IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO- MAGNETIC ENGINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical'
"Draughtsman, for the. Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC ENGINES."-A communication from abroad, by Laban Clarke
Stuart, of Mamaroneck, in the State of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 20th. March 1866, and dated-the 19th December 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton'
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on,
the 19th December 1865.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC ENGINES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to obtain motive power from electricity
in a more economical-manner than heretofore.
The first part of the Invention relates to an arrangement of two or
more series of electro-magnets which, while their attracting and repelling
surfaces pass very close to one another, and so that the magnets composing
each series may be placed as near as may be possible; the cores are of such

page_text: form or shape and are so placed in each row and the wire is so wound
around them that the force generated by the electricity which passes
through the enveloping wire acts not only upon the core upon which that
wire is wound, rendering it magnetic, but also with opposite polarity upon
the adjoining core on either side, thus largely increasing the force which
it would be possible to obtain from the same magnets with a corresponding
current if such magnets were placed at a distance from each other.
The second part of the Invention relates to a mode of reversing the
polarity of the magnets without breaking connection between the plates of
a battery and without interrupting chemical action. The electro-magnets,
which may be termed horse-shoe magnets, are carried by two concentric
cylinders, the one movable and the other stationary. The inner cylinder is
mounted on a central axle and the other cylinder is supported by a fixed
framing, or this order may be reversed, or indeed both cylinders caused to
rotate, but in opposite directions. The electro-magnets are arranged
radially. around the outer periphery of the inner, and the inner periphery.
of the outer cylinder, and in such manner that. the electro-magnets of one
series or set may be brought into coincidence with those of the other set or
series. The ends or terminals of the enveloping wire of the inner series
are led off respectively and secured to one of two metal rings keyed to the
central shaft, but insulated therefrom. These rings-rotate in contact with
a pair of metallic rollers, and form metallic connection therewith, which is
continually broken and renewed by reason of the rings having raised.ȧnd:
sunken surfaces which are alternately presented to the metallic rollers.
These projections are made at equal distances apart, and the rings are set
on the shaft so that the recesses of one ring shall be in a line with the
projections of the other ring, and the rollers are so placed as to come
simultaneously in contact with a projection, the one of the upper and the
other of the lower ring. The terminals of the enveloping wire of the
outer series of electro-magnets are connected, the one with the pole of a
galvanic battery and the other is brought alternately in connection with the
upper and the lower of the insulated rings before mentioned. For this
purpose this terminal is attached to a rod on a slide bar, but insulated
therefrom, and the other end of the rod is in contact with the metallic
roller before mentioned, which turns on a stud pin on the inner end of the
slide bar. The stud pin is insulated where it is secured to the slide bar.
A coiled spring around this bar bears the periphery of the roller in contact
with the rings on the central shaft. This mechanism is duplicated, that is
to say, there is another rod to receive a conducting.wire. going to the

page_text: over
opposite pole of the battery, which rod is attached to a slide bar, but
insulated therefrom. This rod also extends to a second metallic roller
which turns on a stud pin mounted on a slide bar, and a coiled spring bears
the periphery of the roller against the periphery of the two rings. The
enveloping wires are laid around their respective soft-iron cores in the
following manner:-The insulated wire for the inner series is wound
around the lower pole of the first magnet, passing up on the right-hand
side, over the upper edge, down the left-hand side, so on until it is wound
from right to left to the required thickness; then it passes from the right-
hand side under the upper and up the left-hand side of the upper pole,
the upper edge thereof to the right, thus winding from left to right;
and when wound to the required thickness it is passed to the upper edge
of the upper pole of the next magnet to the left, wound around this from
right to left, then around the lower pole from left to right, passed between.
the two poles to the right side of the upper pole, and over that to the left,
and down to and under the lower edge of the upper pole of the third
magnet, wound around this pole from left to right and around the lower
pole from right to left, and so on around all the poles. The spaces 'between
the cores of the electro-magnets, when properly wound, are filled with
wire, and the wire is so wound that if the course of the electricity between
the legs of any two adjoining magnets is from the centre outward, on the
next adjoining space on either side it will be from outward towards the
centre, and thus vice versâ through the entire circle. The outer series of
magnets (inside of the outer cylinder) are wound in like manner. The
electricity from the battery will pass around all the electro-magnets of the
outer cylinder, and from the terminal to the metallic roller, and thence
into either of the rings on the central shaft, depending upon which of the
rings has one of its projecting sections in contact. The current will then
pass through the ring into and around all the electro-magnets of the inner
cylinder, and from the terminal to the other ring, one of whose projecting
sections at the time is in contact with the other roller, and thence it will
pass by the connections back to the battery. This establishes the electric
circuit, which magnetises all the cores of the electro-magnets, making them
alternately north and south poles, which by attraction and repulsion will
give the required impulse to rotate the inner cylinder. The rollers should
be so situated that they will pass from contact with one ring to the other
as the electro-magnets of the inner cylinder come into the same radial lines
with the magnets of the outer cylinder. The power of the engine may
be indefinitely extended by duplicating the series of electro-magnets and

