AN IMPROVED ELECTRIC SUBMERGED LAMP
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to François Maric Alexandre Chauvin, Louis Henri
Goizet, and Alfred Aubry, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at
Paris, Gentlemen, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED ELECTRIC
SUBMERGED LAMP."
Sealed the 20th December 1875, and dated the 3rd July 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said François Marie
Alexandre Chauvin, Louis Henry Goizet and Alfred Aubry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on
the 3rd July 1875.
We, FRANÇOIS MARIE ALEXANDRE CHAUVIN, LOUIS HENRI GOIZET,
and ALFRED AUBRY, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at Paris, Gentlemen,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
ELECTRIC SUBMERGED LAMP," to be as follows:-
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it
The object of our Invention is to enable the employment of the
electric light for illuminating mediums isolated from atmospheric air
in which combustion is either impossible, such as water, or dangerous
such as mines.
(730

page_text: The object is effected by the use of the electric lamp or lighting
apparatus which we have invented, and which we proceed to describe.
The apparatus consists properly speaking of two parts, the lamp itself
and the electric pile which feeds it, and since it is in fishing and other
submarine work that our Invention will be most appreciated, in the
following description we have supposed it as constructed for those
purposes. As an example to enable the apparatus to be thoroughly
understood the body of the lamp consists of a glass vessel, preferably
of balloon form, the neck of which is hermetically closed by an india-
rubber plug held therein by friction merely. This plug may be replaced
by one of metal screwed into a socket upon the balloon neck, whatever
may be the method of closing adopted. The plug is traversed by two
metal rods, separated and isolated electrically by a plate of gutta percha,
wood, ivory, or any other isolating material; at the end of these rods
the two ends of a platinum thread rolled into a spiral are fixed by a
screw. It is this thread which traversed by the electric current is thus
heated to incandescence emits the light of the lamp. The thread can
be replaced by a plate or blade of any form.
In consequence of the hermetic closing of the balloon the ignition is
produced in a closed vase without fear of the entrance of water, and
since the stray heat has dilated and expelled the greater portion of the
air existing in the balloon there will exist therein a
vacuum very
favourable to the intensity and radiation of the electric light. For the
platinum thread we can substitute two carbon stems carried by rods,
forming springs to bring them into contact in proportion as they are
worn away by the combustion.
In order to protect the glass against shocks which might break it and
cause the extinction of the light by the entrance of water, the balloon
is surrounded by a metal cage composed of two cross bars with four
branches united by four vertical rods. The centre of the upper cross
bar is fixed to the collar of the balloon by an india-rubber ring placed
between them, so as to deaden shocks under its swelling, and is connected
by chains to a ring adjusted upon the socket surmounting the plug.
The object of this arrangement is to retain the balloon in case of the
plug coming out. The lower cross bar is provided with a swivel or a
split ring and a chain to which a plunger is suspended, so as to facilitato

page_text: the immersion of the lamp. This plunger is formed with a rod upon
which heavy washers may be strung in any desirable number.
The conducting threads which lead the electric current to the lamp
are covered with silk, wool, or cotton, and enveloped in india-rubber
tubes to prevent oxidation. The tubes penetrato into the socket where
the metallic threads are united with the rods, the junction is assured by
a ligature sufficiently pressed upon the socket.
The pile generating the electric current is placed within a box, closed
by a hinged lid and with a bottom capable of being removed at pleasure.
The elements, zinc and charcoal, which compose the pile, are grouped in
two bundles which plunge into two gutta percha cells, separated by a
partition. These cells contain water acidulated by bichromate; they
rest at the back upon a fixed bracket. In front their bottoms rest upon
blocks keyed upon a little exterior shaft provided with a handle, which
enables the blocks to be lifted and a movement of agitation imparted to
the cells and to the liquid which they contain, which favours the dis-
engagement of electricity.
The elements are wedged to a wooden plank provided beneath with
a sheet of gutta percha or hardened caoutchouc, and carried by two
rods. The first rod penetrates into a sleeve guide, and it is terminated
above the plank by a handle, which serves to displace the elements, to
plunge them into the bath or remove them therefrom. Two little
springs press upon the rod across two openings formed in the sleeve.
The second rod which traverses the partition and the square piece have
for their object under the action of the pressure screw to maintain the
elements to the height which corresponds to the degree of immersion
desired. Upon the plate are applied frames of copper, establishing by
the aid of screws communication between the electrodes of the elementary
couples of the pile. The latter is mounted in tension and the two poles
of the battery are formed by buttons to which abut and are fixed the
upper ends of the conductors.
To use the apparatus for sea fishing it is carried to the side of the
boat. The box enclosing the pile is held in a fixed place, and the lamp
provided with its plunger is introduced into the water. The conductors
are unrolled until it has reached the desired depth, and the electric
circuit then established to send the current into the platinum thread or

page_text: the carbon stems. The light thrown from the lamp attracts the fish
which are caught in nets previously placed.
31st December 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANÇOIS
MARIE ALEXANDRE CHAUVIN, LOUIS HENRI GOIZET, and ALFRED
AUBRY, of Boulevard de Strasbourg, 23, at Paris, Gentlemen, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-ninth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said François Marie Alexandre Chauvin, Louis
Henri Goizet, and Alfred Aubry, Her special license that we, the said
François Marie Alexandre Chauvin, Louis Henri Goizet, and Alfred
Aubry, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said François Maric Alexandre Chauvin, Louis Henri Goizet,
and Alfred Aubry, our 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 ELECTRIC SUBMERGED LAMP," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said François Marie Alexandre
Chauvin, Louis Henri Goizet, and Alfred Aubry, or one of us, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
or one of our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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.

