IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER BY ELECTRO-MAG- NETISM
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Walker Wilkins, of Ludgate Hill, in the
City of London, Electric Telegraph Engineer, for the Invention
Dans Miam
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Walker
Wilkins at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 28th October 1853.
I, JOHN WALKER WILKINS, of Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
Electric Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER BY ELECTRO-MAG-
NETISM" to be as follows:-
My improvements consist in the formation of the magnets whereby I
obtain a powerful attracting force, which may be employed to give motion
to machinery. My magnets consist of several horse shoe magnets, each
being formed of square or other angular shaped bars of iron wrapped
with insulated wire, according to the ordinary method of making electro-
magnets. These magnets are arranged in a series side by side in such
manner that the electric current passing through the wire of one magnet

page_text: shall influence the iron of the adjacent electro-magnet, and shall thus
become or form part of the wire surrounding that magnet, and so that
the iron forming one magnet shall not only be influenced by the whole
of the wire wrapped on it, but also by the wire wrapped on the iron
bars of the magnets next adjacent on all sides.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Walker Wilkins in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, J,
JOHN WALKER WILKINS, of Ludgate Hill, in the City of London,
Electric Telegraph Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most, Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing: date the Twenty-eighth day of October; in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Walker Wilkins, Her special
licence that I, the said John Walker.Wilkins,..my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Walker Wilkins,
my executors,' administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with; and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed," should and lawfully might inake,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OBTAINING POWER BY ELECTRO-MAGNETISM;" upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Walker Wilkins, by
an. instrument in writing, under my hand and seal, should, particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said, Letters Patent.:.::
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Walker Wilkins, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to. be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed (that is to say):
T ::
My improvements consist in the formation and arrangement of electro-
magnets whereby. I obtain a powerful attracting force, which may be
employed to give motion to machinery... My magnets consist of several.
horse shoe magnets, each being formed of square for fotlier angular
shaped bars of iron wrapped with insulated wife, according to the ordi-
mary method of making electro-magnets. These magnets are arranged;
in a series side by side in such manner that the electric current passing
througli the wire of one electro-magnet shall influence the iron of the
adjacent electro-magnets, which wife, shall. thus become or be as part of
the wire surrounding the adjacent magnets, and so that the iron forming
any one magnet shall not only be influenced by the whole of the wire
wrapped on it, but also by the wire wrapped on the iron bars of the
magnets-next.adjacent on all sides.
Figures 1 and 2 represent an elevation and end view of an electro-
magnet constructed according to my Invention, with a square core and
the wire wound so as to fill the whole space between the legs or poles.
Upon passing a current of electricity through. the wire the extremities
Nand.S.represent poles of opposite polarities..
Fig. 3, represents a number of these magnets made up into a block
or aggregate magnet for the purpose of bringing the wire of one electro-
magnet into the. immediate vicinity of other and adjacent magnets.
When a current of electricity is made to pass through the wire of any one
or all of the magnets the electricity not only influences the core upon
which the wire is, wound, but also all the next adjacent magnets, thereby
developing a greater amount of magnetism than is usually, obtained
from electro-magnets as ordinarily, constructed, and which arrangement
of magnets enables me to use any. quantity of wire and iron in forming
the magnetic block without the usual loss of power, by reason of the
increased distance of the wire forming the magnet from the centre
of the core to be magnetised: I have special reference to the forms
of magnets, where it has been usual to wind so much wire upon large
cores to obtain considerable results that the outer or distant rings of

page_text: wire are absolutely not only useless but, cause a loss of power from
resistance..
My Invention enables me to use any large quantity of wire more
economically than a small quantity.
The letters N and S, Figure 3, represent the north and south poles
of the electro-magnets as I intend to place them.
One method whereby I propose to use magnetism as a motive power.
is as follows: I take a block of magnets, Figure 3, larger or smaller,
as the case may be, over or in front of which, at a short distance, I sus-
pend a frame having armatures or keepers fixed to it, corresponding to
the separate magnets in the block, that is, to each pair of poles N and S.
The current of electricity being made to traverse, the wire forming the
magnets will render magnetic all the electro-magnets in the block.
The frame with the armatures or keepers fixed to it will, if placed at a
proper distance, be attracted or drawn toward the magnets, and will be
released from them by simple contrivance upon the current of electricity
being cut off. This motion to and from the magnets forming the block
being repeated by letting on and cutting off the current of electricity
from the wire or wires is that from which by ordinary mechanism
powerful motion in any form may be obtained.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
obtaining of power from electro-magnets constructed and arranged in
such manner that the current of electricity passing through the wire
wound round any one pole of any magnet shall assist in magnetising
other magnets by which it may be surrounded.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Walker Wilkins, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of April, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN WALKER WILKINS. (L.S.)