IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Kingzett of Lansdowne Road Tottenham
in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and Fellow
of the Chemical Society for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Kingzett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1882.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT of Lansdowne Road Tottenham in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and Fellow of the Chemical
Society " IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES,"
My Invention relates to so termed secondary batteries or magazines of electricity,
and has reference to novel means and apparatus for effecting the conservation of
electric energy
In order that my Invention shall be understood I will briefly refer to certain
previously known methods of constructing secondary or polarization batteries and
also to certain results obtained during my own investigations
A common proceeding in the construction of secondary batteries consists in
taking plates or blades or other particular forms of metallic lead or carbon or other
material suitable for use as electrodes, and to pack thereon or therein a suitable
compound of lead, say red lead (minium) which when such prepared electrodes are
immersed in acidulated water and placed in connection with a primary electric
battery or dynamo machine or other source of electricity suffers chemical change in
two distinct ways that is to say at the one electrode or pole the compound of
lead is reduced more or less to the metallic state while at the other electrode or
pole it experiences peroxidation.-It is usual to vary the direction of the charging
current of electricity after each discharge of the secondary battery until the said
battery is properly "formed," after which it is usually charged in one direction
only.
Now my Invention has reference firstly to the particular form of the electrodes
as hereinafter described, secondly to the compounds which are placed in contact
with the electrodes, and thirdly to the method of the disposal of such compounds.

page_text: From the results obtained in my practical investigations, I have concluded that
while red lead may be usefully employed at the electrode, at which oxygen is set free
during the charging process, it may with advantage be replaced at the other pole
(where hydrogen is evolved) by the sulphate of lead or the chloride of lead or
the oxychloride of lead or better still a freshly prepared mixture of litharge 5
(oxide of lead) and dilute sulphuric acid
In my experiments the ease with which reduction was effected followed the
order in which I have named these several substances.
The advantage of using two distinct substances at the electrodes in the place of
red lead only is two fold. In the first place, less hydrogen is required to obtain 1
a given quantity of metallic lead from the sulphate chloride or oxide of lead than
from red lead as is illustrated by the following chemical equations :—
Pb, O, (red lead) + 3 H₂ = 2 Pb + 3 H₂ O
2 Pb O (litharge) + 2 H₂ 2 Pb + 2 H₂
=
and in the second place there is avoided any mixture of peroxide of lead with 1
reduced metallic lead at either of the electrodes This is matter of importance
because when such a mixture is obtained, it opposes resistance to the charging
current and tends to diminish the efficacy of the secondary battery owing to
the local action which results from such a mixture.
Proceeding as I do, the important defects to which reference has been made are a
avoided I employ the chloride or oxychloride or sulphate or oxide (litharge) or
red lead or other suitable compound of lead at the electrode where oxygen is set
free during the charging process, but I prefer to use the red lead while at the
other electrode I employ the sulphate, chloride oxychloride or oxide (litharge)
of lead, or other suitable lead compound, but I prefer litharge, and specifically
avoid the use of red lead or the peroxide of lead when chloride of lead or
oxychloride of lead is employed, dilute hydrochloric acid may be substituted for
the dilute sulphuric acid ordinarily employed as the electrolyte if desired.
over I prefer to charge my secondary batteries in one direction only from the
start. The consequence of my method of proceeding is that peroxide of lead is
exclusively produced at the one electrode and reduced metallic lead is exclusively
produced at the other electrode These two substances are never found present
together at one and the same electrode, so that the defects of certain other secondary
batteries to which I have heretofore made reference are obviated and my batteries
retain their charge free from appreciable loss by local action indefinitely
More-
Moreover, instead of placing the compounds of lead which are intended to suffer
chemical change in or upon the electrodes I prefer to insert the electrodes in them,
that is to say in the compounds in question and contained in suitable vessels,
adopting suitable means of keeping the two substances properly apart as hereinafter
described.
