IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATORS, AND IN INSULATING MATERIALS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HENRY WOODWARD; of 20 Macfarlane Road, Shepherd's Bush in the County
of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATORS, AND IN INSULATING MATERIALS,
to be as follows:―
My invention relates to improvements in thermo-electric generators, and in
insulating materials and it has for its object to render such generators more
efficient and durable than those hitherto constructed.
My improvements have reference, 1st, To the construction and insulation of the
chamber or casing of the generator which surmounts the furnace or source of heat;
2nd To a special form or construction of the elements; 3rd To the manufacture of
a novel material or composition for insulating the elements one from the other, but
which material or composition is equally applicable to insulation in other electrical
apparatus, and 4th, To a mode or method of connecting the entire series of elements,
or any portion thereof, when built up, with the terminal posts.
In constructing a thermo-electrical generator, according to my invention, I provide
or fit the exterior of the upper casing or chamber with rings, shelves or ledges which
I arrange one over or above the other, and on which I place or dispose the elements,
in the manner as hereinafter stated. Prior, however, to disposing the elements on
the said rings, shelves or ledges, I insulate the chamber or casing and the rings
shelves or ledges in the following manner. I cover the same all over with sheets of
asbestos paper coated or surfaced on their inner side with asbestos paint. Over
this surface I apply a second layer of asbestos paper, also coated with asbestos
paint, and so on, as often as required to insure a proper insulation.
Within the chamber or casing, and directly over the source of heat, I arrange
two or more concentric flues or chimnies, through which the heated air is caused
to circulate before finally escaping.
The form I propose to give to my elements greatly resembles that of a truncated
pyramid or wedge, and I arrange these elements on the rings, shelves or ledges in
such a manner that their truncated portions or smaller ends are towards the source
of heat, while their bases or larger ends are on the outside of the generator. By
this arrangement I obtain a greater heating effect on the smaller or inner ends of

page_text: the elements and, at the same time, provide a larger surface on the outer ends for
diffusion, the result being that a greater difference of temperature and therefore a
higher electro motive force are obtained than heretofore.
To form or construct these truncated pyramidal or wedge shaped elements,
I first arrange, in a suitable mould, a number of appropriately shaped tinned iron
pieces, provided with twisted projections, the purpose of which projections is
hereinafter stated. Into the spaces formed by the assembling of these tinned iron
pieces I then run the alloy (antimony and zinc) from which the elements are to be
composed, and when the alloy has set or cooled the twisted projections becoming
firmly fixed therein bind the elements one to the other and thus form the couples
or pairs. Into the intervening spaces formed by the tinned iron pieces I introduce
insulating material.
This insulating material is of special manufacture and is composed of slag wool
and Portland cement, intimately incorporated when the cement is in its semi liquid
or plastic condition; the proportions at present proposed are 1 lb. of slag wool
to 10 lbs. of Portland cement, or thereabouts.
The elements and the tinned iron pieces thus combined and insulated are
arranged on the rings, shelves or ledges around the chamber or casing in the
manner previously described and are secured thereon in any convenient manner.
I then connect the positive and negative ends with the terminal posts. of the
generator. These posts extend upwards for the height of the entire series of rings
of elements so that by connecting any number of the series I obtain a greater or
less difference of potentials.

page_text: Improvements in Thermo-electric Generators and in Insulating
Materials.
I, HENRY WOODWARD, of N° 24, Macfarlane Road, Shepherds Bush, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC GENERATORS AND IN INSULATING MATERIALS
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :—.
This invention relates to improvements in thermo-electric generators, specially
adapted to produce electric currents for domestic lighting and it has for its
object to render such generators more efficient and durable than those hitherto
constructed.
My improvements have reference,
1st to the construction and insulation of the chamber or casing of the generator
which surmounts the furnace or source of heat.
2nd to a special form or construction of the elements.
3rd to the employment or manufacture of a novel material or composition for
insulating the elements one from the other, but which material or composition is
equally applicable to insulation in other electrical apparatus, and
4th to a mode or method of connecting the entire series of elements, or any
portion thereof when built up with the terminal posts.
In constructing a thermo-electric generator according to my invention I provide
or fit the exterior of the upper casing or chamber with a number of rings, shelves
or ledges which I arrange one over or above the other and on which I place or
dispose the elements in the manner hereinafter stated.
Prior however to disposing the elements on the said rings or shelves I insulate
the chamber or casing, and the rings or shelves in the following manner.
I cover the same all over with sheets of asbestos paper, coated or surfaced on
their inner sides with asbestos paint.
Over this surface I apply a second layer of asbestos paper also coated with
asbestos paint, and so on as often as required to ensure a proper insulation.
Within the chamber or casing and directly over the source of heat, I arrange two
or more concentric flues or chimneys in which heated air is caused to circulato
before finally escaping.
The form I propose to give to my elements greatly resembles that of a pyramid.
or wedge, and I arrange these elements on the rings or shelves in such a manner
that their smaller ends are towards the source of heat, while their bases or larger
ends are towards the outside of the generator.
By this arrangement I obtain a greater heating effect on the smaller or inner
ends of the elements and at the same time provide a larger surface on the outer
ends for diffusion, the result being that a greater difference of temperature and
therefore a higher electro-motive force is obtained than heretofore.
To form or construct these pyramidal or wedged shaped elements I first arrange
in a suitable mould a number of appropriately shaped tinned iron pieces provided
with twisted projections, the purpose of which projections is hereinafter stated.

page_text: Into the spaces formed by the assembling of these tinned iron pieces I then run
the alloy antimony and zinc, from which the elements are to be composed, and
when the alloy has set or cooled the twisted projections becoming firmly fixed
therein bind the elements one to the other, and thus form the couples or pairs.
Into the intervening spaces formed by the tinned iron pieces I introduce
insulating material.
This insulating material is of special manufacture and is composed of slagwool
and Portland cement intimately incorporated when the cement is in its semi-liquid
or plastic condition; the proportions at present proposed are 11b. of slagwool
to 10 lbs. of Portland cement or thereabouts, but I do not confine myself to any
precise proportions.
The elements and the tinned iron pieces thus combined and insulated, are
arranged on the rings, shelves or ledges around the chamber or casing in the
manner previously described and are secured thereon in any convenient manner.
I then connect the positive and negative ends with the terminal posts, of the
generator in the usual way.
These posts extend upwards for the height of the entire series of rings of
elements so that by connecting any number of the series I obtain a greater or less
difference of potentials.
In the accompanying drawings the same letters refer to the same parts
throughout.
Figure 1 is an elevation.
Figure 2 is a vertical section.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line A. B.
Figure 4 is a full size section of the rings or shelves.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of a pair of elements drawn full size.
Figure 6 is a full size perspective view of the tinned-iron connecting piece for
the elements.
C is the outer case of the generator.
D is the furnace.
E. E. are the interior concentric hot air flues.
F. is the supply pipe for the fuel.
G. G. are the rings or shelves.
H. H. are the elements.
I is the tinned-iron connecting piece for the elements.
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. A novel form of chamber for a thermo-electric generator having internal
concentric flues and external rings or shelves substantially as described.
2. A special form or construction of the eleinents substantially as described.
3. A novel material for insulating the said elements applicable to other
electrical apparatus as herein described.
4.A special method of arrangement of the elements whereby a few or the
whole of them can be connected with the terminal posts as required-substantially
as and for the purpose described.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Patent Agent.