IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR PRODUCING AND APPLYING CURRENT ELECTRICITY, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE FOR OBTAINING AND TREATING CERTAIN CHEMICAL PRODUCTS RESULTING FROM ELECTROLYTIC ACTION."
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edwards Staite, of Manchester, in
the County of Lancaster, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS POR PRODUCING AND APPLYING
CURRENT ELECTRICITY, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE
FOR OBTAINING AND TREATING CERTAIN CHEMICAL PRODUCTS RESULTING
FROM ELECTROLYTIC ACTION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edwards
Staite at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 14th March 1853.
1, WILLIAM EDWARDS STAITE of Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND
APPLYING CURRENT ELECTRICITY PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLI-
CABLE FOR OBTAINING AND TREATING CERTAIN CHEMICAL PRODUCTS RESULTING
FROM ELECTROLYTIC ACTION" to be as follows

page_text: My improvements have reference to certain details in electriclamps
and in the parts of lamps previously specified by me in different
Patents sealed 3 July 1847 12 July 1848 and 20 Sept. 1849.
These improvements embrace many minor matters such as a spirit or
water float in lieu of the over-balance weight a friction clip in place
of a ratchet and click an improved ventilating glass shade the use
of an electro magnet being common to them all.
Further improvements in my previously specified modes of preparing
and treating carbon for electrical purposes such as boiling it in oil fat
ortallow and then rebaking by which it is rendered more homogeneous
and a better conductor.
An improved mode of connecting carbon plates slabs cylinders (or
carbon in any form required ingalvanicbatteries)tometallic conductors
by casting around the top of such plates slabs or cylinders a metallic
jacket of lead slightly alloyed with tin or other metal or metals to
harden the sune the said carbon pieces being previously perforated
with holes though them that the metal may run therein and which
serve in place of rivets to hold the said jacket securely to the carbon.
NEGATIVE PLATES.
The use of wove wire gauze in lieu of plates as patented by
me 20 Sept. 18-49 using platinum wire such guaze preferred to
be of 30 grains weight to the square inch and the mode of connecting
negative guaze wire sheets by casting round their tops leaden jackets
or other metal jackets in a similar manner to that described for con-
necting carbon with metallic conductors.
I referred to be of glass which may be used in connexion with the
perfluent system of batteries previously specified by me or separately.

page_text: This cell having a long glass tube fitted at bottom either with a glass
valve or with a valve of gutta percha or with a flexible vulcanized
indian rubber throttle when the said cell is employed apart from my
perfluent system. When used in my patented perfluent batteries no
welvethunttle in resoccer
In the Patent granted to me 12 July 1848 having reference to
chemical products I claimed the exclusive use of lead in solutions of
nitric and nitric muriatic acids as the positive element of galvanic
batteries lead never having been previously employed at all in
galvanic batteries as the positive element nor electro-che.nically for
the production of pigments. My present improvements consist in
using lead as the positive element alloyed to a certain small extent
with other metal such as antimony zinc or tin or mercury and which
alloy renders the lead more active as a voltaic generator. These
alloyed lead plates are cast in moulds like my or linary lead plates
which have long been in public use. The resulting oxides like my
pure lead oxides may be heated either in or out of the battery in any
one or more of the various ways well known to chemists to render
them commercially more valuable either as pigments or for enamels
or for the production of pottery glazes or for any other of the well-
known uses to which ordinary lead oxides not produced by galvanic
batteries are suited. The mode or modes preferred of cleansing such
electro-chemical oxides whether pure lead oxides or otherwise from
their acid solutions is by passing water over them in sieves or vessels
having as I prefer platinum wove wire guaze bottoms lined or other-
wise with flannel or other suitable filtering material such sieves or
vessels being placed one over the other and continuing such washing
until no traces of acid remain. Or the same may be effected by a vessel
having three compartments or divisions somewhat similar to ore
washing machines fitted with stirrers or agitators and supplied with
a constant inflow of water into the first compartment and which
overflows into the second and from the second into the third more
fully to be described hereafter.

