William Debus

William Debus was an American machinist and iron pattern maker at Rochester, New York who claimed in 1901 to have invented a fly-wheel-type perpetual motion machine.

As seen in St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Press Coverage

• "HAS TO TIE IT UP. Rochester Man Claims to Have Solved Perpetual Motion.", The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa): 3, 22 Aug. 1901, https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/551639790 
  

  Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 22 — A machine invented by William Debus, a machinist of Rochester, apparently solves the problem of perpetual motion.

  Debus claims that he has overcome the center of gravity. For the last twenty-one days the machine has been in operation, the flywheel revolving at the rate of 130 revolutions a minute, with no motive power whatever except that incorporated in construction.

  Yesterday Debus stopped the machine. To keep it from running he had to tie up the flywheel with a strap.

  The invention is odd looking, but of simple construction. There is a fly-wheel twelve inches in diameter, three air chambers, making three pounds of air pressure and capable of tripling the speed of the machine. The center of gravity is overcome by means of spring weights on sixteen arms, which constantly press the flywheel forward.

  Debus invites investigation of his invention. He will unstrap the machine and let it run any length of time the investigators may fix. He is now at work constructing a machine of four-horse power.

• "PERPETUAL MOTION.", St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Mo.): 45, 22 Sep. 1901, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66880028/william-debus-rochester-ny-based/