alternating current motor

susan A · Jan 19, 2013

hi i would like to know what a alternating current motor does and what it goes on it came out of a dairy farm year is december 26 1893 thanks

David G · Jan 19, 2013

That is an alternating current (AC) motor, no telling what it was used on, but probably a vacuum pump for milking.

wisbaker · Jan 19, 2013

It turns a pulley that can have a V belt run over it allowing it to drive various other equipment. Like a previous poster said a vacuum pump for milkers, or a feed grinder (if it's got any size to it) or cream separator or a grinding wheel, how about a washing machine? Ice Cream Maker? Or to sharpen tools or a grain cleaner/seed separator. Just about any small device we might run today with a small motor. Maybe they hooked it to a generator as a primitive attempt at a perpetual motion machine.

old · Jan 19, 2013

Back then Edison and Theshler (sp) where fighting over which type of power should be used here in the U.S.. So motors where marked as being alternating current or direct current. Thesler won out due to the fact Alternating current or as we know it AC can be transformed to higher volts so it can travel miles and miles with out dropping much voltage but DC (direct current) can not do so.
As for what it was used for any thing back in the day they needed powered like a pump for water or other such thing

LMack · Jan 19, 2013

If you could post the entire name plate data it would help. We need to know the voltage, amp rating, starting amps, cycles (60 per second?), winding type (induction, series, synchronous, etc), rated speed at full load, horsepower rating, and any other data that might be shown on the name plate. Since it is out of service it most likely has a bad winding. You should not plug it in until you have established the condition of the interior. Understand it may also be a generator.

Nebraska Kirk · Jan 19, 2013

(quoted from post at 19:43:53 01/19/13) Back then Edison and Theshler (sp) where fighting over which type of power should be used here in the U.S.. So motors where marked as being alternating current or direct current. Thesler won out due to the fact Alternating current or as we know it AC can be transformed to higher volts so it can travel miles and miles with out dropping much voltage but DC (direct current) can not do so.
As for what it was used for any thing back in the day they needed powered like a pump for water or other such thing

Do you by chance mean Nicola Tesla?

susan A · Jan 19, 2013

the horse power is 1/2 the amps are 110 cycles 60 per second dont have company name with me but i know it starts with a D i will get it tomorrow morning thanks for your help would it be expanense and hard to get to back in running shape

John G. Hasler · Jan 19, 2013

You mean Tesla. He was backed by Westinghouse, whose company made and marketed the AC machinery Tesla invented.

Edison: "Invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration."

Tesla: "If Mr. Edison would do more thinking he could do less sweating."

old · Jan 19, 2013

Yep but my spell checker would not come up with the correct spelling so I had to wing it. There are a number of people tat came up with may things like Tesla and a guy named Fisher if I remember right that made the first radio tube or was the DeForest?? which ever but RCA bought that patent. Did a term paper way back in high school about the first radio tube but can not remember the guys nae

old · Jan 19, 2013

Yes that is who I am talking about but not good at spelling names and neither is the spell checker.

John G. Hasler · Jan 19, 2013

De Forest invented and patented the triode. He also patented a version of the diode (which was invented by Fleming in England). He sold his triode patent to AT&T before RCA was founded.

Janicholson · Jan 19, 2013

It looks to have both a clutch and brake. Early Ac motors didn't start well, so a clutch was used to allow it to get to speed prior to operating a device. Nice piece of history. y dads wood shop uses flat belt drive and the motor has very poor starup torque, but 5 hp when running. 1894 vintage. Jim

Janicholson · Jan 20, 2013

Successful hand pump operated milking machines (using a vacuum based) claw were found in England in 1907. I think it was from a particular machine because of the attachments, but I have no idea what. Jim
Popular Mechanics

susan A · Jan 20, 2013

thanks for all of the info and I would like to know if it is rare or not and if so how much money is it worth the company name is dieni made in Elizabethport new Jersey 1893 rpm 1700

Indiana Ken · Jan 20, 2013

One thing you might try is to show the motor to one or more of the auctioneers in your area. When one does estate auctions for a living they see alot of old equipment. I know a retired auctioner who has a collection of dairy equipment and will show the picture to him - I should see him next week.

Question: you state that in came out of a dairy barn; do you know it was part of some dairy equipment or was it simply stored in the barn?

I remember when my dad installed a "milking machine", it would have been in the 1950's. Up until that time he miked 14 + cows by hand. My dad was not the first to adopt the latest machinery however I doubt there were many milking machines in the late 1800's. In addition 1/2 HP is not much power to run a vacuum pump for a milker. We did have a cream separator which was powered by a hand crank - if indeed it is dairy equipment I believe that would be the more likely application.

I will repost if the auctioneer has any additional information.

susan A · Jan 20, 2013

it was just laying in a stall of the barn

Janicholson · Jan 20, 2013

I think it could have been from sheep shearing or Cream separators Link below for One brand. Jim
De Laval.

alternating current motor

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