Re: mercury break

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Re: mercury break
• From: Ed Phillips <evp-at-pacbell-dot-net> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 17:18:18 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

Tesla List wrote:
> 
> Original Poster: Tom Stathes <newphreak_16-at-yahoo-dot-com>
> 
> I remember reading somewhere that tesla used something
> called a mercury break on the coils he used for the
> wireless transmission of electricity.  Can anyone tell
> me what a mercury break is?  Can someone send me a
> picture or diagram of one?
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	That gadget was, in effect, a high-speed commutator/switch using
mercury as the "brush".  Described in a number of places and no doubt
worked just fine.  Antonio had a description on his web page of a much
more modern system using a similar "interrupter".  Most "silent" light
switches use a drop of mercury sealed in glass or ceramic to perform a
similar function, although they don't rotate through a circle.

Ed

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