IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-MOTORS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake,
and Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-MOTORS." Communicated
to me from abroad by Alfred Skene of Vienna and Franz Kühmaier of
Preshura both in the Empire of Austria
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-
MOTORS [a communication to me from abroad by Alfred Skene of Vienna
and Franz Kühmaier of Presburg both in the Empire of Austria]
This invention relates to electro-motors and comprises means for regulating the
speed of such motors, a special system of winding the coils of the electro-magnets,
and the employment of an adjustable commutator plate for the purpose of reversing
the direction of motion of the said motor.
According to the said invention I provide a number of fixed and revolving
electro-magnets. The polarity of the fixed electro-magnets remains constant,
whilst that of the revolving magnets is caused to alternate by means of a Com-
mutator-I also provide a rheostat by the movement of which, in a downward
direction, any increase of resistance can be compensated for.
A governor is so connected with the said rheostat that it will interpose stronger
or weaker resistances according to the greater or lesser rate of speed of the Engine.
The commutator consists of a plate held firmly to a standard by means of a set
screw. The anterior face of this plate is provided with a number of small metal
plates insulated one from the other, and connected by means of wires on the
posterior face of the said commutator plate to the north and south poles of the
Magnets.

page_text: Brushes are fitted to a disc which is fixed to the main shaft and connected with
The com-
wires which pass through the main shaft and thence to the magnets.
mutator plate can be moved laterally to a certain extent which is limited by a slot
so that the brushes will be caused to bear upon different plates. By this means
the direction of the current is changed, and therefore the polarity of the revolving
magnets, which are connected with the commutator will be changed. In
consequence of this change of polarity the attraction and repulsion between the
revolving magnets and the fixed magnets will be reversed and in consequence the
rotating magnets will rotate in an opposite direction.
In order to regulate the speed of the motor by means of the rheostat the latter
is connected with a battery by means of a wire and by a rod with the fixed
magnets. On the rheostat is fixed a wire which is thick at the lower end and
which becomes thinner as it rises. It is a well known fact that the force of
resistance to an electric current is greater in proportion as the wire decreases in
sectional area. Therefore the lower the said rheostat is placed the greater will be
the resistanco whereby the current flowing to the n.otor will be weakened as the
rheostat is lowered, or intensified as the rod is raised.
The upward movement of the said rod is caused through the agency of the said
governor. The higher the speed of the motor, the further will the balls of the
governor fly apart, and since these balls or bodies act upon the rod by means of
link pieces, the said rod, when the motor is running at a high speed, will be driven
proportionately higher in position, so that the current must pass along a wire
proportionately smaller. If the speed be reduced, however, the said balls will
drop and with them the rod, when the resistance to the current will be diminished.
The electro-magnets are so wound, that the poles will be north and south
alternately.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
4th August 1883.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents.
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRO-
MOTORS A communication to me from abroad by Alfred Skene, of Vienna, and
Franz Kühmaier of Presburg, both in the Empire of Austria.
"
This invention relates to electro-motors and comprises means for regulating the
speed of such motors, a special system of winding the coils of the electro-magnets,
and the employment of an adjustable commutator-plate for the purpose of reversing
the direction of motion of the said motor.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and,
Figure 2. is a front clevation of an electro-motor constructed according to this
invention
The remaining Figures which are drawn to an enlarged scale illustrate details of
construction, and are hereinafter described
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A A indicate fixed, and B. B revolving, electro-magnets. The polarity of the
fixed electro-magnets A remains constant, whilst that of the revolving magnets B
is caused to alternate by means of a commutator.
D indicates a rheostat and E. indicates a governor, so connected with the said
rheostat D that it will interpose stronger or weaker resistances in the circuit of the
motor according to the greater or lesser rate of speed of the said motor. As shown
in Figures 6, 7, and 8 the commutator consists of the plate C secured to the
standard g by means of the set-screw f passing through the slot x. The external
face of the plate C as shown in Figure 7, is provided with a number of small
metal plates and 8 insulated one from the other, and connected by means of
wires on the inner face of the said plate as shown in Figure 6 to the coils of the
magnets A.
The commutator brushes h and i are secured to the disc K which is attached
to the main shaft j, and are connected with the wires and m which pass through
the said shaft J and thence to the magnets B.
By moving the commutator-plate C, Figure 7, laterally to the extent which the
slot x will allow the brush h will bear upon a plate 8 instead of a plate n while
the brush will bear upon a plate n instead of a plate 8. By this means the
direction of the current passing through the wires v and w will be changed, and
therefore the polarity of the revolving magnets B, which are connected with the
commutator by means of the wires and m will be changed also
In consequence of this change of polarity the attraction and repulsion between
the revolving magnets B and the fixed magnets A will be reversed whereby the
magnets B will rotate in an opposite direction.
Figures 4 and 5 show the arrangement for regulating the speed of the motor by
means of the rheostat D; the latter is connected with a battery, or the like, by
means of the wire d, and by the rod t with the magnet A
On the rheostat D are fixed wires q which are thick at the lower end and which
gradually become thinner as they rise. It is a well known fact that the force of
resistance to an electric current is greater in proportion as a wire decreases in
sectional area. Therefore the lower the said rheostat is placed the greater will be
the resistance, to the current whereby the current flowing to the motor will be

page_text: weakened as the rheostat D is lowered, or intensified as the rod t bears upon
thicker wires
The upward movement of the rod t is caused by the governor E. The higher
the speed of the motor, the further will the balls rr of the governor fly apart, and
since these balls or bodies act upon the rod t through the link pieces e and e', the
said rod, when the motor is running at a high speed, will be driven proportionately
higher in position, so that the current must pass through a smaller wire. If the
speed be reduced, however, the said balls r will drop and with them the rod t when
the resistance to the current will be diminished. The direction of the current
around the magnets is indicated by the arrows in Figure 9. The wire is wound
around the said magnets in such a manner that the poles shall be North and South
alternately.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it
understood that
claim.
First. An electro-motor constructed and arranged substantially as shown and
described for the purposes specified
Second. The combination of the electro-motor with an adjustable rheostat D
which serves to regulate the speed of the said motor, substantially as shown and
described.
Third. The combination of the governor E, the movable rod or current-
conductor t, and the rheostat D for the purposes of regulating the speed of an
electro-motor, substantially as shown and described.
Fourth. The commutator-plate C provided with means for adjusting the same
relatively to the brushes for causing the motor to rotate in an opposite direction,
substantially as shown and described
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fourth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
WM BORT LAKE (LS)