IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC APPARATUS AND IN CONTRIVANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH, APPLICABLE TO TELEGRAPHIC AND LIGHTING PURPOSES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th July 1875.—A communication from abroad by F. W.
Wippern, of Meidling, near Vienna, Austria.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC APPARATUS
AND IN CONTRIVANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH, APPLICABLE TO TELEGRAPHIC AND
LIGHTING PURPOSES," a communication, to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to galvanic apparatus and contrivances con-
nected therewith to be used, firstly, for pneumatic telegraphic alarms
and signals for short distances, such as for hotels or houses; secondly,
for lighting chandeliers having a single gas burner; and thirdly, for
lighting chandeliers having several gas burners.
•
As regards the telegraphs these improvements consist in the employ.
ment of compressed air for causing the displacement on a dial or
indicator of a plate with a certain number or figure indicating the place
from where the signal was given, which compressed air is caused at the

page_text: same time to raise the liquid in a galvanic element, thus inducing an
electric current, by which an alarm is given indicating that a signal has
been shown on the indicator. The apparatus used in this case for
compressing the air is a hollow rubber cylinder enclosed in a suitable
case. By pressing against a knob acting on a metal plate resting on 5
the rubber cylinder the latter is compressed. The rubber cylinder com-
municates by an air-tight tube with the indicating apparatus, and this
with a galvanic element. The air thus compressed acts upon the
indicating apparatus, and causes a number to be exhibited on the dial,
and also at the same time acts upon a galvanic element, in which by its. 10
pressure it raises the liquid to the poles, so as to induce a current and
cause an electric alarm bell to sound, which bell is connected by suitable
conducting wires to the said galvanic element. A small tube in the
compressing knob supplies the air to the rubber cylinder.
;
The tube for conducting the air to the indicator is adjustable, so that 15
it can be screwed into or out of the rubber cylinder as more or less air
is wanted for telegraphing to a greater or lesser distance.
The indicator consists of a wooden frame, in which a plate is inserted,
upon which the mechanism for moving the figures is arranged. This
mechanism consists of flap valves arranged in the plate, and corre- 20
sponding in number to the number of figures and compressing apparatus,
to which latter they are connected by special tubes.
In depressing the knob, and thereby compressing the air led to these
valves by the above-mentioned tubes, the valves are raised and the
figures released from the hooks of the valves and drawn in front of 25
openings in the glass plate covering the mechanism.
.
A slide bolt provided with arms or side bars acting on the stems of
the figures is arranged to pass through the side of the frame, and
by means of a handle fitted on it outside of the casing may be
shifted into the indicator, thereby bringing the released and exhibited 80
figures back upon the hooks of the valves, which by special springs are
pressed down on the mouths of the above-mentioned pipes, conducting
the air from the compressing apparatus to the valves.
The air after passing through one or the other of the valves proceeds
to the galvanic element. This is composed of a cylindrical glass vessel 85
containing in its lower part the liquid, which is specially prepared so as

page_text: to remain in a serviceable state for several years. A partition or
diaphragm suitably fixed on the top of the lower part separates the
latter from the upper part of the vessel, which is closed on the top by a
cover. Through a pipe from the indicator the air presses on the liquid
in the lower part and raises the same to the poles of the element,
consisting preferably of carbon and zinc. The zinc is placed preferably
within the carbon, which in this case is hollow, and inserted into the
diaphragm between the two parts of the glass vessel. By raising the
liquid the electrical contact is established and a current excited, by
the action of which the above-mentioned alarm is sounded. A hole is
arranged in the said diaphragm or partition which serves for conducting
back to the lower part of the vessel any liquid which may have been
forced up through the carbon cylinder into the upper part of the
vessel.
For lighting a gas chandelier having a single burner the apparatus
consists of the following essential parts:-Firstly, a galvanic element;
secondly, an air pump; and thirdly, the igniting apparatus, the whole
of these parts being arranged and combined in the following manner :——
Above the element, which is of à form similar to that described in the
first part of this Invention, an air pump is arranged, by which the air
is compressed and forced down into the element, thereby exciting a
current, making a platinum wire red hot, which is arranged above a
small subsidiary burner.
The air pump is set into action by rods passing down through the
plate on which the whole apparatus rests, and provided on their lower
part with a handle for pulling. The top of these rods is connected to a
tap or cock, the cone of which being provided with suitable passages for
leading the gas to the main and subsidiary burners is turned simul-
taneously with depressing the piston of the air pump, and is arranged in
such a manner that on pulling the pump rod the subsidiary burner is
first opened, and the gas issuing from it lighted at the same time by the
platinum wire made red hot by the electrical current produced in con-
sequence of the compression of air, as above described. On continuing
the pulling down of the handle the cone of the tap is turned farther
round, the main burner is also opened, and the gas issuing from it
ignited by the subsidiary burner. This having been effected and the
handle let go, the cone of the tap returns far enough to shut off the
subsidiary burner, leaving only the main flame burning. If the gas has

page_text: 's
to be shut off also from this, burner a pawl arranged on the pump rod is
released by means of a drawing rod, in consequence of which a spiral
spring forces up the piston of the air pump, taking along the pump rods,
whereby the tap is entirely shut off, and also the main flame extinguished.
The air pump is fitted with a valve admitting in this case the entrance
of air into the pump barrel.
The third part of this Invention relates to apparatus for lighting gas
chandeliers with several burners. This apparatus being constructed
according to the same principle as the foregoing apparatus for lighting
chandeliers with single burners consists of a certain number of galvanic
elements, main burners, and subsidiary burners corresponding in number
with the branches of the chandelier; further, of an air pump common
to all of the branches or batteries, and a tap or cock, which latter is con-
nected to the rods of the air pump and constructed as described with
reference to the second part of the present Invention, and is also turned
şimultaneously with the compression of the air. Both the air pump and
cock, as well as the pump rods and pulling handle, are arranged at the
centre of the chandelier, and the galvanic elements, which are arranged
on the branches below the burners, communicate with the pump barrel
by means of tubes enclosed in the branches of the chandelier, while the
main and subsidiary burners communicato by separate pipes, which are
also enclosed in the branches of the chandelier, with chambers formed
in the centre piece of the chandelier, and separated from each other, and
which in suitable manner are put into and out of communication with
the respective bores of the tap. As in the case of a chandelier with a
single burner, on pulling down the rod handle the air pump is set into
action, causing the liquid in the galvanic element to rise, whereby a
current is excited which makes the platinum wires above the subsidiary
burners red hot, while at the same time the cock is turned for admitting
the gas to the subsidiary burners, and after these have been lighted also
to the main burners, whereupon the subsidiary burners are shut off, as
already described with reference to the second part of this Invention.
The extinguishing of the main burners is also effected in the same
manner as‘above described. .