For example I take suitable vessels of wood (lined with lead or otherwise) or
slate or flagstone or other material partitioned with asbestos cloth or board or
porous earthenware or wood pulp board or plaster of Paris or other suitable
material into two or more compartments or I employ distinct vessels and effect
communication between them by the use of pipes or syphon tubes or other means,
or I employ a porous vessel standing inside an impervious vessel or two or more
porous vessels standing inside one large impervious bath or tank or I employ bags
of woven asbestos or other suitable material placed within an impervious vessel.-
Where only one pair of electrodes is employed, the one lead compound is placed in
one compartment or vessel or porous vessel or bag, and the other compound of lead
is placed in the other compartment or vessel or porous vessel or bag, and so on
with a series of electrodes filling all the containing vessels with water acidulated
either with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid as desired.-As to the electrodes them-
selves, they may be constructed of various shapes and forms such as rods or plain sheets
with plane surfaces or solid square built crates or series of rods protruding from the
same piece of substance, just as the bristles of a brush stick out from the framework

page_text: or support, the only difference being that the framework or support is made of the
same material as the bristles and may form in itself a lid to the secondary batteries
or may constitute the lining of such lid, the whole being so constructed as to
enable the operator by means of properly disposed pulleys to raise the electrodes
out of or lower them into contact with the substances contained in the cells
My object in thus constructing my secondary batteries is to get as large an
effective surface as possible for each electrode, and to secure in contact with each
part of the electrodes only such a thickness of surrounding chemical substance
as inay be effectually converted by the agency of the charging current into active
material. The similar consideration applies to the discharging process, in which
it is sought to obtain from the secondary batteries that energy which may have
been stored up in them.
The electrodes may be made of metallic lead (which I prefer) or carbon or
iron or steel which substances have been coated with magnetic oxide of iron or
any other suitable material which does not introduce any distinct system of
chemical change into the active field of the secondary battery.-I have also found
that calcic hypochlorite may be usefully employed for prolonging or revivifying
the action of a secondary battery constructed upon any of the lines to which I
have referred in this specification, in those cases in which the discharge current
would cease for want of peroxide of lead at the one electrode That is to say if
there be still unacted upon metallic lead at the other pole but no further peroxide
of lead to react upon it then the addition of calcic hypochlorite to that part of the
battery which originally contained the peroxide of lead will reproduce that
substance, and the battery will then continue to give out a current.-Indeed a
useful primary battery may be made by placing a mixture of red lead and
hypochlorite of calcium in electrical contact with reduced or chemically precipitated
metallic lead.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Thomas Kingzett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th February 1883.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT of Lansdowne Road Tottenham in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Chemical Society and Fellow of the Institute of
Chemistry, "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES,"
My Invention relates to so termed secondary batteries or magazines of electricity,
and has reference to novel means and apparatus for effecting the conservation of
electric energy.
In order that my Invention shall be understood, I will briefly refer to certain
previously known methods of constructing secondary or polarization batteries, and
also to certain results obtained during my investigations.
A common proceeding in the construction of secondary batteries consists in
taking plates or blades or other particular forms of metallic lead or carbon or other
material suitable for use as electrodes and to pack thereon or therein a suitable
compound of lead, say red lead (minium) which when such prepared electrodes are
immersed in acidulated water and placed in connection with a primary electric
battery or dynamo machine or other source of electricity, suffers chemical change
in two distinct ways, that is to say at the one electrode or pole the compound of
lead is reduced more or less to the metallic state, while at the other electrode or
pole, it experiences peroxidation. It is usual to vary the direction of the charging
current of electricity after each discharge of the secondary battery until the said
battery is properly "formed," after which it is usually charged in one direction
only. Now my Invention has reference firstly to the particular form of the
electrodes as hereinafter described. secondly, to the compounds which are placed
in contact with the electrodes, and thirdly, to the method of the disposal of such
compounds.
From the results obtained in my practical investigations, I have concluded that
while red lead may be usefully employed at the electrode at which oxygen is set
free during the charging process, it may with advantage be replaced at the other
pole (where hydrogen is evolved) by the sulphate of lead or the chloride of lead or
the oxychloride of lead, or better still, a freshly prepared mixture of litharge
(oxide of lead) and dilute sulphuric acid-In my experiments, the ease with
which reduction was effected followed the order in which I have named these
several substances, the last named beingmost readily reduced.-The advantage of
using two distinct substances at the electrodes in the place of red lead only is two
fold In the first place less hydrogen is required to obtain a given quantity of
metallic lead from the sulphate, chloride or oxide of lead than from red lead, as is
illustrated by the following chemical equations
:-
Pb. O, (red lead) + 3 H. 2 Pb + 3 H₂
2 PbO (litharge) + 2 H, 2 Pb + 2 H,
=
0
and in the second place there is avoided any mixture of peroxide of lead with
reduced metallic lead at either of the electrodes.-This is a matter of importance,
because when such a mixture is obtained, it opposes resistance to the charging
current, and tends to diminish the efficacy of the secondary battery, owing to the
local action which results from such a mixture.
