An ordinary telephone magneto gives a very high voltage current. The
voltage may vary from twenty-five to several hundred, depending upon how
fast the machine is run. This is due to the fact that the armature
winding is composed of a very large number of turns of wire. The more
turns that are placed on the armature, the higher its voltage will be.
The current or amperage of a large telephone magneto wound with a large
number of turns of fine wire is very low. Too low in fact to be used for
anything except ringing a bell or testing. Winding the armature with
fewer turns of large wire reduces the voltage and increases the amperage
so that the current will light a small lamp or may be used for other
purposes. The winding does not change the principle of the magneto, it
merely changes its amperage and voltage.
The magneto may be mounted on a wooden base-board and screwed to a
table, so that the handle may be turned without inconvenience. A small
strip of copper, called a brush, should be fastened to the base with a
screw and brought to bear against the end of the insulated pin. The
brush should be connected to a binding-post with a piece of wire. A
second wire leading to a binding-post should be connected to the frame
of the magneto. When the handle is turned rapidly, currents may be drawn
from the two binding-posts.
The current is of the kind known as alternating, that is to say, it
flows first in one direction, then reverses and flows in the other.
In order to make the machine give direct current, it must be fitted with
a commutator. This is somewhat difficult with some magnetos but the
following plan may be carried out in most cases. Cut a small fiber
circle or disk about one inch in diameter from sheet fiber
three-sixteenths of an inch thick. Cut a small hole in the center, just
large enough so that the fiber will slip very lightly over the end of
the shaft from which the insulated pin projects. Two small commutator
sections similar to that shown in Figure 253 must be cut from
sheet-brass or sheet-copper. The three long ears shown in the drawing
are bent back around the fiber and squeezed down flat with a pair of
pincers so that they grip the fiber very tightly and will not slip. One
ear on one section should be bent over the back down to the hole, where
it will connect with the shaft. The other section of the commutator is
connected to the insulated pin by a drop of solder. In this manner, one
end of the winding is connected to one section of the commutator and the
other end to the other section. The commutator should fit tightly on the
end of the shaft so that it will not twist. The dividing line between
the section should be parallel to a line drawn to the axis of the actual
armature coil. When the iron parts of the armature are nearest the poles
of the horseshoe magnets in their revolution, the slot in the commutator
should be horizontal.
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