Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries and in the Preparation of the Elements and Solutions Employed therein.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 8th Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887.
RESERV
Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries and in the Preparation
of the Elements and Solutions Employed therein.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER Junr. of 50 Lee Park, Blackheath in the County of Kent,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:—
My invention has for its object improvements in primary voltaic batteries whereby
these are rendered more efficacious than heretofore and whereby they may be made
available for either lighting telegraphic or mining purposes by slightly modifying
the conditions under which the cells are originally prepared.
The elements I employ for these batteries are zinc and carbon, or platinised
carbon or platinised copper.
For the terminals of the carbon plates I employ platinised metal such as copper,
the terminals being fixed on the carbon in such manner as to insure perfect contact,
for which purpose I also platinise that portion of the carbon to which the terminal
is to be fixed, the sides of the terminals being tightly pressed to the platinised
surface by means of a wrought iron screw clamp, or by a platinised screw bolt and
nut running through the terminal and carbon. In some cases I make use of entirely
platinised carbon or copper plates. If the battery is intended for constant use in
acids then the carbons and terminals are dipped in a boiling mixture of bees wax and
paraffin and are left therein until the wax becomes of the consistency of butter, when the
plates are withdrawn, and the surface of the wax thereon is smoothed down. When
perfectly hard, the wax surface may be varnished, or the waxed carbons may be fixed
in a wooden casing.
Copper terminals and connections may also be used, but in either case the carbon
plates, after having had the copper or platinum deposited on their surface, must be
thoroughly washed with rain water and dried in an oven, otherwise any crystals of
the chemicals used will prevent the wax from thoroughly impregnating the pores
of the carbons, and in no case must the carbons be moist when plunged in the wax.
The cells of the battery consist of an outer cell and a porous pot, the latter
being made to contain one or more plates of carbon or platinised metal, while the
outer cell contains one or more zinc plates. The outer cell may also contain two

page_text: or more porous pots fitted as described while a correspondingly greater number of
zinc plates are placed in the outer cell. If the battery is intended to be portable, the
porous pots are fixed to the wooden casing of the carbons and to the lid of the outer
cell, which is made of wood lined with vulcanite or xylonite, or made acid-tight in
any known manner.
I construct the porous pots with thicker ends and bottom than usual or I prepare
them with wax in such manner that the interchange of liquids shall be retarded and
thus the local action on the zincs be lessened.
Where the battery is to be used for telegraphic or mining purposes I employ
porous pots of increased thickness, or waxed over the whole surface. When two or
more carbons are used in one cell, I coat one side of each carbon with wax.
The zinc plates employed are either rolled or cast and mixed with a small proportion,
say from 4 to 10 per cent., of any suitable metal not acted upon by sulphuric acid,
such as the non-corrosive metal compound_used for acid taps &c.
If mercury is used with the zinc plates I effect the casting as follows: I provide the
melting pot with a movable cover in the shape of an alembic or pagoda so that all the
mercury fumes given off shall be condensed and run back into the molten mixture;
the mercury is not added until the zinc is melted, and the molten mixture is run into
the moulds from the side of the pot by means of a suitable tube to prevent the
mercury from injuring the workmen.
If the outer cells of the battery are made of wood they are lined with vulcanite; if
they are of earthenware, porcelain or glass, they are provided with wooden covers for
the ends of the terminals and carbons to rest on, the covers being provided with
mercury cups with cast iron channels between for the ends of the terminals to rest in
and thus complete the contact; in the case of portable batteries the ends of the
terminals are fixed by means of springs or screw clamps at the side of the box, made
of suitable metal and platinised, or made of non corrosive compound metal.
For the inner solution of primary batteries of the kind hereinbefore referred to, I
employ one or other of the following compounds.
1. 5lbs. of nitrate of soda mixed with 8 pints of sulphuric acid and from 16 to
18 pints of water.
2. 5lbs. of nitrate of soda with 1lb. chromic acid, or bi- or tri-chromate of soda,
potass or ammonia, and with sulphuric acid and water as in No. 1.
3. 4lbs. of nitrate of soda with 2lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with 8 pints
sulphuric acid and 16 to 20 pints of water.
4. 3lbs. of nitrate of soda with 3lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with
8 pints sulphuric acid and water 16 to 22 pints."
