Mo, 787,412. Unirep STATES Patentea April 18, 1908, Parent OFrice. NIKOLA TESLA, OF NEW YORK, ¥. Y. ‘ART OF TRANSMITTING ELECTRICAL ENERGY THROUGH THE NATURAL MEDIUMS, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 787,412, dated April 18, 1905. Applentin fled May 16,1000. Racened Joos 17,1008, Serial Nu. 113,34, Bo all who it may concern: Beit known that [, Nrkor. ‘Testa, n citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State 5 of New York, havediscovered anew and useful Improvement inthe Artof Transmitting Plec- trical Energy Through the Nataral Media, of which the following is a spocifiention, refer- ence being had to thedrawingsaccompanying 10 and forming a part of the same. It is known since a long time that ‘ourronts may be propagated throu; earth, and this knowletlge | been utilized in many ways in the transmission of signals 15 and the operation of a variety of receiving de- vices remote from the source of energy, mainly, with the object of dispensing with m return éonducting-wire. Itis also known that electrical disturbances’ may be transmitted 20 through portions of the earth hy grounding nly one of the poles of the source, and this fact Ihave made use of in systems which 1 have deviseil for the purpeses of transmitting through the naturaf media intolligible signals | 25 or power und which are now familiar; but all exporimontsand observations heretoforemade have tended to contirm the opinion hel by the majority of scientitc mon that the earth, ‘owing to its immense extent, although pos: sessing conduoting propertios, does not. be- have in the manner of n conductor of limited dimensions with respect to the disturbances produced, but, on the contrary. much like a Vast reservoir or ocean, which while it may be locally disturbed by a commotion of some Kind remains unresponsive and quiescent in large part oras a whole. Still another fact now of common knowledge is that when eloc- trical waves or oscillationsre impressed upon, such « conducting-path as.a metallic wire re- flection takes place under certain conditions from the endaof the wire, and in consequence Of the interference.of the impressed and re- flected oscillations the, phenomenon of "sta 45 tionary waves” with maxima and minima in definite fixed: positions is easathe 35 4 | discovered that not istaniling its vast mensions and contrary to all observations Heretofore mate the terrestrial globe may in 1 large part or as n whole behave towant dis- fiorbances inapressed upon itin the sunte mane $5 ner as a condiietor of limited size, this fact being domonstented_t Vp which 1 shall hereinafter describe In the course of certain which I earried on for the purpose of studying 60 the effects of lightning discharges pon the electrical condition of the arth | olorvod that sensitive resciving instrumentsarranged fo as to beenpablo of responding to clectricab disturbances created ‘by’ the dischargers at 65 times failed to respond when they should have done 80, and upon ing of this unexpected belnvior Iiscovered it to ‘be due to the character of theclectrical waves which were produced in the earth by the 70 lightninie discharges and which hd nodal re- gions following at definite distances the shift- ing source of the disturbances, From date obtained in a largo nuruber of observations of the maxima and minima of these waves 1 75 found thoir length to vary anproximaly from twenty-five to soventy Kilometers, antl ‘these results and certain theorotical dadue- tions led me to the conclusion that waves of this kind may be propagated in all directions 80 ‘ver. the globe and that they may be of st more widely differinglengts.theextremolim- ite being imposed. by the physical dimensions and properties of theearth. ecognizing in the existence of these waves an unmistakable ov dence that the disturbances creatod had been conducted from their origin to the most re- mote portions of the globe and had been thence reflected, I conceived the iden of ducing such waves in the earth by artificial 90 means with the object of utilizing them for many useful purposes for which they are or ht be found applicable. ‘This problem was rendered extremely difficult owing to the immense dimensions of the planet, and conse- 95 quently enormous movement of electricity or Tato at which electrical energy lind to be de- livered in order to approximate, oven ina re- mote degree, nigvements or rates which are manifestly attained in tho displays of elec: 100 85reras2, trical forees in nature and which seemed