A NEW OR IMPROVED GALVANIC BATTERY APPLICABLE TO TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Crisp Fuller and George Fuller, both of
Fenchurch Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of
"A NEW OR IMPROVED GALVANIC BATTERY APPLICABLE TO TELEGRAPHIC AND
OTHER PURPOSES."
Sealed the 17th March 1876, and dated the 24th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Crisp Fuller
and George Fuller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 24th September 1875.
We, JOHN CRISP FULLER and GEORGE FULLER, both of Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED GALVANIC BATTERY APPLICABLE TO TELE.
GRAPHIC AND OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
-
Heretofore it has been usual to employ a bath of mercury into which
the zinc plate is so far inserted as to admit of capillary action taking
place on the surface of the zinc plate; nevertheless, irregularity in the
power and rapid diminution of the same take place, so that this means
does not completely fulfil the object aimed at.

page_text: Now according to our Invention we improve the regularity and
prolong the lasting power of the battery by the employment of a column
of mercury contained in a porous diaphragm or cell, into which we
plunge the zinc plate.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, |
filed by the said John Crisp Fuller and George Fuller in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 24th March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
CRISP FULLER and GEORGE FULLER, both of Fenchurch Street, in the
City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto us, the said John Crisp Fuller and George
Fuller, Her special licence that we, the said John Crisp Fuller and
George Fuller, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Crisp Fuller and George Fuller, our executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED
GALVANIC BATTERY APPLICABLE TO TELEGRAPHIC AND OTHER PURPOSES," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Crisp Fuller and
George Fuller, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.

page_text: 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 of reference marked
thereon, that is to say :-
Heretofore it has been usual to employ a bath of mercury into which
the zinc plate is so far inserted as to admit of capillary action taking
place on the surface of the zinc plate; nevertheless, irregularity in the
power and rapid diminution of the same take place, so that this means
does not completely fulfil the object aimed at.
Now according to our Invention we improve the regularity and
prolong the lasting power of the battery by the employment of a column
of mercury contained in a porous diaphragm or cell, into which we
plunge the zinc plate.
And in order that this our Invention may be more fully understood
we will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying Drawings, on which Figures 1 and 2 are sectional elevations
iHustrating our mode of applying the Invention.
a, a, and a, a, are the poles of the battery; b, b, b, b, is the outer
vessel, into which it has hitherto been customary to deposit the mercury
and the zinc plate; c, c, c, c is the porous diaphragm or cell with which
we improve the battery, and into which we put our mercury or amalgam
of zinc, and the zinc plate or any other conductor standing in the mercury
or amalgam.
In order to further improve the constancy of the battery we preferably
more or less cover any part of the zinc plate or other conductor which
is not required for chemical action with a coating of any suitable
insulating material, and thus protect the zinc against the exciting fluid
of the battery. d, d, d, d, shows the insulation of the zinc plate (or
any other conductor). The uninsulated portion of this zinc plate we
) only so far insert in the mercury or amalgam as is found to be necessary
for the perfect action of the battery. e, e, e, e, shews the mercury or
amalgam in the porous cell. ff, is the exciting fluid of the battery.
Our Invention may be varied in its details to suit the requirements of
any form of galvanic battery. It is particularly useful when applied in
5 conjunction with bichromate of potash dissolved in sulphuric acid and
water.

page_text: And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this
our Invention, we declare that we claim the application of a column
of mercury or equivalent substance contained in a porous diaphragm or
cell, the zinc plate or other conductor being plunged therein, and
preferably protected by insulating material, substantially as set forth.
In witness whercof, we, the said John Crisp Fuller and George
Fuller, havo hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-second
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-six.
JOHN CRISP FULLER. (L.S.)
GEORGE FULLER.
(L.S.)