IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING LAMPS, CANDLES, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
* IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING LAMPS, CANDLES, AND SIMILAR
PURPOSES.”—A communication from abroad. by Gaston Planté, of
Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville
Clark at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 10th May 1873.
.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING LAMPS, CANDLES,
AND SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
:-
This Invention relates to an improved electric lighting apparatus;.

page_text: per cent. of sulphuric acid and enclosed in a box, the lid or cover of
"which is provided with clips for holding a platinum wire, which serves
to unite at the desired moment the two poles of the secondary pair.
2ndly. Of a candlestick or lamp, burning either spirit, petroleum, or
gas; or it may be a taper, match, or other combustible, supported on 5
a level with the platinum wire either by a spiral spring, sliding tube, or
ratchet fixed to one side of the box.
3rdly. Of a circuit breaker for the primary current, also fixed on the
box, and consisting of a small squaro or cylindrical pin or bolt with
conical catch, by the aid of which the primary current is transmitted or 1
broken with facility.
4thly. Of a constant battery for changing the secondary pair, formed
of three or four elements of any suitable voltaic combination developing
a weak current of considerable duration. The secondary pair becomes
gradually charged under the action of this battery after it has been 1
previously prepared by passing the current of a more powerful battery
through it alternately in opposite directions, which action is prolonged
for a certain length of time. After being once charged it is maintained
in that condition by the weak current.
The apparatus is put in action by pressing with the finger on a metallic 2
spring plate fixed on the lid of the box containing the secondary pair for
closing the circuit of said pair. The platinum wire will then be
immediately heated sufficiently to ignito the match, taper, or other con-
tiguous combustible matter.
With the provision of electricity stored up so to speak in the 2
secondary pair by the long continued action of the primary current tho
platinum wire may be kept red hot for from two to three minutes,
nearly one hundred consecutive discharges being produced, hence it is
unnecessary to keep the secondary pair constantly charged by the
primary current, and the circuit breaker is employed to interrupt the g
said current at such times as the secondary pair not being exhausted by
a number of discharges is still capable of producing a series of ignitions
without being recharged.

page_text: platinum wire with much greater expedition than with the most improved
matches.
.
As the incandescence of the platinum wire does not in any manner
affect the composition of the air no smoke, smell, or deleterious or
suffocating gas is emitted as is the case when sulphur or chlorates are
employed; besides which there is no danger of fire or poisoning as when
phosphorus is used.
This improved means of ignition will also be found more economical
than lucifer matches, as on the one hand the secondary pair costs
nothing to keep in order, the lead and liquid being placed once for all in
the closed vessel and never requires to be renewed; while on the other
hand it is simply necessary in order to maintain the weak current of the
primary battery to add now and then a few crystals of a salt, such as
sulphate of copper, the consumption of which is but very small as com-
pared to the large number of ignitions obtainable.
This improved electric lighting apparatus may be placed in the several
rooms of a house in the same way as electric bell apparatus now is, and
connected to one main line by branches, any number of apparatus being
simultaneously charged and operated by a single battery, although the
discharge of one or other of them will not effect the remainder, owing
to the secondary and primary circuits being independent of each other.
Instead of the apparatus being fixed at a certain spot, as described, it
may after being once charged and after being detached from the wires
of the primary circuit be conveyed to another room or elsewhere, and be
used for a great number of times without being put in communication
with the charging battery, and this by reason of the property possessed
by the leaden plates of retaining their charge.
The apparatus may also be made in a portable form of glass or hard
india-rubber tubes to contain the secondary pair, provided with a case
enclosing the upper part of the apparatus at which the platinum wire is
rendered incandescent. In this manner a certain number of ignitions
may be obtained while the apparatus is separated from the source by
which it is charged, the production of the secondary current being
unimpeded by the agitation of the liquid.
Silver may also be used for producing a secondary current but with
less advantage, not only on account of its high price but owing to its

page_text: solubility when forming the positive pole of the battery immersed in the
dilute sulphuric acid.
In order to facilitate the charging of the apparatus by the battery
employed for this purpose without requiring the attachment or detach-
ment of any communicating wires, instead of using the small circuit
breaker before described I employ two broad strips of copper, forming
prolongations of the poles of the secondary pair, curving upwards against
the back of the box which contains the apparatus. The two poles of the
primary battery terminate in two similar strips forming springs fixed
vertically against the sides of a box containing the battery, or on a
small vertical plate connected therewith by, wires. Thus arranged in
order to charge the apparatus it is sufficient to press it against-the box
containing the battery, or against the plate connected therewith, in which
position it is allowed to remain for a longer or shorter period, according
to the degree to which it is desired to charge the apparatus, the action of
the battery being suspended by simply withdrawing it. In the first case
the metallic plates of the secondary pair being pressed against those of
the battery by the weight of the apparatus the circuit is closed and the
apparatus becomes charged; while in the second case the apparatus
being no longer in communication with the battery the latter is not
unnecessarily weakened. The plates terminating the two poles of the
secondary pair may also be placed at the bottom of the apparatus, which
is charged by placing it on a plate carrying the poles of the battery in
the form of springs, but in this case the contacts would be subject to
continual wear, and the apparatus is also liable to be discharged if placed
on a metal surface, consequently the previous arrangemont is preferred.

