Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
We, ELEONORA BARESCH, ROSA MARIA ANNA BARESCH, and ELEONORE MARIA
TOSLER, all of VII, Mondscheingasse 4, Gentlewomen, and WILHELM VON ZABERN,
of Schottenfeldgasse 24, Manufacturer, all of Vienna, Austria, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in "sal-ammoniac and peroxide of
" cells.
manganese
Ordinary sal-ammoniac-peroxide of manganese cells have notwithstanding their
many advantages the great drawback of its being impossible to reduce their in-
ternal resistance to an extent as would allow of the generation of a comparatively
large amount of current whereby cells of this description would be rendered
available for various purposes for which they are not at present adapted, such
as for working Rhumkorff coils, generating incandescent light, driving small
electric motors for use in galvano-caustics and other uses.
The attempts which have hitherto been made with this object have chiefly
tended to bring the peroxide of manganese which is a very bad conductor of
electricity into intimate contact with the carbon electrode. These attempts
have only had incomplete results, because even with the proposed use of graphite
as a means of making contact, the inner resistance is not appreciably reduced;
moreover this means is somewhat expensive.
Now, in the "sal-ammoniac and peroxide of manganese" cell forming the sub-
ject of this invention, this internal resistance is reduced to a minimum whereby the
above mentioned drawback is obviated, by the use of a cheap mixture which, in
combination with a diaphragm that receives it and retains it under strong pres-
sure, also effects the depolarisation of the elements in a very efficient manner.
This mixture consists substantially of powdered peroxide of manganese, pul-.
verised coke or carbon from gas retorts and sal-ammoniac salts. In making this
mixture, about 33 parts by weight of coke or gas carbon are intimately mixed
with about 30 parts by weight of peroxide of manganese and are saturated with
a concentrated solution of sal-ammoniac (about 20 parts by weight), to which
there has been preferably previously added a little nitrate of ammonia, so that a
rather firm, but neither pulverulent nor pasty mass is produced.
This mass is now subjected to strong pressure, in order to produce a good
conducting electrical carbon which may be of any desired shape. For this pur-
pose, the mass is placed in woven bags which, with the object of sufficiently
withstanding the strong pressure, are preferably made of pieces of strong seam-
less hose-pipe fabric of the required length, and sewn at one end, and, after the
solid carbon has been introduced and the above-mentioned mixture has been
pressed around the latter, the open end of the hose is drawn together and
sewn up.
For the purpose of preventing the bag, together with the pressed mass, from
becoming loose on the solid carbon, the latter is perforated above the bag, and

page_text: the bag is attached to the carbon by means of a strong cord which is drawn
through the perforation and is tied round it.
.
Bags of this kind will withstand a pressure of 8 to 10 atmospheres without
stretching or breaking, which is necessary in carrying out this invention, be
cause a carbon electrode made in this manner will form, with the pulverised
carbon and with the solid carbon, an element of very small internal resistance
only when there is a high permanent pressure of the depolarising mass.
For the purpose of making powerful dry cells, the herein-described electrode is
placed in a zinc cylinder which contains sawdust or other porous substances
impregnated with a solution of sal-ammoniac.
Dated this 20th day of October 1898.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
Agent for Applicants.
We, ELEONORA BARESCH, ROSA MARIA ANNA BARESCII, and ELEONORE MARIA
TOSLER, all of VII, Mondscheingasse 4, Gentlewomen, and WILHELM VON ZABERN,
of Schottenfeldgasse 24, Manufacturer, all of Vienna, Austria, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in salammoniac and peroxide of man-
ganese cells.
Ordinary salammoniac and peroxide of manganese cells have, notwithstanding
their many advantages, the great drawback of its being impossible to reduce their
internal resistance to such an extent as would allow of the generation of a com-
paratively large amount of current whereby cells of this description would be
rendered available for various purposes for which they are not at present adapted,
such as for working Rhumkorff coils, generating incandescence light, and driv-
ing small electric motors for use in galvano-caustics.
The attempts that have hitherto been made with the object of removing this
drawback have chiefly tended to bring the peroxide of manganese, which is a
very bad conductor of electricity, into intimate contact with the carbon electrode.
These attempts have had only incomplete results, because even with the pro-
posed use of graphite as a means of making contact, the internal resistance is
not appreciably reduced; moreover, this means is somewhat expensive.
Now, in a salammoniac and peroxide of manganese cell according to this inven-
tion, this internal resistance is reduced to a minimum, and the above-mentioned
drawback obviated, by the use of a cheap mixture, which, in combination with
a diaphragm that receives it and retains it under strong pressure, also effects
the depolarization of the elements in a very efficient manner.
This mixture consists substantially of powdered peroxide of manganese, pul-
verized coke or carbon from gas retorts, and ammoniacal salt. In making this
mixture, about 33 parts by weight of coke or gas carbon, are intimately mixed
with about 30 parts by weight of peroxide of manganese and are saturated with
a concentrated solution of salammoniac (about 20 parts by weight), to which
there has preferably been previously added a little nitrate of ammonia, so that a
rather firm, but neither pulverulent nor pasty mass, is produced.
This mass is now subjected to strong pressure, in order to produce a well con-
ducting electrical carbon which may be of any desired shape. For this purpose,
the mass is placed in woven bags, which, with the object of sufficiently with-

page_text: standing the strong pressure, are preferably made of pieces of strong seamless
hose pipe fabric of the required length, and sewn at one end, and, after the
solid carbon has been introduced and the hereinbefore mentioned mixture has
been pressed around it, the open end of the hose is drawn together and sewn up.
For the purpose of preventing the bag, together with the pressed mass, from be-
coming loose on the solid carbon, the latter is perforated above the bag, and the
bag is attached to the carbon by means of a strong cord, which is drawn through
the perforation and is tied round the bag.
Bags of this kind will withstand a pressure of from 8 to 10 atmospheres with-
out stretching or breaking; and this is necessary, because a carbon electrode
made in this manner will form, with the pulverized carbon and the solid carbon,
an element of very small internal resistance only when there is a high permanent
pressure on the depolarizing, mass.
For the purpose of making a powerful dry cell, the hereinbefore described
electrode is placed in a zinc cylinder, which contains a suitable porous substance
(as saw-dust) impregnated with a solution of salammoniac.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A salammoniac and peroxide of manganese dry cell, the electrodes of which
consist respectively of a zinc cylinder with a charge of porous material impreg
nated with salammoniac solution, and of a piece of solid carbon which is inserted
in the said cylinder and is surrounded by pulverized pressed depolarizing
material that is kept under pressure in a diaphragm.
2. In a dry element according to the preceding claim, a carbon electrode com-
prising a solid piece of carbon and also pulverized carbon, which latter is mixed
with powdered peroxide of manganese and charged under pressure into a hose
diaphragm which surrounds the solid carbon and is fastened thereto by means
of a cord which is drawn through holes in the latter.
3. In a dry element according to Claim 1, a well conducting depolarizing
mass composed of a mixture of powdered peroxide of manganese and powdered
gas carbon or coke in the proportions stated, which mixture, before being inserted
into the hose diaphragm, is impregnated with a solution of sal ammoniac with
or without nitrate of ammonia.
4. In a dry element according to Claim 1, a diaphragm for the reception of
the depolarizing mass that is to be pressed around the carbon electrode, con-
sisting of a piece of woven seamless hose which, after being charged, is sewn
together at one end and keeps the mass under high pressure in contact with the
carbon.
5. A dry element constructed and arranged substantially as herein before
described.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.