page_text: AN ELECTRICAL TELL-TALE.
Another improvement consists in combining with my previously
patented dial-faced galvanometer an instrument I propose calling an
"Electrical Tell-Tale." Its object is when used in electric lighthouses
(such as I am now erecting for the Liverpool Dock Committee at
their Prince's Dock) to give audible notice to the light keeper of any
change in the light by automatically actuating one or more alarum
bells and when such bells are set going indicating that the circuit is
interrupted or broken.
All these improvements are essential to any one electric lighthouse
and for the further perfection of sustained and steady illumination from
electric agency.
Lastly certain improvements in lenses and reflectors for electric
lights and in the framework and other parts of electric lamps and
battories.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Edwards Staite, in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 14th September 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I
WILLIAM EDWARDS STAITE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Gentleman send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Fourteenth day of March in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Ier heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me the said William Edwards Staite Her special
licence that I the said William Edwards Staite my executors, admi-
nistrators and assigns, or such others as I the said William Edwards
Staite my executors administrators and assigns should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands and Isle of Man an Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING AND APPLYING
CURRENT ELECTRICITY, PARTS OF WHICH APPARATUS ARE APPLICABLE FOR
OBTAINING AND TREATING CERTAIN CHEMICAL PRODUCTS RESULTING FROM
ELECTROLYTIC ACTION" upon the condition (amongst others) that I the
said William Edwards Staite by an instrument in writing under my
band and seal should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 tho said William Edwards Staite do
hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, thereof reference being had to the
drawings annexed that is to say.
My Invention consists firstly of certain improvements in electric
lamps one of which is an improvement in the construction of that
description of electric lamp in which the distance between the points of
the electrodes is adjusted by means of an electro-magnetic regulator
and in which the electro magnet of the regulator is actuated by the
current of electricity which circulates through the coil of the magnet
and the electrodes of the lamp for the purpose of causing the electrodes
to be maintained at the required distance apart and thus ensuring a
continuous light.
In lieu of the over-balance weight which has been used to elevate
the lower electrode I substitute a spirit or water float and instead of
the ratchet and click which have been used in the construction of such
a regulator I employ in some cases a friction clip.
Figure 1 in the said drawings is a sectional elevation of an electric
lamp with these improvements attached thereto-A is a tube say of
metal filled with spirit or water, but oil or any other fluid may be
used; within this tube and fitted so as to move up and down easily
is a float b, b, either made of tin plate soldered together air-tight or
made of wood or any other light material suitable for the purpose-

page_text: Attached to this float is the rod b, the upper end of which is introduced
into the tube C containing the lower electrode at the bottom part and
the weighting of the float is so regulated that its tendency to rise in the
fluid in which it is immersed shall cause the lower electrode to be very
slowly pushed up and only as fast as it is consumed. The electrode
tube may be of any length so as to contain a supply of carbon for many
hours or even days and the length of the rod 6, and the float tube A
must of course be in proportion to the length of the electrode tube
that is if 24 inches for example of electrode be employed the
float must have a rise of 21 inches carrying with it the rod b-D
is the electro-magnetic regulator. It consists of a helix of insulated
wire wound tightly round a metal reel in the centre of which reel is a
hollow cylinder of annealed iron capable of free motion up and down
within it. This iron cylinder is (when the lamp is in action) made into
a powerful electromagnet by the passage of the electric current through
the coil and when the lamp is not in action the cylinder is elevated by
a spiral spring or other suitable contrivance placed beneath it to the
extent allowed by a stop placed so as to fix the desired limit to this
motion of the cylinder. As the distance between the points of the elec-
trodes varies when the lamp is in action the quantity of electricity
passing through the coil will also vary but in an inverse ratio and the
power of the electro magnet will vary in a direct ratio according to
the quantity of the electricity passing through the coil thus when
the points of the electrodes approach nearer towards each other, the
quantity of electricity passing through the coil and the electrodes will
be increased and the power of the maguet to draw down the lower
electrode will also be increased and when the distance between the
points of the electrodes is increased the diminution in the quantity of
electricity passing through the coil will cause a diminution of the power
of the magnet and of the extent to which it can draw down the lower
electrode.
Instead of the ratchet and click, f, I prefer attaching to the electro
magnet at the top a friction clip which as the electro magnet is
pulled down by its attraction towards the centre of the coil clasps the
rod b, and holds it firmly to the magnet so that it cannot ascend until

