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This patent was awarded to Thomas Edison in September, 1891 for "A Process and Apparatus for Generating Electricity."

The object I have in view is to generate electricity directly from carbon, coal or other carbonaceous material without the loss caused by the indirect method heretofore employed of converting the same into a motive power, from which electricity is produced by mechanical motion. This I accomplish by employing carbon or carbonaceous material for the generating or soluble electrode of a generating-cell and in using therewith as an active agent oxides, salts, or compounds of elements, by the decomposition of which the carbon or carbonaceous material will be acted upon at high temperatures.

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