page_text: .
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-sixth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special licence
that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville Clark,
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
"IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR LIGHTING LAMPS, CANDLES, AND SIMILAR PURPOSES,"
a communication to me from abroad by Gaston Planté, of Paris, France,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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 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 Alexander Melville Clark, 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, that is to say :---
This Invention relates to an improved electric lighting apparatus
composed,―
1st. Of a small secondary pair formed of two lead strips coiled
helically, dipping in a glass vessel filled with water acidulated with ten
per cent. of sulphuric acid and enclosed in a box, the lid or cover of
which is provided with clips for holding the two ends of a platinum
wire, which serves to unite at the desired moment the two poles of the
secondary pair.
2ndly. Of a candlestick or lamp burning either spirit, petroleum, or
gas, or it may be a taper, match, or other combustible kept up against
the platinum wire either by a spiral spring, sliding tube, or rack fixed
to one side of the box.
3rdly. Of a circuit breaker for the primary current fixed on the base
of the box, and consisting of a small square or cylindrical pin or bolt

page_text: 1
with conical catch, by the aid of which the primary current is
transmitted or broken with facility.
4thly. Of a constant battery for charging the secondary pair formed.
of three or four clements of any suitable voltaic combination developing
a weak current of considerable duration. The secondary pair becomes
gradually charged under the action of this battery, after it has been
previously prepared or formed by passing the current of a more powerful
battery through it alternately in opposite directions, which action is
prolonged for a certain length of time. After being once charged it is
maintained in that condition by the weak current.
The apparatus is put in action by pressing with the finger on a
metallic key or spring plate fixed on the lid of the box containing the
secondary pair for closing the circuit of said pair. The platinum wire
will then be immediately heated sufficiently to ignite the match, taper,
or other contiguous combustible matter.
With the provision of electricity stored up so to speak in the secondary
pair by the long continued action of the primary current, the platinum
wire may be kept red hot for from two to three minutes and nearly one
hundred consecutive discharges may be produced, hence it is unnecessary
to keep the secondary pair constantly charged by the primary current,
and the purpose of the circuit breaker is to interrupt the said current at
such times as the secondary pair (not being exhausted by a number of
discharges) is still capable of producing a series of ignitions without
being recharged.
This improved apparatus provides a convenient and ready means of
ignition, for example, a wax taper or candle may be lighted by the
white hot platinum wire with much greater expedition than with the
most improved matches.
; As the incandescence of the platinum wire does not in any manner
affect the composition of the air, no smoke, smell, or deleterious or
stifling gas is emitted, as is the case when sulphur or chlorates are
employed, besides which there is no danger of fire or poisoning as when
phosphorus is used.
This improved means of ignition will also be found more economical
than lucifer matches, as on the one hand the secondary pair costs
nothing and requires no attention, the lead and liquid being placed once
for all in the closed vessel and never requires to be renewed, while on

page_text: the other hand it is simply necessary in order to maintain the weak
current of the primary battery to add now and then a few crystals of a
salt, such as sulphato of copper, the consumption of which is but very
small as compared to the large number of ignitions obtainable.
This improved electric lighting apparatus may be placed in the several
rooms of a house in the same way as electric bell apparatus now is, and
connected to one main line by branches, any number of apparatus being
simultaneously charged and operated by a single battery, although the
discharge of one or other will not affect the remainder as the com-
munication of the secondary and primary circuits are independent. !
Instead of the apparatus being fixed at a certain spot as described it
may after being once charged and after being detached from the wires
of the primary circuit be conveyed to another room or elsewhere, and be
used for a great number of times without being put in communication
with the charging battery, and this by reason of the property possessed
by the leaden plates of retaining their charge.
The apparatus may also be made in a portable form of glass or hard
india-rubber tubes to contain the secondary pair provided with a caso
enclosing the upper part of the apparatus at which the platinum wire is
rendered incandescent. In this manner a number of ignitions may be
obtained while the apparatus is detached from the source by which it is
charged, the production of the secondary current being unimpeded by
the agitation of the liquid..
In conformity with the traditions of the ancient chemists who gave
to lead the name of "Saturn" I designate the apparatus above described
the "Briquet de Saturne."
Silver having also the property of producing an energetic secondary
current may be used in the construction of this apparatus instead of
lead. When this metal is employed I designate the apparatus "Briquet
de Diane" for the same reason, Diana being the ancient name for silver.
The latter metal has however less advantage than the former, not only
on account of its high price but owing to the solubility of the silver at
the positive pole of the battery immersed in the diluted sulphuric acid.
In order to facilitate the charging of the "Briquet de Saturne”
apparatus by the battery employed for this purpose without requiring
the attachment or detachment of any communicating wires, instead of
. using the small circuit breaker before described I employ two broad