page_text: such a diminution in the power of the magnet is produced as shall
allow it to rise to a position at which the clip is detached from the
ratchet when this takes place the lower electrode by means of the
float and rod will be raised until the upper end of it is placed at the
striking or proper distance from the upper electrode necessary for
producing the light.
Between the two electrodes E and G at the points m is a guide
consisting of flexible springs of metal and through which the lower
electrode is pushed (as previously described) this guide is fitted loosely
on to the tube holding the electrode and has a free play up and down
(say one-sixteenth of an inch) so that the friction clip without being
released from its hold on the rod b, when pulled down by the maguet
enables the electrode guide with the electrode it embraces to place the
lower moveable electrode at the required distance from the fixed upper
electrode.
Another of my said improvements in electric lamps consists in using
a cylinder of glass with a metallic ventilating top plate or ventilating
glass shade in lieu of the closed glass shade hitherto employed in
electric lamps.
K. K. are brass feather-edged pillars to be insulated in any con-
venient manner from the other parts of the lamp. L is a metal plate
having slots so as to fit in the top of K. K, after the manner of a
bayonet joint. Into the plate L the top electrode is fixed in any con-
venient manner and the plate L is furnished with a piece of metal
sliding over an aperture in the plate after the manner of a ventilator.
By a small opening of the ventilator the gaseous and other matters
resulting from the ignition of the carbon are allowed to escape and
the glass cylinder O surrounding the light is kept comparatively
unsullied and clean. The mode of connecting the battery to this
improved lamp and the mode of insulating the regulator and the
electrodes differ in no respect from other electric lamps and they need
not therefore be here described.
Figure 2 in the said drawings shews in elevation and partly in
section the working parts of an electric limp having the electrodes
placed horizontally-A. A is a frame or stand preferred to be of metal.

page_text: O represents the ventilating cylinder or glass shade with the mode of
fixing the negative electrode-K K being the feather-edged pillars
and L the metal plate as described in Figure 1-0 is a metal tube
containing the positive electrode and slotted underneath sons to allow
a driver d, having a projecting eye e, to traverse the same and by
means of the cord, running over a pulley and having attached to it a
weighty, the said weight will actuate the driverd, and force the electrodo
through the tube C as fast as the same is consumed. The mode of
regulating the descent of the weight g, is by an electro magnet in all
respects similar to that described in Figure 1 having either a ratchet
or click connected therewith or a friction clip as before described-m
is a small weight also attached to the driver , so that when the electro
magnet is drawn down by the power of the electric current the ratchet
or rod n, being attached to the weight y, by a cord running over a
pulley, as shewn elevates the weight g, and allows the weight m
to come into play and to draw back the driver d, and the electrode
attached thereto and thus separate the positive from the negative
electrode to the required distance to maintain a steady light. The weight
y, may be used in a tube filled with oil water or spirit to give it a
more steady motion and the ratchet or rod n may also have the tubes
*. s. above and below the coil through which it passes as guides to the
same and which tubes may be fitted by brackets or in any other suitable
manner to the frame A. A.
Another part of my said Invention consists of an improvement in the
preparation of carbon or compounds of carbon which are used to form
the electrodes of electric lamps or the negative plates of galvanic
batteries or other articles made of carbon or carbonaceous material
which are used for electrical purposes the chiefobjects of such prepara-
tion being to improve the quality and the power of such articles. I
take these articles after they have been moulded to the shape required
and having baked or dried them I boil them in oil until the air is ex-
pelled from the pores and the articles are thoroughly saturated with
the oil. If plates do not exceed half an inch in thickness au hour's
boiling will generally suflice to effect this purpose. The articles thus
saturated are then to be baked in any convenient crucible or other

