Leander Kellam
Leander Kellam was one of the self-taught polymaths of the early 20th century. His first businesses included building round barnsHanou and opening a garage to service and build automobiles. By the 1920s, however, he was employed by the Ohio Power Company [subsidiary to General Electric?] and learning his way around turbines for generating electricity. [More detail will be added to this section from family records.]
The Coupling
[The documents listed here by bold-face dates are in my possession.]
On June 18, 1927 Kellam was informed by W.S. Culver, District Engineer, writing from Cleveland to the Cincinnati Office, that his suggestion from "last year" for "a change in the coupling between the Main & House Generators" had been "partially incorporated in a new designed coupling" then being manufactured "for use on a 94,000 KW machine" to go into service "next October." He was asked to keep the matter confidential, but assured of "some recognition" "if the coupling works as we hope, and is then adopted for other units."
E?H. Freiburghouse, writing from "Schenectady" to E.L. Rich in the Patent Department on July 30, 1927, gave a more complete account and made it official [CC to Lee Kellam]:
"Quite frequently large turbine generators are provided with coupling to drive a direct connected auxiliary alternating current generator. ... It is desirable at times... to operate the main power system and auxiliary power system in multiple, consequently, the rotors of the main and auxiliary generators should be electrically in line. The coupling between the rotors of the two alternators should be of such construction that the two sides of the coupling can be adjusted angularly with respect to each other