IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND OPERATING BATTERIES FOR GENERATING OR EXCITING BY CHEMICAL ACTION ELECTRICITY FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND
OPERATING BATTERIES FOR GENERATING OR EXCITING BY CHEMICAL ACTION
ELECTRICITY FOR TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad
by Thomas C. Avery, of New York, in the United States of America.
Sealed the 11th January 1860, and dated the 18th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING
AND OPERATING BATTERIES FOR GENERATING OR EXCITING BY CHEMICAL ACTION
ELECTRICITY FOB TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
The improvements, which constitute the present Invention, are based upon
what is generally known as Grove's battery, though they are equally applicable
to Smee's battery, as well as to others.
It is well known among telegraphic operators that with Grove's battery it is
very difficult to keep up a constant and uniform current of electricity. This
irregularity of action has been ascribed to various causes, but the principal
cause is due to local action generated in the battery in consequence of im-
perfect insulation of the surfaces of the zincs and a want of due proportioning

page_text: of the platinum and zines to be acted upon, as well as to a want of a renewal
of the exiting fluids, to keep up a constant electrical action.
The present Invention consists in insulating the outside and certain other
parts of the zinc cups by means of an amalgam of mercury and lead, or tin
mixed with rosin and hard tallow. This amalgam is very little liable to the
action of sulphuric acid, and by coating the outside of the zinc cup the inner
surfaces of the zincs will be left to be acted upon by the nitro-sulphuric acid
directly opposite to the surfaces of the platinum. By this means any local
action, in consequence of the difference of degree of intensity of the exciting
fluids on the external and internal surfaces of the zincs, as is the case in
Grove's battery, is prevented.
Second, in the use of two or more pieces of platinum in the porous cups
instead of one entire piece as commonly used in Grove's battery, so as to create
à greater amount of exciting surface in the negative current to increase the
quantity as well as intensity of the electrical force of the battery, to prevent it
from escaping from the wire conductors of a telegraph in damp and stormy
weather, as is the case when the current of electricity is weak.
Third, in the insulation of the top and bottom of the porous cups by means
of wax or other suitable substance, to prevent the nitric acid from filtering
through at points above and below the upper and lower ends of the zincs, and
thus to confine tho action of the acids to their internal surfaces, on a line
directly opposite to the surfaces of the platinum.
And, fourth, in the use of an insulating amalgam to amalgamate the zincs
hotteries for telegraphic purposes
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Lighteenth day of July. in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as 1, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and

page_text: 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 In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING AND OPERATING
BATTERIES FOR GENERATING OR EXCITING BY CHEMICAL ACTION ELECTRICITY FOR
TELEGRAPHIC PURPOSES," being a communication from abroad Thomas C.
Avery, of New York, in the United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Newton, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
The improvements which constitute the present Invention are based upon
what is generally known as Grove's battery, though they are equally applicable
to Smee's battery, as well as to others.
It is well known among telegraphic operators that with Grove's battery it is
very difficult to keep up a constant and uniforın current of electricity. This
irregularity of action has been ascribed to various causes, but the principal
cause is due to local action generated in the battery in consequence of
imperfect insulation of the surfaces of the zines and a want of due propor-
tioning of the plantinum and zincs to be acted upon as well as to a want of a
renewal of the exciting fluids to keep up a constant electrical action.
The present Invention consists, firstly, in insulating the outside and certain
other parts of the zinc cups by means of an amalgam of mercury and lead or
tin mixed with rosin and hard tallow. This amalgam is very little liable to
the action of sulphuric acid, and by coating the outside of the zinc cup the
inner surfaces of the zincs will be left to be acted upon by the nitro-sulphuric
acid directly opposite to the surfaces of the platinum. By this means any local
action, in consequence of the difference of degree of intensity of the exciting
fluids on the external and internal surfaces of the zinc, as is the case in Grove's
battery, is prevented.
The Invention consists, secondly, in the use of two or more pieces of