at | by’ me and not well known; but when it is de- first unrealizable by any human agencies; but | sired to produce s bby gradual and continuous improvements of | lengthsan alternating dynamo of ‘a generator of electrical oscillations, which I have described in my Patents Nos. 645,576 and 649,621, [ finslly succeeded in reaching electrical movements or rates of delivery of electrical energy not only epproximating, but, as shown in many comparative tests and ‘measurements, actuslly surpassing those of Jightoing discharges, and by means of this apparatus I have found it. possible to repro- duce whenever desired phenomena in the earth the same as or similar to those due to such discharges. With the knowledge of the phe- homens discovered by me and the means at command for accomplishing. these results. am enabled not only to carry out many oper- tions by the use of known instruments, but also to offer a solution for many important problems involving the operation or control of remote’ devices which for want of this Knowledge and the absence of these means haveheretofore been entirely impossible. For example, by the use of such a generator of stationary waves and receiving apparatus Broperly placed and sdjosed in any other lo- ality, howorer remote, it is practicable to transmit intelligible signals or to coutrol or actuate at will any one or all of such apps ratus for many other important and valuable purposes, as for indicating wherever desired the correct time-of an observatory or for as- ‘eertaining the relative position of » body or 35 distance of the seme with reference to agiven ‘point or for determining the course of a mov ing object, such as a vessel at sea, the distance ‘traversed by the same or itsspeed, or for pro- Gucing many other useful effects at'a distance dependent ‘on the intensity, wave length, di- rection or velocity of movement, or other fes- ture or property of disturbances of this char- 35, x ° acter. : ‘shall typically illustrata the manner of ap- 4s plying my discovery by describing one of the specific use of the same—oamely, the trans mission of intelligible oF messages twoen distant points—and with this object ref- erence is now rade tothe accompanying draw- ings, in which— ‘Figure 1 represents diagrammatically the ‘generator which produces stationary waves i the serth, and Fig. 2 an apperatus situated in remote locality for recording the effects of these waves. . In Fig. 1, A designates a primary coil form- ing part of's transformer and consisting gen- erally of a few turns of a stout cable of inap- preciable resistance, the ends of which are Connected to the terminals of a sourceof pow- erfal electrical oscillations, diagranamatically represented by B. This source is usually a condenser charged toa high potential and dis- charged in rapid succession through the pri- mary, as in a type of transformer invented so 35 60 65 luce stationary waves of great table con- struction may be used to energize the primary ‘A. Cisaspirally-wound secondary coil with- jn the primary having the end nearer to the Intter connected to the ground E” and the other end toan clevated terminal E. ‘The physical constants of coil C, determining its period of vibration, are so chosen and adjusted that the 75 secondary systems E’ CE is in the closest pos- sible resonance with the oscillations impressed upon it by the primary A. It is, moreover. of the greatest importance in order to still farther enhance the rise of pressure and to increase the electrical movement in the sec- ondary eystem that its resistance be as small fs practicable and its self-induetion as la fas possible under the conditions imposed. ‘The ground should be made with great care, with the object of reducing its resistance. Tetand of boing directly grounded, as indi ‘eated, the coil C may be joined .in series or otherwise to the primary A, in which case the Intier will be eonnected to'the plate E': but bbe it that nove or a part or all of the primary or exciting turas are included in the coil C the total lenigth of the conductor from the ground-plate E’ to the elevated terminal E should be equal to one-quartor of the wave length of the electrical disturbance in the sys- tom ECE or else equal to that length raul- tiplied by an odd number. | This relation be- ing observed, the torminal E will-be made to coincide with the points of maximum. pres- sure in the secondary or excited cireuit, and the greatest fow of electricity will take place in the same. In order to magnify the