AN IMPROVED ACCUMULATOR OF ELECTRICITY
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, JACOB MYERS of Number 4 Droogbak, Amsterdam in the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, Matheseos Magister et Philosophiae Naturalis Doctor of the University
of Leidon and Teacher of Physics and Chemistry at the Middle Class School in
Amsterdam do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
ACCUMULATOR OF ELECTRICITY, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The positive plates of the improved accumulator are made of carbon. They have
a rectangular form with a slip on one corner and are further prepared in the
following manner. The plate is not thicker than 1/8 of an inch and is perforated
with six or eight holos, % of an inch in diameter. The plate is covered on both
sides with a layer of very subtle divided lead, prepared by reducing sulphate of
lead by zinc in a solution of chloride of natrium, or by reducing white lead,
minium or litharge by amalgamated zinc in a solution of chloride of natrium,
mixed with a sufficient portion of pure sulphuric acid. Then the fine divided lead
is pressed together. The so prepared plate is covered with parchment paper and
enveloped in linen, cotton, flannel or similar substance. The slips of the plates are
plunged in melted paraffine.
The negative plates are covered with lead or with zinc. They are of the same
form as the positive one's, and are made of carbon, very thin copper, brass, white-
iron, zinc or similar material. When they are covered with load, they are
manipulated in the same manner as the positive one's. When on the contrary
they are covered with zinc, at first narrow strips of india rubber plate, 1 inch
thick, are fixed on three of the margins on both sides of the plate and then a good
insulating inaterial, as for instance: sarcinet, very thin gutta percha, American cloth,
mackintosh or similar material is folded over and attached to the three margins of
the plate. Afterwards the plates are perfectly cleaned, to receive the galvano-
plastic deposit of zinc, from the solution of pure sulphate of zinc, with which the
accumulator is filled.
Having them covered with lead, the accumulator is filled with diluted sulphuric
acid.
The positive and negative plates are placed alternately and separated from each
other by strips of ebonite or other insulating material, whilst the slips of the
positive one's are united by a conducting material, and so are those of the negative
Paine 11

page_text: one's. The whole is fixed to the cover of the box, wherein the plates are placed.
When the negative plates are covered with zinc, the box is filled with a solution of
pure sulphate of zinc, whereto is added 3°% to 5% pure sulphuric acid.
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 novelty of applying the molecular lead, prepared by reducing sulphate of
lead or obtained by reducing white-lead, minium or litharge in the manner here
above described, and unknown till this moment, as far as concerns the reduction of
the three last named substances.
2 The novelty of the manner of insulating completely the negative plates, when
they are covered with zinc. For the zinc, deposed by the electric current, produces
in the first place contact at the margins of the plates, and when this is prohibited,
the reduced metal forms a coherent layer over the uncovered part of the well-
cleaned plate.
3 The novelty of reducing the weight of the plates to a minimum, by making
use for the positive plates of carbon as thin as it possibly can be made, and for the
negative one's of the same carbon or very thin copper, brass or similar material.
Dated this nineteenth day of August 1884.