page_text: platinum in the porous cups instead of one entire piece as commonly used in
Grove's battery, so as to create a greater amount of exciting surface in
the negative current, to increase the quantity as well as intensity of the
electrical force of the battery, to prevent it from escaping from the wire con-
ductors of a telegraph in damp and stormy weather, as is the case when the
current of electricity is weak.
The Invention consists, thirdly, in the insulation of the top and bottom of
the porous cups by means of wax or other suitable substance to prevent
the nitric acid from filtering through at points above and below the upper and
lower ends of the zincs, and thus to confine the action of the acids to the
internal surfaces of the zincs on a line directly opposite to the surfaces of the
platinum.
The Invention.consists, fourthly, in the use of an insulating amalgam to
amalgamate the zines of galvanic batteries for telegraphic purposes.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one of the zinc
cups of the improved battery; Fig. 2 is a view of one of the porous cups
detached; Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the zinc cups.
a is a glass or earthenware cup or vessel in which is placed a cylinder of
zinc 6 of the usual form of the zincs of Grove's battery. These zinc cups are
amalgamated on their inner surfaces by a wash of mercury, and on their
external surfaces by an insulating amalgam composed of the following.
materials (namely):-Three pounds of mercury, three and a half pounds of
lead (or six pounds of tin if preferred), three drams of rosin, three drams of
hard tallow prepared as follows:-First, fuse the lead in any suitable pot ;
when fused, skim off the dross and remove it from the fire. Second, add to
the molten lead the mercury, rosin, and tallow, and stir the whole mass
constantly and thoroughly until it gets cold, when it will appear like a
granulated paste-like powder. The object of the use of the rosin and tallow is
to disintegrate the particles of lead and mercury. If the rosin and tallow
were not used, the lead and mercury, on getting cold, would become crystallized
and be of no pratical use; it is essential, therefore, that the materials should be
used in the proportions set forth, otherwise the amalgam could not be applied.
To do this the surface of the zinc is cleaned with sulphuric acid, and then with
a hard brush the insulating amalgam is thoroughly rubbed on the surface of
the zincs until the latter is completely amalgamated. To one side of the zine
cups is an arm c, having soldered to its outer end two (or more if desired)
strips of platinum d, d, in contradistinction to the use of one as constituting the
peculiarity of Grove's battery.
The object of this improvement is, first, to obtain a greater area of surface

page_text: of platinum to be acted upon by the nitric acid, and thus excite a greater
amount of electrical action in the negative pole of the battery, to intensify
the current, and give greater uniformity of force to it in its transmission over
the telegraphic wires; and, second, to distribute the exciting surfaces of the
platinum throughout the interior of the porous cups, so as to obtain a diffused
action of the nitric acid by establishing a circulation of it, and thereby
bringing new portions of the acid in contact with the platinum to preserve the
equilibrium of the battery and sustain its energy. e is a porous cup having a
funnel-shaped mouth, the object of which is to suspend the cup upon the
upper edges of the zincs so that the sides of the cup may be equidistant from
the internal surface of the zinc. The outer and inner surfaces of the funnel as
well as the bottom of the porous cup are coated with wax, as shown by the
yellow coloring of those parts at f. The object of this is to confine the action
of the nitric and sulphuric acids to the body or submerged parts of the metals,
so as to have the exciting surfaces directly opposite to each other, and also to
prevent the acids from filtering through the porous cups above the upper edges
of the zincs, and thereby establish local actions in the battery to neutralize the
force of the main current.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me
as aforesaid, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I claim,-
First, the use of the insulating amalgam herein-before described and its
combination with the surfaces of the zines of galvanic batteries.
I also claim the use of two or more independent strips of platinum in the con-
struction of galvanic batteries for telegraphic purposes, as herein-before set forth.
I also claim the use of porous cups in galvanic batteries, having their
bottoms and upper edges insulated as herein-before described, in combination
with the zines and platinum of a galvanic battery.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)