IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Nickels, of Mitcham, in the County of
Surrey, Analytical and Metallurgic Chemist, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS."
Sealed the 28th January 1859, and dated the 16th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Nickels at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th October 1858.
1, BENJAMIN NICKELS, of Mitcham, in the County of Surrey, Analytical
and Metallurgic Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric telegraphs-
Heretofore when using submerged telegraphic wires or conductors, it has been
usual to coat them with insulating materials, and by reason of the arrange-
ments heretoforeresorted to in constructing electric telegraphs, such insulation
of the telegraph wires or conductors has been necessary. Now, my Invention
consists in using wires which are not electrically insulated from the water in
which the same are required to be immersed, and in so constructing or
arranging an electric telegraph between two places separated by sea or other
water, as to use the intervening water in forming the battery employed for
working the telegraph. Each of the telegraph wires or conductors used
(which I prefer to be of copper or alloys of copper) is submerged in the
water, so that the two ends thereof are brought to the two distant stations on
either side of the water. The ends are respectively connected to suitable
electric telegraph instruments, and a wire from each of the instruments is

page_text: conducted to the water, and the ends thereof are dipped or laid into the
water, and by preference copper is fixed at one of the terminals and zinc
at the other, though other matters suitable for forming the elements of a
battery may be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Benjamin Nickels in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th April 1859.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, BENJAMIN
NICKELS, of Mitcham, in the County of Surrey, Analytical and Metallurgic
Chemist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Benjamin Nickels, Her special licence that I, the said Benjamin Nickels,
my executors, adininistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Benjamin Nickels, my 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, uso.
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 TELEGRAPHS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Benjamin Nickels, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Benjamin Nickels, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric telegraphs.
Heretofore when using submerged telegraphic wires or conductors,it has been
usual to coat them with insulating materials, and by reason of the arrange-
ments heretofore resorted to inconstructing electric telegraphs, such insulation

page_text: of the telegraph wires or conductors has been necessary. Now, my Invention
consists in using wires which are not electrically insulated from the water in
which the same are required to be immersed, and in so constructing orarranging
an electric telegraph between two places separated by sea or other water, as
to use the intervening water in forming the battery employed for working the
telegraph. Each of the telegraph wires or conductors used (which I prefer
to be of copper or alloys of copper) is submerged in the water so that the
two ends thereof are brought to the two distant stations on either side of
the water. The ends are respectively connected to suitable clectric telegraph
instruments, and a wire from each of the instruments is conducted to the
water, and the ends thereof are dipped or laid into the water, and by pre-
ference copper is fixed at one of the terminals and zinc at the other, though
other matters suitable for forming the elements of a battery may be
employed.
ments.
In carrying out this Invention, I employ various elements and combinations
suitable for the production of voltaic currents as applicable to this plan of
working, and which may be varied to meet the peculiarities of certain require-
In transmitting a current in one direction only, I submerge from one
point to another, as in the case of crossing a river, a metallic wire or cable of
suitable size, varying with the distance to be crossed. This wire or cable may
be either partially insulated or free from entire insulation, but when the wire
or cable is to remain permanently laid, I prefer partial insulation by enclosing
the same in any suitable material of a porous nature capable of withstanding
the action of salt water, and as a guard and protection to the enclosed wire.
At the point to be communicated with is placed a galvanometer, relay, or other
suitable recording instrument, having one of its terminals in connection with
the end of the submerged wire or cable, the remaining terminal of the
instrument is in permanent contact with a submerged plate forming the
"negative element" of the arrangement.. In this condition the instrument
inserted remains passive, but by bringing into contact by the aid of suitable
commutators the other extremity of the wire or cable with a submerged plate
electro-positive to the one inconvection with the galvanometer, voltaic action
is induced and recorded by the instrument in circuit, see Diagram No. 1.
A represents the submerged wire, one end in contact with a galvanometer
B; C is a plate of metal also submerged, and in permanent contact with the
galvanometer both these elements are negative; D is a submerged plate,
forming the positive element of the arrangement, which by contact at E
completes the circuit, and induces voltaic electricity.
When I wish to transmit currents affording simultaneous deflections on both

