Nikola Tesla's Complete Patents

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There Are 111 Authenticated, Unique, Nikola Tesla Patents

As recently as yesterday, July 15, 2017, I saw an article on Dailybeast about Tesla; crediting him with 700 patents: http://www.thedailybeast.com/how-nikola-tesla-sparked-the-electric-age -- Tesla's patent attorneys frequently filed for patent protection in foreign countries, but these foreign patents are duplicates on the list of 111 unique Tesla patents presented here... And if you actually count them (I have) you will find there are 112 on this list: US Patent 655,838 was reissued and legally bears the number 11,865... So if you are searching for this, both patent numbers have to be included, but it is the same patent, same technology, in both documents. All other duplicates have been eliminated from this list. Unique unpatented Tesla, and patented Tesla related technologies are presented at the very bottom of the page.

Patents are listed here by their US patent number, and the dates provided throughout are the filing dates, (unless otherwise specified) not the publication or issuing date. We don't care when the US Patent Office finally issues a Tesla patent: to follow his work we need the dates when Tesla signed off that the applications were ready. Some applications were delayed in processing for years: they failed examination, they were appealed by Tesla, they failed again, they were appealed again. So the dates the patents were issued do not necessarily reflect the same order they were filed in.

Tesla links his patents, lectures, and articles together within the text. He frequently refers back to a patent by file date, serial number, or patent number. In two instances in the documentation provided, Tesla refers to entire batches of related patents by the US Patent Office publication dates. Having worked from text documentation for years, I am able for the first time to have my patent documentation cross-linked for my own personal reference, and yours. With the patents in HTML I am starting the process of linking and grouping, both by linking Tesla's specific references in the text, and by listing related patents (and other references) after the text.

Also: The printed versions of Tesla patent diagrams are frequently awful, worse than useless for a person who would like to understand the technology at a level that is reproducable... In places, the original patent diagrams are exquisitely detailed: with important electrical connections diagrammed; tiny iron cores shown in transmitter patents as a single dot, etc.. Understanding the technology at that level requires the highest resolution patent diagrams obtainable, and those png files are linked to the lower resolution images displayed at the bottom of these pages:


