by Russell Fine
Carol Lawton, the patent attorney, arrived a few minutes early for her appointment Thursday morning, but Albert, Tim, and Susan were already waiting for her. They all met in Albert’s office.
Once introductions were over, the patent attorney got down to business. “The purpose of our meeting this morning is to begin the patent process by establishing some evidence for the granting of a patent. Ms. Woods has given me some basic information about the device. Based on that information I see no reason for a patent to be denied. Personally, I’m very excited about this device. I’m going to record this meeting so I don’t have to take any notes. Is that okay?”
“I have no problem with that,” Albert said.
“Good,” Carol said. She opened her briefcase, removed her cell phone, set it up to record an audio file, and placed it between them on Albert’s desk. At that point, she asked Albert to provide some history regarding the device. Albert spoke for several minutes about how the company was formed, their contract with NASA, the discovery of the magnetic properties of the alloy, and the subsequent creation of the power module.
“That’s exactly what I needed to know. I’ll need the dates of the events you told me about. I also need some pictures of the prototypes, and I really want to see one these things.”
They walked into the lab where Albert showed her the first unit they built which was powering the appliances.
Carol took pictures of the original unit and some of the current prototypes. “I think that’s all I need for now. My only concern is the ability to patent the contents of the alloy used in the devices. That can be a little tricky. I really don’t think there’ll be a problem because the application is certainly unique. In any case, I’ll get back with you in a week or less.”
After Carol left, Albert continued the work on his “home” power module. Just as he was making the finishing touches, he received a call from Jeff Leonard. Jeff told him what he already knew: the alloy created the most powerful magnetic field they had ever measured and they were very excited because they were sure it would enable them to build the new plasma engine. Albert asked if he should continue testing new alloys. Jeff told him to hold off testing new alloys until they had more time to evaluate the current sample. That was exactly what Albert wanted to hear. Now he could concentrate full time on the power modules.
Albert took the power module home and decided to wait until the following morning to connect it. Tim and Susan wanted to be there when he did. Arriving at his house at 8:00 AM, Tim took the cover off the breaker box and disconnected the wires from the power company and attached the power module. Then he turned on the power module and walked over to an outlet and verified the power was correct. Next, Albert went into his kitchen and checked the oven and stove. Both worked normally so he proceeded to turn on the TV and that worked too. There were zero problems.
“This is too easy, we must be missing something,” Albert mused.
“Maybe, but I have no idea what. In any case, we’ll soon know if there’s a problem. Let’s give it a few days. If nothing explodes and your house doesn’t burn down, we did it right,” Tim replied with a grin.
“Okay, I agree. Now, any ideas who we should invite to the press conference?” Albert asked.
“I think we should invite somebody from the university newspaper,” Susan stated.
“I agree, but we need to get national press coverage. We should probably ask ABC, CBS, Fox, CNN, and NBC to send somebody,” Tim said.
“Yeah, that sounds good, but I would also like to invite somebody from some magazines like Popular Science, Physics Today, and maybe Consumer Reports as well. I was also thinking that we should have an additional demonstration. Susan, please see if you can find a used all-electric car to buy, not a hybrid, it has to be all electric. We can remove the battery and replace it with a power module. You can spend up to $20,000,” Albert said.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll get on it this morning,” Susan replied happily. “I’ve never been able to buy a car and not finance it myself or otherwise have to pay for it.”
It took Susan two days, but she found a 2020 Paxton Electro. It was perfect for the demonstration. Tim and Susan went to buy the car and Albert began researching what would be required to modify the car. A majority of the car’s electronics were centered on the battery status and remaining miles before the battery would have to be recharged. He was not going to attempt to modify any of that, but he thought it would be interesting to see how the system would cope with a power source that never required recharging.
For the next week, Albert and Tim worked on the modifications to the car. Aside from some minor problems related to the display, which they decided to ignore, the car ran perfectly. To test it out they decided to take an evening off and drive about a hundred miles to a very expensive restaurant to celebrate. Susan expressed some concern regarding the reliability of the modified vehicle, but both Albert and Tim were sure there wouldn’t be any problems. It turned out to be a perfect evening. The food was excellent and the car ran perfectly.
Albert’s house had been running off the power module for three weeks. They decided it was time to announce their product to the world. Susan started making calls. The university newspaper immediately agreed to have someone there. Others were more difficult. They insisted on knowing exactly what was going to be presented. Susan told them they were going to demonstrate a unique new power source. Additionally, she promised to reimburse them for any expenses if they ultimately felt it wasn’t newsworthy. In the end, they all agreed to send someone to the demonstration.
APRIL 10, 2024
Everything was in place for the demonstration. The modified Paxton Electro was parked in front of the building. There were six prototype power modules ready to be distributed, with the original unit still providing power to a refrigerator, toaster, and a coffee maker in the lab. Two worktables had been cleaned off and set up with chairs, and coffee cups were placed by each seat. By 10:00 AM everybody had arrived. Albert greeted them as they walked in. He stood at the front, facing them, and began.
