IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THERMO-ELECTRIC BATTERIES OR PILES, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENTS DERIVED THEREFROM THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF A NOVEL ARRANGEMENT OF ELECTRO-MAGNETS
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Camille Alphonse Faure at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th October 1873.
I, CAMILLE ALPHONSE FAURE, of 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said.
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THERMO-ELECTRIC
BATTERIES OR PILES, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE ELECTRIC CURRENTS
DERIVED THEREFROM THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF A NOVEL ARRANGEMENT OF
ELECTRO-MAGNETS," to be as follows:-
I construct a thermo-pile by laying two plates of metal face to face
with a slight space between them. This space I fill with sulphuret of
lead, or galena in a powdered state, and rammed in tight. One of
these plates I keep hot and the other as cool as possible. This forms one
couple of the "thermo-pile," each plate being a pole.
In order to arrange the improved construction of "thermo-pile "-so-
that it may be employed for practical purposes, I proceed as follows:-I
support a cast-iron cylinder in a vertical position which is open at both
ends, the lower end being provided with a grate and the upper with an
opening or thoroughfare leading into a flue or chimney. Around this

page_text: cylinder and within about 3/ths of an inch of its surface I place or fit a
cast-iron trough or cylinder, which is provided for the purpose of con-
taining water. The outside cylinder or trough is electrically isolated
from the inner cylinder and the intervening or annular space is filled in
with galena. The difference of temperature caused by the fire inside the
inner cylinder and the evaporation of the water in the trough outside
causes a current to flow through the galena into any conductor that may
be employed to join the two cylinders together.
In lieu of the above-mentioned cylinders rectangular or other form or
construction of boxes or chambers may be employed, which arranged
concentrically will form a flue. Such boxes or chambers may be made
of wrought-iron or other suitable metal; the galena may also be sub-
stituted by nickel and its copper compounds, selenium, tellurium, or
sulphate of copper, or any substance capable of exciting a current under
similar circumstances.
The large "thermo-piles" where it is desired to utilize the steam
generated by the evaporating water, a good arrangement consists in con-
structing an ordinary "Cornish boiler" with a double or inside shell, the
galena is rammed in the space between the inner and outer shell or it
may be melted and poured into the same, or any portion of the outside
shell may
be likewise treated in the same way.
*
The electric current given by the above arrangement of thermo-
electric couple is one of low tension or electro-motive force; but its
electrical resistance is very small, so that in order to apply such a current
to the production of any work, peculiar magnets have to be constructed,
the arrangement of which may be thus described :—I wind round the
core of the intended electro-magnet a number of separate isolated strands
of thick wire; the extremities of each strand is brought out of the coils
and carried separately on to the poles of the above described battery or
thermo-pile; " or for convenience two large conductors start from: the
poles of the "thermo-pile," upon which are fixed the ends of the several
strands of wire, each in its proper place, according to the common law of
electric currents.
"
Having thus obtained a powerful electro-magnet I can use it in the
ordinary manner for the purpose of driving machinery. For instance a
revolving armature can be made to move in front of the poles of the
magnet by a series of "make" and "break" of the currents.
}

page_text: For the production of currents of high tension such as are used for
electric-light I construct an electro-magnet in the manner just described
with this exception that the bobbins or iron branches are longer. One
part is covered as just described with many short strands of thick wire,
and the other part is wound round with an isolated wire or wires having
a length or lengths for making a number of convolutions greater in pro-
portion to the tension required. The current obtained in this latter
conductor will be an induced current dependent upon the make or
break of the electric circuit on the many stranded part of the magnet.