IMPROVE MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRO-VOLTAIC PLATEWORK FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRO-VOLTAIC PLATEWORK FOR MEDICAL
AND OTHER PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad by Thomas Patten
and Charles Mettam, both of New York, in the United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATON left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
26th June 1862.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention' for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRO-VOLTAIC PLATEWORK FOR
MEDICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES," a communication from abroad by Thomas
Patten and Charles Mettam, both of New York, in the United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of articu-
lated or flexible electro-voltaic platework intended for the cure of certain
bodily complaints, and applicable in various forms suitable to be worn about
the person, but 'more particularly in the form of an inner sole to be worn
inside boots or shoes.

page_text: The essential feature of this Invention is the forming of articulated electro-
voltaic platework in various sections throughout the whole or major portion of
its area, by using two or more tiers of negative plates in preference to one,
and interposing between such plates a series of "positive" plates, or by using
two or more tiers of "positive" plates and interposing between them a series
of "negative" plates. The upper and lower plates should be so divided and
kept separate longitudinally and transversely as to establish a multiplicity of
"negatives" and "positives" with their contiguous edges exposed and
breaking contact. The several sections of the "positive" and "negative"
plates are connected or hinged together by a flexible insulating strip or strips
of india-rubber or other suitable material united to the sectional plates by
metallic or other eyelets. But in order to give a more united character to
the whole, and facilitate the manufacture, it is preferred to connect the sections
of plates by a single insulating strip made with perforations or openings
therein so as to be of a skeleton form and admit of the "positive" and
"negative" plates, or rather those sections which lie one under the other,
coming in contact and establishing electrical action between or by the said
plates or plate sections.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th December 1862..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION. OF. ELECTRO-VOLTAIC PLATE FOR MEDICAL AND OTHER PURPOSES,"
a communication from abroad by Thomas Patten and Charles Mettam,
both of New York, in the United States of America, 'upon the condition
5 (amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or
under the hand: and seal of; one of them, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of athe said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed,..and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six.calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby declarė
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly; described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon; that is to say:
.r
"
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
articulated or flexible electro-voltaic platework intended for the cure of..
certain bodily.complaints, and applicable in various forms suitable to be worn
about the person, but more particularly in the form of an inner sole to be
worn inside boots. or shoes..
The essential feature of this Invention is the forming of articulated electro.:
voltaic platework in various sections throughout the whole or major portion
of it's area by using two or more tiers of negative plates in preference to one
and interposing between such plates a series of "positive" plates or by using.
two or more: tiers of "positive". plates and interposing between them a series
of "negative" plates. The upper and lower plates should be so divided 'and'
kept separate longitudinally and. transversely as to establish a multiplicity of
"negatives".and." positives" with their contiguous edges exposed and
breaking contact. The several sections of the "positive" and "negative"
plates are connected or hinged, together by a flexible insulating strip or/strips
of india-rubber or other suitable material united to, the sectional plates by
metallic or other eyelets. But in order to give a more united character to the:
whole, and facilitate the manufacture, it is preferred to connect the sections
of plates by a single insulating strip made with perforations or openings
therein so as to be of a skeleton form and admit of the "positive" and
"negative" plates, or rather those sections which lie one. under the other:
coming in contact and establishing electrical action between or by the said
plates or plate sections.
:...

page_text: In illustration of the Invention the accompanying Drawing represents views
of a galvanic sole constructed in accordance with the present improvements.
Figure 1 represents a plan view; Figure 2 a longitudinal section thereof;
and Figure 3 a plan view of the skeleton insulator belonging to the same
detached.
One of the many applications of galvanic or voltaic electricity has been the
formation of different articles of wear about the person in the shape of rings,
chains, and boot and shoe soles composed of copper and zinc, or their chemical
équivalents or substitutes, and which as positives and negatives in close
contact or juxtaposition develope a large or continuous amount of electricity
of feeble intensity that, acting upon the nerves of the wearer is found beneficial
for various complaints or infirmities. That copper. and zinc or their equiva-
lents will, when brought in contact, establish voltaic electricity without the aid,
as in the galvanic battery, of an acidulous exciting medium, is a fact well
known, and the only problem requiring solution, so far as the practical
application of such to medical purposes is concerned, is the discovery of
the best or cheapest and most efficient mode of developing or applying the
same.
Among the best applications of the kind have been loose or inner soles for
boots and shoes. as before referred to, since these acting on or against the feet
transmit the electricity developed by them upwardly through the body,
and because the heat evolved by the contact of the positive and negative
plates of the said soles serves in a gentle manner to keep the feet warm,
while the acid, contained in the perspiration which exudes from the feet
quickens or excites the electrical capacity of the plates; also because positives
and negatives in the form of plates are preferable to many or most others.
To form an efficient voltaic pile, however, it is desirable to employ a multi-
plicity of plates or plate sections separate. at their edges from each other,
in preference to a single plate or plates of equal area and thickness.
The galvanic soles heretofore used or proposed have been defective in
this respect as well as in the binding rigidity of the same to the foot.
They have, it is true, been made in two or three sections hinged together
at or in front of the "tread" to give certain pliability, but such is a very
insignificant provision as regards general pliability or. multiplicity and
division of the plate surfaces. This and other radical defects are obviated
by this Invention, which largely enhances the value in a working or
medical capacity of such contrivances, as the following description will serve
to explain.
Referring to the Drawing, the sole is or may be made up of two

page_text: "negative" tiers in preference to one, with the "positive" in between them,
or this order may be reversed. The negative or upper and lower tier
of the "pile" is or may be formed of copper plates or sections (a, a, a, a,)
and the positive of zinc plate or sections (b, b, b, b,) so divided and
kept separate, preferably longitudinally as well as transversely, to the
sole, as to establish a multiplicity. of negatives and positives with their
contiguous edges. exposed and breaking contact, whereby a more efficient
"sole" battery is produced and an articulated character is imparted to the
sole of general pliability. The several sections of the copper and zinc
plates are or may be connected or hinged together by a flexible insulating
strip or strips of, say india-rubber or any other suitable material united
to the sectional plates by metallic or other eyelets (c); this makes a cheap,
expeditious, and efficient mode of holding together the articulated plate-
work of the sole formed of sections as described. And in order to give a
more united character to the whole as well as to facilitate manufacture
it is preferred to connect several or all of the sections in the manner
described by a single insulating strip or interposed medium (d) made with
perforations in it or of skeleton form or build so as to admit of the copper
and zinc plates, or rather those sections of them which lie one under the
other coming in contact to establish electrical action between or by the said
plates or plate sections.
From the above description of the improvement in the construction of
articulated galvano-electric soles, it will be understood that it is applicable to
all kinds of galvano-electric platework of an articulated character, such as
bracelets, breast plates and belts.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of electro-voltaic plate-
work, as herein-before described.
Second, the forming of articulated electro-voltaic platework in several
sections or series of negative and positive plates disposed throughout the
whole or greater portion of the area of the platework, such sections
being connected by a strip or skeleton of flexible insulating material,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawings.
Third, uniting the several sections of articulated electro-voltaic-platework by
nicans of eyelets or their equivalents, substantially as herein-before described.

page_text: Fourth, the application and use of a skeleton flexible insulator for
uniting the several sections of galvano-electric platework, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-fourth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)