elec- trical movement in the secondary, as much as posaible, itis essential that its inductive con- ection with the primary A should not be very intimate, as in ordinary transformers, but loose, s0 as to permit free oscillntion— that is tosay, their mutual induction should be ‘small ‘The spiral form of coil C secures this sdvantage, while the tarns near the.primary A subjected to astrong inductive action and lop & high initial electromotive force. re 85 9° 9s 105 110 dex ‘These adjustments and relations being eare- fully completed’ and other constructive fen- ‘wares indicated rigorously observed, the elec- ‘trical movement produced in the secondary system by the inductive action of the primary A will be onérmously magnified, the increase being directly proportionate to the inductance and -frequency and inversely to the resistance of the secondary system. 1 have found it practicable to produce in this manner an elec- trical movement thousands of times greater than the initial—that 1s, the one impressed upon the secondary by the primary A—and I have thus reached activities or rates of flow of electrical energy in the system B’ CE meas- tured by many tens of thousands of horse- power. Such immense movements of elec- 130 ng 135797,412 tricity give rise to a variety of novel and | striking phenontena, among which ‘aro those | already described. “Tho powerful electrical oscillations in the system E’ C E being com- ‘munieated to the scround cause correspond ing vibrations to ly propagated to distant | batts of the globe, whence they are reflected and by interference with the outyeoinge vibra tions produce: stationary waves the -crosts ‘and hollows of which parallel circles relatively to which the ground-plate I’ may 'be considered to be the pole. Stated other- wise, the terrestrial conductor is thrown into | Fesonance with the oscillations impressed | upon it just like a wire. More than this, a number of facts ascertained ‘by me clearly show that the movement of electricity through it follows certain Jawe with nearly miathernat- | al rigor. For the present it will be suf | cient to state that the planct behaves like & | verfectly smooth or polished conductor of in- | appreciable resistance with capacity and self induction uniformly: distributed along. the xis of symmetry of wave propagation and transmitting slow electrical oscillations, ‘out sensible distortion and attenuation, Nosides the above three requirements soem to bo essontial to the establishment of the resonating condition, 5 35 35, Second. It is necessary to employ oscilla tions in which the rate of radiation of energy | into space in tho form of hertzian or electro- magnetic waves is very small. ‘To ive an idle, T would say that the frequeney should be ‘anailer than twenty thousand per second, {hough shorter waves might be practicable, ‘Thelowest frequency wold xppear toe ee ‘or second, in which caso thore will be but ‘onenode, ator neartheground-plate, and, pare adloxical as it may scem, the effect will incronso with: the Il be greatest in a agion diametrically opposite the transmitter thoscillationsstillslowertheearth, strict!y | not resonate, bat simply net ax ‘capacity, and the variation of potential will ‘Ve moro or lesvuniformover ilsentiresurface. Thin. ‘The most essential requirement is, | however, that irrespective of frequeney the wave or wave-train should continue for a cer tain interval of time, which I have estimated to be not less than one-twelfth or probably 0.08484 of © second and -whicl is taken. in passing to and returning from the region din: metrically opposite:the pole over the earth's surface with a mean velocity of about four hundred and seventy-one thousand two hun- «trod and forty kilometers por secon. ‘Tho presenco of thio stationary waves may 40 4s 50 5s 60 detected in many ways. For instance, & may be conneeted direetly, for induet- | nectad to earth anil the other ively to the ground and to:an elevated termi nal and tuned to respond more effectively to illations. Another way is to connect tuned cireuit to the ground at two points Wing more or lose, in a meridian essing: through the pole ' or, gencrally xtatedl, to any tivo points of a dilferent potential. In Fig. 21 have sown n dovico for dletoct- ing the presenee of the waves such as I have tused in w novel mothod of magnifying fechle gffects which I have doscribed in. my Patents Nus. 685,953 and 685,955. It consists of a "insulating material, which is moved at & uniform rate of speed ‘by clock- work or