow of the current will become polarized, but suppose the iron ball
removed the same result would occur though to a much less extent, which is

page_text: clearly shewn by the "tangent" form of galvanometer with a freely suspended
magnetized steel needle.
The iron ball becomes a powerful electro-magnet with the unlike poles exactly
opposite, across its diameter.
Now I find by experiment that the inside and outside of a magnetized hollow.
ball assume opposite polarities, that is to say, that which shews "north" polarity
on the outside will shew "south" polarity immediately on the inside or concave
surface and vice versa, the magnetism appearing to reside on the surface only,
independently of its thickness or mass.
Now let us enclose it inside another iron ball. The outer ball would become
polarized by induction from the inner ball the inside of the outer ball would be of
the same name as the inside of the inner ball and so on, the wire coils on the
inner ball also assisting to magnetize the inside of the outer ball in the right
direction.
•
If now the outer ball is wound with wire as the one inside upon its outer surface,
conveying currents in the same direction, it will again increase the magnétism
already there, acting inductively upon the inner ball, thus it will be seen that they
would act and react upon each other over their entire surface and throughout the
whole mass.
When the poles of each are exactly opposite each other, the wire on both coils
will be parallel throughout their entire length. If then the current reversed upon
one of them, say the outside coil, flowing in opposite direction to each other, the
poles will be reversed and they will immediately repel each other.
When at a quarter revolution, passing at right angles (when the attraction will
be greatest) until the poles are opposite and the wires again parallel, to be again
reversed, and so keep up a continuous revolution. Repulsions will take place with
less force than attractions for reasons which need not be explained here. Contact
had never need be broken but reversed through half the coils.
The magnetic field will be nearly constant, the distance between the coils being
always the same, the poles also when not acting directly upon each other, are acting
upon some part of the coils being always at the same relative distance throughout
the circumference. Hence it will be clearly seen that the globular form is the
most perfect, as there is then no portion of the wire or coils, the core or poles that
is at any time uninfluenced.
A large magnet divided into any number of small pieces, each one would become
a perfect magnet itself, hence a number brought together will place themselves to
form one large magnet.
One of the most important features of my Invention which I believe is quite
novel, and heretofore unknown, is allowing both parts to rotate instead of one part
remaining stationary.
Heretofore electricians have forgotten or ignored the fact that one half of the
power generated is lost by fixing one half of the machine or magnet, or they have
paid but little attention to the matter, especially with those forms purely electro-
magnetic where the coils of wire do nothing more than excite electromagnets that
attract soft iron armatures arranged at frequent and regular intervals upon the
circumference of a wheel, which I consider one of the most faulty forms of electro-
motors, as it depends entirely upon the squares of the strength of the magnetism
at its poles, accurate construction, large numbers of dead points, often requiring to
be magnetized and demagnetized more than 20 times during one revolution, and
as large magnets require time to become saturated the velocity acquired cannot be
great, besides, when the armatures are exactly over the electro-magnets especially
if they are allowed to touch, there is a retarding effect tending to keep them there
even after contact is broken or reversed. That form of machine is among the
earliest electro-motors and even finds a few supporters at the present day: they are
at their best, extravagant, unsatisfactory, unnecessarily cumbersome and heavy and
almost useless as a generator.
For it is found that the best electro motor is also the best generator inverted.

page_text: Now let us see what takes place in the dynamo machines of the Gramme type,
although there may be some slight advantage gained in some of them by other
motors they are all faulty by rendering inoperative half the force generated.
M. Gramme who was the first to use a complete iron ring advanced a great step in
the perfection of electro motors but I believe it will be found as far behind that
designed by me, as it is in advance of the old ones before mentioned. Its price
also is great, and against the interest and development of the science.
Now it is known by the laws of attraction and repulsion, that whatever is
attracted by a magnet itself attracts the magnet with equal force, independently of
the difference of the mass, therefore the mass of the electro-magnet and armature
should be equal, whatever their difference of mass, the attraction and repulsion is
exactly equal, hence it follows, if the armature is attracted or repelled with a force
of 1000 foot lbs per minute, an equal amount of force is lost in the electro-magnet,
by being made fast, or fixed in such a manner as not to be able to move, if allowed
to do so it would revolve in an opposite direction with equal force. Such is the
amount of latent force, which by a suitable mechanical arrangement might be
converted into useful motion or work. Neither is the arrangement of or method
of construction of the coils the most suitable, in obedience to the laws of induction,
as part of the coils upon the limbs of the electro-magnet and armature only afford
the maximum amount of induction. A portion of the wire only upon the armature
is doing useful work at the same time.
