Nikola Tesla - Free-Energy Devices

HIGH FREQUENCY AND HIGH POTENTIAL CURRENTS. 169straight wire attached freely to the terminal of the coil. Thesemotions are, of course, due to the impact of the molecules, andthe irregularityin the distribution of the potential, owing to theroughness and dissymmetry of the wire or filament. With aperfectly symmetrical and polished wire such motions wouldprobably not occur. That the motion is not likely to be due toothers causes is evident from the fact that it is not of a definitedirection, and that in a very highly exhausted globe it ceasesaltogether. The possibility of bringing a body to incandescencein an exhausted globe, or even when not at all enclosed, wouldseem to afford a possible way of obtaining light eifects, which,in perfecting methods of producing rapidly alternating potentials,might be rendered available for useful purposes.In employing a commercial coil, the production of very powerfulbrush effects is attended with considerable difficulties, forFIG. 112*.when these high frequencies and enormous potentials are used,the best insulation is apt to give way. Usually the coil is insulatedwell enough to stand the strain from convolution to convolution,since two double silk covered paraffined wires will withstanda pressure of several thousand volts; the difficultyliesprincipally in preventing the breaking through from the secondaryto the primary, which is greatly facilitated by the streamsissuing from the latter. In the coil, of course, the strain is greatestfrom section to section, but usually in a larger coil there aresomany sections that the danger of a sudden giving wayis notvery great. No difficultywill generally be encountered in thatdirection, and besides, the liability of injuring the coil internallyis very much reduced by the fact that the effect most likely tobe produced is simply a gradual heating, which, when far enough