page_text: closed vessel at a white heat until the whole of the oil shall have been
converted into carbon of high conductibility which will be in from
eight to twelve hours and if the baking be continued for some time
say about two hours after the carbonization has been completed the
conducting power of the carbonaceous mass will be improved. Articles
made of that description of graphite known as gas-retort carbon I treat
as follows. I submit the articles for twelve or more hours to the action
of nitro-muriatic acid slightly diluted after which I boil them in any
suitable alkaline solution changing the same from time to time until
the whole of the acid absorbed shall have been neutralized when they
are again washed in pure water to extract all the soluble matters
remaining in them. I then thoroughly dry them and after that I boil
them in oil and then bake them as before described. Fat or tallow
may be used in lieu of oil but I prefer oil.
Another part of my Invention consists of an improvement in the
mode by which I effect the connection of plates, slabs, cylinders or any
other articles made of carbon or other carbonaceous material and used
for electrical purposes with inetallic conductors or pieces of metal for
the purpose of producing and maintaining more perfect contact between
the surfaces of the carbon or carbonaceous material and metallic sub-
stance used. In consequence of the porous nature of carbon the
metallic conductors to which the negative plates of carbonareattached
will generally when immersed in the acid in the cell of a galvanic
battery permit the acid to act upon the metal in contact with the
carbon and thus produce an oxidation more or less rapid and so cause
a film of non-conducting matter to be formed between the metal and
the carbon and whenever copper or any other easily oxidised metal is
used to form such a conductor the result is a great loss of power. The
mode I employ to prevent this inconvenience and to maintain a more
perfect contact is as follows. I perforate the tops of the carbon
plates with holes say inch in diameter and having slightly heated
the carbon so as not to chill the melted metal I place the carbon in a
suitable mould and pour metal in a melted state into the mould so as to
cover or enclose the carbon plate over the top and say for half an inch
or more,down the sides and ends according to the size of the plate and
B

page_text: thus form a metallic jacket which is held firmly to the carbon by the
metal which has run into and filled up the perforations in the plate.
The carbon with its metallic jacket is then removed from the mould
and a soldering iron will(when necessary) complete any deficiencies in
the perfect contact between the metal and the carbon. A metallic
strip say of copper or of flexible metallic cord or of wire may be
attached without soldering by casting the end of it into the metal
jacket in the mould. I prefer to use lead or an alloy of lead for this
purpose because it is less liable to oxidation and therefore better
adapted to hold good for long periods. The metallic jacket may then
be varnished but I prefer printing it with ordinary red lead of com-
merce. Double plates of carbon may with suitable moulds be thus
connected so as to form double pairs in galvanic batteries and four or
more plates may be used forming a square of carbon or a number of
carbon strips may be so arranged in a polygonal or other form and be
connected together by one metallic jacket cast in the form of a ring so
as to embrace them all.
Next my Invention consists in the use of wove platinum wire gauze
sheets to form the negative clements of galvanic batteries whatever
metal whether zinc tin iron lead or any combination of these or
any other metals or combination of metals may be used-to form the
positive elements the sheets being attached to metallic conductors by
casting upon one edge or top part of each of them a piece or jacket
of metal of which I prefer lead or alloy of lead for the reasons before
stated. The strength I prefer to make these wire gauze sheets for
ordinary galvanic purposes is about thirty grains to the square inch ;
it can however be made of a much finer description if necessary. 1
cast upon one edge or top part of each of these platinum gauze sheets
a piece or jacket of lead or other metal in like manner as above
described with reference to carbon plates, so as to form a jacket or
covering over a sufficient portion of the edge or top part of the sheet
of gauze to ensure strength and good contact.
My Invention consists, in the next place, of an improved form of
cell which I prefer to be of glass to be used in galvanic batteries in
the manner herein-after explained. The form of the cell may be either

