PATENT OF 1837

Evening Star, Issue 22682, 23 June 1937, Page 6

PATENT OF 1837

FIRST ELECTRIC MSTOR On 'February 25, 1837, Thomas Davenport (1802-51) secured a patent .for an electric motor, the first of its kind taken out in the United States. Davenport was a blacksmith, of Brandon, Vermont, who about 1833, with his friend, Orange Smalley, ■ began experimenting with magneto machines, unaware of what Henry had already accomplished. By December, 1834, they had made a machine having 12 permanent magnets and two electromagnets connected through a form of commutator consisting of wires dipping into mercury cups to an electric battery. By May, 1835, he had substituted for the mercury cups insulated segments on the lower part of the wheel shaft, which were rubbed by contact springs made of flattened wire.

On Henry’s advice Davenport showed his machine to Alexandre Bache and to a group of men at the Franklin Institute. but, being short of money, sold it to the Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute for 30dol. Encouraged by Professor Eaton, he made a new machine adapted for traction purposes, and this was exhibited at Troy on October 14, 1835. He was joined by Ransom Cook, and new models were built and exhibited, and Davenport lodged a model and applied for a patent, hut at the Patent Office fire of December 15, 1836, both model and plans were destroyed. Soon after this, however, he secured his patent of February 28, 1837, and his model is now preserved in the National Museum at Washington. The inventor, however, reaped no reward f6r his ingenuity, and died on July 6,185 L