Improvements in or relating to Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Apr., 1895-Accepted, 4th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Galvanic Batteries.
A communication by ALBERT LESSING, of Nuremberg, in the Empire of
Germany, Doctor.
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
In the galvanic batteries at present employed, the connection between the zinc
cylinder and the conductor is effected by rivetting or soldering, whilst the
conductor may be of zinc or copper. If the joint is soldered, a more or less strong.
local action results, which very rapidly causes the destruction of the soldered part.
This drawback may be avoided by rivetting the conductor to the cylinder by
means of zine rivets. As, however, experience has shown that the zinc cylinder
is first attacked by the electrolyte on the places where it is cut, the rivet holes
must be regarded as deleterious because through them the destruction is
accelerated.
These drawbacks are avoided by making the cylinder and conductor in one
piece.
The battery is made, as usual, of a suitable vessel, carbon cells and a zinc
cylinder. This latter is formed from a rectangular zinc plate in the following
manner :-
An incision is made along the vertical side of the plate, and the strip of metal
thus cut out, whilst still remaining attached at one end to the plate, is bent
vertically upwards and thus serves as the conductor. In order then to form a
cylinder from the plate, a small rectangular piece is cut out at the corner of the
other vertical side of the plate to correspond with the portion of the strip still
remaining attached to the other side.
In another form of construction, the incision is made along the horizontal
side of the rectangular zinc plate, and the strip thus formed is bent up at right
angles.
The invention hereinbefore described thus provides a method by which the
cylinder and conductor may be made in one piece in the simplest manner.
The
cylinder thoroughly fulfils its object, as it is not exposed to destruction to the same
extent as the ordinary ones, and possesses also the further advantage of being
capable of being manufactured very cheaply.
Dated this 17th day of September 1894.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Galvanic Batteries.
A communication by ALBERT LESSING, of Nuremberg, in the Empire of
Germany, Doctor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.1.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, 118 New Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick and 31 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 :-
In the galvanic batteries at present employed, the connection between the zinc
cylinder and the conductor is effected by rivetting or soldering, whilst the
conductor may be of zinc or copper. If the joint is soldered, a more or less
strong local action results, which very rapidly causes the destruction of the soldered
part. This drawback may be avoided by rivetting the conductor to the cylinder
by means of zinc rivets. As, however, experience has shown that the zinc
cylinder is first attacked by the electrolyte on the places where it is cut, the rivet
holes must be regarded as deleterious because through them the destruction is
accelerated.
These drawbacks are avoided by making the cylinder and conductor in one
piece, as shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the battery, whilst
Figures 2 and 3 show details of construction, and
Figures 4 and 5 show a modification.
The battery is made, as usual, of a suitable vessel A, carbon cells B and a zinc
cylinder C. This latter, as shown in Figure 2, is formed from a rectangular zinc
plate in the following manner :-
An incision E F is made along the vertical side of the plate, and the strip of
metal D thus cut out, whilst still remaining attached at one end to the plate, is
bent vertically upwards, as shown in Figure 3, and thus serves as the conductor.
In order then to form a cylinder from the plate, a small rectangular piece a¹ all all
is cut out at the corner of the other vertical side all 6 of the plate to correspond
with the portion of the strip still remaining attached to the other side.
The battery is provided with a ventilating pipe f made of lead which may be
hammered up at c when the battery is to be conveyed anywhere, so that no liquid
can escape. When the battery is to be used, a hole is made suitably with a file in
this tube as at g.
In the modification shown in Figures 4 and 5, the incision J H is made along the
horizontal side of the rectangular zinc plate parallel with the side de, and the
strip K thus formed is bent up at right angles.
The invention hereinbefore described thus provides a method by which the
cylinder and conductor may be made in one piece in the simplest manner.
The cylinder thoroughly fulfils its object, as it is not exposed to destruction to the
same extent as the ordinary ones, and possesses also the further advantage of being
capable of being manufactured very cheaply.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a galvanic battery, a zinc cylinder characterised by the said cylinder C
and the conductor D being formed in one piece, the latter consisting of a strip of

page_text: sheet metal obtained by making an incision EF or J H either along the shorter
side (as shown in Figure 2) or the longer side (as shown in Figure 5) of the
rectangular zinc plate which is to form the cylinder and bending up the strip thus
obtained in a suitable manner; substantially as herein before described.
2. In a galvanic battery such as described in Claim 1, the use of a lead ventilating
pipe which may be hammered up to prevent the escape of liquid whilst the
battery is being transported, and may be easily opened again when intended for use,
by cutting a small hole therein with a file or the like, substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown.
Dated this 2nd day of Anril 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.