IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANO-HYDROSTATIC APPARATUS FOR IGNITING, ILLUMINATING, AND TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th September 1874.-A communication from abroad by William
Lambrecht and Frederick Wippern, Doctor of Laws, both of Vienna,
Austria.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANO-HYDROSTATIC
APPARATUS FOR IGNITING, ILLUMINATING, AND TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," a com-
munication, to be as follows:-
The apparatus constructed according to this Invention are based on
what may be termed the galvano-hydrostatic principle. This principle
consists in causing a liquid serving to excite electricity in an ordinary
galvanic apparatus (zinc and carbon apparatus for instance) to rise so
high by pneumatic pressure created by blowing in or pumping in air
that it is brought into contact with the galvanic element, whereby an
electric current is excited as long as the air is not allowed to escape.
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page_text: The galvanic elements arranged according to this Invention are
termed galvano-hydrostatic elements, and the apparatus constructed
according to this Invention are termed galvano-hydrostatic apparatus.
The galvano-hydrostatic principle is applied according to the present
Invention to the construction of elements and apparatus for scientific,
medical, and surgical purposes; further, for igniting candles, fusees, and
the like, for illuminating purposes, especially for illuminating watches
and clocks, and finally for telegraphing, that is, especially for house
telegraphs.
The galvano-hydrostatic element consists of a glass vessel widened
towards the bottom for the reception of the liquid and the zinc and carbon
elements. The coal element, which is shaped to the form of a cylinder,
is provided with channels or flutes on the outside for the purpose of
enlarging its surface, and rests with its under flat side on a carbon disc
projecting some distance from the carbon cylinder, and arranged for the
above purpose on the top of a cylinder, the inner space of which is
connected by a tube to a balloon or pump for compressing the air.
The carbon is fastened to a cylinder preferably made of slag lead by
means of a cylindrical projection or rim on the cover; which is insulated
from the carbon by short additional pipes of vulcanite or hard rubber.
The zinc element consists of a strong zinc sheet cylinder, and is
soldered concentrically to the carbon into a groove of the rim, which is
formed in one piece with the cover. The electricity of the zinc after the
current has been excited passes through the cover, and the electricity of
the carbon through the lead cylinder and through its extension, or the
pipe connecting the inner space of this cylinder with the air compresser.
Two clamp screws are fastened, one to the cover, and the other to a
projection of the connection pipe mentioned above, and serve for
attaching the conducting wires. A screw nut screwed on the con-
necting tube serves for holding the apparatus together, and allows of
lifting the complete inner apparatus as a whole out of the glass.
The area or cross section of the lead cylinder is so determined that the
difference between this area and the spaces between the glass and the
zine cylinder, plus the space between the zinc cylinder and the carbon,
is so great that in case of only a slight fall of the level of the liquid
contained in the lead cylinder below the normal height of liquid the

page_text: In place of the vertical carbon and zinc cylinders as described above
the zinc and carbon may also be employed in the shape of horizontal
discs. The zinc disc in this case is placed in a plate of vulcanite or hard
rubber provided with edges or rims on its outer and inner peripheries,
and filled with mercury, so as to keep the zinc floating in the same for
the purpose of a continuous amalgamation.
The contact of the zinc disc with the cylinder or connecting tube is
established by means of strips of platinum, thereby conducting the
electricity of the zinc to the lead cylinder, and thence to the projection
of the connecting pipe, to which the wire clamp is fastened. The
coal disc rests on a flange of a short piece of vulcanite or hard rubber
pipe, which passes over the tube of the lead cylinder, and forms at the
same time the insulation between the carbon and the lead pipe. It is
held down by a cylindrical projection or collar of the cover, by which
projection the electricity of the carbon is conducted to the cover, and
thence further on to a clamp screw fastened to it.
A nut screwed on the connecting pipe holds the complete inner
apparatus together, and allows of lifting the same as a whole out of the
glass. In this apparatus also the liquid in the lead cylinder standing
about up to the top of the same is depressed by means of a rubber
balloon, or a small compression pump connected to the end of the lead
pipe by a rubber hose, thereby causing the same to rise up to the
carbon.
For the purpose of enlarging the surface of the carbon, grooves or
flutes are formed in the bottom side of the carbon disc.
By combining a number of such elements a battery may be formed.
As the galvano-hydrostatic element employed in the galvano-hydrostatic
igniting apparatus is the same as described above only the mechanism
for igniting connected thereto needs a further explanation.
A disc rests parallel to the cover of the element on pillars or columns,
the said disc being for the purpose of carrying the igniting mechanism.
Between this disc and the cover a rubber balloon is placed, by the
compression of which the element is set in action. The compression.

page_text: is such that as the zinc wears away a fresh surface of zinc is presented
to the action of the liquid. A pipe of hard rubber or vulcanite is placed
within this glass tube, which rubber pipe is provided on its upper
thicker part with a screw thread, and is screwed fast, and also has a
flange fastened to it for holding a bridge, which serves for the attach-
ment of one of the clamp screws. The lower part is reduced or worked
out in such a manner that only a small edge remains. A bar of zinc is
loosely placed in this hard rubber pipe, and rests with its lower end
against the small edge, by which arrangement the zinc which touches
the liquid by its lower surface only moves down of itself as it wears off.
The glass tube has further to serve the purpose of forming an indicator,
which is attained by its being divided by dotted lines into a certain
number of spaces, corresponding to the number of different signals for
which the apparatus is intended to be used. The dial plate of the
compresser must be divided into the same number of divisions, the
signals of the dial plate of the compresser being then the same as those
of the indicator.
The working of the telegraph is as follows:-The crank having a dial
hand must first be wholly turned around, whereby the liquid is caused
to rise to the element, and the electric current is conducted to the
ringing apparatus. The crank is then turned back to that part of the
division which is intended to be indicated.
In this construction the faults of ordinary pneumatic telegraphs are
avoided, as no mechanism absorbing a certain amount of power need be
set in motion by the compression of air. This pressure will vary on
account of the differences of the sectional areas of the glass containing
the liquid, and the glass tube containing the element, and therefore
only a slight pressure will be required for raising the liquid to a
considerable height.
The imperfections of ordinary electric telegraphs are also avoided, as
the liquid and the zinc will be only consumed while the apparatus is
being actually worked, and a replenishment of these substances will be
only required after many years.