page_text: the means of reversing the current. By shifting the two rollers and the
distance of one.section of the rings the direction of the rotation will be
reversed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th June 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special licence that I, the
said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as 1, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 make, 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 ELECTRO-MAGNETIC
ENGINES," being a communication to me from abroad, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, tae said. Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
nnexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The object of this Invention is to obtain motive power from electricity a
in a more economical manner than heretofore. The force of attraction or

page_text: '
repulsion of electro-maguets is known to be very great, but this force is
known to diminish very rapidly as the attracting and repelling, surfaces
recede from each other; and as it is necessary in applying electric currents
to generate a motive power for driving or propelling machinery to change-
the poles of the magnets for each impulse, the mode of changing the poles
may be wasteful and may very speedily destroy connection entirely by
burning the metal at the points of contact.
- The first part of the Invention relates to an arrangement of two or
more series of electro-magnets which, while their attracting and repelling
surfaces pass very close to one another, and so that the magnets.com.
posing each series may be placed as near as may be possible, have their
cores of such form or shape and so placed in each cow and the wire so
wound around them that the force generated by the electricity which
passes through the enveloping wire acts not only upon the enveloped core,
rendering, it magnetic, but also with opposite polarity upon the adjoining
core on either, side thereof, thus largely increasing the force which it
would be possible to obtain from the same magnets with a corresponding
current if such magnets were placed at a distance from each other.
The second part of the Invention relates to a mode of reversing the
polarity of the magnets without breaking connection between the plates of
a 'battery and without interrupting chemical action.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevation of an engine on
the improved plan; Fig.'2'is a top view with the enclosing casing removed;
Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at the line A, a, of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a
horizontal section taken at the line B, b, of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 represents
on a smaller scale a face view of the electro-magnets as if opened out or
developed in a straight line to show the direction of the windings of the
cores with insulated wire; the wires are wound in the same manner as
represented in Fig. 5 on each and all of the rows of magnets. The same
letters indicate like parts in all the Figures.
.
In this engine there are two concentric cylinders A and B, one within
the other; the outer one A secured to a suitable frame C, and the inner
one B secured to a shaft D mounted in suitable bearings so as to turn
concentric with the outer cylinder. If desired, however, the inner cylinder
may be stationary and the outer one mounted so as to rotate, or the two
may be so mounted as to rotate in opposite directions; but the mode first
stated is preferred, and it is that mode which is represented in the Figures.
The outer periphery of the inner cylinder is provided with rows of electro-
magnets, which radiate therefrom, and the inner periphery of the outer

page_text: cylinder is also provided with an equal number of converging electro
magnets. The cores a of the electro-magnets are formed of a flat plate of
soft tough iron with a space b cut out of the middle to leave the two cores
projecting from the edge of the plate which is secured to the cylinder, thus
constituting what may be termed a horse-shoe magnet. By preference the
polės are made quadrangular in their cross section, but they may be round
or of other shape, and they are fitted and secured in longitudinal grooves
formed for that purpose in the peripheries of the cylinders. The electro-
magnets are arranged at equal distances apart around the circle in any
number required, ten is the number represented in the Drawings, but as
many as fifty have been used in each series. There must be an equal
number on each cylinder. The manner in which the cores are wound with
insulated wire to make them electro-magnets is illustrated in Fig. 5, and is
ás follows:-The wire c is wound around the lower pole of the first
magnet, passing up on the right-hand side, over the upper edge, down the
left-hand side, so on until it is wound from right to left to the required
thickness; then it passes from the right-hand side under the upper and up
the left-hand side of the upper pole, over the upper edge thereof to the
right, thus winding from left to right; and when wound to the required
'thickness it is passed to the upper edge of the upper pole of the next
magnet to the left, wound around this from right to left, then around the
lower pole from left to right, passed between the two poles to the right side
of the upper pole and over that to the left, and down to and under the
lower edge of the upper pole of the third magnet, wound around this pole
from left to right and around the lower pole from right to left, and so on
around all the poles. The spaces between the cores of the electro-magnets,
when properly wound, are filled with wire, and the wire is so wound that if
the course of the electricity between the legs of any two adjoining magnets
is from the centre outward, on the next adjoining space on either side it
will be from outward towards the centre, and thus vice versa through the
entire circle. The series of magnets carried by the outer cylinder are
wound in like manner with wire e, as represented in Fig. 5. The outer
legs or poles of the magnets on the inner cylinder should be so close to the
poles of the magnets of the outer cylinder as just to pass without touching.
The terminal d of the wire c is connected with a metallic ring E secured
on the shaft D and insulated therefrom, and the other terminal c³ passes
through an insulator in the said ring E and is secured to another like
ring F below the one E, but not in contact therewith. The two are secured
in like manner to the shaft and properly insulated therefrom. The