Proceeding as I do, the important defects to which reference has been made are
avoided. I employ the chloride or oxychloride or sulphate or oxide (litharge) or
red lead or other suitable compound of lead at the electrode where the oxygen is

page_text: set free during the charging process, but I prefer to use the red lead, while at the
other electrode I employ the sulphate, chloride, oxychloride, or oxide, (litharge) of
lead or other suitable lead compound, but I prefer litharge, and specifically avoid the
use of red lead or the peroxide of lead.-When chloride of lead or oxychloride of
lead is employed, dilute hydrochloric acid may be substituted for the dilute sulphuric
acid ordinarily employed as the electrolyte if desired.-Moreover, I prefer to
charge my secondary batteries in one direction only from the start.-The
consequence of my method of proceeding is that peroxide of lead is exclusively
produced at the one electrode and reduced metallic lead is exclusively produced at
the other electrode.-These two substances are never found present together at one
and the same electrode, so that the defects of certain other secondary batteries to
which I have heretofore made reference are obviated, and my batteries retain their
charge free from appreciable loss by local action indefinitely-Moreover, instead of
placing the compounds of lead which are intended to suffer chemical change in or
upon the electrodes, I prefer to insert the electrodes in them, that is to say, in the
compounds in question, and contained in suitable vessels, adopting suitable means
of keeping the two substances properly apart as hereinafter described.-For example,
I take suitable vessels of wood (lined with lead or otherwise), or slate or flagstone
or other material partitioned with asbestos cloth or board, or porous earthenware
or wood pulp board or plaster of Paris or other suitable material into two
or more compartments or I employ distinct vessels, and effect communication
between them by the use of pipes or syphon tubes or other means, or I employ
a porous vessel standing inside an impervious vessel, or two or more porous vessels
standing inside one large impervious bath or tank, or bags of woven asbestos or
other suitable material placed within an impervious vessel-Where only one pair
of electrodes is employed the one lead compound is placed in one compartment or
vessel, or porous vessel or bag and the other compound of lead is placed in the
other compartment or vessel or porous vessel or bag, and so on with a series of
electrodes, filling all the containing vessels with water acidulated either with
sulphuric or hydrochloric acid as desired.-As to the electrodes themselves, they
may be constructed of various shapes or forms, such as rods or plain sheets, with
plane or corrugated surfaces, or solid square built crates or series of rods protruding
from the same piece of substance, just as the bristles of a brush stick out from its
framework or support the only difference being that the framework or support
is made of the same material as the bristles, and may form in itself a lid to the
secondary batteries or may constitute the lining of such lid, the whole being so
constructed as to enable the operator by means of properly disposed pulleys to
raise the electrodes out of or lower them into contact with the substances contained
in the cells-My object in thus constructing my secondary batteries is to get as
large an effective surface as possible for each electrode, and to secure in contact
with each part of the electrodes only such a thickness of surrounding chemical
substance as may be effectually converted by the agency of the charging current
into active material
The similar consideration applies to the discharging process, in which it is sought
to obtain from the secondary batteries that energy which may have been stored up
in them. The electrodes may be made of metallic lead (which I prefer) or carbon
or iron or steel, which substances have been coated with magnetic oxide of iron
or any other suitable material which does not introduce any distinct system of
cheinical changes into the active field of the secondary battery.-I have also found
that calcic hypochlorite may be usefully employed for prolonging or revivifying
the action of a secondary battery constructed upon any of the lines to which I
have referred in this specification, in those cases in which the discharge current
would cease for want of peroxide of lead at the one electrode.-That is to say,
f there be still unacted upon metallic lead at the other pole, but no further
peroxide of lead to react upon it, then the addition of calcic hypochlorite to that
art of the battery which originally contained the peroxide of lead will reproduce
hat substance and the battery will then continue to give out a current.-Indeed

page_text: a useful primary battery may be made by placing a mixture of red lead and
hypochlorite of calcium in electrical contact with reduced or chemically precipitated
metallic lead.
