D. W. Colvin

D. W. Colvin
Born	24 July 1874(1874-07-24) Bishop, Mason Co., Illinois
Died	5 November 1933 (59) Johnstown, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania
Burial	Beech Grove Cemetery, Muncie, Delaware Co., Indiana
Spouse(s)	Estella Geiger (m. 1901)

D. Whit (D. W.) Colvin (July 24, 1874 - November 5, 1933) was an American inventor who claimed several attempts at the manufacture of perpetual motion machines. The most infamous was the Colvin spring motor, which became the focus of U.S. national press and federal court attention when Colvin was arrested on fraud charges in 1921, the device described as "a contrivance of a wheel, a disk and a spring, which would go around for sometime," though apparently not indefinitely. After his trial concluded and Colvin was released from incarceration, he continued in his efforts to produce a workable self-motive motor until his death.

Press Coverage

Spring Motor Fraud Trial (1921)

• CT (30 July 1921), "Great 'Perpetual Motion' Inventor Stopped Here", Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL): 13, "D. W. Coleman, inventor of what he terms a perpetual motion motor, was arrested yesterday and held in $5,000 bonds on a charge of using the mails to defraud. Postal Inspector Frank N. Davis had received warrants from Philadelphia, where it is alleged Coleman got $40,000. Coleman pleaded he had returned $10,000 and was trying to raise the rest." 
• AP (30 July 1921), "INVENTOR OF NEW MOTOR ARRESTED ON FRAUD CHARGE", Oklahoma City Times (Oklahoma City, OK): 2, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/612083308, "CHICAGO, July 30. — D. W. Coleman, inventor of a device described as a perpetual motion motor for which the power was supplied by springs, was arrested Friday on warrants received from Philadelphia which accused him of defrauding investors there of approximately $40,000. On being arraigned before United States Commissioner James R. Glass, his bonds were fixed at $5,000 and the case was continued to August 9." 
• PI (31 July 1921), "'INVENTOR' ARRESTED IN $26,000 SWINDLE; Hagerstown and Cumberland, Md., Residents Mulcted in Perpetual Motion Quest; Philadelphia Postal Inspector Trails George W. Coleman to Chicago; Under Bail", Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA): 2, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/170680804/ 
• PI (11 Aug. 1921), "'PERPETUAL MOTION' PROMOTER ARRESTED; Caldman, Fugitive From This City, Is Held in [Chicago] on Complaints From Here", Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA): 2, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/170630632/ 
• AP (22 Dec. 1921), "SOLUTION OF PERPETUAL MOTION MAY VINDICATE ALLEGED MAIL 'CON MAN'", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA): 1, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/85936849 
• PI (24 Dec. 1921), "'PERPETUAL MOTOR' PERPLEXES JURY; Panel Sees Machine Demonstrated by Inventor and Cannot Reach Verdict; Colvin's Apparatus, Set Up in Courtroom, Runs for Three Minutes.", Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA): 4, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/171032039/ 

Gravity Motor (1923)

• "PATENTS GRAVITY MOTOR, WILL RUN WITHOUT FUEL", Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH): 13, 30 Sep. 1923, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/411846041/ 
• "A Gravity Motor", Oil News 12: 31, Feb. 1924, https://books.google.com/books?id=LpgjAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA31 

Vibration Motor (1930)

• "MOTOR IS RUN BY VIBRATION; Muncie Man Invents Power Generating Device.", Star Press (Muncie, IN): 17, 28 Dec. 1930, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/251924536/ 

Of interest, Colvin copyrighted a promotional pamphlet around this time with the title Modern Miracle Power Generating Apparatus (AA58331).