IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC RAMME
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Allan, of Adelphi Terrace, in the
City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC RAMME"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Allan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th February 1853.
I, THOMAS ALLAN, of Adelphi Terrace; in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in a new mode of arranging the elements in
the galvanic battery so as to cause the gases and liquids to circu-
late, and also in an arrangement for self-amalgamating the positive
metals in such manner as to produce a current of much greater
force and constancy than is obtained by the modes now in use.
For example, when the battery is composed of silver and zinc, I
place a zinc plate in a grooved frame of gutta percha or other
suitable material, and in the groove at the bottom of the frame I
put a little mercury, in contact with the zinc. I then bend the silver -

page_text: plate round the plate frame sideways, and opposing both sides
of the zinc.
By this arrangement, the zinc plate being in contact with mer-
cury is always re-amalgamating itself, which totally prevents any
local action, and consequently waste of material. The formation of
the oxide of zinc in the cells of the battery is also prevented, so that
no alteration in the relative properties of the elements of the battery
takes place, and constancy of action is thus maintained until the
positive metal is consumed. The negative plate, in consequence of
being placed sideways, permits the liquids to circulate, by reason of
the easier evolution of the gases, thereby causing a freer pro-
duction and greater quantity of electrical action.
Similar arrangements may be applied to other batteries, with the
same result of constant action.
The plates by this means do not require to be removed, or the
1
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Thomas Allan in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
THOMAS ALLAN, of Adelphi Terrace, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in
the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Allan, i
Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Allan, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Allan, 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, use, exercise, and vend; within the United

page_text: Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and
Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BAT-
TERIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Thomas Allan, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Thomas Allan, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-.
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
My Improvements in Galvanic Batteries consist in a mode of
arranging the elements of the battery, so as to cause the gases and
liquids to circulate, and also in an arrangement for self-amalgamating
the positive metals, whereby a current of greater force and constancy
is obtained than by the modes now in use.
According to my arrangements, when the battery is composed of
silver and zinc, the zinc plate is placed in a grooved frame of gutta
percha or other suitable material, and immersed or suspended in
the cell, and in the groove at the bottom of this frame is placed a
little mercury in contact with the zinc; the silver plate is bent
round this plate frame sideways, and opposing both sides of the
zinc plate.
By these arrangements, the zinc plate being in contact with
mercury, is always re-amalgamating itself, which prevents local
action, whilst the formation of oxides in the cells is also prevented,
so that no alteration in the relative properties of the elements of the
battery takes place, and constancy of action is thus maintained. The
negative plate being placed sideways permits the liquids to circulate,
by reason of the easier evolution or escape of the gases, thereby
causing a freer production and greater quantity of electrical action.
The plates by this means do not require to be removed, or the bat-
tery touched, until the renewal of the positive metals is requisite.

page_text: Similar arrangements may be applied to other batteries with
similar results as to constancy of action:
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that I claim
the employment in galvanic batteries of the arrangements herein-
before described, whereby the effects above stated are produced.
In witness whereof, I, the said. Thomas Allan, have hereunto,
set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
THOMAS ALLAN. (L.S.)