11,865

Method of Insulating Electrical Conductors - Sept 21, 1900


334,823

Commutator for Dynamo-Electric Machines - May 6, 1885


335,786

Electric-Arc Lamp - March 30, 1885


335,787

Electric-Arc Lamp - July 13, 1886


336,961

Regulator for Dynamo-Electric Machines - May 18, 1885


336,962

Regulator for Dynamo-Electric Machines - June 1, 1885


350,954

Regulator for Dynamo-Electric Machines - Jan 14, 1886


359,748

Dynamo-Electric Machine - Jan 14, 1886


381,968

Electro-Magnetic Motor - Oct 12, 1887


381,969

Electro-Magnetic Motor - Nov 30, 1887


381,970

System of Electrical Distribution - Dec 23, 1887


382,279

Electro-Magnetic Motor - Nov 30, 1887


382,280

Electrical Transmission of Power - Oct 12, 1887


382,281

Electrical Transmission of Power - Nov 30, 1887


382,282

Method of Converting and Distributing Electrical Currents - Dec 23, 1887


382,845

Commutator for Dynamo-Electric Machines - April 30, 1887


390,413

System of Electrical Distribution - Dec 23, 1887


390,414

Dynamo-Electric Machine - April 23, 1888


390,415

Dynamo-Electric Machine or Motor - May 15, 1888


390,721

Dynamo-Electric Machine - April 28, 1888


390,820

Regulator for Alternate-Current Motors - April 24, 1888


396,121

Thermo-Magnetic Motor - Mar 30, 1886


401,520

Method of Operating Electro-Magnetic Motors - Feb 18, 1889


405,858

Electro-Magnetic Motor - Jan 8, 1889


405,859

Method of Electrical Power Transmission - March 14, 1889


406,968

Dynamo-Electric Machine - March 23, 1889


413,353

Method of Obtaining Direct from Alternating Currents - June 12, 1889


416,191

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


416,192

Method of Operating Electro-Magnetic Motors - May 20, 1889


416,193

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


416,194

Electric Motor - May 20, 1889


416,195

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


417,794

Armature for Electric Machines - Tesla-Schmid - June 28, 1889


418,248

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


424,036

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


428,057

Pyromagneto-Electric Generator - May 26, 1887


433,700

Alternating-Current Electro-Magnetic Motor - Mar 26, 1890


433,701

Alternating Current Motor - Mar 26, 1890


433,702

Electrical Transformer or Induction Device - Mar 26, 1890


433,703

Electro-Magnetic Motor - April 4, 1890


445,207

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


447,920

Method of Operating Arc Lamps - Oct 1, 1890


447,921

Alternating-Electric-Current Generator - Nov 15, 1890


454,622

System of Electric Lighting - Apr 25, 1891


455,067

Electro-Magnetic Motor - Jan 27, 1889


455,068

Electrical Meter - Mar 27, 1891


455,069

Electric Incandescent Lamp - May 14, 1891


459,772

Electro-Magnetic Motor - May 20, 1889


462,418

Method of and Apparatus for Electrical Conversion and Distribution - Feb 4, 1891


464,666

Electro-Magnetic Motor - July 13, 1891


464,667

Electrical Condenser - Aug 1, 1891


487,796

System of Electrical Transmission of Power - May 15, 1888


511,559

Electrical Transmission of Power - Dec 8, 1888


511,560

System of Electrical Power Transmission - Dec 8, 1888


511,915

Electrical Transmission of Power - May 15, 1888


511,916

Electric Generator - Aug 19, 1893


512,340

Coil for Electromagnets - July 7, 1893


514,167

Electrical Conductor - Jan 2, 1892


514,168

Means of Generating Electric Currents - Aug 2 1893


514,169

Reciprocating Engine - Aug 19, 1893


514,170

Incandescent Electric Light - Jan 2, 1892


514,972

Electric Railway System - Jan 2, 1892


514,973

Electrical Meter - Dec 15, 1893


517,900

Steam Engine - Dec 29, 1893


524,426

Electromagnetic Motor - Oct 20, 1888


555,190

Alternating Motor - May 15, 1888


567,818

Electrical Condenser - Jan 2, 1892


568,176

Apparatus for Producing Electrical Currents of High Frequency and Potential - April 22, 1896


568,177

Apparatus for Producing Ozone - June 17, 1896


568,178

Method of Regulating Apparatus for Producing Currents of High Frequency - June 20, 1896


568,179

Method of and Apparatus for Producing Currents of High Frequency - July 6, 1896


568,180

Apparatus for Producing Electrical Currents of High Frequency - July 9, 1896


577,670

Apparatus for Producing Electrical Currents of High Frequency - Sept 3, 1896


577,671

Manufacture of Electrical Condensers, Coils, & Etc. - Nov 5, 1896


583,953

Apparatus for Producing Currents of High Frequency - Oct 19, 1896


593,138

Electrical Transformer - Mar 20, 1897


609,245

Electric Circuit Controller - Dec 2, 1897


609,246

Electric Circuit Controller - Mar 12, 1898


609,247

Electric Circuit Controller - Mar 12, 1898


609,248

Electric Circuit Controller - Mar 12, 1898


609,249

Electric Circuit Controller - Mar 12, 1898


609,250

Electrical Igniter for Gas Engines - Feb 17, 1897


609,251

Electric Circuit Controller - Dec 2, 1897


611,719

Electric Circuit Controller - Feb 28, 1898


613,735

Electric Circuit Controller - Apr 19, 1898


613,809

Method of and Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vessels or Vehicles - July 1, 1898


645,576

System of Transmission of Electrical Energy - Sept 2, 1897


649,621

Apparatus for Transmission of Electrical Energy - Sept 2, 1897


655,838

Method of Insulating Electrical Conductors - Sept 21, 1900 reissued as 11,865


685,012

Means for Increasing the Intensity of Electrical Oscillations - Mar 21, 1900


685,953

Method of Intensifying and Utilizing Effects Transmitted Through Natural Media - June 24, 1899


685,954

Method of Utilizing Effects Transmitted Through Natural Media - Aug 1, 1899


685,955

Apparatus for Utilizing Effects Transmitted from a Distance to a Receiving Device Through Natural Media - Jun 24, 1899


685,956

Apparatus for Utilizing Effects Transmitted Through Natural Media - Aug 1, 1899


685,957

Apparatus for Utilization of Radiant Energy - Mar 21, 1901


685,958

Method of Utilizing Radiant Energy - Mar 21, 1901


723,188

Method of Signaling - July 16, 1900


725,605

System of Signaling - July 16, 1900


787,412

Art of Transmitting Electrical Energy Through Natural Media - May 16, 1900


1,061,142

Fluid Propulsion - Oct 21, 1909


1,061,206

Turbine - Oct 21, 1909


1,113,716

Fountain - Oct 28, 1913


1,119,732

Apparatus for Transmitting Electrical Energy - Jan 18, 1902


1,209,359

Speed-Indicator - May 29, 1914


1,266,175

Lightning-Protector - May 6, 1916


1,274,816

Speed-Indicator - Dec 18, 1916


1,314,718

Ship's Log - Dec 18, 1916


1,329,559

Valvular Conduit - Feb 21, 1916


1,365,547

Flow-Meter - Dec 18, 1916


1,402,025

Frequency Meter - Dec 18, 1916


1,655,113

Method of Aerial Transportation - Sept 9, 1921


1,655,114

Apparatus for Aerial Transportation - Oct 4, 1927


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Tesla's Unpatented Defensive Particle Beam Weapon


US7973296

Electromagnetic systems with double-resonant spiral coil components - Mar 5, 2009


Ark

Acoustic Piezo-Electric Field Generator


Additional Information About This Portfolio

There are 111 unique patents in this list, however there are a number of patents that were divided or "split" into two separate applications. This was done by patent attorneys to increase the patent protection into "Means, Methods or Systems" and "Apparatus". Tesla and his patent attorneys were aware that competetors could construct a high-frequency generator (for instance) that would be unique enough to qualify for it's own patent and thereby evade or avoid conflict with apparatus that Tesla documented. To broaden the patent protection the "Means, Methods, or Systems" portion of a patent application was split off and language was added to state that the specific apparatus illustrated was irrelevent in the protection of the idea being presented. What you end up with are two patents showing the exact same technology, but they are two different, unique documents.

Lab-Tesla is hosting a high-resolution master file containing all of these patents... It's HUGE, 260 megs, but it has the complete collection and the PDF quality is very good: Tesla's Complete Patents - High Resolution - 260 megabytes


To the Archive Page Discussion on Tesla's Wireless

Lab-Tesla disclosures on the technology just presented


Tesla's Laboratory Power

Boiler, Steam Engine, Line-Shaft, Belts & Pulleys


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