Kinraide Coil Adventure 2010


The proud owners of the Alternating Current Kinraide Coil, Travis and Cheryl

The machine was in remarkable condition externally


The famous Kinraide Coil hard rubber housing

Patented 06 December 1898

To help on this adventure was Rebecca, TB Kinraide's Great Grandaugther

We threw on some discharger posts that I made...




And started to evaluate the spark gap - a gap which would later evolve into the quenched spark gap of the wireless telegraphy
days (Wein, Telefunken).  (Kinraide got credit for this later on in Germany)

The copper jug kept the gap cool - it was filled with water!

The bottom table mechanism.  The bifurcated lever engages a table that moves the bottom gap plate by a small increment
upwards or downwards. 

The intricate delta pattern holding rods.



The upper table and pin which engages the bifurcated lever end.

Patented 19 April 1899



A bit of fiddling

The final gap was set to a maximum of only .010"!

Beautiful transformer - and highly unusual.  It provided only 900V for the tank circuit!



This was a fantastic day.


However, in looking for the condenser it was found missing!
So we tested a few modern capacitors and found that one of the coils needs rewound...
It would appear someone left it running and burnt out the cap and possibly overheated the Pancake Coils!

But, one day, we're going to rewind this and get it back up and running for Cheryl and Travis!  The Kinraide Coil will live again
a century later!



(C) Jeff Behary, 2010