To make sure that the difference between the type of fields
he intended and those of Hertz was understood he explained:
...As the term electrostatic might imply a steady electric
condition, it should be remarked, that in these experiments the
force is not constant, but varies. When two conducting bodies
are insulated and electrified, we say that an electrostatic force
is acting between them.[7]
Tesla's emphasis on the non-Hertzian nature of his signaling
process, particularly when taken within the context of his work
with electrostatics, indicates the mode of propagation assumed
by the patent involves setting up an electrostatic field of force
between the transmitter and receiver.
As he often insisted, this mode of transmission differs
significantly from that of Hertzian waves in that this one is
a form of conduction:
...So far, I have considered principally effects produced
by a varying electrostatic force in an insulating medium, such
as air. When such a force is acting upon a conducting body of
measurable dimensions, it causes within the same, or on its surface,
displacements of the electricity, and gives rise to electric
currents ...[8]
He advocated such a form of signaling long before submitting
his design for patenting:
...Some
enthusiasts have expressed their belief that telephony to any
distance by induction through the air is possible. I cannot stretch
my imagination so far, but I do firmly believe that it is practi-
cable to disturb by means of powerful machines the electrostatic
condition of the earth and thus transmit intelligible signals
and perhaps power.[9]
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The
physics of Tesla's wireless transmission system is, in its basic
form, is electrostatic induction. . (See Figure
3)
Instead of a charged body inducing an opposite charge
on an uncharged body, as in the standard text book illustration,
both the transmitter and receiver contain charge that establishes
a field of force between the two. By oscillating these two bodies
of bound charge at the same frequency, it is possible to signal
between two points
Figure 3
In order to differentiate Tesla's wireless method from
contemporary understanding of the technique, and from the misunderstandings
arising from the chronology of Tesla's research into the nature
of electrical communication, his method is contrasted with modern
patents for electrostatic submarine communication and the inventor's
earlier work in this field.
Contemporary Patents
L. Gilstrap's
patent for an Electrostatic Communication System (see Figure 4), #3,964,051, issued June 15, 1976, describes
a device
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