Electrical Transformer
593128 11/2/1897
This modestly named patent is the basis for much energy research ever since. It is the essence of what we now call a Tesla Coil. He talks about raising electricity to a high potential. That means high voltage. It does not necessarily mean high current. It is possible, and has been demonstrated many times, for a person to sit on top of an operating Tesla Coil with sparks shooting out of his fingers. A million volts may be involved, but the current can be measured in safe microamperes.
Again, there is great flexibility in construction. For a good example of this flexibility, you can reference the series of photographs taken at the 2010 Philadelphia Tesla Days contest in Independence Hall Park. There are many variations on the basic design given in this patent, enough to make designing and building Tesla Coils into an art form of its own.
Note how one of the main parameters is isolation between the primary and secondary coils. This was, at the time, counter-intuitive. You're seeing a sophisticated example of induction. Also note the grounding connections. If that seems to be an obsession, it should be. Grounding is essential for safety and efficiency.
From this patent it is possible to start learning how to safely, efficiently, and beneficially transmit electricity without wires. This is the root of the Wardenclyffe project.
See Also
Ampere
Coil
Electricity
Flyback Transformer
Magnetism
Tesla Coil
Transformer
Volt