The core unlike that of my machine has no pole piece but is constantly forming
new poles at every step of the revolution.
It seems therefore that the globular form is the best and most perfect, in
obedience to the laws of induction, as every atom composing the mass, is constantly
under excitement.
In the laws of mechanics it is also one of the best forms for rapid rotation being
well proportioned throughout.
A magnet is capable of having two poles only smooth and solid, although
accidental poles may occur on projections or irregular surfaces which would be at
the expense of or weakening the prime pole, hence the reason why a magnet should
be as smooth and homogeneous as possible, and as before stated the poles will be
formed at right angles to the direction of the flow of currents over its surface.
Again the form of the poles play a very important part those of a concave and
convex being the best, we see then in the machine of my design they are necessarily
concavo-convex, being also of larger area.
But it may be asked in support of the theory of one magnet inside another, is it
not known that a magnet enclosed in an iron box, is feebly acted upon by a magnet
outside? Yes, because the iron box itself diverts a portion of the magnetism in
itself, forming two or more poles according to its shape, but immediately it becomes
polarized strongly with (two poles only), it will act upon it as though it was the
magnet itself.
Again, is it not found that an electro magnet increases in strength, as the length
increases, other things being equal? In most contrivances it is found best to make
them long, and bring round their poles in close proximity to each other as in the
horseshoe type where both poles are used to attract a soft iron armature, through a
very short distance, such as for bells and so on; but in all such cases the inductive
effect of the coils are employed only in producing magnetism in the core, the mass
of which is great for the amount of work done through a short distance.
In electro-magnets wound evenly over their entire length, the magnetism
increases as the square root of the length, and a long electro-magnet is com-
paratively more effective than a short one with a given length of wire. The
magnetism appears then to be condensed upon the poles which are small compared
with the mass of its construction.
The strength of magnetism developed in the core, depends upon the strength or
quantity of the current flowing over its surface at one time, it is lessened by the
distance between them, so that the second layer acts less powerfully than the first,

page_text: or the magnetism is inversely to the distance we see then that the globular form
exposes the greatest surface to the direct action of the coils concentrating the
magnetism to a small centre across its diameter.
I have in dealing with this problem, ever kept steadily in view the necessity for
simplicity, and the advantage to be gained by a long and continuous exertion of
force, other than rapid impulses at extremely short lines, such as the Gramme and
other machines. Take for instance the form of motor before mentioned having a
wheel two feet in diameter containing about 36 soft iron armatures revolving on
the poles of an electro-magnet. The electro magnet could not excert efficient on
one of them at a time, for more than half an inch of the one approaching it, for the
other one just past would be induced to return. It would then represent 36 blows
struck of not more than 1/2 inch stroke for one revolution. Hence a serious fault
underlying all such arrangements.
As to the various sources of the current little had need here be said. In some
cases it may be found more economical by the conversion of mechanical force, in
others by direct chemical agency.
I will conclude this by the description of one experiment that will be found to
illustrate much of what I have written, and verify the truth. And one that can
be easily performed by any one at a cost of a few shillings only.
"
Obtain some insulated wire say about No. 32. B. W. g, make it in the forms of
two rings one being smaller and moving freely inside the other. Suspend them
by a slender silver thread attached to the end of one of the coils, suspend the other
in it by another thread connecting them together, the free end of the inner coil by
another, that will be connected to one pole of the battery. Care being taken that
there is no stiffness causing friction, place the coils at right angles to each other.
then send a current through them, they will be found to place themselves parallel,
forming one coil. If now by an arrangement the current is reversed in one of
them flowing in opposite directions, they will be found to repel each other passing
at right angles finally placing themselves parallel again, if one coil is held as though
it were fixed the other would move. Place them across the diameter of an iron
ring free to rotate in each other, the effect will be again increased. It serves to
illustrate the principles of the "tangent" galvanometer and the machine under
consideration.
There are many difficulties which I have endeavoured to remove by devising my
new electro motor. Some of its great advantages being lightness compared with
its strength, extremely portable and strong, economical, easily understood. It is
well suited for domestic purposes such as driving sewing machines, lathes, lifts,
pumps, ventilators &c. where one H.P. or under is required. It is also especially
suitable for application to velocipedes as a means of locomotion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Spencer Raison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th July 1882.
HENRY SPENCER RAISON of Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO MOTORS AND DYNAMO-ELECTRIC
MACHINES, ALSO IN MECHANISM EMPLOYED THEREIN."
