IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING SUB- MARINE EXPLORATION communicated him.
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING SUB-
MARINE EXPLORATION communicated to him from abroad by Ange Toselli,
of Paris, France.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th September 1883.
i HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS
FOR FACILITATING SUBMARINE EXPLORATION [a communication to him from
abroad by Ango Toselli, of Paris, France.]
"
This invention relates to an improved submarine explorer or apparatus for
exploring the bottom of the sea and presents as compared with similar apparatus
heretofore constructed various novel features as hereinafter described
The said invention comprises an improved method of producing the oxygen
required for breathing purposes by the decomposition of sea water by electricity
It also comprises an improved arrangement of the said submarine explorer in
order to facilitate in every respect the making of observations by means of the said
explorer whether for scientific or other purposes.
It also comprises iniproved mechanism for disconnecting the said submarine
explorer from the boat employed for carrying the same
The air required for breathing purposes is produced as above stated by the
decomposition of sea water by electricity and according to this invention the
defects attending the production of air in apparatus of this class as heretofore
constructed have been obviated. In the said apparatus the battery cells were
placed in the binnacle of the boat with which the apparatus was connected but this
spuce was not large enough to contain a sufficient number of the said cells to
supply from the decomposition of sea water the quantity of oxygen required for
several people. Moreover the chemical substances made use of in the said battery
caused the production of gases and vapours, the smell of which was highly noxious.
The battery which I employ in order to decompose sea water comprises about two
hundred elements suitably arranged on board the steam or other boat which
accompanies the submarine explorer
All the wires. connected with the positive pole of the battery enter the said
explorer through a stuffing box and pass to the oxygen-producing apparatus
through another stuffing box

page_text: This oxygen-producing apparatus is composed of a metallic box in which are
enclosed all the wires connected with the positive pole and the extremities of
which are provided with platinum wires. All the wires are separated from one
another and arranged in such a manner that their extremities nearly reach the
bottom of the said apparatus.. The above mentioned metallic box is in direct
contact with the side of the said explorer which is also made of metal
In order to effect the production of oxygen the operator turns on a cock which
allows the admission of sea water, such admission being arrested as soon as the
level of the sea water thus admitted has reached half the height of the said
metallic box, this level being indicated by a water gauge.
As soon as the sea-water enters the above described apparatus it is decomposed
by the electricity as the said apparatus by touching the metallic wall of the
explorer causes the circuit to be closed owing to the conductibility of sea water
the result being the evolution of oxygen gas. Whenever any oxygen is required
the operator turns on a suitable cock and the stored oxygen escapes into the said
explorer through pipes.
The decomposed water is allowed to escape through a pipe situated at the bottom
of the apparatus and is conducted by another pipe into a chamber formed at the
lower part of the said explorer. All the wires connected with the negative pole
of the battery are immersed in sea water causing hydrogen to evolve therefrom.
Substances capable of combining rapidly with the carbonic acid exhaled from the
body are placed in the explorer, whereas the oxide of carbon oxhaled at the
same time is absorbed by moistened wood charcoal placed for that purpose in a
receptacle arranged upon the upper part of the said explorer.
The above mentioned submarine explorer is made of such dimensions as will
allow room for a considerable number of persons therein and the arrangement of a
comfortable and commodious saloon for observations. This saloon is so arranged as
to allow about ten observers to stand in a group around the principal lens. To the
side walls of the said explorer are fitted crystal lenses from twenty to fifty
centimetres in diameter and eight to fifteen centimetres thick which permit the
reproduction by means of photographic apparatus, of the surrounding parts in
which the explorer is immersed. A circular gallery is reserved for experimenters
and another gallery situated on the top of the said explorer allows the said
experimenters to move about without their being in any danger of falling in the
sea. A lift actuated by a winch or other equivalent mechanism is provided in
order to establish a rapid communication between the top and the bottom of the
explorer, which is also connected in order to be able to communicate with the
exterior with a telephone or telegraph station. It is also provided with the
following instruments that is to say: A manometer for measuring depths; an
ordinary manometer, a hygrometer, a barometer, a chronometer, a thermometer
used inside the explorer, another one communicating with the exterior, and a
thoroughly insulated compass.