“Hi. I’m glad you all could make it here today. My name is Albert Simpson and next to me are my two partners, Susan Woods and Tim Martin. Before we get to the demonstration I want to give you some background information. Until last fall we were still students, but a personal problem occurred that required I start earning a living. Using some contacts that my father made while he was working for NASA, I managed to secure a contract to test materials that would be used in a project for NASA. Our company was formed specifically to service that contract and we started doing that right after the first of the year.
“In the process of doing the evaluations, we came across a metal alloy that exhibited properties that were, to say the least, quite remarkable. That metal alloy is the key piece of the products we are going to show you today.”
He went on to explain the workings of the metal alloy as a kind of magnetic amplifier, finishing with, “What we created and will demonstrate for you this morning is a self-contained power source that will run indefinitely.
“If you look to your right you’ll see our first device. It has been providing power to the three appliances plugged into it for about two months. We also designed a unit that provides two-phase, 120-volt, 200-amp service for home use. I disconnected my home from the electric company lines a month ago and the power module has been providing power flawlessly since. Additionally, we purchased a Paxton Electro a few weeks ago, removed the battery, and replaced it with a power module. I have driven it a thousand miles since we completed the modifications without a single problem.
“I understand you may be skeptical, but when you leave today each of you will be given a prototype to take home. I urge you to use it and test it in any way you see fit. Each of these prototypes produces normal household power. It’s limited to 15 amps. If you try to exceed that, the unit will power off. Please feel free to look at our first unit. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.”
> There was a uniform look of disbelief on the guests’ faces, but each of them got up to look at the power module on display. After studying it for a few minutes, the representative from Fox looked at Albert and said, “You’re going to put all the oil companies out of business.”
“No, there will still be a need for oil. However, there won’t be much of a requirement for gasoline. I don’t think we’ll see electric planes or ships, at least not in the near future,” Albert replied.
“My name is Marcia Poston, I work for Fox. This is all very impressive but I’m not very technical. Can you explain, in simple terms, how this device works?”
“Of course, Ms. Poston. Do you understand how a transformer works?”
She frowned and admitted, “No, not really.”
“Okay. I’m sure you’re aware there’s a relationship between electricity and magnetism. In high school science you probably made an electromagnet with a battery, some wire, and a steel nail. All you did was wind some wire around the nail and connect the wire to the battery. Now imagine you have a large iron donut. You wind the wire around half the donut one hundred times and connect that wire to a source of alternating current like you use in your home. On the other half of the donut, you wind the wire around two hundred times. You’ve just made a transformer. The input side has one hundred turns and the output has two hundred turns.
Whatever voltage is applied to the input would be doubled on the output. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, I think that’s pretty simple.”
“Good. What happens is the input creates a magnetic field in the steel donut and that magnetic field induces a current into the coil of wire on the output. The steel donut simply acts as an electromagnet. In our devices, we use a coil of wire to create the magnetic field in the silver alloy rod. The big difference between a regular transformer and our device is that the silver alloy rod actually amplifies the magnetic field substantially, so with less than a two-volt input we can create a much more powerful output. It’s the first device ever designed that has more than one hundred percent efficiency. It produces enough surplus power in the output that some of that power can be used to supply the input voltage; as a result, it’s self-sustaining.”
Marcia nodded. “I think I understand. The key to the whole device is the silver alloy rod because it can amplify a magnetic field.”
“You’re correct, Ms. Poston. If there are any of you who still don’t understand, just think of it as a battery that will never run down. You just plug your appliances into it and it will continue to supply power forever. Or, attach it to your car and it will run without ever having to buy fuel for it.”
“Can we see your electric car?” somebody asked.
This time Tim replied, “Sure, come with me.” He walked outside and everybody but the reporter from Ms. Poston followed him.
“Do you think big oil, the electric companies, and the government are going to let you sell these devices?” she asked. “This has the potential to wreak havoc with economies of not only the United States but many of the richest nations in the world.”
“I know that, and that’s why I invited you very important people here. I expect you to report this and spread the news all over the world before the government can come in and stop us. It’s true that many people will be hurt financially by this, but far more will benefit. If the people know about it there’s no way the government will be able to stop it. I’m not sure what these devices will cost, but wouldn’t you like to buy a device that would allow you to say goodbye to your electric company?”
“Of course, I would.” She smiled. “I think it would be even better to buy a car that never needs gas or to be recharged. As I said, I’m not a very technical person, but I’d like to have someone who is speak to you. Would that be okay?”
“Sure, but please arrange it as soon as possible. I don’t want the release of this information to be even slightly delayed.” Then Albert gave her his card and said, “Have them call me on my cell.”
“I’ll call right now. I just hope they believe me.”
A few minutes later, Tim and the reporter from the university came back into the lab.
“Where is everybody?” Albert asked.
“The guy from Consumer Reports said he recently spent a week driving a new Paxton Electro, so he could write an article for the magazine and he asked if he could drive the car. So, I gave him the keys. He went for a ride with the reporters from the networks. I think they think this is some kind of hoax. My guess is they’re looking all over the car to find another source of power or something. Anyway, I’m sure they’ll be back shortly,” Tim said.
