IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Walker at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February 1883.
FREDERICK WALKER, of Camberwell in the county of Surrey, Engineer
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
The object of my Invention is to construct Portable Electric Batteries by means
of rendering the excitant into a paste which will absorb the water chemically
produced by the Electrical Action; thereby keeping the Paste sufficiently moist for
the continuance of such action. The positive element may consist of zinc, lead or
iron, or an alloy of the two former with tin, and as a convenient form I construct
a round or flat cell, of such material soldering or otherwise attaching a strip,
terminal, or spiral of wire to form a connection I also coat the outside of this cell
with Marine Glue, Bitumenous Paints, or other nonconducting substance, so
preventing electrical contact with the positive element and any conductor in its
proximity, so as to short-circuit the cell. The negative element may consist of
carbon the refuse from gas retorts, or plates, cylinders or prisms of carbon
agglomerated with peroxide of manganese, the two substances being pulverized,
intimately mixed, then formed into a stiff paste with syrup and water, moulded
into the desired form, and so pressed by hydraulic or other means as to retain it
when dry. This plate, prism or cylinder of carbon, or agglomerated carbon and
peroxide of manganese, I cover with a thin coating of metallic copper by
electrolysis, for about one sixth of its length, by which it also should exceed in length
its containing cell, the positive element, so that when placed centrally in position
and not touching the bottom of the cell by about 1/8" of an inch, the coppered
portion should entirely project above the edge of the cell. The aforesaid coppered
portion may also have a wire, strip, or terminal, soldered or fixed thereunto, for
exterior connection The excitant consists of Muriate of Ammonia dissolved in
dilute Sulphuric Acid, Specific Gravity 1390, and mixed with powdered gypsum,
and oat, wheat, or pea-flour, or lime cement or similar substances mixed with water
to make a stiff paste, which is poured into the positive element whilst the negative
element is held centrally in position, so that solidification fixes it so. The battery
is then ready for action The chemical change is as follows The zinc unites with
chlorine forming chloride of zinc, ammonia is set free at the negative electrode,
whilst the nascent hydrogen reduces the peroxide of manganese to sesqui oxide

page_text: and unites with the oxygen taken up by the paste forming water and keeping the
combination moist. The chemical notation of the change is Zn; 2NH,C1; 2MnO,
is changed into ZnCl,; H₂O; 2NH,; Mn,O,. I may state that it is well to keep
the cell in a damp place so that the moisture of the atmosphere assists its action, or
a few drops of water may be added at times.
I can also arrange the elements side by side in a wooden box, lined with marine
glue, or ebonite or glass or such suitable vessel cylindrical or rectangular, divided
into cells, and the elements connected internally in series or in parallel arc, the two
end electrodes being connected to terminals for external appliance. The spaces
between the electrodes, and the electrodes and the cells are filled with the aforesaid
exciting mixture, forming a powerful Pile or Battery, and also being portable. I
can also use a cylinder or rectangular box of iron, turned or otherwise, containing
a strip, rod or cylinder of zinc, and filled in with the exciting mixture, in this case
being a saturated solution of caustic potash mixed with powdered gypsum so as to
form a stiff paste, or cement, or lime, with flour. The iron forms the negative
element, and zinc the positive. The liquid may be prepared by boiling soda in
water and adding air-slaked lime during ebullition. When cooled-and strained it
may be thickend by-the gypsum, etc. The zinc forming the positive element, may
or may not be amalgamated, and old meat or fish tins, of good make, and the
surface not corroded may be used as the negative element and containing jar.
Other exciting salts, or electrolytic media may be used in conjunction with gypsum,
lime cement or flours, water absorbing substances before mentioned, used with
different electrodes, for instance sulphate of zinc with zinc and platinized silver, or
carbon having platinum deposited upon it, as electrodes.