PRODUCING AND CONVERTING ELECTRIC FORCE INTO MOTIVE POWER
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Port and Theophilus Varley
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th March 1879.
HENRY PORT, of Wharncliffe House, Coventry Road, Small Heath, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Gentleman, and THEOPHILUS VARLEY, of Marsh Street,
Walthamstow, in the County of Essex, Telegraph Engineer. "PRODUCING AND
CONVERTING ELECTRIC FORCE INTO MOTIVE POWER."
The object of this Invention is to obtain a cheap constant electric current, and
convert the electric current into motion to obtain a power for driving machinery or
any purpose where motive power is required.
We effect this object by constructing a galvanic battery for producing the
electrical force in an economical and convenient form, a battery of electro
magnets for converting the electrical force into magnetism, a movable armature
to convert magnetism into motive force, and certain cams or cranks and levers for
economically collecting and conveying the power to the machinery, a detailed
description of which is hereinafter given seratum.
The galvanic battery is constructed of a trough or jar divided by a perforated
partition or partitions to separate the positive and negative electrodes, but to admit
of the free admixture of the solution and dispersion of the salts used for exciting,
and produced by the action of the battery.
The negative electrode is composed of carbon plates faced with lumps of carbon
(about one inch long) in one of the compartment or compartments. The positive
electrode being placed in the other compartment or compartments, and is arranged
to be easily removed when the battery is out of work.
The carbon plates and lumps of carbon are held in place by a perforated slab
fixed above the compartment in which they are placed, to admit of the battery
being turned upside down for cleaning, without deranging the carbon.
This form of battery from the large surface of the electrodes, and the ready
dispersion of the solution and salts through the perforated partition is one of very
small, if not of the least internal resistance of any form of battery extant, if like
exitants be used, and as the parts of the battery are held firmly in position by the
perforated slab on top, it is an extremely convenient form of battery for magnetic,
telegraphic, or other electrical purposes; we use no special exitant, but prefer dilute
sulphuric acid and black oxide of manganese. In conjunction with this battery,
we use a series of induction plates which accumulates a considerable electric force
that would otherwise be wasted, and use it (by means of commutation) to neutralize
or "wipe out" the residual magnetism induced in the iron cores.

page_text: For converting the electrical force into magnatism, and ultimately into motion,
we use a magnetic battery composed of a number of electro magnets which attract
an armature when an electric current is passing, and the armature is drawn away
from the magnetic poles by a spring or weight as soon as the electric current ceases,
and the induced magnetism has died out. The electro magnets are arranged in the
following manner: To a slab of iron we fix a number of short electro magnetic
bobbins made in the usual way (an iron case wrapped with insulated copper wire).
The other ends of the numerous electro magnetic bobbins form the active poles,
which from their number present a large attracting surface to the movable
armature, and which attracting surface we still farther increase by fixing a plate of
iron upon each of the active poles of the electro magnetic bobbins. These bobbins
are grouped side by side on the before mentioned slab of iron in as compact a form
as possible, over against, and to be actuated by the poles of the electro magnets;
we place the armature which is formed of a slab of iron sufficiently large to cover
the whole of the active electro magnetic poles; this armature is pivoted on one side
to move hing-wise, or by means of guides made, to move perpendicular to the plane
of the magnetic poles' surface; this armature actuates n cam or crank, cams or
cranks, of a particular form, and multiplies or increases the motion of the lever
which is attached to the cam in similar ratio to the curve of magnetic attraction.
Thus, when the armature is farthest from the magnetic poles, where the attraction
is least, the cam lever motion is but small, and as the armature nears the poles of
the magnet where the attraction is greatest, the cam lever motion is multiplied
considerably, and so conveying an uniform force, but of accelerating speed to the
wheel or machinery to be set in motion.
The battery and induction plates are connected and disconnected to the electro
magnets' helices by means or commutators actuated by either the armatures them-
selves, machinery itself, or a combination of both, to ensure a regular stroke and a
disconnection at the proper time; the battery is to magnetise the electro magnets,
and the induction plate to "wipe out' or neutralize the residual magnetism of the
iron cores.
The commutations are, when the armature is distant from the poles,
the current from the galvanic battery is made to pass through the helices of the
electro magnets, and the induction plates magnetising the iron cores, and polarising
the induction plates, the armature is attracted towards the poles of the magnets,
but before arriving the electric circuit is broken, and the induction plates or
induction battery is connected to the magnetic helices, causing a current to flow
through the helices, but in the opposite direction to that of the galvanic battery,
and so neutralizing the magnetism left in the iron, called the residual magnetism,
these commutations of the battery current and that from the induction plates, is
repeated to each stroke of the armature towards the poles of the electric magnets.
By the before mentioned arrangement of electro magnets, commutations, and
induction plates, we obtain the following advantages: We are enabled to use
great length of wire of small resistance in close proximity to the iron cores of the
electro magnets, thereby converting more electricity into magnetism, and less wasted
in overcoming resistance in the form of heat; by the numerous and enlarged pole
surface of the electro magnets we conduct nearly the whole of the magnetism to
the armature, and thus obtain the greatest possible force for attracting the armature,
and so economically convert the magnetism into motive power by the peculiar
forms of cams and levers, we economically collect the motion force from the
armature, and convey it to the machinery to be moved and by the induction plates
or induction battery and commutations; we obtain a greater number of strokes or
movements of the armature in a given time.