IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS."
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Highton, of Gloucester Road, Regent's Park,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS."
PROVISIONAL' SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Highton at the
. Office, of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition; on the
26th January 1857.
I, EDWARD HIGHTON, of Gloucester Road, Regent's Park, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," to be as follows:-
Heretofore when electric telegraphs have been arranged so as to render it
possible to communicate at the same time from and to each of the terminal
stations by means, of only one line wire and the earth, the influence of the
current on the instrument at the sending, station has usually been neutralized
by dividing it into two halves or portions, which are. caused to traverse the
coils of such instrument in reverse directions. Now, this Invention consists in
using an additional battery to neutralize the influence of the line current on
the instrument at the sending station,, and for this purpose the finger key
is so arranged that, at the same time that the line circuit is made a short
circuit is completed in the opposite direction, which includes the additional

page_text: battery and the coils of the instrument. The Invention also consists in
telegraphing through submarine wires by means of finger keys, and apparatus
so arranged as always to produce the telegraphic indication by connecting
the zinc pole of the battery with the line wire, and the copper pole with the
earth to complete the circuit, in place of arranging the finger keys and
apparatus to connect the submarine wire at one time with one pole of the
battery, and at another time with the opposite pole, as is now usual. In this
way the wire is preserved from oxidation and decay from the action of the sea
water should-it at any point happen to be in contact therewith.....
The Invention further consists in causing an electric current from the zinc
pole of a battery to pass through the submarine wires of electric telegraphs at all
times when the telegraph is not in use, in order to prevent oxidation or decay.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Highton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th July 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
HIGHTON, of Gloucester Road, Regent's Park, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of January; in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Edward Highton, Her special licence that I, the said Edward Highton, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Highton, my exécutors, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELE-
GRAPHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Highton,
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
De 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: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Highton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say
Heretofore when electric telegraphs have been arranged so as to render it
possible to communicate at the same time, from and to each of the terminal
stations by means of only one line wire and the earth, the influence of the
current on the instrument at the sending station has usually been neutralized
by dividing it into two halves or portions, which are caused to traverse the
coils of such instrument in reverse directions. Now, this Invention consists
in using an additional battery to neutralize the influence of the line current
on the instrument at the sending station; and for this purpose the finger key
is. so arranged that at the same time that the line circuit is made, a short
circuit is completed in the opposite direction, which includes the additional
battery and the coils of the instrument.
In order to explain the mode of arrangement more fully, I will take for
example two telegraphic instruments, the one in England and the other in
America. And instead of using the terms positive and negative as applied to
the poles and batteries, I will substitute the words zincode and platinode. On
referring to the Diagram it will be observed that if the main battery and the
counteracting battery be connected with a coil and line wire, as shewn therein,
and if the strength of the counteracting battery be such as to exactly neutralize
the effect that otherwise would be produced in the coil at that station where
those batteries are, no effect will be produced on the needle or electro-magnet
or other apparatus placed there for producing signals; for it will be at once
seen from the Diagram that as far as that portion of the line circuit comprised
in the coil of the said instrument is concerned no electricity can pass through
it from either battery, for in that part of the circuit we have two batteries
tending to work in opposite directions. It will be observed that in all cases
the counteracting battery must have a less number of cells than the main
battery, because the electricity of the counteracting battery has only to pass
through a circuit composed of the coil and its own cells; whereas the elec-
tricity from the main battery has to pass through a circuit composed of the
line wire, the coil of the distant or receiving instrument, its own cells, and the
earth. Now, as the resistance of the line circuit depends entirely on its length,
and the conductive power of the intervening wire, both of which will vary
according to circumstances, it is impossible to give any general rule; but
after the main battery is connected with its circuit it will be very easy to
ascertain by increasing or diminishing, as the case requires, the number

