IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN RAPIEFF of Hurst Lodge, Hadley Wood, Barnet, in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES, to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in Galvanic Batteries and the utilization
or regeneration of the products therefrom, and consists in an improved arrange-
ment and combination of chemicals whereby the depolarizing action of the cells is
increased.
For this purpose I use Oxides of Metals, or Metaloids, sub, proto, mono, bi, tetra,
Bes-qui, per oxide or their hydrates, or any mixture of them, in combination with
salts, or acids, or other chemical combinations, ono or several of them which under
chemical action of the substances used in batteries, or their products, or by
Electrical action, or by their joint action, are capable of yielding Chlorine, Iodine,
Bromine, Fluorine, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulphur and such like, in a more or less
pure state, or their mixtures or chemical combination between themself with other
substances. These arrangements can be used with any description or form of
Electrodes, with, or without the addition of metals, or vegetable, animal, or mineral
charcoal, or carbon, or coke, in granulated or such like form, and may be applied to
any form of batteries or calls.
The Electrodes may be made porous, or with holes, or openings, or other con-
trivances, to assist the supply and retain the charges of the said bodies, which can
be supplied by simple addition, or by sending into, or near the Electrodes, a
current, or currents of the said substances, from a suitable receptacle, or generátor
inside, or outside of the cell, in gaseous, liquid, or solid form. The Electrodes may
have special chambers where the said bodies can be generated by chemical action,
with or without the assistance of Electricity, and where the said bodies, or
substances capable of generating them, may be stored.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
JOHN RAPIEFF of Hurst Lodge Hadley Wood, Barnet in the County of
Middlesex, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention relates to improvements in Galvanic Batteries and consists in an
improved arrangement and combinations of chemicals whereby the depolarizing
action of the cells is increased for this purpose I use the oxides of metals, or
metalloids, sub. proto. monad bi, tetra ses-qui, peroxides or their hydrates or any
mixture of them in combination with salts or acids or other chemical combinations
one or several of them, which under chemical action of the substances used in
batteries or their products or by electrical action_or_by_their_joined-action-are
capable of yielding chlorine iodine, bromine fluorine, oxygen, phosphorus sulphur,
and such like substances in a more or less pure state or their mixtures or chemical
combination between themselves or with other substances. These arrangements
can be used with any description or form of electrodes with or without the addition
of metals or vegetable animal or mineral charcoal or carbon or cork in granulated
or such like form, and they may be applied to any form of batteries or cells, the
electrodes may be made porous or with holes or openings or other contrivances to
assist the supply and retain the charges of the said bodies which can be supplied
by simple addition or by sending into or near or around the electrodes a current or
currents of the said substance from a suitable receptacle or generator inside or
outside of the cell in gaseous liquid or solid state. The electrodes may have special
chambers where the said bodies can be generated by chemical action with or
without the assistance of electricity and where the bodies or substances capable of
generating them might be stored. This I effect by the use (as depolarizing agent)
of said said oxides or oxy chlorides of metals in combination or mixture with
one or several salts, rich in their above mentioned substances as for instance
hypo chlorites, chlorites, chlorides, chlorates, per chlorates, iodates, bromates ferrates,
phosphates, phosphites, nitrates nitrites, bi or tri chromates, chloronitrates, chloro-
chromates, permanganates of Am, Ba, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Mn, and similar
compounds, These depolarizing agents may be used in single or double liquid
batteries and in the latter case they are placed in negative cells near or around
negative electrodes, in the case of single liquid arrangement I use as exciting
liquid a solution of a caustic alkali or a solution of one or several salts or acids in
the case of a double liquid battery these salts or their mixtures with oxides may
be used in combination with one or several strong acids such as sulphuric, hydo-
chloric, chloric, nitric, acetic, oxalic etc. the whole being placed in the negative
cells and near or around the negative electrodes, For positive electrodes or cells
I use a weak solution of the said salts or acids or both with or without the addition
of mercurial salts or sulphates or bi-sulphates of Am. Na. K. Mg. etc.—Sometimes
I use in negative cells as depolarizing liquid mixture of several of above mentioned
acids without oxides or salts, but generally I prefer to use the above mentioned
combination which to defino more clearly I shall divide into groups as follows,

page_text: 1, Oxides and peroxides and the above mentioned salts in combination with the
caustic alkaline solution, or solutions of specified salts or weak solution of an acid
or both, these are single liquid arrangements.
2; To obtain the stronger and more prolonged action of the cell of single liquid
and especially for double liquid I prefer to use as depolarizer
.. (A) Combinations of nitric, sulphuric oxalic or hydro chloric or chloric acids one
or several of them with chlorides, chlorites, hypo-chlorites, chlorates, per chlorates,
iodates and similar combinations also phosphates, permanganates, ferrates of
metals, Am. Na. K. Mg. Ca. Ba. Fe. Mn. one or several of them.
