Posted 10 years ago
hotairfan
(385 items)
This Hydro - Dynamo is fron the late 1800's and mfg. by The Carlisle & Finch Co. (known for their early toy electric trains).
It has a water motor on the end of the unit where water was fed into the hole on the side as pictured. The water enters through a jet which increases the pressure. The directed pressurized water rotates a series of cupped wheels and the attached shaft rotates the armature where carbon brushes generates electricity.
The dynamo was set on the sink to catch the expelling water and the electricity generated from the dynamo could run small appliances using only the fast flowing water.
I knew that a dynamo can be either a generator or a motor. Depending whether you were turning an armature via a pulley, or if you were putting voltage to the brushes, you can make them do either.
I put a 12 VDC battery to the terminals and the armature started spinning. This tells me that if I would run enough water at the speed that the armature is spinning, I would generate 12 Volts. Thanks for your interest............ hotairfan.
Very cool!
very nice .........
At some point in time, should you decide to sell this water motor, I would be interested. I collect and show at the local engine and tractor shows. My speciality is in generating electricity ( early 40's farm lite plants ), pumping water and anything to do with corn ( shelling,husking, grinding,milling). Thank-You. Rick Stone, Gray Summit, Mo. 314/750/2314 rlstone@landolakes.com My displays are set up for educational purposes, primarily for city raised folks, both young and older, who have never before been exposed first hand to how things were done on the farm. Especially prior to rural electrification. Thanks, RICK
To Rick3335,
Thanks for the interest Rick. I too spend a lot of time educating folks at grade schools, historical societies, old folk homes, and farm shows as to how our forefathers lived and flourished. My hit/miss engines are getting heavier every year just setting in the barn, so I build and run model engines now and power miniature farm tools. I really do like to display my homestead tools and get a kick when somebody finds them interesting. Take a look at some of the other items that I listed. I think that you will find them interesting........ hotairfan keep in touch, contact me at: navarreauctions@ptd.net
I recently found out some interesting information about this Carlisle & Finch Hydro - Dynamo. I was told , by a reliable source that Carlisle & Finch Co. was the first company to market electric toy trains. I was told that they came out with this Hydro-Dynamo to power the electric trains if there was no electric service to your community (some farm communities didn't get serviced by the power co. even in the early 1950's). You placed the Hydro-Dynamo in the sink and ran water through it to generate 12 VDC to power their electric toy trains. ,,,,hotairfan
Excellent Find, as Usual! Back in the 80's when i was an energy nut, i almost purchased the modern version of your generator. Funny how things in life go full circle. The part of this design that no one wanted to talk about, was what do you do with all the wasted water that is dumping out of the unit, after one pass thru the impeller?! lol Thanks for Showing it!
Wayne
Why don't you contact Carlisle & Finch in Cincinnati, OH.? They have a company historian and with a serial number, just might be able to give you more history. They helped me with my spotlights - I posted the actual entry from their sales ledger.
Jerry Pennington, a sales guy at C & F, was my connection, or Greg Batsche. Jerry will remember the pair of 1940's spotlights I brought in about a year ago. (513-681-6080 or send Jerry a picture: jpennington@carlislefinch.com).
Also, check out my posting for WWII spotlights.
Thanks a bunch Bugguy,
I'll contact them today, and I'll look at your postings to see other C & F items
Hi AntiqueFanParts,
This dynamo was also marketed with a steam engine to power it, instead of the water motor. I have recently acquired another Carlisle & Finch Dynamo (they also sold the dynamo alone). The man that I bought it from had it hooked up to a 12 volt dc power supply to run it as a motor (dynamos can be operated as a motor or a generator, depending how it is hooked up).It is exactly as the one pictured in my posting, less the water motor.
I also have a friend who has the very exact steam engine that was sold by C & F. Unfortunately for me, he doesn't want to part with it.
It would be great to display my hydro-dynamo and a steam-dynamo together. I will keep throwing little hints for him to sell it to me, but he also likes C & F items , so I may only be able to see the steam engine at a distance.
Hi AntiqueFanParts, I would very much like to hear from you, and see the Carlisle & Finch dynamo that you come across.
I am a PA auctioneer and you can reach me at my email address :
navarreauctions@ptd.net
Thank you for your reply. Hope to hear from you soon.... hotairfan
PS. I too am a fan fanatic. I've collected, over the years, some early fans, Several of which are Stirling Engine Powered (hot air fans)
"The directed pressurized water rotates a series of cupped wheels.................."
Sounds like a Pelton wheel to me.