other suitable motive power and is provided swith two metal rings FF’, upon which bear brushes « and «', conneetial, re- spectively, to the terminal plates Pand P. From the rings FF" extend narrow mctalli¢ seginents «and *, whieh by the rotation of the ‘cylinder D are brought alternately into contact with double brushes h aril 4’, enevied by and in contact with conciicting-liol and 2, supported in metallic bearings G, as shown: ‘The latter are conneeted to the terminals T and T° of a condenser II, and it should be understood that they are eapable of angular displacement. as onlinary: be supports, ‘Tho object of using two brushes: as band 4, in each of the holders f and ix to vary at will the duration ofthe electric eon= tact of the plates P and P* with the terminals ‘Tand T, to which is connected a receiving circuit including n receiver Rand a devier «, performing theduty of closing the receiving Gireuit at proslotermined intorvals of time anil discharging the stored enorgy through the re- eeiver, "In the present easo this device eon- ts of w cylinder minde partly of co sand partly’ of insulating matorial ean ro spectively, which is rotated at the-desired Pate 9 speed! by any suitable means, ueting part ix with tho shaft S andl is ing segments.,/", upon which slides a brush 4, supported ‘on a conuducting-roxl /, eapallo of longitutinal adjustment, inn metallic supe port a, Anothor brush, mis arranged Lo ben upon theshaftS, and it will 10 15 85 95 105 ng ith the brush d the eirenit including the re- eciver It is completed and tie condenser dis chargedhrough thosame. Ryan adjustnient of the spord of rotation of the 8 displicement of the brush J-along. the ey inder the cirenit may be mule to open and closo in as rapid succession and remain open or closed during such intervals of tine asx may? be dlsired.| Tho platos P and 1 throu which the electrical energy is conveyed to brushes wand a’, may bent a considerable dise tance from each’ othr in th the ground and. the ot ably at some height, 135 TF but one ph nt* 7e7,a12 elevation, the loration of the apparatus must | varying the length of the waves wnlar observ be determined wi of the stationary wnves esta -oforence to the position | ance of the uboy hed! by the | ner the regions of max its Tn thisnn nininvum generator, the effect evidently being greatest ; etfect may be imade te coincide with any re- ina maximum and zero in a nodal region. On the other hand, if both plates be eonnect- 1 to earth the points of connection must be selected with reference to the difference of potential which it is desired to secure, the atrongesteefect being of course obtained when the plates are at a ditance ental to half the Tn illustration of the operation of the tem let it be assumed that alternating elec- trical impulses from the generator are caused to produce stationary waves in the earth, as abovedescribed, and that the receiving avpa- ratus is properly located with reference to the position of the nodal and ventral regions of the waves. Thespeed of rotation of the cyl- inder D is varied until i is made to turn én synchronism with the alternate, impulses of he generator, and the position of the brushes @ and 2 is, adjusted by angular displacement or otherwise, 60 that they are in contact with thesegments'§ and’ during the periods when the impulses are at, or near the maximum of ‘Theso requirements being fulfilled, electrical charges of the same sign be conveyed to each of the terminals of the condenser, and with each frosh impulse it will be charged to a higher potential. ‘The speed of rotation of the eylinder d being ad- justable at will, the energy of any number of ‘separate impulses may thus be accumulated in potential form and discharged through the receiver R upon the brush & coming in con- tact with one of the segments 7’, It will be understood that the capacity of the condenser should be such as to allow the storing of a 15 35 35 ry operation of the re- Since by this method a relatively ceiver. great amonct of energy and in a suitable form Thay be made available for the operation of receiver, the latter need not be very sensitive; butwhen the impulsesare very weak or when 45 iis desired to opernte w receiver very rap Sy any of the walckecwn sneive devices capableof responding to very fecbleinfuences may be used in the manner indicated or in other ways. Under the conditions described it is evident that during the continuance of the stationary waves the receiver will be acted ‘upon by current impulses