page_text: Figures 3, 4, and 5, are respectively a vertical longitudinal section,
a vertical profile view, and a plan of the electric pile used therewith.
Figure 6 shows on a very reduced scale the apparatus at work, sus-
pended from a fishing or salvage boat.
The body of the lamp consists of a glass vessel A, preferably of
balloon form, the neck of which is hermetically closed by an india-
rubber plug B, held therein by friction merely. This plug may be
replaced by one of metal, screwed into a socket upon the balloon neck.
Whatever may be the method of closing adopted, the plug is traversed
by two metal rods C, C, separated and isolated electrically by a plate of
gutta percha, wood, ivory, or any other isolating material. At the end
of these rods C, C, the two ends of a platinum thread D rolled into a
spiral are fixed by a screw. It is this thread which traversed by the
electric current is heated to incandescence, and so emits the light of the
lamp. The thread D can be replaced by a plate or blade of any form.

page_text: In consequence of the hermetic closing of the balloon the ignition is
produced in a closed vase without fear of the entrance of water. And
since the strong heat has dilated and expelled the greater portion of the
air existing in the balloon, there will exist therein a vacuum very
favourable to the intensity and radiation of the electric light. In the
platinum thread we can substitute two carbon stems carried by rods
forming springs to bring them into contact in proportion as they are
worn away by the combustion.
In order to protect the glass against shocks which might break and
cause the extinction of the light by the entrance of water, the balloon
is surrounded by a metal cage composed of two cross bars, with four
branches F, F, united by four vertical rods G, G. The centre of the
upper cross bar F is fixed to the neck of the balloon by an india-rubber
ring placed between them, so as to deaden shocks under it swelling, and
is connected by chains h, h, to a ring H, adjusted upon the socket I,
surmounting the plug B. The object of this arrangement is to retain the
balloon in case of the plug coming out. The lower cross bar F¹ is
provided with a swivel i, or a split ring and a chain j, to which a
plunger is suspended so as to facilitate the immersion of the lamp. This
plunger is formed with a rod, upon which heavy washers may be strung
in any desirable number.
The conducting threads c, c, which lead the electric current to the
lamp are covered with silk, wool, or cotton, and enveloped in india-
rubber tubes d, d, to prevent oxidation. The tubes penetrate into the
socket I, where the metallic threads are united with the rods O, O, the
junction is assured by a ligature sufficiently pressed upon the socket.
The pile generating the electric current, seen at Figures, 3, 4, and 5,
is placed within a box M, closed by a hinged lid and with a bottom
capable of being removed at pleasure. The clements, zinc and charcoal,
which compose the pile are grouped in two bundles, which plunge into
two gutta percha cells N, N, separated by the partition e. These cells
contain water acidulated or a solution of bichromate, they rest at the
back upon a fixed bracket t. In front their bottoms rest upon blocks
keyed upon a little exterior shaft a, provided with a handle which
enables the blocks to be lifted, and a movement of agitation imparted
to the cells and to the liquid which they contain, which favours the
disengagement of electricity.

page_text: The elements are wedged to a wooden plank P, provided beneath with
a sheet of gutta percha or hardened caoutchouc, and carried by
rods Q and q. The first rod Q penetrates into a sleeve guide Q', and it
is terminated above the plank by a handle p, which serves to displace
the clements, to plunge them into the bath or remove them therefrom.
Two little springs ", r, press upon the rod Q, across two openings formed
in the sleeve. The second rod q, which traverses the partition e and the
square piece e¹, have for their object under the action of the pressure
screw p', to maintain the elements to the height which corresponds to
the degree of immersion desired. Upon the plate P are applied frames
of copper R, R', R², establishing by the aid of screens v, v, v, com-
munication between the electrodes of the elementary couples of the pile.
The latter is mounted in tension, and the two piles of the battery are
formed by buttons u and v', to which abut and are fixed the upper ends
of the conductors c, c.
To use the apparatus for sea fishing it is carried to the side of a
boat, as shown at Figure 6. The box enclosing the pile is held in a
fixed place, and the lamp provided with a plunger is introduced into
the water. The conductors are unrolled until the lamp has reached the
desired depth, and the electric circuit then established to send the current
into the platinum thread or the carbon stems. The light thrown from
the lamp attracts the fish which are caught in nets previously placed.
The apparatus which we have just described is capable of many
modifications in its construction.
Instead of the arrangement of pile, above described, we can employ
any other kind of pile as the source of electricity. The balloon can be
replaced by a receiver of any other form. It can be made with glass
sides in prisms and in colours single or varied.
By making use of tempered and hardened glass, the protecting grating
round the balloon may be, dispensed with. In short, the arrangement
of an electric submergable lamp will be made according to its destination
for submarine works, for coral fishing, for mine working, and so on.
And having now described the nature of our said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that we claim,—
Firstly. The construction and arrangement of our electric lamp
composed of a glass balloon or receiver, in the interior of which is

page_text: ↑
produced in a closed receptacle and in vacuo the light resulting from
the incandescence of platinum, charcoal, or media produced by the action
of a current of electricity, as herein-before described and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. The combination of the balloon with a protecting grating, 5
and a plunger or weight enabling the submersion of the lamp to any
depth, as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Thirdly. The special construction of the pile and the box enclosing it,
actuated mechanically to agitate the bath and to regulate to the desired 1
height the arrangement of the elements plunged therein, as herein-before
described and as shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Henri Goizet, and Alfred
Aubry, for ourselves and on behalf of the said François Marie
Alexandre Chauvin, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this 1
Twenty-first day of December, One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-five.
L. H. GOIZET.
(L.S.)
ALFRED AUBRY. (L.S.)
Witness,
OH. ARMENGAUD,
Civil Engineer,
'
No. 23, Boulevard de Strasbourg,
à Paris.