| Show electricity AS A MOTIVE POWER bower we cut the following from the new w york tribune of feb 7 M emlie emile prevost a french electrician who has hag been in this country some time with a view of introducing a naw new application of electricity as a motive power extended an invitation to a few gentlemen on saturday to witness the performance of his machine unfortunately previous to the hour named a very heavy current of electricity was sent from the battery through the main magnet which had the effect to either overheat or bum burn the smaller magnets so that the machine would not operate pro properly erly enly it has been running the past forty for y days and nights at a cost of ten cents each twenty four hours the apparatus consists of an ordinary galvanic battery each jar be being ng of about one gallon capacity the poles of the battery cups cupa are connected with a powerful magnet and the increased electrical power is then transmitted to the electric engine it varies but little in general principles from the ordinary electric engine the novelty being in the magnet which is first formed by taking an even grained piece of horseshoe wire and turning it down to the required proportions the one shown being three inches in diameter and about IS 18 inches in n length the ends of the magnet on the poles are turned out so as to leave a face of five inches in diameter the iron is not hammered but turned in a lathe and afterward bent in the shape of a U the iron then passes into the hands of the inventor who treats it to a series of in various temperatures the process being a aB secret ecret from erom two to three weeks are required for this tempera tempering 13 g process when it is complete the iron again goes to the machine shop when the faces of the poles are made smooth and even the magnet is then placed in an u upright right position within a copper box 7 by 15 by 14 inches and the space fille filled in with a preparation closely resembling sem bling sealing wax the faces of the magnet are perfectly in line with the upper end of the box in this state the magnet is connected with the electric battery and the wires are ready for connection with the electric engine the machine for transmitting the power and motion to a line of shafting consists of a flat faced lever fastened at the upper end A smaller magnet of the same bame construction is placed on the vertical bed plate with the poles so situated that they act alternately upon the lever attracting and repelling it the other extremity of the lever con lever or arm in a reverse position to the main one and by means of a connecting rod tu the motion is imparted to the crankshaft crank shaft on which is secured a flywheel fly wheel and the pulley to connect it with the line of shaft pulleys the starting or reversing of the machine is accomplished by means of the ordinary connections of an electric circuit the application of one ioie gole pole having the effect to move the mac machine ing ino forward and the connection of the other pole to reverse it both connections being removed the machine is at a standstill exhibition mons ab nb prevost prevost has two machines on exhibition one representing one horse power the other one man power in addition to the large magnet above described bed which has a power capable of sustaining 2500 2 pounds weight he has two of about nine inches in length five inches in depth and four inches in width these last named are supposed to exert each about one horse power and a smaller one about three i inches in length two inches in breadth and one inch in depth this latter magnet with a very small battery is sufficiently large to run a sewing machine the large magnet is estimated to exert a power of between seven an and d eight horses and is applicable to printing presses hoisting machines forswore houses etc the cost of working wording the magnets being the same ten cents per day the inventor claims that his magnet is peculiarly valuable in the working of submarine cables as by its application the cost of keeping up large batteries is reduced to a mere nomina nominal I 1 sum bum while it will produce far more equal effial and powerful results than are obtained by the present system of voltaic piles A few weeks ago the residence of M prevost was entered by burglars who strange to say only took the magnets from his electric engines although articles of greater intrinsic value were scattered around the room he is of opinion that other parties interested in de developing loping electricity aa as a motive power were unscrupulously anxious to avail themselves of his labor and secret if this invention proves successful which is certainly probable it must produce quite a revolution in the present system of telegraph batteries and it will doubtless in time be applied to light laborsaving labor saving machines it is the intention of the inventor to erect several large machine and practically test tes t his theories |