The above described explorer may be caused to descend and ascend again to
the surface when required. It is lighter than the water which it displaces and
the extra weight necessary for its descent is obtained by admitting water into a
chamber formed at the lower part of the said explorer the said water being
forced out into the sea by means of pumps in order to cause the explorer to ascend
to the surface
When it is required to disconnect the explorer from the boat which carries the
same I employ mechanism consisting of a female screw provided at its extremity
with a ring through which passes the chain or cord which connects the explorer
with the said boat; a screw operated upon inside the said explorer causes the said
female screw to move in a rectilinear direction, and this inside screw not being
capable of moving in a longitudinal direction forces, when screwed sufficiently, the
said female screw out and thus entirely disconnects the explorer from the boat.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Harris Lake in the Patent Office on the 29th March
1884.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO APPARATUS
FOR FACILITATING SUBMARINE EXPLORATION A communication to me from
abroad by Ange Toselli, of Paris, France.
"
This invention relates to submarine explorers or apparatus for exploring the
bottom of the sea, and presents, as compared with similar apparatus heretofore
constructed, various novel features as hereinafter described
The said invention comprises .an improved method of producing the oxygen
required for breathing purposes by the decomposition of sea water, by electricity.
It also comprises an improved arrangement of the said submarine explorer in order
to facilitate, in every respect, the making of observations by means of the said
explorer whether for scientific or other purposes; It also comprises improved
mechanism for disconnecting the said submarine explorer from the boat employed
for carrying the same.
The air required for breathing purposes in the said explorer is produced, as above
stated, by the decomposition of sea water by electricity, and according to this
invention the defects attending the production of air in apparatus of this class as
lieretofore constructed have been obviated. In the said apparatus, the battery cells
were placed in the binnacle of the boat with which the apparatus was connected,
but this space was not large enough to contain a sufficient number of the said cells to
supply from the decomposition of sea water the quantity of oxygen required for
several people. Moreover, the chemical substances employed in the said battery
caused the production of gases and vapours the smell of which was highly noxious to
human organism. The battery which I employ in order to decompose sea water,
comprises about two hundred elements suitably arranged on board the steam or
other boat which accompanies the submarine explorer
In the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of the apparatus in which the oxygen is produced.
Figure 2 shows the battery connected with the said apparatus
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the explorer
Figure 4 is a view of the interior of the saloon.
Figure 5 is a view of the device for disconnecting the explorer from the boat
Figures 6 and 7 are views hereinafter referred to
All the wires C (figure 2) connected with the positive pole of the battery A enter
the explorer through a stuffing box B and pass to the oxygen-producing apparatus
through another stuffing box C' C', Figure 1. This oxygen-producing apparatus
comprises a metallic box D in which are enclosed the wires connected with the
positive pole of the battery, the extremities of the said wires being provided with
platinum wires The said wires are separated from one another and arranged in
such a manner that their extremities nearly reach the bottom of the said apparatus.
The metallic box D is in direct contact with the side of the said explorer which is
made of metal.
In order to effect the production of the oxygen required the operator turns on
a cock F which allows the admission of sea water into the box D, such admission
being arrested as soon as the level of the sea water thus admitted has reached half
the height of the metallic box D, this level being indicated by the water gauge G..
As soon as the sea water enters the above described apparatus it is decomposed
by the electricity, as the said box, by touching the metallic wall of the explorer,

page_text: causes the circuit to be closed owing to the conductibility of sea water, the result
being the evolution of oxygen gas. Whenever any oxygen is required in the
explorer, the operator turns on the cock I, whereby the stored oxygen escapes into
the said explorer through the pipes J J M M.