more or less intense, 5° 55 according to its location with reference to the | ‘maxima and minima of said waves; but upon Interrupting av reducing the fow ofthe cur- stationary waves will disappear or Siminioh in intensity” Henoe a greet verity of effects may be produced in a receiver, ac- cording to the mode in which the waves are controlled. It is practicable, however, to shift the nodal and ventral regions of the 65 waves at will from the sending-station, ax by 60 ceiving station or stations, By impressing, upon the earth two or mare oillations of Gitferent wave length a resultant st wave may: globe, and thus m great v Feets may be prosducet. of w vessel may’ be eas the ase of a compas, as hy a eineuit connect- ed to the earth ts, for the effect exerted upon ill be srrentest when, the plates PP" are lying on. meridian pass So ing through ground-plite Hand will be a when the plates-are located at a parallel cir- cle. If the nodal and ventral regions nre main- tained in fixed positions, the spood of a vessel carrying a receiving apparatus may beexactly 85 computed from observations of the maxima and minima rogions successively’ traversed. ‘This will be understood when it is stated that the projectionsof all the noxles und loops on the earths diameter passing through the pole or 9° axis of symmetry of the waye movement are all equal. Hence in any roion at the surface the wave length ean Inv ascertained ple rules of geonx Conversaly, uo the wave length, 9s In Tike ways, the t from another, the lati tude and longitude, the hour, &., may. termined from the observation of such sta- tionary waves. If several such srenerators of stationary of different length, were installed in judicionsly-slvctod the entire globe contd he sublividedt in definite zones of electric activity. antl suc and other important data could beat once ob- 4 by simple caleulation or readings from nduatai! instruments. Many othe useful applications of my discovery will siyg- gest themselves, and in this respeet I do not Wish to limit mysolf. "Thus: the specific plan herein described of producing the stationary waves might he sleparte For plo, the eirenit which impresses the power ‘oscillations upon the earth might be connected to the latter at two points. In this applica- tion I have advanced various improvements means and methods of producing and util ing electrical effects which either in connoe- tint with my present discovery or independ ently of the same may be usefully applied. 1 desire it to be unuderstood that such novel features ns are not heroin specifically claimed wil form the subjeets of subneruent applica can be reaclily oul 105 15 135 1. The iinprovement in the art of transmit- ting olectrical energy to a distance which con- sistsin establishing stationary clectrical waves in the earth, as sot forth. a Phe improvement in the art of transs 5 787,412 ting electrical energy to a distance which con- sists in impressing upon the earth electrical ‘oscillations of such character as to’ produce stationary electrical waves therein, as set forth, 8. The improvement in the art of transmit ting and utilizing electrical onorgy which con- iatain establishing stationary electrical waves in the natural conducting media, and operat- ing thereby one or more receiving dovices re- ‘mote from the source of onergy, as set forth. 4. The improvement in the art of transmit ting and utilizing electrical energy which con- sista in ostablishing in the natural conducting media, stationary clectrical waves of prede- termined length and oporating thereby ono or ‘more roeiing devices remote rom thesourea of enetey and properly located with respect {o the. position of: such waves, as herein set forth. 5. The improvement in the art of transmit- ting and utilizing electrical energy, which con- sists in establishing in the natural conducting media, stationary electrical waves, and vary~ ing the length of such waves, as'herein,sot 5 forth, ; 6. The improvementin the art of transmit- and utilizing electrical energy, which con- sists in establishing in the natural conducting media stationary electrical waves and shifting 30 the nodal and ventral regions of these waves, 1s described. NIKOLA TESLA. Witnesses: M. Lawson Dren, Benzammy Mince.No. 787,412. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905, N. TESLA, ART OF TRANSMITTING ELEOTRIOAL ENERGY THROUGH THE NATURAL MEDIUMS, Apruioatioy rion war ie, 1900, REFEWED soxE 17,108 Witnesse: thi Achislee, Teale Iniator , ener Gn yeu Sg Peete sje