by Gaston Burridge
Fate Magazine, July, 1956, pp. 36-42
One of the interesting experiments made with the Hubbard transformer was the propelling of a 18 feet boat around the Portage Bay near Seattle.
A 35 horse power electric motor was hooked up to a Hubbard transformer measuring maybe 12- 14 inches in diameter and 14 inches in length. It furnished enough energy to drive the boat and a pilot at a good clip around the bay.
The demonstration lasted several hours and created a sensation. The test required enough current for a long enough time to rule out any sort of battery, being housed in the device.
The voltage could be … 220 volts. It seems unlikely a 35 horsepower motor would have as a low voltage of 110 volts.
Soon after the demonstration, Hubbard’s name dropped from the Seattle paper and he went to work for the Radium Chemical Company of Pittsburgh — now of New York.
According to Hubbard’s statement in the newspaper he sold a 50% interest in his device to the Radium Chemical Company and went to Pittsburgh to continue developing the device for them.
Hubbard related that the company had demanded more and more equity in the machine until finally he retained only a 25% interest. Evidently pressure was bought upon him to sign over an additional 5%.
This Hubbard refused to do, and in 1922 he severed connection with Radium Chemical Company and returned to Seattle.
At the present time Hubbard is not inclined to discuss his employment period with the Radium Chemical Company nor will he discuss this device or his experiences with it.
My first letter to the Radium Chemical Company was not answered. A second letter a few months later brought a reply from Mr. Grange Taylor, vice president of the concern.
He stated that none of the employees presently with the company and also with it in the early 1920′s could remember anything about the device or about Hubbard himself. Mr. Taylor letter said “there is no information available on the device you mention.”
Circulating the central tube and its appendages are eight coils of wire wound upon what appears to be eight cores of magnetic upon iron. These eight coils stand parallel to the central tube. Their outer windings appear to be connected in series and probably form something corresponding to the secondary of the transformer.
As there seems to be more windings on this secondary than the primary one would suspect following ordinary electrical practice. That the transformer was a step up variety rather than a step down.
That is the secondary voltage would be higher than its primary voltage and consequently its amperage would be less.
Four leads out wires are showing. How they are connected together — if they are remains a secret.
Around the outside of the windings appears to be a wrapping of some dense material, probably meant to shield or turn aside the rays from the radio active materials within. Such a shield would be necessary so to protect those working with the apparatus.
All of this is set between the roll ends that make the device look like a giant spool.
There are no moving parts. The machine operates silently.
As far as can be determined no US patents ever were issued to Hubbard’s covering the device.
The Radium Chemical Company list of patents is long but no title in their list appears to cover such an apparatus as Hubbard’s.
Either the device was not developed to a point where a patent could be obtained or because of seeming friction which developed between the company and Hubbard it was impossible for either to obtain a patent.
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