All forms of electro-motors and dynamo machines may be considered as consisting
of two parts namely the electro magnet and the armature.
In any number of divisions of the electro magnet the same fact remains.
Heretofore it has been customary to fix one of these parts and to cause the other
only to revolve.
According to my Invention I endeavour to make both these parts active by
giving to both the form of two balls preferably spherical, or oval and one rotating
inside the other. The outer one revolves in an opposite direction to the inside one,
and there may be several; for example supposing that five globular electro-magnets
of this form are employed three may be connected together and made to revolve in
one direction and the remaining two intervening ones also coupled, and made to
revolve in the opposite direction.
The inner ball is firmly fixed on the shaft and the pole pieces being at right
angles to and solid with it form projections which serve to keep the wire in
its place.
The outer ball is made in two parts for example, or is built up in segments and
bolted or otherwise secured together, having two pole pieces and being wound round
with wire in the same manner as the inner ball. This outer ball is consequently free
to rotate around the inner one and this latter revolves inside the outer one but in an
opposite direction. The power is taken from them by pulleys one attached to the
shaft of the inside magnet, and the other preferably at the opposite side of the
machine to the shaft of the outer coil. These pulleys of course revolve in opposite
directions but transmit motion by belts or otherwise to a countershaft.
In the theory of induction, electro magnetism and the paralcelism of conductors
conveying electric currents it is known that two conductors along which a current
is passing would if free to move in all directions, revolve round each other. But it is
not a case of simple rotation as the points of each conductor tend to revolve in
opposite directions. If then two wires are placed at right angles to each other
they would tend to place themselves parallel to each other with their unlike poles 3
attracted. They have therefore for the time being all the properties of an electro-
magnet or a magnetized steel needle. But a wire conveying a current in one
direction induces a current flowing in an opposite direction in another wire parallel
with it, this induced current lasts only for a moment with the make and break of
contact and a variation of the current "strength" which causes a retardation where 4
rapid action is required.
In a coiled wire the current acts upon itself in a similar manner over its several
layers or convolutions, therefore a coil of wire appears to offer a greater resistance
than when in a straight line and uninfluenced.
It is also known that magnetism and electricity mutually reproduce each other.
The principles being understood it will be easy to see what takes place in the
machine forming the subject of this Invention, and why I have chosen a globular
4

page_text: form. Let us take the inner soft iron ball which I call the core and cover it evenly
over its entire surface, excepting the poles, with insulated wire perfectly even and'
parallel in the direction of and across its axis, or around its poles, the two extremes
of the core at right angles to the flow of the current will become polarized; but
if we suppose the iron ball to be removed the same thing will occur though to a
much smaller extent, as is clearly shown by the "tangent" form of galvanometer
with a freely suspended magnetized steel needle.
The iron ball or hollow core becomes a powerful electro-magnet with the unlike
poles diametrically opposite to each other.
If now, the outer ball is wound with wire upon its outer surface in the same
way as the inner one, such wire conveying currents in the same direction, it will
increase the magnetism already there acting inductively upon the inner ball. Thus
it will be seen that the two balls act and react upon each other over their entire
surfaces and throughout their whole mass.
When the poles of each ball are exactly opposite each other the wire on both
coils will be parallel throughout their entire lengths. If then the current be
reversed in one of them, the outside coil for example, so that the currents flow in
opposite directions the poles will be reversed and they will immediately repel each
other.
•
At a quarter revolution passing at right angles attraction commences and
continues until the poles are opposite and the wires again parallel to be again
reversed so as to keep a continuous revolution. Repulsions will take place with
less force than attractions for reasons which need not be explained here. Contact
need never be broken but reversed through half the coils.
The magnetic field will be nearly constant the distance between the coils being
always the same, the poles also when not acting directly upon each other, are acting
upon some part of the coils being always at the same relative distance throughout
the circumference.
If a large magnet be divided into any number of small pieces each piece becomes
itself a perfect magnet, hence a number of magnets brought together form
themselves into one large magnet.
One of the most important features of my Invention and which I beleive is
quite novel, and heretofore unknown consists in causing both parts to rotate
instead of one part remaining stationary.
Now it is known by the laws of attraction and repulsion, that whatever is
attracted by a magnet attracts the magnet with equal force independently of the
difference of the mass. Whatever the difference of mass the attraction and repulsion
being exactly equal, it follows, that if the armature is attracted or repelled with
a force of say 1000 foot pounds per minute an equal amount of force is lost in
the electro-magnet by reason of its being fixed so that it cannot move. If allowed
to do so, it would revolve in an opposite direction with equal force which can be
converted into useful motion or work by suitable mechanical arrangements.
