Westinghouse noticed a scientific article by Galileo Ferraris in the Proceedings of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Turin. Ferraris, a professor of Applied Physics, had conducted experiments with polyphase systems in 1885, publishing his work in 1888. He also discussed how to use polyphase systems to create rotational motion and is credited with introducing the concept of phase. Westinghouse then sent his associate, Pantaleoni, to Turin to purchase Ferraris’s patents for $1,000, thus ensuring broad coverage of polyphase systems.
