(No Mosel.) N. TESLA. COMMUTATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. No. 334,823. Patented Jan. 26, 1886. digs d Cc Wy WEE ap, yr ££ WG Ki» Yt GY higk C Lay “@ Wiliierces Chat ib, — ikolee Justa ry tak, 9 ac Zoneee tht Brcll ~ PF cuuts. Lee PS IN S Sworler 2UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. NIKOLA THSLA, OF SMILJAN LIKA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TESLA ELECTRIC LIGHT AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF RAHWAY, NEW JERSEY. COMMUTATOR FOR DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES. ‘SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 934,923, dated January 26, 1886. Applletion Bled May 61865, Serial. L. (omodel) Lo all. whom it may concern: Be it known that J, NiKopA Trsta, of Smiljau Lika, border country of Austria-Han- gary, have invented an Tmprovement in Dy- § hatio-Fleetrie Machines, of whieh the follow- ing is a specification, My invention relates to the commutators ‘on ilynamo-eleetrie: machines, especially in machines of great electromotive foree, adapted ro toare lights; and it consists in a device by means of which the sparking on the eommu- tator is prevented Tt Is Known that in machines of great elee tromotive force—such, for instance, as those 15 used forare lights—whenever one eommatator bar or plate comes out of contact with the eol- leeting-brush a spark appears on the commu: tator. ‘This spark may be due to the break of the complete cirenit, or of a shunt of low re- 20 sistanee formed by the brash between two or more commutator-bars. Tn the first ease the spark is more apparent, as there is at the mo- mient when the eirenit is broken a discharge of the magnets throngh the field-helives, pro- a5 ducing a great spark or flash whieh eanses an unsteady current, rapid wear of the comma. tator bars and brushes, and waste of power. ‘The sparking may bo reduced by various de- vices, such as providing a path for the enr- go Tent ab the moment when the commutator segment or bar leaves the brush, by short-eir- cuiting the field-holices, by inereasing the number of the commutator-bars, or by other similar means; but all these devices are ex- 35 pensive or not filly available, and seldom at- tain the object desired. My invention enables me to prevent the sparking in a simple manner. Yor this pur- pose I employ with the commutator - bars ‘and intervening insulating material mica, as- hestus paper ot other insulating and prefer. ably incombustible material, whieh Tarrange to bear on the suriace of the commutator, near to and behind the brash. ‘My invention will be easily understood by relerence to the accompanying drawings. Tn the drawings, Figure 1 is a section of a commutator with an asbestus insulating de- view and Fig. 2 is a similar view, represent- 50 ing two plates of miea upon the back of the brosh. Tn Fig, 1, © represents the commutator and 40 45 intervening insulating material; BB, the Drushes. dd are sheets of asbestus paper or other suitable nou-eondneting material. ff are springs, the pressure of which may be ad- Jnsted by means of the serews g g. In Fig. 2 a simple arrangement is shown with two plates of mica or other material. Tt will be seen that whenever one commutator segment passes out of eontaet with the brush the formation of the are will be prevented by the intervening insulating material coming in contact with the insulating material on the brush My invention may be earried out in many ways; and Ido not limit myself to any partien- lar deviee, as my invention consists, broadly, in providing a solid noa-eondueting body to bear npon the surface of the commutator, by the intervention of which body the sparking. is parily or completely prevented. T prefer to use asbestus paper or cloth im- pregnated with zine-oxide, magnesia, zireonia, or other suitable material, as the paper and cloth are soft, and serve at the same time to wipe and polish the commutator; bat aniea or any other suitable material may be employed, said material being an insulator or a bad eon: ductor of electricity. ‘My invention may be applied to any elec trie apparatus in whieh sliding contacts are employed. Telaim as my invention— 1, ‘The combination, with the commutator. bars and intervening insulating material and brusies inadynamo electric machine, of asolid insulator or bad eonduetor of electricity ar- ranged to bear upon the surftee of the com- mutator adjacent to the end of the brush, for the purpose set forth. 2. In an electrie apparatus in which sliding contacts with intervening insulating material are employed, the combination, with the eon- tact springs or brashes, of a solid insulator or bad conductor of electricity, as and for the puzposes set forth, Signed by me this 2d day of May, A.D. 1885, NIKOLA TESLA, Witnesses: Gro. 'T. PINCKNEY, Winra G. Morr, 35 60 65, 70 18 85 eS 95