IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO- MAGNETIC APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Werdermann, of Princes Street, in the County
of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-
MAGNETIC APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 13th July 1877, and dated the 10th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Werdermann at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th May 1877.
RICHARD WERDERMANN, of Princes Street, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING
MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to apparatus for the production of motive power by electro-
magnetic attraction, which apparatus is partly applicable for the production of
electric currents.
The said Invention also relates to the novel construction of electro-magnets for
the above and other purposes.
My improved apparatus forms an electro-magnetic engine constructed as follows:-
Three or more electro-magnets are arranged in a circle with their axes parallel to
the main shaft which traverses the centre of an iron plate or disc, on which are
fixed the electro-magnets. In front of the poles of these electro-magnets I arrange
an oscillating armature, preferably in the form of an obtuse cone, provided at the
apex with a short shaft and in the centre of its basis with a spherical bearing or
universal joint. The shaft fits in a bush of copper or brass, or any other suitable
non-magnetic material, fitted to a crank arm which is keyed on the said main shaft,
while the spherical bearing, made of non-magnetic material, enters a hole cut out
at the apex of another disc which is connected with the frame of the apparatus.
On the main shaft is fixed a driving pulley. The said shaft also carries a current
breaker, which consists of two discs of ebonite or lignum vitæ, or other suitable
non-conducting material, a segment of each being replaced by copper or brass, or
other suitable conducting material, and connected with a ring of copper. The two-
discs are insulated from each other and in contact at the periphery, each with as
many_springs, rollers, or rubbers as there are electro-magnets. The periphery of
31

page_text: each ring is in contact with another spring, roller, or rubber, one of which is con-
nected with the positive and the other with the negative pole of a galvanic battery
or other generator of electricity.
The electric current flows through the rings, segments, rollers, and the coils of the
electro-magnets, which in succession, singly, or in series, attract the conical armature,
thus forcing the crank pin to move in a circle, or, rather, to develope a cone, through
the axis of which passes the main shaft, imparting to it a rotary motion.
The said current or contact breaker. is adjusted in such a manner that at the
moment when one of the said electro-magnets is in contact with the cone, the
circuit is broken, the contact rollers passing from the copper segment to the insulating
surface of the ebonite discs.
To avoid loss of power or retardation of motion by the coercitive force of the iron,
the electro-magnets and the cone must be made of pure, or, at least, very good
wrought iron.
Or at the moment the circuit is broken, I may send a feeble current
in an inverse direction through the coil surrounding the electro-magnet. Or the
surface of the poles of the magnets or cone, or both, may be plated with copper or
coated with a thin layer of any other suitable material. By these means the said
cone or conical armature is instantaneously released from the electro-magnets when
the circuit is broken.
My electro-magnetic engine and its different parts are capable of numerous
modifications, and I do not confine myself to the above-described shape. For instance,
instead of a single apparatus, as above described, I may use a double apparatus
acting on the driving pulley, one on each side, and instead of one series of electro-
magnets I may have two series, having their poles in opposition, the cone oscillating
between them.
Furthermore, the cones or armatures may have many different shapes or forms;
they may be single or double, complete, or truncated cones..
Different forms of electro-magnets may be used, and it is not absolutely necessary
to place the magnets parallel to the main shaft.
In order to obtain the largest possible surface, the polar extensions may be cut
obliquely, so that their surface may have the form of an ellipse, or the cone may be
provided with as many hemispherical or other projections as there are electro-
magnets, the polar extensions of which must be concave or otherwise suitably formed
to receive the said projections.
I use, by preference, electro-magnets of a novel construction which I have devised
for the purpose of this Invention and for other like purposes, that is to say, an iron
cylinder or tube fixed on a bottom plate is coiled with copper wire or ribbons or
sheets of copper, and placed inside another iron tube, which is also coiled with copper
wire, but in an opposite direction, so that the outer tube assumes opposite polarity
to that of the inner tube; or between two concentric tubes of suitable diameter,
coiled with copper wire in such a manner that they have both the same polarity,
may be inserted a series of cylinders or smaller tubes coiled with copper wire in
such a manner that the said cylinders or tubes have all the same polarity, but an
opposite polarity to that of the two large tubes, between the peripheries of which.
they are placed. The two concentric tubes are always magnetized, in fact, they may
be permanent magnets, while the smaller magnets are magnetized or demagnetized
in succession.
