The Vulcan Coil

[feltfan]

Here is the first of a series of medical devices of the
Golden Era I hope to post. This one isn't strictly speaking
a quack device, though some did make use of it as such.
Actually, it's a lot scarier than that.

This baby is a power supply for one of the earliest x-ray machines.
I do not own a vintage x-ray tube and will not allow one in the
home lest it be excited. Problem is, in the good old days, x-ray
machines were not directional and they put out more radiation
in a second than you'll get in your whole life.

To use it as originally intended, you would remove the wooden
arm from the inside of the top of the case and mount it on that
open hole in the front of the box. The clamp would hold the
x-ray tube. The setup was a bit like this one (which I found
on the Web and do not own):

To operate it, you hold down a button on the side till a charge
builds up in the massive coils. Let go of the button and a spark
jumps from one electrode to the other, discharging enough electricity
into the air to excite the x-ray tube. Yes, any flourescent light bulbs
within a foot or two light up nicely. Here's the money shot:

Not easy getting that shot- apologies for the blur. I wasn't sure what
would happen to the camera's RAM. Left the cell phone in the other
room just in case. The spark is around 8" long and the crackling "zap"
sound is extremely satisfying.

This device, thanks to all that brass and the copper coils, is quite
heavy- I'd guess around 50 lbs, maybe more. If you want to see
another Vulcan Coil, look here:

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2004/VulcanCoilExperiments/index.htm

More devices to come, if you are interested.

 

[carebear]

Did it print on film inside the box or something?

 

[feltfan]

Did it print on film inside the box or something?

Not sure how the pictures were taken. The box I have
is just the coil. There's a spark gap on one side and
then two massive coils on the other, under the brass
electrodes.

I believe you viewed through one of those x-ray view screen
viewers, in real time. Probably shot photos through a similar
arrangement. I'm not so sure how that part worked- I won't get
near that stuff.

 

[Jay]

Fascinating.

 

[Benny Holiday]

This is cool! Show us more Feltfan!

Great pic of the charge jumping from one electrode to the other.

Where'd you find the coil?

 

[feltfan]

Where'd you find the coil?

I found it 10 or so years ago at a antique show for
scientific and medical items. I was already collecting
such things so I knew what I was looking at. After I
bought it, I realized how darn heavy it turned out to be.
And how far the walk was to meet my girlfriend at her car...

They sure knew how to make cases in those days, eh?
Can't recall the last time I saw a quarter sawn oak case
on a dentist's x-ray machine.

There used to be a store in SOHO in NYC that specialized
in this stuff. Gone now. That was some room he had, with
medical tesla coils as tall as I am.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

There was a one-off programme on TV the other day set in a 1906 hospital. It really brought home how the emerging technologies affected those working with them. The X-Ray specialist was crippled by radiation burns to the hands and had most of his fingers amputated (later dying of radiation sickness) but he endured because he was so dedicated to his work and advancing technology.

 

[GOK]

Fascinating.

:eusa_clap

Look at these images - beautiful.

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/2004/VulcanCoilExperiments/index.htm

 

[Mr. 'H']

More devices to come, if you are interested.

Um, yes please!

:fing28: :fing28: :fing28:

 

[Mr. 'H']

I'll see your

Vulcan Coil

and raise you a

High Frequency Generator!

lol