5. 2lbs. nitrate of soda with 4lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with 8 pints
sulphuric acid and 16 to 24 pints of water.
6. 1lb. nitrate of soda with 5lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with 8 pints
sulphuric acid, and 16 to 26 pints of water.
In all the above cases where chromic acid is used, the nitrate of soda has the
property of preventing the electro motive force of the cell from falling so rapidly as
it would do if chromic acid or any of the chromates were used alone, and the above
solutions do not crystallise or give off fumes.
For the outer solution of the battery I employ one part of sulphuric acid to from
21 to 100 parts of water.
For filling and emptying the larger cells of the above batteries with these solutions
I employ a compound siphon having one main wooden channel with from one to
eight or more tubes of xylonite, all joints being made air tight by means of marine.
glue wax or other suitable compound.
Dated this 9th day of December 1886.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries and in the Preparation
of the Elements and Solutions Employed therein.
I, WILLIAM WEBSTER Junr. of 50 Lee Park Blackheath in the County of Kent,
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 :-
My invention has for its object improvements in primary Voltaic Batteries whereby
these are rendered more efficacious than heretofore, and whereby they may be made
availabe for either lighting, telegraphic, or mining purposes, by slightly modifying
the conditions under which the cells are originally prepared.
purpose
The elements I employ for these batteries are zinc and carbon or platinised metal.
For the terminals of the carbon plates I employ platinised metal such as copper, the
terminals being fixed in such a manner as to insure perfect contact, for which
I also in some cases platinise that portion of the carbon to which the terminal
is to be fixed, the sides of the terminals being tightly pressed to the platinised surface
by means of a wrought iron screw clamp or by a platinised screw bolt and nut
running through the terminal and carbon. In some cases I make use of entirely
platinised carbon or copper plates. If the battery is intended for constant use, then
the carbons are dipped in a boiling mixture of beeswax and parafin and are left therein
until the wax cools and becomes of the consistency of butter, when the plates are with-
drawn and allowed to cool, and the surface of the wax is then scraped off and the
terminals are fixed on and the whole are again dipped into a mixture of wax &c. as
before; the terminals may then be varnished or fixed in a wooden casing; care must
be taken that the carbons are thoroughly dry before the wax is applied, and in no
case must carbons be employed that have been dipped in any chemicals.
The cells of the batteries consist of an outer cell of glazed earthenware, glass, or
wood lined with Vulcanite, Xylonite or Celluloid and an inner cell of porous
earthenware--the latter containing one or more plates of carbon or platinized metal
while the outer cell contains one or more zinc plates; the outer cell may also contain
two or more porous pots fitted as described while a corresponding greater number of
zinc plates are placed in the outer cell. If the battery is intended to be portable, the
porous pots are fixed to the wooden casing of the carbons and to the lid of the outer
cell. I construct the porous pots with thicker ends and bottoms than usual which
must be waxed in such manner that the interchange of liquids shall be retarded. I
also overlap the sides with wax one or more inches all round, according to current
required, and thus lessen the local action in the zincs.
The zinc plates employed are either rolled or cast and mixed with a small proportion,
say from 4 to 10 per cent., of any suitable metal not acted upon by sulphuric acid
such as the non corosive metal compound used for acid taps &c.
If mercury is used with the pure zinc plates I effect the casting as follows:-I

page_text: provide the melting pot with a movable cover in the shape of an alembic or pagoda so
that all the mercury fumes given off shall be condensed and run back into the molten
mixture; the mercury is not added until the zinc is melted and the molten mixture is
run into the moulds from the side of the pot by means of a suitable tube to prevent
the mercury from injuring the workmen.
The zinc plates mixed with non corrosive metal such as lead, as above referred to,
must be amalgamated with mercury.
In the case of portable batteries, the ends of the terminals are fixed by means of
springs or screw clamps at the side of the box made of suitable metal and platinised.
In the case of wooden batteries, the ends of the outer cell are so constructed that
the ends of the terminals on carbons and zincs can dip into mercury cups made in
such manner that the contacts between two or more zinc terminals and carbon
terminals are in paralell; in the case of earthenware outer cells the said mercury
cups and channels are made of earthenware as part of the cell, the cups in either case
being connected by means of copper or iron bands.
