IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO- MAGNETIC MOTORS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Michael Henry, 77, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC MOTORS." - A communication from Messieurs Grenet and
Vavin.
Sealed the 2nd August 1858, and dated the 27th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Michael Henry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th February 1858.
I, MICHAEL HENRY, of 77, Fleet Street, in the City. of London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MOTORS,". Communicated to me by Messieurs Grenet
and Vavin, foreigners residing abroad, to be as follows:-
The main features of the electro-magnetic machine as improved and
arranged according to this Invention consist,-
First, in the employment of electro-magnets having curved polar surfaces
rolling or moving on straight electro-magnets by the action of the machine to
which they communicate motion (and which causes them to describe part of
their course), and by that of the current which moves them one on the other;
by attraction for a certain space of time, and in such manner as to impart
motion to the motor shaft during the same time.
Secondly, in the reciprocal action of a number of electro-magnets acting by
contact in such manner that each of them may commence. to act on its arm

page_text: (manivelle) when such arm is at an angle of 45° or thereabout, and continue
its action until the arm shall have attained an angle of 90° or thereabout when
the contact of the electro-magnets takes place, and the action of the current
ceases, and is transmitted to another pair of electro-magnets. In order to
render the action continuous, the arms (manivelles) are mounted on the motor
shaft in pairs, each pair forming a right angle.
Thirdly, in the employment of and arrangements for a new mode of dis-
tributing currents effected by means of a metallic rod free to move in a bath
composed of mercury and distilled water, or of mercury and a liquid bad
conductor, the current takes place when the moveable rod comes in contact
with the mercury, and the spark is intercepted or arrested, however strong it
may be, when the. current is broken by the entry of the rod in the distilled
water, the spark not taking place, the distribution is not interfered with, and
the machine continues its work without impediment.
Fourthly, a counter current is employed to drive off the coercitive force of
the electro-magnets at the precise moment that the main current ceases to
magnetize. (The coërcitive force is that which remains in the electro-magnet
after the passage of a strong current).
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Michael Henry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MICHAEL
HENRY, formerly of 77; Fleet Street, in the City of London, now of 84, Fleet
Street, in the said City, Patent: Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
-Lord-One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her-heirs and successors; give and grant unto.
me, the said Michael Henry, Her special licence that I, the said Michael
Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 'I,
the said Michael Henry, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others; from time to time' and at all tinies.
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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC MOTORS," (communicated to me by Messieurs
..

page_text: Grenet, and Vavin, foreigners residing abroad), upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Michael Henry, 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 Michael. Henry, 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the.
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
The object of this Invention is an effective electro-magnetic machine, the
distinguishing features of which consist,-.
First, in the employment of electro-magnets having curved or straight polar.
surfaces, caused to roll or move on other electro-magnets having straight or
curved polar surfaces, by the, combined action, of the machine, to which they.
together communicate motion, and which causes them to describe a portion of
their course or path, and. by the action of the current, which moves them one
on the other by attraction for a certain space of time, so as to impart motion
to a driving, or motor shaft during the same space of time..
Second, in the reciprocal action of a certain, number of electro-magnets so
contrived as to act until they come in contact; and in such manner that each
magnet may commence to act on its crank when the crank is, at an angle of
45° or thereabout, and continue acting until the crank shall have attained an
angle of 90° or thereabout, when the contact of these electro-magnets will
take place, and the action of the current) thereon will cease and be transmitted
to another pair of electro-magnets. In order to render the action continuous,
the cranks are mounted on the, motor, shaft in pairs, each pair forming a right
angle.
Third, in the employment; of and arrangements for, a new. mode; of dis-
tributing the currents, carried into effect by means of a metal rod, free, to.move
in a bath composed of mercury and, distilled water, or of mercury, and a liquid
bad conductor. The current passes-when the moveable, rod is in contact with
the mercury, and the spark is suppressed (coupée), (however, strong, it may be,)"
when the current is broken by the entry of the rod in the distilled water;
thus, the spark not occurring,, the distributing, action is, not interrupted, and
the machine may continue its work without, interference.
Fourth, in the employment of a counter-current to drive off, the-coërcitive

