Thomson-Houston Electric Co. - Assigned Patents

Manufacturers Index - Thomson-Houston Electric Co.

Thomson-Houston Electric Co.
Lynn, MA, U.S.A.
Manufacturer Class: Steam and Gas Engines

Patents

This page contains information on patents issued to this manufacturer.

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Patent Number	Date	Title	Name	City	Description
12,341	Feb. 10, 1881	Improvements on automatic adjusters for commutator brushes of dynamo-electric machines	Elihu Thomson	New Britain, CT	This patent is primarily of interest because its inventors would, in 1882, collaborate with deep-pocketed investors to establish the Thomson-Houston Electric Co., which a decade later would merge with the Edison General Electric Co. to create General Electric Co. At the time this patent was issued both men were involved in the American Electric Co. of New Britain, but that enterprise's capital was insufficient for their ambitions. One of their projects involved electrifying the armory of the town of Lynn, Massachusetts. A Lynn newspaper owner, Silas A. Barton, visited the company in New Britain to broach the possibility of a second installation in Lynn, and learned that the company was in financial difficulty. He subsequently encouraged other Lynn businessmen to invest with him in revitalizing that firm, including Charles Coffin, who owned a shoe factory (Coffin & Clough) in Lynn. Barton, Coffin, Thomson and Houston then formed Thomson-Houston Electric Co. in Philadelphia, acquired the assets of American Electric Co., and relocated the business to Lynn, with Coffin becoming president. Houston did not make the move to Lynn and ceased his active role in the business. In the hand-written patent specification Houston is described as a "Professor of Physics" and his former student and colleague, Thomson, is described as an "Electrician". The invention itself is a construction that automatically adjusts the angular position of the brushes to the optimal location so as to minimize sparking. They claim two factors in determining the best position: rotational speed and rate of current variation. They used a combination of centrifugal force (proportional to speed) and magnetic force (proportional to current variation) to automatically position the brushes.
		Improvements on automatic adjusters for commutator brushes of dynamo-electric machines	Edwin James Houston	Philadelphia, PA
269,605	Dec. 26, 1882	Dynamo Electric Machine	Elihu Thomson	New Britain, Hartford County, CT
281,416	Jul. 17, 1883	Dynamo Electric Machine	Elihu Thomson	New Britain, Hartford County, CT
294,095	Feb. 26, 1884	Electric Power Distribution System	Elihu Thomson	New Britain, Hartford County, CT
323,976	Aug. 11, 1885	Automatic commutator adjuster for dynamo electric machines	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, Essex County, MA
345,336	Jul. 13, 1886	Commutator brush	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, Essex County, MA
356,902	Feb. 01, 1887	Armature for Dynamo Electric Machines	Elihu Thomson	New Britain, Hartford County, CT
410,468	Sep. 03, 1889	Reactive and Induction Coil	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, Essex County, MA
		Reactive and Induction Coil	Edwin Rice Jr.	Lynn, Essex County, MA
410,670	Sep. 10, 1889	Brush-holder for dynamo-electric machines	Charles D. Jenney	Indianapolis, IN
413,292	Oct. 22, 1889	Electric measuring-instrument	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, MA	A GE current meter was seen with this patent date on it. Thomson-Houston was established in 1883 and then in 1892 merged with Edison General Electric Company of Schenectady to form General Electric Co.
429,746	Jun. 10, 1890	Electric Railway Motor Truck	Charles J. Van Depoele	Lynn, Essex County, MA	Abstract: My invention relates to electric-railway cars, and more especially to certain improvements in trucks supporting the motors for propelling said cars and in the means and mechanism for sustaining the motors upon the truck. Claim: In an electric-railway-motor truck., the combination, with the carrying-wheels and axles thereof and an electric motor or motors for propelling the same, said motor or motors being supported at their field-magnet end upon the said axle or axles and 1roviled with nose-plates uniting the free ends of their pole- pieces, of means for sustaining the free ends of the motor or motors, comprising longitudinal frames extending between the bearings of the carrying-wheels and a transverse truss frame or frames sustained at its end upon the longitudinal frames, and spring-connections between the nose-plates on the free ends of the motor or motors and the transverse truss frame or frames.
432,652	Jul. 22, 1890	Welding or other dynamo	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, MA	"My invention relates to the construction of dynamo-machines for delivering currents of large volume and low electro-motive force such as are suitable for electric welding and other metal-working operations..." These other operations are not spelled out but include induction heaters.
434,488	Aug. 19, 1890	Electric Power Trasmission	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, Essex County, MA
434,489	Aug. 19, 1890	Electric Power System	Elihu Thomson	Lynn, Essex County, MA
435,264	Aug. 26, 1890	Reciprocating Electric Hammer	Charles J. Van Depoele	Lynn, Essex County, MA
471,155	Mar. 22, 1892	Alternating Current Motor	Elihu Thomson	Swampscott, Essex County, MA
485,620	Nov. 08, 1892	Electric Motor Controller	Jonathan P. B. Fiske	Lynn, Essex County, MA
520,810	Jun. 05, 1894	Electric Reciprocating Motor	Elihu Thomson	Swampscott, Essex County, MA