Instead of two large tubes, one large tube only may be used in connection with
the series of smaller tubes or cylinders.
Moreover, I prefer to use tubular and cylindrical or other shaped magnet cores
formed of iron wire or thin sheet iron rolled or coiled, the different spiral coils or.
layers being insulated or not insulated from each other, as desired.
Instead of a conical armature, a disc or a sphere provided with radial arms may
be used in the aforesaid engine. The ends of these arins may be connected by
means of universal joints with piston rods, the pistons of which move to and fro in
tubes surrounded by coils, the reciprocating motion being imparted to the pistons by
magnetic attraction.

page_text: Moreover, instead of producing the oscillating motion of the cone or other arma-
ture in the said engine by direct magnetic attraction, it may be produced by pressure
transmitted by means of springs which are alternately compressed by magnetic.
attraction and released by demagnetization.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Richard Werdermann in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
November 1877.
RICHARD WERDERMANN, of Princes Street, in the County of Surrey, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC APPARATUS FOR DEVELOPING
MOTIVE POWER, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My Invention relates to apparatus for obtaining motion by electro-magnetic
attraction, and thereby producing or developing motive power, which apparatus is
also applicable for the production of electric currents, to be utilized for electric
lighting or other purposes.
The said Invention comprises the combination of series of magnets, with a
peculiarly arranged armature, and the novel construction of electro-magnets for the
above and other purposes.
My improved electro-magnetic apparatus or engine is constructed as shewn in the
accompanying Drawing, in which-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the said apparatus or engine; Figure 2 is a
transverse section on the line x, x, Figure 1, showing parts of the said apparatus.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the construction of my improved electro-magnets.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A is a frame of cast iron or other suitable material; a, a¹, are discs or plates
forming part of or secured to the said frame. The disc a carries one. series of
electro-magnets b, and the other disc a¹ carries another series of electro-magnets b¹;
c is the aforesaid armature; d is the main shaft of the engine; e is a driving pulley
on the said shaft.
I employ two series of three or more electro-magnets b, b', arranged in a circle,
with their axes parallel to the main shaft d. Between the poles of these two series
of electro-magnets I arrange the oscillating armature c, which is preferably of the
form shown, and is provided with a central shaft f; one end f' of this shaft projects
from the centre of the base of the armature c, and is fitted into a bearing g in such
a manner as to form therewith a universal joint. This bearing g is formed of non-
magnetic material, and is secured in a part of the frame as shewn. The other end
f2 of the shaft f fits in a bush i of copper or brass or other suitable non-magnetic
material connected with a crank arm or disc j, which is keyed on the said main
shaft d.
The main shaft, besides carrying the driving pulley e, also carries a current
breaker k, which consists of a disc ¹ of ebonite or lignum vitæ or other suitable
non-conducting material; a segment of this disc is removed, and replaced by copper
or brass or other suitable conducting material as shewn at ³, and connected with a
ring of copper. The communicator k at its periphery is in contact with as many
springs, rollers, or rubbers / as there are electro-magnets in each series. The peri-
phery of each ring is in contact with another spring, roller, or rubber, one of
which is connected with the positive and the other with the negative pole of a
galvanic battery or other generator of electricity.
The electric current flows through the said rings, segments, and rollers, and the
coils of the electro-magnets b, b', which in succession, singly or in series, attract the
conical armature c, thus forcing the end få of the shaft f to move in a circle, or rather
to develope a cone, through the axis of which passes the main shaft d, and thereby
impart a rotary motion to the said shaft.