The armature of the Gramme machine unlike that of the machine forming the
subject of this Invention has no pole piece but is constantly forming new poles at
every step of the revolution. It appears therefore that the globular form is the
best and most perfectly in accordance with the laws of induction, as every atom
composing the mass is constantly under excitement.
A magnet is capable of having two poles only although accidental poles may
occur on projections or irregular surfaces which weaken the prime pole hence the
reason why a magnet should be as smooth and homogenous as possible, and as before
stated the poles will be formed at right angles to the direction of the flow of the
currents over its surface.
Again, the form of the poles plays a very important part, those of a concave and
convex form being the best. In my machine they are necessarily concave-convex
3 and are of a large area.
The strength of magnetism developed in the core depends upon the strength or

page_text: quantity of the current flowing over its surface at one time it is lessened as the
distance between them increases so that the second layer acts less powerfully than
the first, that is to say the magnetism varies inversely as the distance, we see
therefore that the globular form exposes the greatest surface to the direct action
of the coils concentrating the magnetism to a small centre across its diameter.
In dealing with this problem I bave ever kept steadily in view the necessity
for simplicity and the advantage to be gained by a long and continuous exertion of
force rather than rapid impulses at extremely short lines.
As to the various sources of current little need here be said. In some cases it
may be found most economical to produce it by the conversion of mechanical force,
in other cases by direct chemical agency.
Some of the great advantages of this machine are the following; it is light
compared with its power, it is portable strong and economical and is easily under-
stood. It is well suited for domestic purposes such as for driving sewing machines,
lathes, lifts, pumps, ventilators, and so forth where one horse power or less is
required. It is also specially suitable for application to velocipedes as a means of
locomotion.
In carrying my Invention into effect I prefer to construct the core of the inner
coil of an oblong or oval form, and I continue the convolutions of wire upon it
until it assumes a globular or spherical form as shown in the Drawings hereto
annexed in which Fig 1 represents a longitudinal section of a machine constructed
in accordance with my Invention and Fig 2 a plan of the same. a a is the inner
core of cast iron with projections a' a' forming pole pieces. This core is cast in
two halves and is mounted on the shaft x being fixed thereon by a key n and
steady pins b. m is a fixed brass tube with a groove cut therein to receive the
wires ww and conduct them to the commutator. The face g and collar p serve as
a guide against which the outer bearings revolve.
The core of the outer coil is preferably built up of segments n' n¹ which may
be wound separately before fixing in position. The two segments which form the
bearings are preferably of brass or other non-magnetic material.
A number of openings are left which admit of air circulation to keep the
machine cool and to lessen the heating or induction currents, or the core may be
made of some non-conductor such as ebonite. The commutator is shown in Fig 1,
a and b are complete brass rings, C and C₁ are half rings, xx are the brushes
pressing on the rings, the course of the currents is shown by the arrows. The poles
may be placed at any other angle than a right angle to the axis of rotation if
preferred, which arrangement is better adapted to machines of large dimensions.
For example if the poles were placed at an angle of 45°, with the coils upon them
as before, they would form an eccentric motion and would be parallel when the
poles were opposite each other. The machine may be fixed in a vertical or hori-
zontal position and several may be arranged on one shaft. When adapting the
machine as a dynamo I prefer to make the portion forming the outer hemisphere
of a number of coils arranged around its circumference with provision for
fixing it if required; the commutator would form a number of divisions and
the brushes or collectors would be made to embrace nearly the whole. When the
said outer part is fixed the currents may be taken off without the intervention of
a commutator in which case they are alternating.
The form and arrangements may be varied without departing from the nature of
the Invention.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in.
which the same is to or may be carried into effect I would have it understood
that what I claim is.
First. The construction of the machine so that the electro-magnet and armature
shall have a globular or spherical form substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
Second. Mounting the electro-magnet and armature one one shaft and causing

page_text: each to rotate in opposite directions the one inside the other substantially as
hereinbefore described and illustrated in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Spencer Raison have hereunto set
'
my hand and seal this Eleventh day of July in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
HENRY SPENCER RAISON. (L.S.)
Witness,
LORENTZ ALBERT GROTH,
Managing Director of the Universal
Inventors & Patentees Financial
Company Limited
30, Finsbury Pavement,
London, E.C.