page_text: force of the electro-magnets at the exact moment at which the main current
ceases to magnetize. The coërcitive force is that which remains in the electro-
magnet after the passing of a strong current.
The foregoing arrangements allow of the employment of large electro-
magnets with thick wires.
The accompanying Drawings, by way of illustration, exemplify two modes
of carrying the Invention into effect, shewing two descriptions of electro-motor
machines arranged according to these improvements. On Sheet I., Figure 1
is an elevation, and Figure 2 a plan of one of these machines.
. A number of electro-magnets having thick wires are arranged as, for
example, in the positions indicated at 1, 2, 3, 4, Figures 1 and 2. The polar
extremity of each of these electro-magnets is of rectangular form, and is
embedded in a hard brass (bronze) plate, so as to lie flush with the surface, or
form a perfectly flat or plane superficies, as shewn in Figure 2 in plan and
elevation. Arranged above them, and also embedded in a hard brass (bronze)
plate, are a like number of corresponding electro-magnets 6, 6, Figures 1 and 2,
similar in construction to the preceding, but with this exception, that their
polar surfaces form a curve of a greater or less radius, according to the course
or stroke to be imparted to the apparatus. Each electro-magnet acts on the
electro-magnet corresponding to it, and the product of their mutual attractions
is collected by connecting rods 7, 8, 9, and 10, and thence transmitted to
crosswise cranks 7, 8, 9, and 101 on the motor shaft. The distribution of
the current among the four pairs of electro-magnets is alternated, and their
magnetization only takes place successively in the following order :-
N
6, 4
This is effected by means of (four) elliptical pieces (Figure 2) fixed on the shaft,
moving a like number of copper plungers 1, 2, 3, and 4', which successively
transmit the current to the pairs of magnets in the foregoing order. Each
plunger is immersed-in-a vessel containing mercury, on which is superimposed
distilled water, alcohol, or other non-conducting fluid. The effect of this
arrangement is the destruction of the spark produced by breaking current.
Each mercury vessel is in metallic communication with a pair of electro-
magnets, as shewn at a, b, c, d, Figures 1 and 2. The current is brought to
the plungers 1, 2, 3, and 4¹ by another mercury vessel 6¹, common to all,
wherein they are put into communication by metallic rods 51. Of course I do
not restrict myself to the precise number of electro-magnets shewn, as the

page_text: same may be increased or diminished at pleasure; and the mode of trans-
mitting motion to the shaft may be modified by any convenient arrangement
of rods, levers, and cranks.
I now proceed to describe the mode in which the apparatus works. In the
arrangement represented, the current enters the mercury vessel 6' at A, and
passes to the plungers 1, 2, 3, 41, by the rods 5', whence it is transmitted to
the pairs of electro-magnets, viz.,-
be perceived that the magnetization of each pair of electro-magnets only takes
place when its crank is at 45°, and stops immediately on its reaching a vertical
position, and so on for each successively.
In Sheet II., Figure 3 is an elevation, Figure 4 a central transverse section,
and Fig. 5 a plan of another form of electro-magnetic machine on this
improved method. A are electro-magnets, which, when caused to roll or
move on stationary electro-magnets B, move levers C, whose motion is trans-
mitted by connections D to crank arms E, and thence to cranks F and shaft G
(carrying fly wheel H). Figure 4 represents the arrangement of the dis-
tributors J, which may be adjusted by raising and lowering the collars K on
rods L. Friction is reduced by immersing the wires a of the electro-magnets
A in stationary vessels M mounted on the conductors y, z, so that those wires.
may be raised and lowered with their electro-magnets without cutting off
communication. The conductors y, z, are connected by their ends y¹, 2¹, with
the batteries which supply the electric fluid.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, (as communicated to me,) I wish it to be
understood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details of transmission,
forms, accessory appliances, or materials herein-before described and repre-
sented in the Drawings; but I declare that I claim,-
First, the employment of electro-magnets with curved or straight polar
surfaces rolling or moving on other electro-magnets, with straight or curved
polar surfaces by the combined action of the machine, to which they together
communicate motion, and which causes them to perform a part of their course
or path, and by the action of the current which moves one on the other by
attraction for a certain time, in such manner as to transmit motion to the
motor shaft during the same time.

page_text: Second, the arrangement of electro-magnets in such manner that they may
work by reciprocal action until they come in contact, and so that each may
commence to act upon its crank when such crank is at or about at an angle
of 45°, and continue its action. until the crank reaches an angle of 90° or
thereabout, when contact of those magnets taking place, the action of the
current thereon ceases, and is transmitted to another pair, while to obtain
continuous action the cranks are mounted on the shaft in pairs, each pair
forming a right angle.
Third, the employment of and arrangements for the new mode of distributing
currents effected by means of a metallic rod, moveable in a bath composed of
mercury and distilled water or other fluid bad conductor, the current occurring
when the rod comes in contact with the mercury, and the spark being done
away with when the current is broken by the presence of the rod in the
distilled water, so as not to interrupt distribution, or interfere with the work
of the machine.
Fourth, the employment of a counter current for driving off the coërcitive
force of the electro-magnets at the precise moment at which the main current
ceases to magnetize.
Fifth, the general arrangements of electro-magnetic machines herein-before
described, and represented in the Drawings accompanying..
In witness whereof, I, the said Michael Henry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,.
C. H. LANGMEAD;
Fleet Street.
M. HENRY. (L.S.)