I902. No. II. ON A NEW ELECTRIC CURRENT BREAKER. 9 



mechanical details can of course be carried out in many ways ; they are 

 here given as above, principally in order to simplify the drawing. 



The induction-currentbreaker here described can be applied, not 

 only to a stead)' current, but also to break off alternating currents. In 

 the latter case, the application of alternating currents is also necessary 

 in the secondary coil, and currents of the exact period and phase of 

 those of the primary coil of the current-breaker. 



In wireless telegraphy, it is of course of considerable interest to 

 increase the energy of the oscillations to the highest possible degree. 



In previous attempts, I have worked with a Hertz oscillator, using 

 enormous metal balls as capacities, without succeeding in obtaining 

 vigorous vibrations. I then came to the conclusion that my inductorium 

 — a large Ruhmkorif with a very long secondary coil — was not able to 

 raise the potential of the large balls with sufficient rapidity; for if the 

 spark produced is to be efficacious, there must be the least possible 

 liesitation in its production^. By applying the induction-currentbreaker 

 just described, it should be possible to work with a specially constructed 

 inductorium, capable of charging very rapidly, even considerable capacities. 

 Such inductoriums may be constructed with a relatively short secondary 

 coil of proportionately thick wire, while the primary coil should be long, 

 and capable of absorbing intense currents, say of several hundred 

 ampères at several hundred volts. A sufficiently high potential diflerence 

 between the secondary poles could easily be produced in such an induction- 

 coil. And in this case, where the period of oscillation of the inductorium 

 is a very short one, and the intensity of its secondary current is very 

 great, it will be possible to charge comparatively large capacities as 

 quickly as small balls by aid of an ordinary inductorium. 



The combination of the current-breaker, C^ and the inductorium, I, 

 here described, is illustrated by the drawing, fig. 4. 



The currents are only broken by the ebonite plate, E, mentioned 

 above, which is moved rapidly up and down a number of times a second 

 by the aid of a little motor, which also, if necessary (see p. 7), com- 

 mutes the poles of the primary and secondary coils of the induction- 

 currentbreaker, before, the currents are set up. 



The secondary coil of the breaking system is here so arranged that 

 the currents of the entire primary circuit and of the secondary circuit 

 itself, increase to a maximum with the greatest possible rapidity. In 



') Cfr. E. Warburg; Wied. Ann. 57, 1S96, p. 14. 