page_text: The said current or contact breaker k is adjusted in such a manner, that at the
moment when one of the said electro-magnets is in contact with the oscillating
armature the circuit is broken, the contact roller passing from the copper segment
to the insulating surface of the ebonite disc. I prefer that the electro-magnets of
the two series should not be opposite to each other, but should be so arranged, that
those of one series are opposite the spaces between those of the opposite series. By
this arrangement I obtain a more uniform application of the electro-magnetic action
upon the armature.
To avoid loss of power or retardation of motion by the coercitive force of the
iron, the electro-magnets and the armature must be made of pure or at least very
good wrought iron. Or I may obtain this result by sending through the coil
surrounding an electro-magnet at the moment when the circuit is broken a feeble
current in an inverse direction. Or, for the same purpose, the surface of the poles
of the magnets or the armature, or both, may be plated or coated with copper or with
a thin layer of any other suitable material. By the use of these means the said
conical armature will be instantaneously released from the electro-magnets when
the circuit is broken.
My electro-magnetic engine and its different parts are capable of numerous modi-
fications, and I do not confine myself to the shape or construction of the parts
shewn in the Drawing. For instance, instead of a single apparatus, as shewn and
described, I may use a double apparatus or engine; that is to say, I may construct
an engine which has two oscillating armatures, each of which is arranged between
two series of magnets in combination with one driving shaft or pulley on one or
both sides of the latter.
Furthermore, the armature may have any convenient shape or form, and may be
single or double, a complete or a truncated cone.
Different forms of electro-magnets may be used, and it is not absolutely necessary
to place the magnets parallel to the main shaft. In order to obtain the largest
possible surface, the polar extensions may be cut obliquely, so that their surface may
have the form of an ellipse; or the armature may be provided with hemispherical
or other projections, corresponding in number and position with the electro-magnets,
the polar extensions of which must be concave, or otherwise suitably formed to
receive the said projections.
I prefer to use in my improved engine electro-magnets of a novel construction,
which I have devised for the purposes of this Invention and for other like
purposes; that is to say, I construct the magnets as shewn in Figure 3, in which an
iron cylinder or tube n fixed on a bottom plate o is coiled with copper wire or
ribbons or sheets of copper, as shewn at p, and placed inside another iron tube q,
which is also coiled with copper wire at r, but in an opposite direction, so that the
outer tube g assumes opposite polarity to that of the inner tube; or between two
concentric tubes n, q, of suitable diameter, coiled with copper wire in such a manner
that they have both the same polarity, may be inserted a series of cylinders or
smaller tubes s, coiled with copper wire in such a manner that the said cylinders or
tubes 8 have all the same polarity, but an opposite polarity to that of the two large
tubes n, q, between the peripheries of which they are placed. The two concentric
tubes n, q, are always magnetized, in fact, they may be permanent magnets, while
the smaller magnets s are successively magnetized and demagnetized during the
working of the engine.
Instead of two large tubes, one large tube only may be used in connection with
the series of smaller tubes or cylinders, as shewn in Figure 4.
Moreover, I prefer to use tubular and cylindrical or other shaped magnet cores,
formed of iron wire or of thin sheet iron rolled or coiled, the different spiral coils or
layers being insulated or not insulated from each other, as desired.
When the said apparatus is used for the production of electric currents, permanent
magnets surrounded by helixes are used instead of electro-magnets. When the
armature is caused to revolve, an electric current is generated in the helix sur-
rounding the permanent magnet at the moment it comes into contact with the pole

page_text: of the magnet, and an electric current in an opposite direction is produced at the
moment the armature leaves the pole.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,—
First. An electro-magnetic apparatus or engine, which has an oscillating armature
placed between two series of electro-magnets, and connected with a driving shaft, to
which armature and shaft motion is imparted by the action of the magnets on the
said armature, as above set forth.
Second. The modification of the said apparatus, whereby the same is adapted for
the production of electric currents, as above set forth.
Third. The improved construction of magnets, as above described and shewn in
Figures 3 and 4, for the purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Werdermann, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
R. WERDERMANN. (L.S.)