APPARATUS FOR THE UTILISATION OF RADIANT ENERGY

A Practical Guide to ‘Free Energy’ Devices
Device Patent No 37 Author: Patrick J. Kelly

Patent US 685,957 5th November 1901 Inventor: Nikola Tesla 

APPARATUS FOR THE UTILISATION OF RADIANT ENERGY 

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Nikola Tesla, a citizen of the Unites States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Apparatus for the Utilisation of Radiant Energy, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same. 

It is well known that certain radiations - such as those of ultra-violet light, cathodic, Roentgen rays, or the like - possess the property of charging and discharging conductors of electricity, the discharge being particularly noticeable when the conductor upon which the rays impinge is negatively electrified. These radiations are generally considered to be ether vibrations of extremely small wave lengths, and in explanation of the phenomena noted, it has been assumed by some authorities that they ionise, or render conducting, the atmosphere through which they are propagated. However, my own experiments and observations lead me to conclusions more in accord with the theory heretofore advanced by me that sources of such radiant energy throw off with great velocity, minute particles of matter which are strongly electrified, and therefore capable of charging an electrical conductor, or, even if not so, may at any rate discharge an electrified conductor, either by bodily carrying off its charge or otherwise. 

My present application is based upon a discovery which I have made that when rays or radiations of the above kind are permitted to fall upon an insulated conducting-body connected to one of the terminals of a capacitor, while the other terminal of the capacitor is made to receive or carry away electricity, a current flows into the capacitor so long as the insulated body is exposed to the rays, and under the conditions specified below, an indefinite accumulation of electrical energy in the capacitor takes place. After a suitable time interval during which the rays are allowed to act, this energy may manifest itself in a powerful discharge, which may be used for the operation or control of mechanical or electrical devices, or rendered useful in many other ways. 

In applying my discovery, I provide a capacitor, preferably of considerable electrostatic capacity, and connect one of its terminals to an insulated metal plate or other conducting-body exposed to the rays or streams of radiant matter. It is very important, particularly in view of the fact that electrical energy is generally supplied to the capacitor at a very slow rate, to construct the capacitor with the greatest care. I prefer to use the best quality of mica as the dielectric, taking every possible precaution in insulating the armatures, so that the instrument may withstand great electrical pressures without leaking and may leave no perceptible electrification when discharging instantaneously. In practice, I have found that the best results are obtained with capacitors treated in the manner described in Patent 577,671 granted to me on 23rd February 1897. Obviously, the above precautions should be the more rigorously observed the slower the rate of charging and the smaller the time interval during which the energy is allowed to accumulate in the capacitor. The insulated plate or conducting-body should present to the rays or streams of matter, as large a surface as is practical, I having ascertained that the amount of energy conveyed to it per unit of time is, under otherwise identical conditions, proportional to the area exposed, or nearly so. Furthermore, the surface should be clean and preferably highly polished or amalgamated. 

Download: A Practical Guide to ‘Free Energy’ Devices - APPARATUS FOR THE UTILISATION OF RADIANT ENERGY