IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES."-A
communication from abroad by James Smith, of the City and State
of New York. United States of America.
Sealed the 9th February 1872, and dated the 12th December 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th December 1871.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES,"
a communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to produce an electric battery which
will operate continuously without requiring attention as long as it
remains provided with the requisite exciting substances.

page_text: According to the said Invention I place within the porous cup con-
taining the platinum element sulphate of mercury, alone or mixed with
black oxide of manganese, and in surrounding the said cup with water
which is in contact with the zinc. This combination produces reliable
action and is very economical, as the spent sulphate of mercury falls to
the bottom of the cup in shape to be readily reconverted. The plate of
platinum is placed in the cup alone if the said cup is carbon, or if it is
porous the plate is held between two cheeks of carbon. The said cup is
filled with sulphate of mercury, which is mixed with some black oxide
of manganese. The jar or vessel is filled with water, containing possibly
a few drops of sulphuric acid; or I may use mercury in combination
with tin, or lead, or other metals and chemical substances which will
form a composition of a pasty, plastic, or porous nature. By connecting
the poles of the platinum and zinc plates a steady action is maintained
until the sulphate of mercury is entirely decomposed and falls to the
bottom of the cup as metallic mercury ready to be reconverted into
sulphate of mercury. This battery will work weeks or months without
attention, except perhaps the filling up of evaporated water and the
supply of sulphate of mercury. No acid being required offensive fumes
are avoided and much steadier action is insured.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,

page_text: 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 GALVANIC BATTERIES," a communication to me from
abroad by James Smith, of the City and State of New York, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Robert Lake, 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 William Robert Lake, 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 accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention has for its object the production of an electric battery
which will operate continuously without requiring attention as long as it
remains provided with the requisite exciting substances.
According to the said Invention I place within the porous cup con-
taining the platinum element sulphate of mercury, alone or mixed with
black oxide of manganese, and surround the said cup with water which
is in contact with the zinc. This combination produces reliable action,
and is very economical, as the spent sulphate of mercury falls to the
bottom of the cup in shape to be readily reconverted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a vertical central section of my improved electric battery;
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same; Figure 3 is a section of
the inner platinum element. Like letters indicate corresponding parts

page_text: cup is carbon; but if it is porous the plate is held between two cheeks E
of carbon, as in Figure 2. The said cup is filled with sulphate of
mercury, which is mixed with some black oxide of manganese. The
jar or vessel A is filled with water containing possibly a few drops of
sulphuric acid; or I may use mercury in combination with tin, or lead,
or other metals and chemical substances which will form a composition
of a pasty, plastic, or porous nature. By connecting the poles of the
platinum and zinc plates a steady action is maintained until the sulphate
of mercury is entirely decomposed and falls to the bottom of the cup as
metallic mercury ready to be reconverted into sulphate of mercury.
This battery will work weeks or months without any attention except
supplying it with water to replace the quantity evaporated, and also
with sulphate of mercury. No acid being required offensive fumes are
avoided and much steadier action and great economy are insured.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim, the combination of the
vessel A, zinc B, porous or carbon cup C, and platinum D with the
sulphate of mercury within the cup, all operating as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)