•
In order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect.-The supports or frames
(electrodes) of my secondary battery may be made of lead or carbon or platinum,
or iron coated with lead, either mechanically or electrolytically, or iron coated
with a carefully prepared layer of magnetic oxide of iron (although further
investigation has shown me that this substance is acted upon in course of time
more or less according to its strength and other circumstances, by the sulphuric
acid when that solution is employed, and consequently I do not prefer to use iron
thus prepared)-These supports or frames may be of various shapes and forms,
but a form which I prefer to employ is (for the reasons previously stated) that
presented by a brush.-These brushes may be square or round, or of other forms,
and they may be either cast (if of metal) in the desired shape, or otherwise
constructed, furnishing them when necessary with an outer circumferential wall,
either of conducting or nonconducting or porous or impervious substance according
to circumstances.-Those parts of the brush which correspond to the bristles of a
hair brush may be of solid metal or substance or may be constructed of hollow
and if desired also perforated tubes, such tubes being screwed onto or otherwise
placed in electrical contact with the back or body of the apparatus conducting the
current of electricity.-Free access of the electrolytic liquid to the various parts
of the elements may be secured in one or more of several ways, such as the
following
(a.) By the distribution of pieces of hollow tobacco piping standing vertically
between and among the parts of the brush corresponding to bristles.
(b.) The distribution of wicks or folds of porous substances, such as hemp or
felt, between and throughout certain of the parts of the brush corresponding to the
bristles as aforesaid
(c.) By leaving free spaces for the electrolytic liquid to flow between alternate
(or otherwise) rows of bristles, such free spaces being obtained by the use of pro-
tecting walls of suitable material, such as felt or plaster of Paris.
(d) In those cases in which the bristles of the brush are made of hollow and
perforated tubes, the provision in question is carried with the arrangement, since
the active materials may then be packed inside (only) the hollow tubes or pipes
(e) By preparing pastes of the lead compounds, either with plaster of Paris or
glycerine or other suitable material, and casting or moulding such pastes in or
around each individual bristle of metal or other substances employed as parts of the
support such parts being screwed or otherwise attached afterwards to the main
body of the support
All surfaces of metal or other substance employed as part of the frame or support
not in contact with any of the lead compounds employed in my battery, are coated
with a non conducting film or coating of suitable varnish or other preparation
The substances to be placed in around or upon the supports or frames are
compounds of lead as herein before stated, but what I claim to be a novel and
important proceeding is the use of red oxide or the peroxide of lead exclusively at
that pole at which during the charging process oxygen is set free or liberated from
the electrolytic liquid, together with the specific avoidance of the use of either and
both these substances at the other pole, and for the reasons hereinbefore set forth.
The following instructions will serve to enable any intelligent artisan to produce
a secondary battery according to one of the proceedings herein before described A
length of lead piping, of say 3 inch bore is pierced with holes at equidistant
points, leaving an interval of say ¼ to ½ an inch between the said piercings,
which are made over the whole surface of the piping in parallel lines, with an
interval between each two lines of say to /, an inch, or the piping may be cast
so as to present this pierced or other equally suitable form.-It is then cut up into

page_text: suitable pieces, each of say 12 inches in length, and these to any desired number
are stood in rows quite close to each other, upon a strip of lead sheet say 1/8 inch or 1/
inch in thickness, to which also they are then soldered or fused or otherwise
attached so as to get the whole lot in good electrical contact, and secure perfect
conductivity Any number of rows may be used according to the size of battery
required, joining up the strips of sheet lead either inside or outside of the containing
vessel, on the floor of which the strips are subsequently laid or placed.-Two such
supports or frames having been prepared, they are placed side by side (but not in
contact) in a suitable tank or vat of wood or stone or other substance.--The outside
surfaces of the hollow pieces of lead piping, and the exposed parts of the lead strips
binding them up are then varnished, so as to prevent any waste of the current,
after which those at the one pole are charged with say a newly made thick paste of
glycerine or dilute sulphuric acid and red lead or peroxide of lead, and those at the
other pole with say a newly made similar mixture, in which litharge is used in
place of the red lead or peroxide of lead-The bath or vessel in which the two
elements are fixed is then charged with say 1.10 solution of sulphuric acid and the
cell thus prepared is ready for charging.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and mode or manner in or under which the same may be practically
carried into effect, I would observe that I do not limit myself to the precise form or
mode of construction of battery herein particularly described, for the reason which
will be obvious to chemists and electricians, that the form or construction may be
varied without departure from the essence of my Invention, but what I claim to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is :-The secondary batteries constructed
and prepared substantially as hereinbefore described.
In Witness whereof I the said Charles Thomas Kingzett have hereunto set
my band and seal this Seventh day of February in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
Witness:-
ARTHUR BODDINGTON
67 Lauriston Road
South Hackney. E.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT (L.S.)