page_text: instruments alternately from one to the other through the same wire or cable,
I employ amongst others an arrangement with two instruments in circuit,
which will be better understood upon reference to Diagram No. 2. This is
merely a contrivance or means for placing two instruments in circuit upon
the same wire, with power of transmitting a current through both instru.
ments simultaneously, or through one instrument only from the same
contrivance or mechanisin.
Figures 1 and 2 are plans of the machine or model; a and bare terminals
or binding screws from which the two battery (positive and negative) elements
are suspended; c and d are also terininals or binding screws to which the
galvanometer A is connected; e and fare metallic discs or points in con-
nection with the two terminals c and d, as shewn by the dotted lines; g is a
metallic rod or bar in permanent connection with the terminal a (negative
element), and moveable so as to be brought either in or out of contact with
the disc or point e, shewn by the dottod lines; is a metal plate with two
projections in permanent contact with the terminal (positive clement).
These projections are raised a slight distance from the two discs or points e
and out of contact with them, and act as "commutators" to make and
break contact, and transmit a current from the positive element through
the instrument placed with it through the dotted red line from e to c, or
from the dotted black line from fto d, and so on through the wire or cable B.
The object of the moveable rod or bar g is to throw out of contact the
negative battery element to prevent or obviate a local battery at that iustru.
ment in transmitting a current from the positive element direct on from to d
through the wire or cable B. When this bar is in contact at e, similar
contact with hat f completes the circuit of a battery; thus zinc from / to f
ön to d, through the galvanometer to c, from thence to e, through tho
rod g to a, and on to the copper.
Figure 3 shows two instruments placed in circuit for transmitting simul-
taneous deflections alternately from one instrument to the other. The wire or
cable is in circuit with the two instruments at C, C; the rods g, g, are in
contact with the discs or points e, e, placing the two instruments in complete
circuit with the submerged copper, graphite, or other negative elements.
Contact by either of the commutators at e, e, brings the zinc or positive element
into circuit with the negative inducing voltaic action which is recorded by
both instruments at the rod g and disc e, a necessary contrivance in practice is
not shown. At the moment of making contact between the commutator at e
the rod g is thrown out of contact with e to prevent a local battery which
would otherwise be formed between a and b. By throwing the rod g out of

page_text: contact with the disc e, the current from the positive element may be trans-
mitted on to the distant instrument alone, thus from b to f on to c, and
through the wire or cable.
Another mode of transmitting currents under this system, adaptable either
to those in one direction only, or alternately between two instruments, and
which I have found to be practicable through very considerable lengths
beyond those previously described, is as follows:-1 construct a compound
cable consisting of two wires, which may be either insulated both from each
other and the surrounding water, or the one insulated from the other, but not
from the water, or the two insulated, i.e., from metallic contact with each
other, but not from the water. These wires stand in the relation of positive
and negative elements towards each other; each wire has an instrument in
circuit connected with similar positive and negative elements terminating in
the water, and forming one positive circuit and one negative circuit; contact
by suitable contrivances between the two wires, at each end, completing
metallic circuit, induces voltaic action, see Diagram 3.
In carrying out this part of the Invention, the result may be obtained by
submerging two wires consisting of metals electro-positive and negative in
their relation towards each other, encased in suitable porous material to
prevent metallic contact the one with the other. Each wire has an instru-
ment in circuit terminating with similar elements in the water; under this
condition both instruments are passive,but contact between two wires at either
end afford simultaneous deflections on both instruments. This plau, however,
would not be practicable, inasmuch as the positive wire or element would
speedily corrode away and destroy further action. In practice I prefer to con-
struct a cable for this purpose as follows:-I insulate two wires either both
negative in their position towards each other, or I insulate one wire only, and
place the second uninsulated spirally round or parallel to it. In this arrange-
ment it is obvious that metallic contact at any point between the two wires
voltaic action may be induced. To prevent the corrosion and destruction
of the positive wire or element, I should propose to protect the same by
insulation, as already stated. Two copper wires might be employed both
insulated from each other and the surrounding water, or one only insulated,
the one in connection with the zinc or positive element. With this wire,
without such insulation, local batteries would interfere with the arrangment,
indeed destroy it altogether. In this arrangement the uninsulated wire could
be placed in a cable parallel to the insulated one.
The battery elements employed in this plan of working require some
attention. The plate or negative element in contact with one terminal of the

page_text: galvanometer must be in a passive condition relative to the wire or cable,
that is where the same is not electrically insulated from the surrounding
water, otherwise "local batteries" would be formed prejudicial to the
system. Where the wire is in a state of perfect insulation, plates or
elements of opposite natures are best adopied, such as zinc with platinum,
platinized silver, or graphite.
Where the wire is in free electric contact with the surrounding water, then
it is requisite to employ elements, as above stated, electro-passive, regarding
the "porous" material mentioned as a covering or envelope for the protection
of the wire; this is important. Various materials, such as hemp,flax,jute,and
so on may be employed. I have found a single coating or lapping of cotton
will enable a wire with plates of a given area to convey a current over a con-
siderably greater distance than when free from such covering. Relative to the
combinations for this purpose, plates of metal or alloys of similar nature to
the wire may be employed. I prefer graphite as affording the most powerful
currents, at the same time offering the desired result herein stated.
(Note.) Copper and graphite free from iron, as pairs, afford but
extremely feeble voltaic action, using fresh or salt water as exciting fluid;
this enables me, when using a copper wire, to employ as the negative plate
graphite in place of a copper plate.
What 1 claim as new is the connecting the two elements of a battery
separated by an interval of distance by a bar or conductor submerged under
and in free electric contact with the water or exciting fluid of the battery.
In witness whereof, I, the said Benjamin Nickels, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
BENJAMIN NICKELS. (L..s.)