[D0204AAM], Letter from Robert Rafn to Thomas Alva Edison, July 26th, 1902
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D0204AAM
Transcription
Berlin, July 26, 1902. c/o Dr. L. Sell. Dorotheenstr. 22 [Edison marginalia: Send this to GWU who will see me about it E] Thomas A. Edison Esq. Orange N. J. Dear Sir: The test cell arrived here a week ago, and proved to be in perfect condition. After a charge of 12 hours at 30 Amps it gave, at a rate of 40 Amps. ca. 160 Amps. hours; After second charge of 30 Amps for 6 hours it gave 120 Amps hours above .9 V, at a rate of 40 Amps. Unfortunately the cell was very much delayed, having been 28 days on the way, and when it finally came, it was only a few days before the Laboratory at Dresden closed for the summer, so that the Professor is unable to make the tests till after the vacation, at the end of September. The Patent office, in its latest information (Apr 16) demands besides an endurance test of your cell also a comparison of same with the combination Fe 0 _ KOH _ Ni2O3, which is given by the patents 110210, Jungner, and 112350, [Dern]. For this purpose I sent for the Professor a couple of plates, - the best ones of the lot sent to me in May. By measuring potential of a new [pole], and one that has been charged and discharged some times it was shown that the electrode is steadily changing, having originally the potential of iron: 1.35, and after a number of changes, the potential of ferrous oxide. The analysis of changes and discharged electrodes [servt] to prove too, that the stages between the electrode works are FeO and Fe2O3. A fully charged electrode dissolves in Sulphuric acid without coloring same, while a discharged pole colors it yellow (ferris) on dissolving &c. The experiment nice and concise as they were, appeared quite convincing, and I must say I felt quite troubled, thinking of the effect this discovery should have on the British and the Austrian patents. I have been trying, therefore, to discover some defect about the experiments, that should render them invalid, or to find if possible some way of interpreting the facts to the reverse effect. In this I have also succeeded so far, that the Professor has determined to revise his experiment from the new point of view, and, he may arrive at a different result. The patent agent is also on his vacation, so I am at the present unable to do anything in Berlin. In Stockholm, however, the official vacation is over, and the agent is arranging for a verbal conference, of which I am expecting good results. I intend, therefore to leave for Stockholm tomorrow morning. Hoping that the above fatal looking difficulty may be conquered, I remain Yours respectfully Rob Rafn.