The decomposed water is allowed to escape through the pipe H and is conducted
by the pipe K into a chamber P formed at the lower part of the said explorer
All the wires connected with the negative pole of the battery A (figure 2) are
immersed in the sea-see figure 6-causing hydrogen to evolve therefrom.
Substances capable of combining rapidly with the carbonic acid exhaled from the
body are placed in the explorer, whereas the oxide of carbon exhaled at the same
time is absorbed by moistened wood charcoal placed, for that purpose, in a
receptacle arranged upon the upper part of the said explorer.
The above mentioned submarine explorer is made of such dimensions as will
allow room for a considerable number of persons therein and the arrangement of a
comfortable and commodious saloon for observations. This saloon is so arranged
as to allow about ten observers to stand in a group around the principal lens
Figure 4. To the side walls of the said explorer are fitted crystal lenses from
twenty to fifty centimetres in diameter and eight to fifteen centimetres thick
which permit the reproduction, by means of photographic apparatus, of the
surrounding parts in which the explorer is immersed. A circular gallery A-
Figure 3 is reserved for experimenters and another gallery O Figure 3 situated
on the top of the said explorer allow the said experimenters to move about
without their being in any danger of falling in the sea.
The said explorer. is provided with a lift B Figure 3 actuated by a winch C or
other equivalent mechanism in order to establish a rapid communication between
the top and the bottom of the explorer, which is also connected, in order to be
able to communicate with the exterior, with a telephone and a telegraph station,
It is also provided with the following instruments that is to say; A mano-
meter G for measuring depths, an ordinary manometer H', hygrometer I¹, a
barometer J, a chronometer K', a thermometer L' inside the explorer, another one
communicating with the exterior, and a thoroughly insulated compass.
The above described explorer may be caused to descend to any depth and ascend
again to the surface when required in two different manners that is to say: First
as it is lighter than the volume of water which it displaces, the extra weight
necessary for its descent is obtained by admitting water into a chamber P formed
at the lower part of the said explorer figure 3, the said water being forced out into
the sea by means of pumps-in order to cause the explorer to ascend to the surface.
The second method illustrated in figure 7 is different from the first in that,
instead of ejecting, by means of pumps, the water contained in the chamber P, thus
rendering the explorer lighter than the water displaced thereby, I store up one or
several reservoirs and carry with the explorer to the bottom of the sea a quantity
of compressed air having a greater pressure than the corresponding pressure at the
depth to which I intend to descend.
"
The said reservoir or reservoirs b figure 7 is or are in direct communication with
the movable ballast chamber P. In order to eject the water contained therein,
I cause the compressed air to enter the said chamber and I open the cock e; under
the pressure of the air, the water ascends through the pipes and escapes through
the aperture v. As the air from the reservoir is used the pressure of the same
decreases proportionately but it is always sufficiently high, as in proportion as the
water is ejected the explorer ascends and consequently the corresponding pressure
at the depth into which the said explorer is situated is likewise decreased.
When it is required to disconnect the explorer from the boat which carries the
same, I employ the device shewn in Figure 5 which consists of a female screw
provided at its extremity with a ring through which passes the chain or cord which
connects the explorer with the said boat; a screw operated from the inside of the
said explorer causes the said female screw to move outwards. As the internally-
operated screw is not capable of moving longitudinally it forces, when screwed

page_text: sufficiently, the said female screw out and thus entirely disconnects the explorer
from the boat.
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 under-
stood that I Claim:-in a submarine explorer or apparatus in which to make
submarine explorations.
First. The means substantially as hereinbefore described for producing oxygen.
Second. The means for permitting the apparatus to descend or ascend at will by
admitting a greater or lesser quantity of water into the lower portion thereof, or
ejecting the said water into the sea, either by means of pumps or compressed air,
substantially as described
Third. The means above described for disconnecting the said explorer from the
boat accompanying the same.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Twenty ninth day of March in the year of Our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty four
HENKY, H, LAKE (L.S.)