Nikola Tesla Patents
T 4 limited to the special mode and appliances which I have devised and shall here describe. In any event, that is to say -- whichever of the above or similar plans I may adopt -- and, particularly, when the influence exerted from a distance upon the receiving circuit be too small to directly and reliably affect and actuate the controlling apparatus, I employ auxiliary sensitive relays or, generally speaking, means capable of being brought into action by the feeblest influences, in order to effect the control of the movements of the distant body with the least possible expenditure of energy and at the greatest practicable distance, thus extending the range and usefulness of my invention. A greet variety of electrical and other devices, more or less suitable for the purpose of detecting and utilizing feeble actions, are now well known to scientific men and artisans, and need not be all enumerated here. Confining myself merely to the electrical as the most practicable of such means, and referring only to those which, while not the most sensitive, are, perhaps, more readily available, from the more general knowledge which exists regarding them, I may state that a contrivance may be used which has long been known and used as a lightning arrester, in connection with telephone switchboards for operating ammunciators and like devices, comprises a battery, the poles of which are connected to two conducting terminals separated by a minute thickness of dialectric. The electromotive force of the battery should be such as to strain the thin dialectric layer very nearly to the point of breaking down, in order to increase the sensitiveness. -6259
