An Improved Primary Electric Battery.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Dec., 1896-Accepted, 27th Mar., 1897
An Improved Primary Electric Battery.
We, OSCAR ROTHMUND, EDLER VON BURGWALL, of 351 Baumgarten
Hütteldorfer Strasse, Vienna, Engineer, and LEOPOLD OFENSCHÜSSL, of 16 Karo-
linenthal Weinberg Strasse, Prag, Bohemia, Mechanic, both in the Empire of
Austria, 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 :-
The application of the electric current for practical use especially for lighting
purposes can only take place where the current generated by a dynamo or stored
in an accumulator is accessible by conductors.
Should use be made especially of a portable accumulator for the purpose of
supplying current it will be necessary to bring it, like any other stable accumulator,
after its exhaustion to a charging place where it may be re-charged so as to enable
it to be used again.
These manipulations increase considerably the costs of their use apart from the
fact that it is often impossible to reach a charging place in time, and it may also
happen that the exhaustion of the accumulator occurs at a time and at a place
where re-charging is absolutely impossible.
The object of our application is a primary element with exchangeable electrodes
and regenerative positive electrode of any desired shape and size.
The positive
electrode consists of superoxyde of lead, whilst for the negative electrode
amalgamated zinc, aluminium, magnesium or iron is used.
The positive electrodes are formed of hard lead frames which are filled up with
superoxyde of lead after the manner of accumulator plates whereby the leaden
frame only forms the discharge of the current.
The negative electrodes are strips of the said sheet metals which in shape and
size are similar to those used for the positive plates, and are insulated from the
latter and kept in the vessels, which are to contain them, in a fixed position toward
each other.
In this condition the elements may be preserved for any desired time, and
electrodes made up in bundles may be stored for any desired length of time and
only be put into the vessel in case of use.
But in order that there may be no necessity for using either corroding liquids or
salts as an electrolyte, whereby these elements would have the same defects as all
others heretofore known, but that only pure water may be added in case of need,
and as this cannot perform by itself the chemical process in the discharge, the
positive superoxyde-plates are mixed by a special process with a liquid such as
concentrated sulphuric-acid, potash, sodium or potash-lye, chromic acid. These
concentrated solutions are combined with superoxyde of lead in an analogous
manner as nitroglycerine in the kieselguhr resulted in the saleable kieselguhr-
dynamite.
These positive plates give in case of use and by contact with water the absorbed
solution partly and successively to the water and produce the electrolyte, whereby
a strong element is formed where potentials reach the height of 2.4 2.6 volts,
whilst the intensity of the discharge of the current depends solely on the size of
the surface of the positive plates applied, the life on the mass (thickness) of the
positive plate, as the consumption of the negative electrode, in consequence of the

page_text: amalgamation of the metals used, is very small without causing polarisation. But
when not used the plates must be protected against the moisture of the air, which
may be done easily by wrapping them up in gutta-percha paper, lead-foil etc.
The method of preparing the positive plate for the reception of the concentrated
liquids consists of freeing them of their aqueous contents or any other absorbed
moisture, either by chemical means, always employing, however regenerative
superoxyde-plates in a drying chamber at a temperature up to 150° C. or by means
of calcium chloride or other hygroscopic bodies, whereupon they are dipped in the
aforesaid concentrated liquids.
The superoxyde-plates of lead absorb eagerly these concentrated liquids up to
-complete saturation whereupon they are dried again, put together in bundles and
protected against moisture by the before described means, and being suitably
packed they are ready to be sent away.
Such sets of plates are easily portable, and the use of water allows the same to
be carried to any desired place at any time and as often as one likes in accordance
with the number of plates at disposal. As only dry plates have to be carried the
possibility is given to use these elements for portable lighting of railway carriages,
equipages, bicycles, fire-brigade engines, mining and lamps to be used in rooms, for
military purposes, such as search lanterns for field hospital corps, and for many
other purposes, whilst this would be nearly impossible with the heavy accumulators
which in disuse is subjected to self-discharge, and needs a charging station, as well
as with those which necessitate the carrying of, salts and other acids as the
heretofore known primary elements such as Bunsen's, Daniel's, Grove's, Meidinger's,
Leclanché's, etc.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a primary element with interchangeable electrodes and regenerable positive
electrodes the process above described in this specification for the purpose
specified.
2. The combination of a primary element with interchangeable electrodes and
regenerable positive electrode, a positive electrode of peroxyd of lead, of any
form, and by a negative electrode of any form, consisting of amalgamated zinc,
aluminium, magnesium or iron, where in order to carry the element dry to the place
of use and not to carry corrosive liquids or salts, the positive electrode is saturated
in a liquid (like concentrated sulphuric acid, concentrated potash, lyes of potassium
or soda or acid of chromium) so that the electroly is produced by the positive
plate (electrode) but by the application of pure water, substantially as described.
3. In the electrodes, the process of preserving the positive electrode, which is
prepared after a previous regeneration (loading) of its moisture by means of the
electric current or in a chemical way by exact perfect drying in drying chambers
or by means of chloride of calcium, or by means of any other hygroscopic
'substance, in order to be enabled to take up the applied liquids like concentrated
sulphuric acid, or caustic lye, lye of potassium or soda or chromatic acid,
substantially as herein described.
Dated this 1st day of December 1896.
J. P. BAYLY,
18 Fulham Place, London, W., Agent for the Applicants.