N. TESLA. COMMUTATOR FOR DYNAMO ELECTRIC MACHINES. No, 334,823, Patented Jan. 26, 1886. 74 a ° S KX \ He he C Ks, o C YY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. ‘SPROIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,828, dated January 26, 1886. -Appllation ed oy Lo all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, NIKOLA Testa, of Smiljau Lika, border country of Austria-Han- gary, have invented an Improvement in Dy- 5 hamo-Rlectrie Machines, of whieh the fullow- ing is a specification. My invention relates to the commntators ‘on dynamo-electrie machines, especially in machines of great electromotive foree, adapted ro toare lights; and it consists ina device by nieans of which the sparking on the eommd- tator is prevented It is kuown that in machines of great elee- tromotive foree—sueh, for instanee, as those 15 used forare lights—whenover one commutator bar or plate comes out of contact with the col lecting-brush a spark appears on the commu: tator. This spark may be due to the break of the complete cirenit, ov of a shunt of Tow re- 20 sistanee formed by the brash between two or more commutator-bars. In the first ease the spark is more apparent, as there is at the mo: iment when (he cirenit is broken a discharge of the magnets throngh the field-helices, pro- a5 ducing a great spark or flash whieh eanses an unsteady current, rapid wear of the commn- tator bars and brushes, aud waste of power. ‘The sparking may bo reduced by various de- views, such as providing a path for the enr- 30 rent ab the moment when the commutator segment or bar leaves the brush, hy short-cir- cuiting the field-helices, by inereasing the number of the commutator-bars, or by other similar means; but all these devices are ex: 35 pensive or not fally available, and seldom at- tain the object desired. Dy 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- bests paper or other insulating and prefer- ably incombustible material, whieh Tarrange to bear on the surface of the commutator, near to and bebind the brash. My invention will be easily understood by relerence to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, Figure 1 48 a section of a commutator with an asbestus insulating de- vieo; and Fig. 2 is a. similar view, represent- 50 ing twvo plates of niea upon the baek of the brash. In Fig. 1, C represents the commutator and 40 45 185, Serial No. 164504. (Ne meet intervening insulating material; BB, the brushes, d d are sheets of asbestns paper or other suitable nou-eondneting material. f f 55 are springs, the pressure of which may be ad- Jnsted by nieans of the serews 9 g. In Fig. 2 a simple arrangement is shown with two plates of miea or other material. Tt will be seen that whenever one commutator- seginent passes out of contact with the brush the formation of the are will be prevented by the intervening insulating material eoming in contact with the insulating material on the brush, ‘My invention may be earried out in many ways; and Ido not limit myself to auy partie lar device, as my invention consists, broadly, in providing a solid non-condueting body to bear npon the surface of the commutator, by the intervention of which body the sparking is partly or completely prevented. T prefer to use asbestus paper or cloth im- pregnated with zine-oxide, magnesia, zirconia, or other suitable material, as the paper and cloth are soft, and serve at the same time to wipe and polish the commutator; but mien or any other suitable material may be employed, said material being an insulator or a bad eon: ductor of electric! My invention may be applied to any elec- trie apparatas in whieh sliding contaets are employed. Telaim as my invention— 1, The combination, with the commutator- bars and intervening insulating material and brushes inadynaio electri machine, ofasolid insulator or bad conductor of electricity ar- ranged to bear upon the surface of the com- mniator adjacent to the end of the brush, for the purpose set forth, 2. In an eleetrieapparatus 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 pitrposes set forth, Signed hy me this 2d day of May, A.D. 1889. 60 65, 18 85, 9c 95 NIKOLA TESLA, Witnesses: Guo. 'T. Pixckny, Wirrraat G. Morr,