page_text: of cells to be employed in the counteracting battery, what that number
should be.
:
Of course, in making the above remark I refer to the use of batteries of the
same elements, but different kinds of batteries may be used for the main and
counteracting batteries, provided the power of the counteracting battery is so
adjusted as to neutralize the effects that would otherwise be produced upon
the coil were there no counteracting battery employed in the way mentioned:
By again referring to the Diagram it will be seen that the electricity tending to
pass through the zincode pole of the main battery via the wire of the home
coil to the distant coil 'cannot pass viâ the wire' of the home coil, but must
pass through the counteracting battery (thereby having additional power im-
parted to it before it reaches the distant coil), because its passage through the
wire of the home coil is prevented by the power of the counteracting battery:
For the purpose of bringing into action this counteracting battery at the same
instant at which the power of the main battery is thrown into the main circuit,
it is simply necessary to have an insulated conducting medium from each end
of the home coil to the key employed for sending the current along the main
circuit, with contact makers so arranged thereon, that at the instant at which
the electricity from the main battery is about to be thrown into the main
circuit, the electricity from the counteracting battery is at that instant put into
metallic connection with the home coil, in the way described, and thus prevents
any electricity from the main battery passing through the home coil. Such a
mechanical arrangement may be diversified in so many different ways by any
one conversant with electricity and mechanics as to need no further description.
It will be at once perceived that the peculiarity of the above arrangement
is such that there is no necessity for a separate counteracting coil wire, and
that each counteracting battery adds to the power of the effects produced by
the main battery on the distant coil. I would state that when a main battery
is used at each sending station, then the instrument coil at each distant
station is to be provided with a counteracting battery.
The Invention also consists in telegraphing through submarine wires by
means of finger keys and apparatus, so arranged as always to produce the
telegraphic indication by connecting the zinc pole of the battery with the
line wire, and the copper pole with the earth to complete the circuit, in
place of arranging the finger keys and apparatus to connect the submarine
wire at one time with one pole of the battery, and at another time with tlic
opposite pole, as is now usual. In this way the wire is preserved from oxidá
tion and decay from the action of the sea water, should it at any point'happer
to be in contact therewith.

page_text: The Invention further consists in causing an electric current from the zinc
pole of a battery to pass through the submarine wires of electric telegraphs,
at all times when the telegraph is not in use, in order to prevent oxidation.or.
decay. It is well known, that if any portion of a submarine or subterranean
wire, enclosed in insulating material, be at any point exposed to the action: of
sea or other water by means of a hole in the insulating medium, such con-
ducting wire will be oxidized; and if certain acids be present, such as humic,
malic, or several other acid. salts of that metal will be produced, and at length
the metallic continuity of the conducting wire will be destroyed. But under
the well-known laws of electrotyping, it is clear that if the zincode pole of a
battery be alone connected with the line wire in the sending of telegraphic
communications, during the sending of such messages the sea or other water
would thereby be prevented from decomposing the conducting wire; and if
after the telegraphic communication is completed and the wire is not required
for any further communication for a time, a current in the above direction be
allowed to pass continuously, all oxidation or destruction of the wire would
be arrested during that period, and any slight decomposition that may have
been produced during the intervals required between each successive current
to form the several signals would be reconverted into metal, and thus the wire
made whole again.
In great lengths of submarine telegraphs, such as the one now proposed be-
tween England and America, such an arrangement appears to be of the highest
importance, but it is equally applicable to submarine and subterranean
telegraphs of shorter lengths. It is evident, from the foregoing, that if, for
instance, between England and America, the conducting copper wire came in
contact with the water of the Atlantic Ocean, in consequence of leakage in the
gutta percha covering, or by means of a hole therein, and an oxide or salt of
copper formed at such point of leakage, thus severing the metallic continuity
of such conducting wire, by applying the zincode end of two batteries, the one
in England and the other in America, and their respective platinodes to the
earth, the oxides or salts of copper formed at the point of leakage would be
converted into copper, and thus metallic continuity re-established. In fact, it
would be, as it were, depositing metal between the decayed ends of the wire
by means of electricity, without leaving the shore of either country, and thus
mending the interrupted metallic continuity of the wire, and thereby enabling
such wire to resume its capability of transmitting telegraphic communications.
It will be evident from the above, that although metallic continuity is
established in such wire, yet a certain portion of electricity, intended to be
transmitted to the distant station in forwarding a telegraphic message thereto,

page_text: will pass by a short current, via the point of leakage, to the home station, yet,
by increasing the amount of quantity of electricity so transmitted, a sufficient
amount of electricity for working purposes may thereby be caused to arrive at
the distant station to produce the effects required thereat until the point of
leakage is discovered, and the insulation thereat made perfect.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward. Highton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
JNO. ALCOCK.
EDWD HIGHTON. -(L.S.)