Prof.  Galileo Ferraris, of Turin, who has carefully studied alternating currents and secondary transformers, has constructed a little motor based upon an entirely new principle, which is as follows:  If we take two inductive fields developed by two bobbins, the axes of which cut each other at right angles, and a pole placed at the vertex of the angle, this pole will be subjected to the simultaneous action of the two bobbins, and the resultant of the magnetic actions will be represented in magnitude and direction by the diagonal of the parallelogram, two consecutive sides of which have for their length the intensity of the two fields, and for their direction the axes of the two bobbins.

If into each of these bobbins we send alternating currents having between one bobbin and the other a difference of phase of 90 deg., the extremity of the resultant will describe a circle having for its center the vertex of the right angle.

If, instead of a fixed pole, we use a metal cylinder movable on its axis, we shall obtain a continuous rotatory motion of this part, and the direction of the movement will change when we interchange the difference of phase in the exciting currents.  This rotatory movement is not due to the Foucault currents, for the metal cylinder may consist of plates of iron insulated from each other.

In order to realize the production of these fields, several means can be employed:  The current is sent from an alternating current machine into the primary circuit of a transformer and thence into one of the bobbins, the other being supplied by means of the secondary current of the transformer.  A resistance introduced into the circuit will produce the required difference of phase, and the equality of the intensities of the fields will be obtained by multiplying the number of turns of the secondary wire on the bobbin.  Moreover, the two bobbins may be supplied by the secondary current of a transformer by producing the difference of phase, as in the first case.

In the motor constructed by Prof.  Ferraris the armature consisted of a copper cylinder measuring 7 centimeters in diameter and 15 centimeters in length, movable on its axis.  The inductors were formed of two groups of two bobbins.  The bobbins which branched off from the primary circuit of a Gaulard transformer, and were connected in series, comprised 196 spirals with a resistance of 13 ohms; the bobbins comprising the secondary circuit were coupled in parallel, and had 504 spirals with 3.43 ohms resistance.  In order to produce the difference of phase, a resistance of 17 ohms was introduced into the second circuit, when the dynamo produced a current of 9 amperes with 80 inversions per second.  Under these conditions the available work measured on the axis of the motor was found for different speeds:  Revolutions per minute:  262—­400—­546—­650—­722—­770.  Watts measured at the brake:  1.32—­2.12—­2.55—­2.77—­2.55—­2.40.  The maximum rendering corresponds to a speed of rotation of 650 revolutions, and Prof.  Ferraris attributes the loss of work for higher speeds to the vibrations to which the machine is exposed.  At present the apparatus is but a laboratory one.—­Bulletin International de l’Electricite.