These bands are cemented in by means of wax or bitumen to prevent oxidation by
droppings from acids employed in cells.
For the inner solution of primary batteries of the kind hereinbefore referred to I
employ one or other of the following compounds.
1. 5lbs. of Nitrate of Soda, mixed with 8 pints of Sulphuric acid and from 16 to
18 pints of water.
2. 5lbs. of Nitrate of Soda with 1lbs. chromic acid or bi or tri chromate of soda or
ammonia, and with sulphuric acid and water as in No. 1.
3. 4lbs. of Nitrate of Soda with 2lbs. of chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with
8 pints sulphuric acid and 16 to 20 pints of water.
4. 3lbs. of Nitrate of Soda with 3lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with
8 pints sulphuric acid and water 16 to 22 pints.
5. 2lbs. Nitrate of Soda with 4lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with 8 pints
sulphuric acid.
6. 1lb. Nitrate of Soda with 5lbs. chromic acid (or as in No. 2) and with 8 pints
sulphuric acid and 16 to 26 pints of water.
In combination with Chromic acid I in some cases use nitrate of ammonia instead
of soda.
In all the above cases where chromic acid is used the nitrate of soda has the
property of preventing the electro-motive force of the cell from falling so rapidly as it
would do if chromic acid or any of the acids were used alone, and the solu-
tions 4. 5. 6. do not give off fumes nor do any of the solutions from 1 to 6 crystallise
in the porous pots.
For the outer solution of the battery I employ one part of sulphuric acid to from
21 to 100 parts of water or water without acid.
For filling and emptying the larger cells of the above batteries with these solutions
I employ a compound syphon having one main wooden channel with from one to eight
more tubes of xylonite or other suitable material, all joints being made air tight by
means of marine glue wax or other suitable compound. A filling box is employed,
made of any suitable material with a nozzle at the bottom, for fitting on an india rubber
tube which must at least be 4 ft. 6 inches long and connected with the nozzle of the
compound syphon for the purpose of driving out air for emptying the batteries by
means of a piston to fit the filling box.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews a plan of a battery constructed according
to my above described invention having a single porous cell, Fig. 2 shews a plan of a
battery with two porous cells, and Fig. 3 shews a cross section of the same, and Figs. 4
and 5 shew, sections of the shelves A¹. A is the outer cell of earthenware provided
with shelves A¹ at each end in which are formed the mercury cups DD for the
terminals (of the copper electrodes C and the mercury cups E for the terminals B¹
of the zinc electrodes B. FF are the channels for the copper bands for connecting
the mercury cups DD and E E. HH are holes in the shelves A¹ for the introduction
of the compound siphon tubes; G G are the porous inner cells.

page_text: The carbon plates are made to rise well above the level of the liquid indicated at X
so as to prevent the creeping up of the latter to the terminals. Lis the loose cover
fitting on to the top of the outer cell and having an opening through which terminals
dipping into the mercury cups rise and are provided above with the necessary contact
screws.
Fig. 6 shews a perspective view to a smaller scale of the before described compound
siphon. I is the main channel having a nozzle J to which is connected an india rubber
tube serving to connect the siphon to a feed box or for emptying the cells.
K are
tubes of xylonite or celluloid which are inserted into the outer cells through the
holes H.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1. In primary batteries, the method of partially coating with wax the porous cells
both inside and outside, for restricting the interchange of the inner and outer liquids
substantially as herein described.
2. The herein described construction of the outer cell of a battery with mercury
cups formed therein and with channels connecting the same so that single zinc or
carbon electrodes may be removed without interfering with the action of the battery.
3. The herein described method of saturating the carbon electrodes with wax and
parafin so that the pores thereof are thoroughly impregnated, thereby preventing the
creeping of acids up to the terminals.
4. The use for the inner liquid of a battery of a compound of nitrate of soda and
bichromate of soda or chromic acid.
5. The use for the inner liquid of a battery of the several herein described solutions
containing nitrate of soda and bichromate of soda or chromic acid in the proportions
set forth.
6. The use of a compound siphon for charging or discharging several cells
simultaneously constructed as herein described.
Dated this 8th day of September 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.