49. At the time of writing, the on-line catalogue of the National Archives at Kew
made just one reference to Fritz Haber during the war years viz, ‘Reference FO
383-186, Germany: Prisoners, including: Mutual cancellation of paroles given by
Lieutenant-General Wylde and Geheimer Regierungsrat Haber …’ although
staff were unable to pinpoint this reference for me within FO 383-186. The
detail of Le Rossignol’s release therefore remains elusive.
50. A movement already detected by Gerard in one of his letters to His Majesty’s
Government in 1917. See Sect. 14.4 in this chapter.
51. Gerard, op. cit. (note 10), Chap. IV.
52. An observation made by Charlotte Haber, op. cit. (note 47), and recounted
by Szöllözi-Janze, op. cit. (note 47), p. 176.
53. These applications were filed at the U.S. Patent Office on 30 January 1917.
The apparatus for exhausting lamps was subsequently patented on 25 March
1919 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,298,569) and that for manufacturing the lamps on 09
September 1919 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,315,783). At the time, it was probably
‘inappropriate’ for Robert to prepare a patent on behalf of an enemy company. The USA however was a neutral country and the next section shows
that Robert had a close association with the American Embassy in Berlin.
54. From 18 May 1918 to 19 July 1920 Robert filed improved applications in
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Holland, Great Britain, France, Italy, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland, Bohemia, the United States and Denmark, See U.S.
patent no 1,430,118 patented 26 September 1922.
55. Lamps were exhausted of course to remove the oxygen which would otherwise ‘burn-out’ the filament. The use of inert gas fillings had recently
appeared on the scene but exhaustion was still the primary protection
mechanism.
56. Plate 9.3, Chap. 9. This pip was sometimes ground down adding more effort
and expense but improving the ‘look’ of the bulb.
57. Early forms of the apparatus resulted in less than satisfactory sealing of the
tubulatures which were easily ruptured when baking-on the lamp bases.
Robert’s improvement(s) are described in U.S. Patent No. 1,430,118,
patented 26 September 1922.
58. The ‘lead’ wires are not shown in Robert’s diagrams but they protruded from
the base of the stem and connect the filament to the external circuit.
59. All the correspondence referred to in Sect. 14.4 of this chapter is held in the
National Archives at Kew in files, FO 383-211, FO 383-279 and FO
383-312.
60. National Archives Kew, FO 383-211.
61. Probably because it was not phrased in terms of a letter, but rather as a
conversation with a ‘Mr. Dresel’, an American Embassy official in Berlin, the
Embassy later communicating Robert’s concerns to London.
62. FO 383-211. Prisoners etc., Germany (British civilians), 08 November 1916.
14 Robert’s War 1914–1918
313
made just one reference to Fritz Haber during the war years viz, ‘Reference FO
383-186, Germany: Prisoners, including: Mutual cancellation of paroles given by
Lieutenant-General Wylde and Geheimer Regierungsrat Haber …’ although
staff were unable to pinpoint this reference for me within FO 383-186. The
detail of Le Rossignol’s release therefore remains elusive.
50. A movement already detected by Gerard in one of his letters to His Majesty’s
Government in 1917. See Sect. 14.4 in this chapter.
51. Gerard, op. cit. (note 10), Chap. IV.
52. An observation made by Charlotte Haber, op. cit. (note 47), and recounted
by Szöllözi-Janze, op. cit. (note 47), p. 176.
53. These applications were filed at the U.S. Patent Office on 30 January 1917.
The apparatus for exhausting lamps was subsequently patented on 25 March
1919 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,298,569) and that for manufacturing the lamps on 09
September 1919 (U.S. Pat. No. 1,315,783). At the time, it was probably
‘inappropriate’ for Robert to prepare a patent on behalf of an enemy company. The USA however was a neutral country and the next section shows
that Robert had a close association with the American Embassy in Berlin.
54. From 18 May 1918 to 19 July 1920 Robert filed improved applications in
Germany, Austria, Hungary, Holland, Great Britain, France, Italy, Norway,
Sweden, Switzerland, Bohemia, the United States and Denmark, See U.S.
patent no 1,430,118 patented 26 September 1922.
55. Lamps were exhausted of course to remove the oxygen which would otherwise ‘burn-out’ the filament. The use of inert gas fillings had recently
appeared on the scene but exhaustion was still the primary protection
mechanism.
56. Plate 9.3, Chap. 9. This pip was sometimes ground down adding more effort
and expense but improving the ‘look’ of the bulb.
57. Early forms of the apparatus resulted in less than satisfactory sealing of the
tubulatures which were easily ruptured when baking-on the lamp bases.
Robert’s improvement(s) are described in U.S. Patent No. 1,430,118,
patented 26 September 1922.
58. The ‘lead’ wires are not shown in Robert’s diagrams but they protruded from
the base of the stem and connect the filament to the external circuit.
59. All the correspondence referred to in Sect. 14.4 of this chapter is held in the
National Archives at Kew in files, FO 383-211, FO 383-279 and FO
383-312.
60. National Archives Kew, FO 383-211.
61. Probably because it was not phrased in terms of a letter, but rather as a
conversation with a ‘Mr. Dresel’, an American Embassy official in Berlin, the
Embassy later communicating Robert’s concerns to London.
62. FO 383-211. Prisoners etc., Germany (British civilians), 08 November 1916.
14 Robert’s War 1914–1918
313