(B) Combinations of the same acids with bi or tri chromates, chlorachromates,
chloronitrites, nitrates, chlorides, of Am. Na. K. Mg. Ca. Ba. Fe. or their mixtures.
Instead of nitric or sulphuric or other acids I use the combination of them with or
without the addition of water. All these arrangements may be used also with
oxides or peroxides.
In all the above mentioned cases the depolarizing-mixtures give out chlorine or
oxygen or both, instead of very high affinity for hydrogen. The specified salts and
acids might be put in a negative cell together with oxides or in separate receptacles
or they may be previously mixed in a separate vessel with or without heating or
cooling and then only these products or mixtures may be placed in the negative
cell and used as depolarizing agent. As the work of the batteries or cells is going
on and the said depolarizing liquids gradually become exhausted they may easily
become regenerated and even kept at their maximum of capacity for work by
constant supply of bromine, chlorine iodine, oxygen, air or their mixtures or
combinations in gaseous, liquid, dissolved or solid state. In these cases it would
only be requisite to change the liquid in the positive cell, that is the liquid around
or near the positive electrode, and thus the maintenance of the battery becomes
more easy and practicable. The just mentioned substances may be supplied near
or around the negative electrodes, which I prefer to have made of carbon or metal,
and of large acting surface, and the electrodes must be so constructed as to easily
receive, retain, or restore them. For this purpose they have suitably arranged
openings, cavities, recesses, depressions, chambers etc. The supply of the said
substances may be effected by the aid of tubes, pipes or similar contrivances, which
may have necessary taps, syphons, valves etc. and its delivery may regulated by
a suitable apparatus. If the specific gravity of the said substances is less than that
of exciting liquids around the electrodes, I prefer to supply them at the lowest
possible part of the negative cell and vice versa providing always that the more or
less uniform dispersion of them near the electrodes is maintained. These sub-
stances may be generated in the cells or supplied from an outside reservoir or
receptacles placed near to or at any distance from the Batteries also they may be
supplied by tubes from the Factory where they aro prepared. In the case where
they are generated in the battery or cell itself I make the negative electrodes on
the principle of the apparatus for the continuous supply of Hydrogen or other gas.
For instance I use for the negative electrode a solid or porous carbon or metal
cylinder or cylinders closed at the upper part and may be surrounded by broken or
granulated carbon or metal and may be immersed in exciting liquid for example
any acid. Inside of this electrode I place the substance rich in chlorine or oxygen,
or both and easily giving them, by the chemical action upon it by exciting liquid,
for example I place chlorates inside of electrodes while sulphuric or hydrochloric
acid surround them and act as exciting liquids, the said electrodes have openings
or holes or channels so as to admit the liquids into the inner part of the electrodes,
and by the pressure of cemitted gases these liquids will be pressed out of the
interior of the electrodes till the said pressure is diminished by the absorption of
the emitted gases which in this case will act as depolarizing agent.
depolarizing action of these substances may be direct that is they may combine
with the free hydrogen or metal of the positive electrode, or they may be at first
dissolved or absorbed by the liquid (for instance water or a solution of salts or
acids) which surrounds, the electrodes or they may be secluded by the same, or
The

page_text: chemically combined with solid or liquid depolarizer and then only they act as
depolarizing agents, this is applicable for both single and double liquid arrange-
ments. The positive electrodes in all these cases may be made of Na. K. Mg.
Zn. Fo. cast iron etc. and their construction shape, form and size may greatly vary
according to the circumstances or necessities, the same may be said in respect to
the negative electrodes, porous vessels and general construction of batteries or cells
or details of the supply of the depolarizing agent. The fresh liquid for the positive
cells may also be supplied in a similar manner.
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. The use for depolarizing agents of combinations of oxides with salts or acids
capable under mutual action of giving chlorine, oxygen or their equivalents,
substantially as described.
2. The use of depolarizing agents of combinations of the acids, such as Sulphuric,
Nitric, Chloric, Hydrochloric, oxalic with the nitrates, chlorates, chlorides, and
such like substances substantially as described.
3. The use for depolarizing agents of the same acids as in the second claim in
combination with chloro-chromides, chloro-nitrates, and such like substances,
substantially as described.
4. The use for depolarizing agents of the same acids as in the second claim in
combination with nitrates, chlorates, chlorides and such like substances sub-
stantially as described.
5. The use_for_depolarizing agents-of-a-continuous-supply-of-Chlorine-Iodine,
Oxygen and such like substances, from outside reservoirs, or the generation of
them in the cell itself, substantially as described.