Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00817)

Joseph Repetti who lived in Philadelphia as it was revealed in
various newspaper articles that period met Keely around 1869. Repetti 
told the newspapers:"It had become noiced about that a Mr.Keely, who 
then occupied rooms on Market Street, had accomplished perpetual 
motion. I became very much interested and, securing permission from 
my employer Vere, Camp&Leopold , decided to take of and visit the 
much-talked-of Mr.Keely.
Arrived at Mr. Keely carrying a second hand furnitshure shop at the 
time, and asking Mr. Keely about his motor he replied: "The machine
to wich you refer is not in running order, but if you will wait for a few 
minutes I will put it together. In a few minutes, Mr. Keely called 
me to that apartment showing me a peculiarly constructed globe, of 
about eight inches in diameter. The ball had a vertical rotary 
movement."
Mr. Keely ended up asking Mr. Repetti for one tausend dollars to help 
him build a larger device.....(The Times, Januari 1, 1899 and The New 
York Daily Tribune , Januari 2, 1899.)

Keely's Globe Motor, although exhibited in operation around 1871, was 
never patented; what was found during an investigation in 1875 was
"on record in Liber L, 18, page 370, of transfer of patents, U.S. Patent 
Office, an assignment of this so called Globe Motor by Mr. Collier to
the Keely Motor Company, this assignment bearing date February 15, 
1875, and being recorded May 8, 1875. " The patent office at that time 
also had an abstract of "all assignments, agreements, licenses, powers 
of attorney and other instruments in writing on record in the patent
office in the name of John W. Keely since January 1, 1871. "

However, there does exist a patent by Keely, granted August 15, 1871, 
for his flywheel, an arrangement of gearing for causing a wheel to 
revolve at a greater speed than the shaft to which it is hung.
In 1872, Keely constructed a new motor at his place in Market
Street.10 

This second motor was variously called the "hydraulic motor, " 
the "hydro vacuo engine," the "hydropneumatic vacuum engine" and 
the "hydro pneumatic pulsating vacuum engine. " A New Yorker who 
claimed to have known him during that time later wrote that, "I was
with him when the idea first entered his head that he could combine 
steam and water to run an engine. At that time he made a crude 
machine, which he actually ran for some time; and this was the model 
of the Pneumatic Pulsating Vacuo Engine. ...In those days I have known 
him to sell and pawn everything of value in his house to obtain means to 
continue his investigation with the money thus acquired. "

This model was subsequently located at 1010 Ogden Street in 
Philadelphia, where Keely was then living. The model was described as 
an engine placed in a bathtub and run by a stream of water that
passed through a goose quill. This device "...soon grew into the machine
which he called a "generator," and which the world named the Keely 
motor, and in which power was produced from the vibratory qualities of 
water and air. " Elsewhere it is claimed that the generator not so much 
evolved out of his hydro pneumatic pulsating vacuo engine, but that
after its construction, Keely "took a new departure," which culminated in
the called Keely motor, or, as it has been termed, "a dissipating engine 
and multiplicator and generator. 

While working with his generator one day in 1873, Keely "suddenly
felt a cold vapor blow in his face. He tried to wipe away the moisture, but
was surprised to find there was none upon his countenance ... The 
curious phenomenon of a vapor that was absolutely dry caused him to 
take up a new line of experiment. 

This mysterious vapor was described as "a heretofore unknown gaseous 
or vaporic substance, "" and it was the power on which the generator 
also termed the dissipator or the Keely motor worked. Keely, being "a 
poor man, but, having a wonderful degree of natural mechanical skill
... 
devoted all his time for the past fourteen years to experiments with 
water with a view of procuring a motive power from it. He was engaged 
upon an idea of his own regarding the force of columns of water when 
he accidentally discovered the vapor which he has harnessed. He 
studied the subject, ascertained how it was generated, learned its 
power, and thenceforth applied himself solely to the perfection of
this idea, working night and day for a number of years, until his efforts
were crowned with success."" Since the above quote is taken from an
article written in 1875, this would imply that Keely was involved in this
line of research since 1861.

That it is successively claimed that he discovered the force in 1872
and 1873 is explained thus: Keely, while "experimenting with a hydraulic 
engine ... according to his own statement ... accidentally made his 
discovery of the tremendous and mysterious energy which he 
afterwards pronounced to be etheric force. Over a year passed in 
various experiments ... before he was able to repeat its production
at Will. 

Elsewhere it is confirmed that in 1873 Keely became known as the 
discoverer of a new power, "which he had not then been able to
utilize, to operate machinery, but which could be supplied in limitless
quantities at practically no cost. ...He said himself that he made the 
discovery in 1872, but then had no idea of its origin or laws. He gave no
indication of its character, but kept the secret within his own breast until 
suchtime as patents could be secured Keely did attempt to secure a 
patent on his device, which was filed on November 14, 1872, 
titled: "Specification describing a new and useful Hydro Vacuo Engine, 
invented by John W. Keely of the City and County of Philadelphia and 
state of Pennsylvania. " 

The purpose of the machine was described as follows: "The end and 
design of the invention is an engine wherein the actuating power is 
produced by a vacuum in connection with water pressure. " 

Yet nothing came of his application. When information was gathered 
around 1875, a search of the records of the patent office brought to
light an abandoned application for a patent for the hydro vacuo engine,
"the said application having been filed November 14, 1872 ... At the
request of the applicant's attorney, a model was dispensed with by the 
authorities in the first instance; but on November 26, 1872, a
working model was demanded before the examination could be 
completed. 
Whenever an application for a patent is of doubtful practicability,
or based on what is believed to be a fallacy, it is the practice of the
patent office authorities to demand a working model, and to refuse to
examine the case until the demand is complied with. Nothing was done 
in this case of Keely's until March 20, 1874, when he appointed Mr. J.
Snowden Bell, now the mechanical associate of Mr. Collier, to prosecute 
the application; but as two years elapsed without any action, the
application was thereby under the law abandoned." (The Keely Motor 
Criticized, a pamphlet wich appeared in the "Public Record of 
Philadelphia", August 3rd, 4rd,5th and 6th, 1875.)

(Further research follows)

Bri.