IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC MAGNETIC BATTERIES AND ENGINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lieutenant-Colonel James Baker, of the Army and
Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC MAGNETIC BATTERIES AND ENGINES."
Sealed the 14th December 1866, and dated the 27th June 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Baker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th June 1866.
I, Lieutenant-Colonel JAMES BAKER, of the Army and Navy Club, Pall
Mall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THERMO-ELECTRIC MAGNETIC BATTERIES AND
ENGINES," to be as follows:-
I employ a thermo-electric current as a source of motive power under the
following conditions:-I surround the sides of a polygonal stove with a metal
casing or box so arranged that the smoke and heated air may pass from the
upper part of the stove around and between it and the casing to a chimney
issuing from its base, thus allowing the casing to absorb as much heat as
possible from the smoke on its passage to the open air. The casing or closed
box to be air-tight, and fitted with a weighted regulating valve on the upper
surface communicating with a valve at the base, so that when the enclosed
air arrives at a given temperature the expansion raises the valves and admits

page_text: a cold draught of air from below as the heated air escapes from above, thus
preventing the air in the case from rising above a given temperature. Around
and in proximity to this metal casing I arrange insulated bars of a thermo-
electric metal piled one upon the other, and so arranged that the current will
be passing in the same direction in each bar in each pile, each bar of metal
enclosing a copper wire, and so arranged that the heated end of the wire in
metal A is connected with the cool end of the wire in metal B, and the boated
end of B to the cooled end of C, and so on to any degree of intensity that
may be required. Thus the current, as it is generated in every part of the
metal A, passes to the copper wire running through its interior, and with
increasing intensity is added to the current being generated in metal B, and
so on to C. In this case only one metal is used, but in case of a pair,
consisting of a positive and negative metal, the same principle can be adopted
by simply attaching the wire of the heated end of the positive metal to that of
the heated end of the negative metal and the wire from the cool end of the
negative to the cool end of the next positive, and so on to any degree of
intensity required. By this means I obtain, 1st, increased intensity of the
electricity generated in the metal bars in consequence of the comparatively
small resistance offered by the copper wire running through each metal; 2nd,
increased intensity from the current passing in the same direction in each
metal in each pile, which from the close proximity of the metals produces
results analogous to a current passing in the convolutions of a wire helix.
The intervals between the piles I fill up with clay or any good non-conductor
of heat. The exterior ends of the thermo-electric metals I coat with porous
clay, and arrange a circular trough by means of which water or water mixed
with spirit or any freezing mixture may be applied to the reduction of the
temperature of such ends. I use any fuel that may be found most economical
for heating the stove.
Having obtained my electric current as described I arrange insulated electro-
magnets around the circumference of a wheel with their poles radiating from
its axis, and the planes of such poles parallel to a plane passing through the
length of the said axis; these I designate as "moveable magnets." Exterior
to these I fix electro-magnets in such positions that the planes of their poles
may be parallel and in close proximity to the poles of the moveable magnets
without actually touching them; these I designate as "stationary magnets,"
and I so place them that when the current is passing they will oppose contrary
poles to the moveable magnets. The same current is to pass at the same
moment through a pair composed of one stationary and one moveable magnet,
such current being made and broken by means of wires from the ends of each

