Improvements in Electrical Batteries.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 20th May, 1898
Improvements in Electrical Batteries.
I, NATHAN B. STUBBLEFIELD, of Murray, in the County of Calloway and State of
Kentucky, United States of America, Electrician, 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 electrical batteries, and it has for its object to provide
a novel and practical battery for generating electrical currents of sufficient force
for practical use, and also providing means for generating not only a constant
primary current but also an induced momentary secondary current.
It is well known that if any voltaic couple be immersed in water or placed in
moist earth, the positive element of the couple will undergo a galvanic action of
sufficient intensity to produce a current when the terminals of the couple are
brought in contact, and this form of battery is commonly known as the water
battery,, usually employed for charging electrometers but not capable of giving
any considerable current owing to their great internal resistance. Now, the
principle involved in this class of batteries is utilized to some extent in carrying
out the present invention, but I contemplate in connection with water or moistures
as the electrolyte, the use of a novel voltaic couple constructed in such a manner as
to greatly multiply or increase the electrical output of ordinary voltaic cells, while
at the same time producing in operation a magnetic field having a sufficiently
strong inductive effect to induce a current in a solenoid or secondary coil.
To this end, the invention contemplates a form of voltaic battery having magnetic
induction properties of sufficient intensity so as to be capable of utilization for
practical purposes, and in the accomplishment of the results sought for, the
invention further provides a construction of battery capable of producing a current
of practically constant electromotive force and being practically free of the
rapid polarization common in all galvanic or voltaic batteries.
With these and many other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel
construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully
described, illustrated and claimed.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrical battery constructed in accordance
with this invention.
Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the battery showing the same
immersed in water as the electrolyte.
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the battery showing more
clearly the manner of winding the voltaic couple, or in other words the wires
comprising the couple.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the battery shown modified for use with
an induction coil.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1, designates a soft iron core
piece extending longitudinally of the entire battery and preferably in the form of a
bolt having at one end a nut 2, which permits of the parts of the battery being readily
assembled together, and also quite as readily taken apart for the purposes of repair, as
will be readily understood: The central longitudinally arranged core piece I of the

page_text: battery has removably fitted on the opposite ends thereof the oppositely located
end heads 3, confining there between the magnetic coil body 4, of the battery, said
heads 3 being of wood or equivalent material. The coil body 4, of the battery is
compactly formed by closely wound coils of a copper and iron wire 5 and 6
respectively, which wires form the electrodes of the voltaic couple and while
necessarily insulated from each other so as to have no metallic contact, are
preferably wound in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.
In the preferred winding of the wires 5 and 6, the copper wire 5 is encased in an
insulating covering 7, while the iron wire 6, is a bare or naked wire so as to be
more exposed to the action of the electrolyte and at the same time to intensify the
magnetic field that is created and maintained within and around the coil body 4, when
the battery is in operation and producing an electric current. While the iron wire 6,
is preferably bare or naked for the reasons stated, this wire may also be insulated
without destroying the operativeness of the battery, and in order to secure the best
results, the wires 5 and 6 are wound side by side in each coil or layer of the
windings, as clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, so that in each coil or
layer of the windings, there will be alternate convolutions of the copper and iron
wires forming the voltaic couple, and it will of course be understood that there may
be any number of separate coils or layers of the wires according to the required
size and capacity of the battery. Each coil or layer of the windings is separated
from the adjacent coils or layers by an interposed layer of cloth or equivalent
insulating material 8, and a similar layer of insulating material 9, also surrounds
the longitudinal core piece 1, to insulate from this core piece the innermost coil or
layer of the windings.
The terminals 10 of the copper and iron wires 5 and 6 are disconnected so as to
preserve the character of the wires as the electrodes of the voltaic couple, but the
other or remaining terminals of the wires are brought in contact through the
interposition of any electrical instrument or device with which they may be
connected to cause the electric currents generated in the coil body 4, to flow
through such instrument or device.
In the use of the battery constructed as described the same may be immersed
in a cell or jar 11, containing water as the electrolyte, but it is simply necessary to
have the coil body 4, moist to excite the necessary action for the production of a
current in the couple, and it is also the contemplation of the invention to place the
battery in moist earth which alone is sufficient to provide the necessary electrolytic
influence for producing an electric current. It has been found that by reason of
winding the couple of copper and iron wires into a coil body, the current traversing
the windings of this body will produce a magnetic field within and around the
body of sufficiently strong inductive effect for practical utilization by means of a
solenoid or secondary coil 12, as illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings.
The solenoid or secondary coil 12 is of an ordinary construction comprising a
wire closely wound into a coil of any desired size on an ordinary spool 13, and
encased within a protective covering 14, mica, celluloid or equivalent material.
The spool 13, of the solenoid or secondary coil, may be conveniently secured
directly on the exterior of the coil body 4, between the heads 3 with a suitable
layer or wrapping of insulating material 15, interposed between the spool and the
body 4, and the terminals 16 of the solenoid or secondary coil may be connected
up with any instrument usually operated by secondary currents, such for instance
as a microphone transmitter or telegraphic relay. The magnetic field produced by
the current traversing the coil body 4, induces a secondary current in the solenoid
or secondary coil 12, when the ordinary make and break of the primary current,
produced within the coil 4, is made between the terminals of said coil 4. It will
therefore be seen that the construction of the battery illustrated in Figure 4 is
practically a self generating induction coil, and it can be used for every purpose
that a coil of this character is used, for as long as the coil body 4, is wet or damp
with moisture, electric currents will be produced in the manner described.
It will also be obvious that by reason of the magnetic inductive properties of

page_text: the coil body 4, the coil piece 1, will necessarily be magnetized while a current is
going through the body 4, so that the battery may be used as a self-generating
electromagnet if so desired it being observed that to secure this result it is simply
required to connect together the wire terminals 5 and 10 or 6 and 10, (see Figure 3),
after wetting or dampening the coil body. In explanation of these connections it
may be stated that when the current is to be taken from the coil body one pair of
terminals may be used while the remaining terminals are disconnected as herein
explained, but when the battery is used as an electromagnet either the inner copper
terminal and outer iron terminal must be connected, or vice versa, according to
which end of the coil it is desired to have the north pole of the field located.
Many other uses of the herein described battery will suggest themselves to
those skilled in the art, and I will have it understood that any changes in the form,
proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without
departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A combined electrical battery and electromagnet for use with water as an
electrolyte comprising a soft iron core piece, and a voltaic couple of copper and
iron wires insulated from each other and closely and compactly wound together in
separate insulated layers to produce a solid coil body surrounding the soft iron
core piece, substantially as set forth.
2. An electrical battery for use with water as an electrolyte comprising a voltaic
couple of insulated copper wire and bare iron wire closely wound into a coil body,
substantially as described.
3. An electrical battery for use with water as an electrolyte comprising a voltaic
couple of insulated copper and bare iron wire wound side by side in separated
insulated layers to produce a coil body, substantially as described.
4. An electrical battery, for use with water as an electrolyte, comprising a
voltaic couple having its separate electrodes insulated from each other and closely
wound into a compact coil body forming a self-generating primary coil when
moistened, and a solenoid or secondary coil fitted on the coil body of the couple,
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of March 1898.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.