PROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO LUMINOUS BUOYS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Year: 1879

page_text: IM-
LETTERS PATENT to Leon Alexandre Brasseur, Electrician, of 52, Rue de
Molembeeck. Laeken, near Brussels, and Octave Antoine Ernest Dejaer,
Accountant, of 2, Place des Barricades, Brussels, for the Invention of
PROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND IN THE APPLICATION THEREOF TO
LUMINOUS BUOYS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leon Alexandre Brasseur and
Octave Antoine Ernest Dejaer at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents
on the 10th March 1879.
LEON ALEXANDRE BRASSEUR, Electrician, of 52, Rue de Molembeeck, Laeken,
near Brussels, and OCTAVE ANTOINE ERNEST DEJAER, Accountant, of 2, Place des
Barricades, Brussels. IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND
APPLICATION THEREOF TO LUMINOUS BUOYS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
"
IN THE
This Invention relates to a galvanic battery depolarizing itself mechanically, and
applicable amongst other uses to the lighting of buoys.
The more or less polarization of batteries has been an obstacle up to the present
of a number of employments of electricity, and notably to the lighting of buoys.
Our process consists in hindering the polarization mechanically by giving to the
battery elements, partially immersed in an exciting liquid (sea or salt water, or
acidulated water, or solution of bichromate of potash, and so forth) a movement
which successively exposes all the parts to contact with air without their being
any interruption in the production of electricity.
In the apparatus described, below which is the application of our Invention to
light buoys, we have adopted for this purpose a rotary movement; but the same
effect may be obtained by other movements, such, for example, as a vertical
movement communicated to the elements of two batteries, which are alternately
immersed in the exciting liquid.
This latter movement is preferable in the case where the exciting liquid employed
being more active than sea water requires a smaller battery surface.
We have also in the apparatus described below employed as a motor an archi-
medean screw put in motion by the tide; this motor appears to us most suitable
.

page_text: for a buoy exposed to the action of a current. Other motors will be preferable
under other conditions.
We have also applied the same motor to give movement to a hammer, which
striking continually upon a metal diaphragm produces a sound, audible at a distance
sufficient to serve as a useful warning in case of fog.
Figure 1 shows a general view of the application of our Invention to light
buoys, where sea water is employed as the exciting liquid and the tidal current is
the motive power.
A, an ordinary sheet iron buoy.
B, circular battery elements kept in motion by an archimedean screw.
C, archimedean screw actuated by the tidal currents.
D, a hammer worked by the screw and striking frequently upon the metallic
sounder P.
•
E, an induction coil.
F, a Geissler tube.
>
G, a glass or crystal bell, of considerable thickness, protecting the Geissler
tube F.
H, the water line of the buoy.
I, the axis about which the battery elements rotate.
J, the shaft of the archimedean screw.
K, chain wheels receiving the driving chains L, M.
L, driving chain from the archimedean screw to the battery.
M, driving chain from the battery axis to the sound mechanism.
O, a passage passing through the buoy in which the battery elements are
lodged.
P, the bell or sounder, made of steel or bronze.
FIGURES 2 AND 2*.
Figure 2 is a side view, and Figure 2× is a transverse section on the line A, B,
Figure 2, of a circular battery, this being the form which we give, by preference,
when we intend to employ sea water as the exciting liquid.
The zinc Z is cut into circular plates.
The carbons or coppers C are of the same form and dimensions as the zinc, which
they envelope on the two faces but without touching it, being kept at a distance
by small pieces of wood or other insulating material. These circular panels are well
centred upon an axis O, which has upon it the metallic pulleys P and P¹, corre-
sponding to the two poles of the battery and insulated electrically from the axis.
These pulleys communicate the current to the rubbers F and F¹.
The crank handle L or a toothed wheel fixed upon the axis O is rotated by

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Leon Alexandre Brasseur and Octave Antoine Ernest Dejaer in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 9th September 1879.
LEON ALEXANDRE BRASSEUR, Electrician, of 52, Rue de Molembeeck, Laken,
near Brussels, and OCTAVE ANTOINE ERNEST DEJAER, Accountant, of 2, Place des
Barricades, Brussels. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND IN THE
APPLICATION THEREOF TO LUMINOUS BUOYS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
This Invention relates to a galvanic battery depolarizing itself mechanically, and
applicable amongst other uses to the lighting of buoys.
The more or less rapid polarization of batteries has been an obstacle up to the
present to a number of employments of electricity, and notably to the lighting of
buoys.
Our process consists in hindering this polarization mechanically by giving to the
battery elements partially immersed in an exciting liquid (sea, or salt water, or
acidulated water, or solution of bichromate of potash, and so forth), a movement
which successively exposes all the parts to contact with air, without there being
any interruption in the production of electricity.
In the apparatus described below which is the application of our Invention to
light buoys, we have adopted for this purpose a rotary movement, but the same
effect may be obtained by other movement, such for example, as a vertical
movement communicated to the elements of two batteries which are alternately
immersed in the exciting liquid.
This latter movement is preferable in the case where the exciting liquid
employed, being more active than sea water requires a smaller battery surface.
We have also in the apparatus described below employed as a motor an
archemedian screw put in motion by the tide; this motor appears to us most
suitable for a buoy exposed to the action of a current. Other motors will be pre-
ferable under other conditions.
We have also applied the same motor to give movement to a hammer, which
striking continually upon a metal diaphragm produces a sound audible at a distance
sufficient to serve as a useful warning in case of fog :-

page_text: FIGURES AND
Figure 2 is a side view, and Figure 2× is a transverse section on the line A, B,
Figure 2, of a circular battery, this being the form which we give by preference
when we intend to employ sea water as the exciting liquid.
The zinc Z is cut into circular plates.
The carbons or coppers Care of the same form and dimensions as the zinc,
which they envelope on the two faces but without touching it, being kept at a
distance by small pieces of wood or other insulating material. These circular
panels are well centred upon an axis O, which has upon it the metallic pulleys
P and P¹ corresponding to the two poles of the battery, and insulated electrically
from the axis. These pulleys communicate the current to the rubbers F and F'.
The crank handle L or a toothed wheel fixed upon the axis O is rotated by
means of any motor.
'
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of per-
forming the same, we would have it understood that we claim,―
First. Giving to the element of a galvanic battery a movement which successively
exposes all their parts to contact with air, without there being any interruption
in the production of electricity, substantially as herein before described.
Second. Combining such galvanic batteries with light buoys, substantially in the
'manner herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Octave Antoine Ernest Dejaer, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
O. A. E. DEJAEK. (L.S.)