The first American patentee and builder of an electric motor was Thomas Davenport. The father of Davenport died when his son was only ten years old. This resulted in the young inventor being apprenticed to the blacksmith’s trade at the age of fourteen.
Some years later, after having thoroughly learned his trade, he married a beautiful girl of seventeen, named Emily Goss, and settled in the town of Brandon, Vermont, as an independent working blacksmith.
About this time Joseph Henry invented the electro-magnet. Davenport heard of this wonderful "galvanic magnet" which it was rumored would lift a blacksmith’s anvil. This was his undoing, for never again was he to know peace of mind but was destined to always be a seeker after some elusive scientific "will-o’-the-wisp." Although many times he needed iron for his shop, the greater part of his money was spent in making electro-magnets and batteries.
In those days insulated wire could not be purchased, and any one wishing insulated wire had to buy bare wire and insulate it himself. It was then supposed by scientists that silk was the only suitable material for insulating wire and so Davenport’s brave young wife cut her silk wedding gown into narrow strips and with them wound the coils of the first electric motor.
Continuing his experiments in spite of almost insurmountable difficulties and making many sacrifices which were equally shared by his family, he was enabled to make a trip to Washington in 1835 for the purpose of taking out a patent. His errand was fruitless, however, and he was obliged to return home penniless.
Nothing daunted, he made the second and third trip and finally secured his memorable patent, the first of the long line of electric-motor patents that have made possible both the electric locomotive that hauls its long train so swiftly and silently, and the whirring little fan which stirs up a breeze during the hot and sultry days.
These are a few of the reasons why a modest country blacksmith, in turn an inventor and an editor, through perseverance in struggling against adversity and poverty succeeded in placing his name on the list which will be deservedly immortal among the scientists and engineers of the world.
A Simple Electric Motor can be made in fifteen minutes by following the plan shown in Figure 242.
The armature is made by sticking a pin in each end of a long cork. The pins should be as nearly central as it is possible to make them, so that when the cork is revolved upon them it will not wabble. The pins form the shaft or spindle of the motor. Then take about ten feet of fine magnet wire (Nos. 28-32 B. & S. gauge) and wind it on as shown in the illustration, winding an equal number of turns on each side of the two pins.