page_text: round square or oblong having a tube made with or attached thereto
at bottom for collecting the precipitate formed by electrolytic action of
the elements employed. Figure 3 represents one of the cells-A is the
cell to contain the positive and negative elements and the exciting
solution-B is the tube attached thereto.
These cells when used in forming a compound battery are fitted
loosely side by side into a vessel or vessels preferred to be of glass or
earthenware. At the bottom of such vessel is flatly laid and cemented
a stout sheet of vulcanized india-rubber-melted sulphur will answer
very well as a cement for this in most cases-The cells are so fitted to
a frame that they can be simultaneously raised and lowered say one
or more inches. The mode of charging the said cells is (they being
raised say one inch simultaneously) to fill the said outer vessel with
the exciting fluid and allow it to ascend into the glass cells until
they are nearly full, the frame-work carrying the cells is then lowered
and the ground flat end of the tubes pressing on the vulcanized india-
rubber bottom closes the tube and prevents any circulation of the
electric power other than through the regular circuit. To discharge
the said cells simultaneously they are lifted up as before and the
outer vessel and consequently the cells may then be discharged into
any convenient receiver. Such cells may be furnished with valves, orany
other means of discharge which may be found more convenient or a
flexible tube of vulcanized india-rubber may be attached as shewn in
Figure 4 to the bottom or bottom side of the said tube and the other
end of the said flexible tube attached to a nozzle which nozzle com-
municates with a channel or vessel which may be made sufficiently
long to extend to any number of cells in series and by elevating the
said channel with the tubes attached to the top level of the cells the
whole of the said cells may be charged or discharged simultaneously
by elevating or lowering the said channel-Figure 4 represents a cell,
with tube and channel attached.
The next part of my Invention has relation to the chemical pro-
ducts resulting from electrolytic action. My present improvements
consist in using alloys of lead to form the positive elements of galvanic
batteries and in forming such alloys I alloy lead with metals which

page_text: in an electrical sense are more positive than load or which when com-
bined with lead render the compound metal more active as a voltaic
generator. These alloyed lead plates may be cast in moulds like ordi-
nary lead plates. The metals preferred to be used for alloying the lead
are antimony zinc or tin but I do not confine myself to these metals
for the purpose of forming such alloys or to any particular proportions
or combinations in which the same may be used but I find in practice
energetic action to result from an alloy of lead and antimony in the
proportion of four parts of antimony to sixteen parts of lend or
two parts of zinc to eighteen parts of lead or two parts of tin to
eighteen parts of lead but by increasing these quantities of an-
timony zinc or tin respectively or in some cases by combining
these metals for the purpose of alloying the lead a slight addition of
either one to the mass renders the compound plate cast from it more
active still. The exciting solution preferred is dilute nitric acid say in
tho proportion of one part of acid to two parts of water. The metals
composing the electro positive plates are oxydized and where tin is
employed with lead the result is as follows. Part of the lead is pre-
cipitated and part held in solution as nitrate of lead the tin being
deposited as an oxide. The precipitate may then be separated from
the solution by allowing it to settle and the solution of nitrate of lead
inay then be treated in any of the ways well known to chemists either
for the production of crystals of nitrate of lead or the solution may be
neutralised by adding to the same either carbonate of potash or car-
bonate of soda in which case the lead in solution is precipitated as a
carbonate leaving in solution nitrate of potash or nitrate of soda as
the case may be. This solution may be evaporated down and the
products used for any of the purposes well known to chemists and the
precipitates consisting of the carbonate of lead and oxide of tin I find
when mixed to yield a most valuable white pigment and which when
treated in any of the ways well known to chemists will produce
colored pigments which are also of great value such as for instance
by treating the said precipitate with a solution of chromate of potash
any shade of chrome yellow may be obtained from the lightest yellow
to the deepest chrome yellow in use. The mode or modes which I