“You look familiar. I think you were a teaching assistant in one of my electronics design classes,” the university paper reporter said to Albert.
“Yes, you’re correct. I remember you because you asked me some questions about some high-speed switching circuits. I wanted you here today because I would bet you have a lot of Facebook and Twitter followers. Is that right?” asked Albert.
“Well, I don’t have that many, but the paper has seven or eight thousand on each. I assume you want me to put the information about these devices out on the web.”
“Yes, and as quickly as possible.”
“Okay, I’ll be happy to do that.”
At that moment Albert’s phone rang. He excused himself from the reporter and Tim and walked away. He looked briefly at the display and noted that the call came from New York City. He touched the screen to accept the call and said, “Hi, this is Albert Simpson. How can I help you?”
“My name is Matt Brewer. I’m a technical reporter for Fox News. I was asked to contact you regarding the power module you claim to have invented. I’ll tell you right now that I am very skeptical, but I am willing to look what you have as it would be truly unbelievable without seeing it firsthand.”
“Okay, you have every right to be skeptical. If you come here I’ll prove it to you and I can even give you a prototype unit to take back with you.”
“I’ll be there at 9:00 tomorrow morning. I’m expecting to be amazed.”
“I promise you won’t be disappointed. I look forward to meeting with you. See you tomorrow morning,” Albert said as he hung up his cell. Walking back to the shop, he saw Tim.
“Tim, we’re going to have another demo in the morning. A reporter from Fox News named Matt Brewer. I’ve seen this guy on TV and he appears to be very smart. I would bet he’s going to want to see a more informative demonstration. Before you leave tonight, please hook up some oscilloscopes so he’ll be able to see exactly what’s happening.”
“That’s easy. I’ll take care of it,” Tim replied happily.
A few minutes later the reporters who had taken the Electro for a joy ride came back.
“The car drives perfectly. It appears to accelerate a little faster than the 2024 models, and that’s a plus. You said you were going to give us units we can take with us. Are they ours to keep, or do you want them back after our evaluations are finished?” the reporter from Consumer Reports asked.
“I would like you to contact me when your evaluation is completed and I’ll let you know at that time. I expect some of you will open them up to see what’s inside. That’s okay, but I caution you, please don’t mess with anything inside. If the magnetic coil becomes misaligned the unit won’t function correctly; if that happens it will be worthless unless you want to use it as a doorstop,” Albert responded. He thought for a moment, then added, “Tomorrow morning a technical reporter from Fox News will be here. We’re going to give him a more comprehensive demonstration. If any of you are interested, please be here at 9:00. Tim will give each of you a prototype. He can also answer any questions you have. I have some concerns regarding how the government and some large corporations are going react when the news of this discovery becomes public knowledge. So, I think we should tell the public about these devices as quickly as possible. Once the public knows about this, nobody will be able to stop it.”
“Perfect, that’s a big relief,” Albert said with big smile on his face.
APRIL 11, 2024
The following morning Albert arrived at the office at 7:30 to find Susan and Tim already there. Tim was in the lab preparing for the demonstration. Susan sat at her desk drinking a cup of coffee when the phone rang. Albert was sitting at his desk in the lab and heard Susan’s half of the conversation.
“Good morning, Simpson Metallurgical Laboratories, how can I help you?” After a pause, she added, “Yes, he’s here. I’ll get him for you right away.” She walked into the lab. “Albert, Samantha Pratt is on the phone for you,” she said.
“The vice president? That Samantha Pratt?” he asked.
“Yeah, and she didn’t sound very happy.”
Albert picked up the phone and said in a cheerful voice, “Good morning Madam Vice President. How can I help you?”
The voice on the phone was anything but happy. “You can tell everybody this invention of yours is a hoax.”
“I’m sorry Madam Vice President. I can’t do that because the power module is not a hoax. Please tell me what your problem is with it?”
“No problem, other than the possibility it will put a few million people out of work, reduce tax revenues by more than ten percent, and maybe as much as twenty percent. It will decimate the oil, gas, and utility companies. I’m sure there are many more industries that would be adversely affected. Did you think about any of these things before you made your announcement yesterday?”
“Of course, I did, but I believe that the benefits easily outweigh the problems. I seem to remember a speech you gave a few months ago where you said climate change was one of the biggest problems our world faces. I don’t believe that, but we all want cleaner air and water. These devices would allow us to reduce carbon emissions by over ninety percent. We’ll still need oil, just much less of it. I agree the need for electric and gas utilities will disappear eventually, but the water, sewage, and garbage utilities will be fine. The automobile companies will make a fortune since everybody will be buying new electric cars. They’ll probably need to hire a lot of new workers and let’s not forget that somebody will have to manufacture the power modules, and they’ll need workers too. I’m sure you are aware that our petroleum resources are limited, and this invention completely eliminates the problems associated with that. Additionally, it will take years before the full effect of the availability of these devices occurs.”