page_text: strips of copper forming prolongations of the poles of the secondary
pair, curving upwards against the back of the box which contains the
apparatus. The two poles of the primary battery terminate in two
similar strips forming springs fixed vertically against the sides of a
box containing the battery itself, or on a small vertical board, and to
which are connected the wires of the battery placed in any convenient
situation. Thus arranged in order to charge the apparatus it is
sufficent to press it against the box containing the battery, or against
the board to which the terminals of the battery are detached, in which
position it is allowed to remain for a longer or shorter period, according
to the degree to which it is desired to charge the apparatus, the action
of the battery being suspended by simply withdrawing the apparatus.
.In the first case the metallic plates of the secondary pair being pressed
against those of the battery by the weight of the apparatus the circuit
is closed and the apparatus becomes charged, while in the second case
the apparatus being no longer in communication with the battery the
latter is not used unnecessarily. The plates terminating the two poles
of the secondary pair may also be placed at the bottom of the appa-
ratus which would be charged by placing it on a board provided with
spring plates forming the poles of the battery, but in this case the .con-
tacts would be subject to considerable wear and the apparatus also be
liable to be discharged if placed on a metal surface, consequently the
previous arrangement is preferred.
One great advantage of these electric lighting apparatus is that they
may be connected with the wires of electric bell apparatus so as to
be worked by the same battery without interfering with the action of
the bells by placing the lighting apparatus in direct communication
with the two poles and thus forming a derived circuit in the principal
circuit.
At first sight it might be supposed that whilst the secondary pair of
the electric lighting apparatus becomes charged by a battery in whose
circuit are one or more bells, the whole of the current would be absorbed
and prevent these bells from working. But as the secondary pair
with lead plates acquires under the influence of the current, a con-
siderable electro-motive force and possesses temporarily a very great
intensity it itself serves to assist in ringing the bells, besides which should
the battery be too much weakened to sound the bells, the secondary
pair will by the force stored therein, be sufficient to actuate the bell

page_text: mechanism. It thus serves as a store of power.
Thus whether one or
more electric lighting apparatus disposed at different points are charged or
whether they are disconnected from the battery, the electric bells placed
in the same circuit will be actuated either by the primary battery alone
or even better still by the secondary pairs by reason of the electric force
accumulated therein while they are being charged. These results will be
more clearly understood if it is considered that the bells only work inter-
mittently which allows sufficient intervals of time for charging the
secondary pairs of the lighting apparatus, and as these pairs require a
considerable time to exhaust themselves, even should the bells work con-
tinuously, a lighting apparatus when properly charged is alone sufficient
(owing to the electricity accumulated therein) to actuate one or more
electric bells for an hour and more.
The battery best suited for the double service of the lighting and bell
apparatus is one having a constant current, of three or four elements
(copper and sulphate of copper, zinc, and pure water), the copper and
sulphate of copper being placed in the external glass vessel, the more
readily to show from time to time by the color of the liquid whether
the battery requires attention. It should be added that even when the
electric bells are sounded one or more times during the period that the
lighting apparatus are being used, both apparatus will work simultane-
ously and at the same instant without interfering one with the other.
This is due to the fact that the lighting apparatus being placed in a
derived circuit, the closure of the secondary circuit by the incandescent
platinum wire does not give passage to the whole of the current, the
resistance of said wire being sufficient to cause a portion of the primary.
and even of the secondary current to pass through the bell circuit. This
combination of the clectric lighting apparatus or "Briquet de Saturne"
with electric bell apparatus, permits of the production of both light and
sound from but a weak source of electricity by simply pressing with
the finger on the key of the lighting appatus or on the knob of the bell,
or on both at one time.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner in
which the same is be performed, I declaro that what I claim as the
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1.4 The amatrout of n
ARMAK
11

page_text: .
secondary pair formed of lead plates for lighting lamps, candles, and
other similar purposes, substantially as specified.
2nd. The particular electro-chemical preparation or formation of
the secondary pair, once for all, by passing a comparatively powerful
primary current through it in opposite directions, whereby to impart to 5
it the property of accumulating a considerable amount of electric force,
substantially as described.
3rdly. Charging the secondary pair thus prepared and maintaining
the same by the aid of a weak current, such as that produced by three
elements, with water and sulphate of copper, and thus to obtain by
accumulation calorific effects, which the primary current would be
incapable of producing, substantially as described.
1
4thly. The particular arrangement of the electric communications
of the whole apparatus which I designate by the name of "Briquet
de Saturne" (for the reason that lead received from the ancient chemists 1
the name of Saturn) such arrangement boing conveniently adapted for
readily connecting and disconnecting with the primary battery, all as
herein-before described.
5thly. Rendering the apparatus capable of remaining charged for a
length of time, even when communication with the battery is interrupted 2
so that it may be used for obtaining light when detached from the
primary source, even days after the apparatus has been charged, sub-
stantially as described.
6thly. The combination of the apparatus with electric bells, as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
nowander than
2