page_text: prefer of cleansing these precipitates from their acid solutions is by
passing water over them in suitable vessels such for instance as in
sieves having platinum wove wire gauze bottoms lined or otherwise
with cloth or flannel or other suitable filtering material such sieves
or vessels being placed oncover the other and continuing such washing.
until no traces of acid remain or the same may be effected by a vessel
having three or more compartments or divisions each compartment
fitted with a stirrer or agitator and supplied with an influx of water.
into the first compartment which compartment we will suppose to be
two thirds filled with the material to be washed and the remaining one
third filled with water. When this has been well agitated it is allowed
to settle until the material sinks to the bottom by its own gravity
fresh water is then admitted and this process is repeated until the
whole of the contents when tested exhibit no traces of acid. The
same when dried are ready for grinding and use.
My Invention consists further of an instrument or apparatus to be
used with galvanic batteries and which instrument I call a "tell tale."
This instrument will be best understood by reference to the drawing
annexed Figure 5-D represents the electro magnetic regulator pre-
viously described; to the iron cylinder as described. is attached a rod
e, which is put in connection with the dial face of one of my previously
patented galvanometers which indicates in units and degrees the force
of the electric current-1 and G are two alarums furnished one with
a small bell the other with a larger bell-these alarums may be con-
structed in the ordinary way worked by a train of wheels with suitablo
escapements and actuated either by springs or weights and having
oscillating or other strikers to strike the bells. f. f. are two jointed
levers so arranged that by lateral movement an escapement in either
alarum or both may be set free and the bell or bells bestruck-The mode
of actuating the said levers is as follows-When the electro magnet
is in the position indicated in the drawing both escapements are pre-
vented going off by the levers being retained in a vertical position
the end of the said levers at the top being so contrived as to hold
the said escapements in their places so that no movement of the wheel
work takes place and the bells remain quiescent.

page_text: This is the position of the magnet when the electric light is in full
and steady action; if the power of the electric current diminishes then
the magnetic iron cylinder as before described will rise by means of the
weight m, and the friction wheel o in the rod e, will impinge on the
pallet and cause the rod to be pushed aside whereby the escape-
ment will be released and the small bell in thealarum Gwill bestruck,
if the power should diminish still further then the magnet will rise still
higher and in addition to moving aside the lover will impinge against
the pallets on the other lever and the large bell will be struck. If
the power cease altogether the friction wheel o, impinging on the
pallets, and on the pallet t, will set both bells going simultaneously.
By this instrument placed in any convenient part of the circuit say in
an electric lighthouse in the light keeper's room combined with a dial-
faced galvanometer shewing the amount of current power, audible
indications will be given of every change in the circuit for instance
when the electrodes in the lamp require automatic adjustment, the
electro magnet in the tel! tale rises a short distance and by this
means as described causes the small bell to be struck once. As long
therefore as this small bell continues to be heard at intervals every
thing in the circuit is going on well. Should however any changes take
place requiring the attention of the light keeper then the electro
magnet rises still further and causes the larger bell to be struck as
described. When the circuit is broken altogether from any cause then
both bells continue ringing until the power of the springs or weights
actuating the alarums shall have been expended or until stopped.
This portion of my Invention may be easily attached to any of the
electric lamps themselves as described and the one electro magnet
which is common to them all may be made to perform the double
purpose of actuating the electrodes and working the escapements of
the alarum. Further as the said electro magnet changes its position it
may be made to release an escapement in the ordinary manner employed
in electric bells which escapement being attached to a train of wheel
work moved either by a spring or weight and furnished with an
oscillating or other suitable striker as the said escapement is released
will cause thestriker placed within the bell to give two or more strokes

page_text: to the bell at every change-a convenient mode of working a fog bell
in connection with electric lighthouses.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim
is as follows-First I claim the application of a float for elevating the
moveable electrode of an electric lamp also the friction clip for con-
necting the electro magnet of an electro magnetic regulator with the
rod passing through it and also the application of a ventilating glass
shade to an electric lamp as herein-before described. Second I claim
the mode of treating and preparing carbons or carbonaceous compounds
for electrical purposes by saturating them with oily or fatty matters and
baking them in manner herein-before described. Third I claim the
mode or modes of connecting articles made of carbon or carbonaceous
compounds with metals for the purpose of producing and maintaining
a more perfect contact between them as herein-before described.
Fourth I claim the use of sheets of platinum gauze to form the
electro negative elements having metallic conductors attached thereto
as herein-before described. Fifth I claim the construction of the cells
of galvanic batteries with tubes at or attached to their bottoms com-
bined with the means whereby the same are charged and discharged in
manner herein-before described. Sixth I claim the employment of
plates composed of lead alloyed with other metals more positive than
lead as positive elements in galvanic batteries with any suitable solu-
tion as above described. And last I claim the electric tell tale or
alarum as herein-before described.
In witness whereof I the said William Edwards Staite have
hereunto set my hand and seal this Tenth day of September
One thousand eight hundred and fifty three.
W. E. STAITE. (L.S.)