Re: Egg of Columbus/Extended operation

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Bert Hickman by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net>

Wade, Terry, and all,

The best description I've seen is from a Lindsay Publications reprint:
"Strange Stories from Electrical Experimenter Magazine, 1917-1919". 
The article originally appeared in the March, 1919 edition. Tesla used 
iron core(s) or a single toroidal core around which 4 coils were
wound. These were energized from a 2-phase AC source to create a
rotating magnetic field. A 6-coil, 3-phase system would work just as
well. 

Tesla varied the frequency from 25 to 300 hertz from a powerful
alternator driven at variable speed, getting best performance at 35-40
hertz. The "eggs" were made from copper and were either egg shaped or
spherical. The egg revolves around its major axis. I've scanned in the
pertinent sections of the book and put them on my web site. The 
following jpegs cover it fairly well:

http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/egg1.jpg
http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/egg2.jpg
http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/egg3.jpg
http://www.aquila-dot-net/bert.hickman/photos/egg4.jpg

Enjoy!

-- Bert --
-- 
Bert Hickman
Stoneridge Engineering
Email:    bert.hickman-at-aquila-dot-net
Web Site: http://www.teslamania-dot-com

Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "davep by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<davep-at-quik-dot-com>
> 
> Tesla list wrote:
> >
> > Original poster: "Wade B AndB Anderson by way of Terry Fritz
> <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <nabedaw-at-juno-dot-com>
> >
> > Hi guys,
> 
> >    First off, Terry, I still haven't been able to find any "decent" info
> > on the egg of columbus, I'm open to suggestions???*
> 
>         I've not got references handy.  Its nought to do with
>         Tesla Coils, as such, if i recall.  I vaguely recall:
>                 establish a multiphase, reasonably powerful
>                 magnetic field _axial_ (out the end of a pole piece)
>                 An 'egg' of iron will then stand on end (ala Columbus
>                 in the story) and rotate, as it's the 'rotor' of
>                 a not very efficient induction motor.  Illustrates
>                 Tesla's Polyphase motor.
>         (I disrecall if it works on single phase.  I think yes, but
>         needs to be 'hand started'???)
> 
> >  Secondly, how long can the TC's run before the heat in the spark gap,
> > (whether it be rotary or otherwise) force you to shut them down???
> 
>         Depends entirely on the spark gap design.  If designed to
>         run for extended purposes (mostly: cooling) they will...
> 
>         best
>         dwp