page_text: terminal e' of the wire of the series of magnets of the outer cylinder is to
be connected in any suitable manner with the pole of a galvanic battery,
and the other terminale is to be alternately in connection with the rings E
and F, and this is effected in the following manner :-This terminal e³ is
attached to a rod G on a slide, bar H, but insulated therefrom, and the other
end of the rod G is in contact with a metallic roller I (see Figures 3 and 4);
which turns on a stud pin J on the inner end of the slide bar H. The
stud pin J is insulated, where it is secured to the slide bar. A coiled
spring K around, this bar bears the periphery of the roller I in contact
with the rings E and F on the shaft. The mechanism last described, is
duplicated, (that is to say,) there is a rod G¹ to receive a conducting wire
going to the opposite pole of the battery, which rod is attached to a slide
bar H, but insulated therefrom. This rod also extends to a metallic roller
I', which turns on a stud pin J' on and insulated from the bar H', and a
coiled spring bears the periphery of the roller I against the periphery of
the rings E and F. The peripheries of the two rings E and F are cut away.
or recessed in alternate sections, so as to be of less diameter in alternate
sections, as represented at Fig. 4, and the two rings are so placed on the
shaft that the recessed sections of one ring shall be opposite the projecting
sections of the, other ring, and vice versa, and the two rollers I and I'-are
so placed that when the periphery of one is in contact with a projecting
section of one ring the periphery of the other roller shall be in contact
with a projecting section of the other ring. From this condition of things
and the connections described it will be seen that the electricity from the
battery will pass, around all the electro-magnets of the outer cylinder, and
from the terminal e* to the roller I, and thence into either the ring E or F
on the shaft D of the inner cylinder, depending upon which of the rings
has one of its projecting sections in contact, say the ring F.. The current
will pass into this ring, thence into the terminal c³ of the wire c, around all
the electro-magnets of the inner cylinder, and from the terminal d to the
ring E, one of whose projecting sections at the time is in contact with the
other roller I, and thence it will pass by the connections back to the
battery. This establishes the electric circuit which magnetises all the cores
of the electro-magnets, making them alternately north and south poles,
which by attraction and repulsion, will give the required impulse to rotate
the inner cylinder. The rotation to the extent of the length of one of the
sections on. the rings E or F, there being as many sections in both rings as
there are pairs of magnets in the circle, will reverse the connections. The
roller I will pass from contact with a projecting section of the ring F to a

page_text: projecting section of the ring E, and a like change of contact will take
place with the roller I', which will come in contact with a projecting section
on the ring F, thus causing the current to pass in a reverse direction
around the electro-magnets of the inner cylinder, thereby reversing their
polarity which will continue the impulse, and the current will continue to
be reversed through the wire of the magnets on the inner cylinder as each
of the rollers passes from contact with one ring to contact with the other
ring, the electricity never being interrupted in its course through the wire
of the magnets on the outer cylinder. It is important to have the pro-
jecting sections of the rings E and F slightly longer than the recessed
sections, so that the rollers will not leave the projecting section of one until
in contact with a projecting section of the other ring, and the rollers should
be so situated that they will pass from contact with one ring to the other
as the electro-magnets of the inner cylinder come into the same radial lines
with the magnets of the outer cylinder. From the above arrangement it
will be seen that the two series of electro-magnets will be constantly under
the influence of attraction and repulsion, which will cause the inner cylinder
to rotate with a power due to the two- forces. And as the number of
electro-magnets can be increased in any diameter until they nearly touch,
very little of the attracting and repulsing force will be lost. This advan-
tage may be increased to a greater extent by duplicating the series of
electro-magnets and the means of reversing the current. When this is
done the second series of electro-magnets on the inner cylinder should be
arranged so as to be placed in line with the spaces between the electro-
magnets of the first series, so that when those of one series are directly
opposite the magnets of the corresponding row of the outer cylinder, and
hence at the points of minimum attraction and repulsion, or in other words
have ceased to act, those of the second series will be directly at the points
of maximum attraction and repulsion, and vice versa. By shifting the two
rollers I and I'¹ the distance of one section of the rings E and F the direc
tion of the rotation will be reversed. It will be obvious from the foregoing
that many of the details of the above-described electro-magnetic engine
may be varied at the will of the constructor without departing from the
principle or mode of operation of the Invention.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in
Electro-magnetic Engines," and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim the arrangement of the series of radial electro-
magnets on the inner cylinder in combination with the series of converging

page_text: electro-magnets of the outer cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
And I also claim the two segment rings on the shaft of the rotating series
of electro-magnets in combination with the rollers "bearing against them,
and their appendages, substantially as described, for the purpose of alter-
nately reversing the poles of the magnets, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
.66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)