page_text: of the moveable magnets passing to two rings of metal, one on each side of
the wheel, and arranged to revolve with it, and to be near to and enclosing
the axle, a side of each ring to be divided into alternate spaces of metal and
ebonite (or any other insulating material) according to the number of magnets
employed. Upon each ring will travel metal rollers, which (when in contact
with the metal spaces on the rings) will connect the currents of the stationary
with those of the moveable magnets, close and even contact being maintained
by means of a light spring on each roller. The current from the battery
enters one end of a stationary magnet, passes out at the other to a roller,
from it through a moveable magnet to an opposite ring and roller, and from
the latter to the battery, thus completing the circuit. The metal and insulating
spaces in the rings to be so arranged that contact will be made when a
moveable is approaching a stationary magnet, and broken when it is opposite
to it. The number and position of the stationary magnets to be such that
half will always be in contact. The current will consequently be transferred
from one set of magnets to another without breaking its flow, and there will
be little or no spark as each roller breaks contact. If found convenient I
would place secondary coils upon each electro-magnet, and the induced
currents made by making and breaking contact with the primary coils I
would apply by means of a commutator to the magnetization of stationary
electro-magnets or receivers arranged for the purpose. Thus the greater
the velocity of the wheel the greater the magnitude of the induced currents.
The conducting rollers may be so arranged that a reverse action may be given
to the wheel. Motion is given by the successive attraction between sets of
stationary and moveable magnets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
December 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, Lieutenant-
Colonel JAMES BAKER, of the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto I,
the said James Baker, Her special licence that I, the said James Baker,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Baker, my executors, administrators, and 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,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THERMO-ELECTRIC MAGNETIC BATTERIES AND ENGINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Baker, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the 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 inmediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Baker, do hereby declare
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 thereof, that is to say:-
I employ a thermo-electric current as a source of motive power under the
following conditions:-I surround the sides of a polygonal stove with a metal
casing or box so arranged that the smoke and heated air may pass from the
upper part of the stove around and between it and the casing to a chimney
issuing from its base, thus allowing the casing to absorb as much heat as
possible from the smoke on its passage to the open air. The casing or closed
box to be air-tight and fitted with a weighted regulating valve on the
upper surface-communicating with a valve at the base, so that when the
enclosed air arrives at a given temperature the expansion raises the valves and
admits a cold draught of air from below as the heated air escapes from above,
thus preventing the air in the case from rising above a given temperature.
Around and in proximity to this metal casing I arrange insulated bars of a
thermo-electric metal piled one upon the other, and so arranged that the
current will be passing in the same direction in cach bar in each pile, ench
bar of metal enclosing a copper wire, and so arranged that the heated end
of the wire iu'metal A is connected with the cool end of the wire in metul
B, and the heated end of B to the cooled end of C, and so on to any degree
of intensity that may be required. Thus the current as it is generated in
every part of the metal A passes to the copper wire running through its
interior and with increasing intensity is added to the current being generated
in metal B, and so on to C. In this case only one metal is used, but in case
of a pair consisting of a positive and negative metal, the same principle can

page_text: be adopted by simply attaching the wire of the heated end of the positive
metal to that of the heated end of the negative metal, and the wire from the
cool end of the negative to the cool end of the next positive, and so on to any
degree of intensity required. By this means I obtain, 1st, increased intensity
of the electricity generated in the metal bars in conséquence of the compara-
tively small resistance offered by the copper wire running through each metal;
2nd, increased intensity from the current passing in the same direction
in each metal in each pile, which from the close proximity of the metals
produces results analogous to a current passing in the convolutions of a wire
helix. The intervals between the piles I fill up with clay, or any good non-
conductor of heat. The exterior ends of the thermo-electric metals I coat
with porous clay, and arrange a circular trough, by means of which water or
water mixed with spirit or any freezing mixture may be applied to the
reduction of the temperature of such ends. I use any fuel that may be found
most economical for beating the stove. Having obtained my electric current
as described I arrange insulated electro-magnets around the circumference of
a wheel, with their poles radiating from its axis, and the planes of such poles
parallel to a plane passing through the length of the said axis. These I
designate as "moveable magnets." Exterior to these I fix electro-magnets in
such positions that the planes of their poles may be parallel and in close
proximity to the poles of the moveable magnets, without actually touching
them; these I designate as "stationary magnets," and I so place them that
when the current is passing they will oppose contrary poles to the moveable
magnets. The same current is to pass at the same moment through a pair
composed of one stationary and one moveable magnet, such current being
made and broken by means of wires from the ends of each of the moveable
magnets, passing to two rings of metal, one on each side of the wheel, and
arranged to revolve with it and to be near to and enclosing the axle, a side
of each ring to be divided into alternate spaces of metal and ebonite (or any
other insulating material) according to the number of magnets employed;
upon each ring will travel metal rollers, which (when in contact with the
metal spaces on the rings) will connect the currents of the stationary with
those of the moveable magnets, close and even contact being maintained by
means of a light spring on each roller. The current from the battery enters
one end of a stationary magnet, passes out at the other to a roller, from it
through a moveable magnet to an opposite ring and roller, and from the latter
to the battery, thus completing the circuit; the metal and insulating spaces
in the rings to be so arranged that contact will be made when a moveable is
approaching a stationary magnet, and broken when it is opposite to it; the number

page_text: and position of the stationary magnets to be such that half will always be in
contact. The current will consequently be transferred from one set of magnets
to another without breaking its flow, and there will be little or no spark as each
roller breaks contact. If found convenient I would place secondary coils upon
each electro-magnet, and the induced currents made by making and breaking
contact with the primary coils I would apply by means of a commutator to
the magnetization of stationary electro-magnets or receivers arranged for the
purpose; thus the greater the velocity of the wheel the greater the magnitude
of the induced currents. The conducting rollers may be so arranged that a
reverse action may be given to the wheel. Motion is given by the successive
attraction between sets of stationary and moveable magnets.
I claim the application of thermo-electric currents to magnetic engines for
the production of motive power, and also the application of my thermo-electric
battery to the production of effects analogous to those of a galvanic battery.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Baker, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
ЈАМЕО БАКЕК.
(L.S.)