AN IMPROVED GALVANIC BELT
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Field Henery, of Dorset Street, Manchester
Square, in the County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, for the
Sealed the 12th July 1864, and dated the 15th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Field Henery
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the
15th January 1864.
I, ALFRED FIELD HENERY, of Dorset Street, Manchester Square, in the
County of Middlesex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED GALVANIC BELT," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of an improved construction of galvanic belt appli-
cable to the human body, for the treatment of nervous affections, debility,
rheumatism, and other disorders to which electricity is ordinarily applied, the
belt forming a self-restorer and regenerator. I propose to attach by means
of rivets or eyelets and holes in the belt, and on the interior side thereof, a
series of voltaic layers, or series consisting of small thin plates of zinc, copper,
and leather, or felt or other soft material alternately, each series being
separately riveted or eyeleted at one end and overlapping each other to about
three-quarters of their respective lengths, so that from two to four dozen series
will generally be sufficient to extend along the leathern surface of the belt.
Thus at one end the bottom metallic layer will be copper and at the opposite
end the top layer will be zinc, to the former plate will be attached a small

page_text: conducting spiral spring or wire a few inches long communicating with a
copper disc or dished plate, and to the latter a similar spring or wire and zinc
disc or plate, which when the belt is buckled together by means of silk bands
and a buckle, to which bands the two dises are attached, they will approach
near each other in front of the wearer. The front or middle of the belt is
joined by an india-rubber or elastic web to allow of ease to the wearer, and in
some cases below this yielding material a suspensary bag may be attached to
the silk band by two ribbons or cords. In this receptacle a series of small
metallic-plates may be arranged connected with the two discs by conducting
wires. The outline of the voltaic series may be formed conveniently somewhat
of a kite shape or they may be of any form so as to be narrow at the rivet or
eyelet ends and broad at the overlapping ends. For permanent wear the felt
or leather will receive sufficient moisture from the body to give the required
chemical action, but when only for temporary use, the felt or leather may
be moistened in the ordinary manner when applied to voltaic apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Alfred Field Henery in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th July 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
FIELD HENERY, of Dorset Street, Manchester Square, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Alfred Field Henery, Her special licence that I, the
said Alfred Field Henery, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Alfred Field Henery, 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 "AN IMPROVED GALVANIC BELT," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Field Henery, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature

page_text: 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 Alfred Field Henery, 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:―
This Invention consists of an improved construction of galvanic belt
applicable to the human body for the treatment of various nervous affec-
tions, debility, rheumatism, and other disorders to which electricity is
ordinarily applied, the belt forming a self-restorer and regenerator of health-
and strength, bodily and mental vigour and general capacity.
In order that my said Invention may be completely understood I proceed
to describe the same by aid of the accompanying Drawing, and the letters of
reference marked thereon, as follows :-
The Drawing is half size; a, a, represents the leathern portion of the belt
lined with silk or other material, being the inner side; to this portion of the
belt are attached by eyelets the series of thin plates of copper and zinc, or
other metals capable of forming a voltaic pile or series, between each pair of
plates a layer of leather, felt, cloth, or other suitable soft material is to
intervene; 6 represents the first zinc element lying on the copper c, beneath.
which the edges of the felt or other soft material d are shewn, the series thus
continues along the belt, as shewn, and the whole of them are secured in
position on the leather belt by eyelets, two of which e, e, are only visible. In
making the belt, it would be convenient to commence laying on the voltaic
series from the positive pole of the series. At each end of the leather, the
belt is continued with the merino, silk, or other material f, f, the end f
forming a tongue to enter and be fastened by the buckle at the end f. Each
pole of the voltaic series is connected by a copper and zinc disc g, g¹, to fine
wire spiral springs h, h, and thence to the discs i, , the former being of
copper and the latter of zinc. These discs present a moderately convex
surface, and the copper disc i has a small piece of fabric j attached thereto,
provided with a button hole, as shewn, for attachment to the button k at the
other end of the belt, so that when the belt is buckled together the two
dises will be brought near together. The zinc disc is sewn to the band as
shewn; represents a piece of india-rubber or elastic webbing to afford ease
to the wearer, and in some cases I attach below this part of the belt the
suspensary bag m, which may be drawn together by means of two cords or
l

page_text: ribbons n, n, passing through apertures behind the band. In this bag or recep-
tacle a series of small metallic plates may be arranged, connected with the two
discs by conducting wires. For permanent wear, the felt or leather or other soft
absorbent material between the metallic plates will receive sufficient moisture
from the body to give the required chemical action, but when only for
temporary use, the material should be moistened with water or with water
containing salt in solution.
By the foregoing construction of galvanic belt, electricity is applied to the
human body by contact with the discs i, ', thus affording all the advantages
before stated to the patient, and forming a self-restorer and regenerator.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not limit myself to the precise details and configuration of parts expressed and
shewn herein, as the same may obviously be varied or modified without in any
way departing from the principles, on which the Invention is based, thus, the
dimensions and materials of the belt may be varied as may be found desirable,
and the size, number, and form of the plates forming the voltaic series
also varied from that shewn in the Drawing, but what I claim and desire to
be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters Patent are, the general
arrangement and combination of parts substantially as specified and shewu
herein, and constituting "An Improved Galvanic Belt," according to the title
hereof.
may be
In witness, whereof, I, the said Alfred Field Henery, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
ALFRED FIELD HENERY. (LS.)
Witness,
L. J. WETHERELL,
· Clerk to Messrs. Prince & Co.,
Agents for Patents,
4, Trafalgar Square,
Charing Cross.