IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES, TOGETHER WITH THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IRON AND OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES, AND IN GENERATING ELECTRICITY AND THERMO-ELECTRICITY BY OR DURING THE ELECTRO DEPOSITION OF SUCH ORES."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Blanch Brain, of Cinderford, in the County of
Gloucester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES,
TOGETHER WITH THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING IRON AND
OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES, AND IN GENERATING ELECTRICITY AND
THERMO-ELECTRICITY BY OR DURING THE ELECTRO DEPOSITION OF SUCH ORES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blanch Brain at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1877.
WILLIAM BLANCH BRAIN, of Cinderford, in the County of Gloucester. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES, TOGETHER WITH THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
SEPARATING IRON AMD OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES, AND IN GENERATING
ELECTRICITY AND THERMO-ELECTRICITY BY OR DURING THE ELECTRO DEPOSITION OF
SUCH ORES,"
My Invention primarily refers to the construction of electric batteries possessing
what I term a triple or more than triple element; with this object various ores are
arranged, substantially as hereafter described, so as to form triple or multiple
elements according to the nature of the metals to be separated from their ores.
In order to illustrate how my Invention may be applied, I take for example a
single cell, which may consist of three elements, as follows:-The outer element is a
vessel of wrought iron which may be cylindrical, square, or of other convenient
shape, to which a connecting wire, band, or cable is secured.
In the metal vessel aforesaid I place a porous pot or bag made of flannel or other
equivalent material saturated or partially saturated with paraffin wax; within this
porous pot or flannel or other bag I place another porous pot or bag of less
dimensions than the former, but equal in depth; the space between the two bags is
filled with red or brown hematite iron ore; the inner porous pot or bag is then
filled with a carbon plate or carbon coke, or with any suitable form of carbon, to
which a metallic connection is secured in the ordinary way. This inner porous pot
or bag is then filled up with acid, consisting preferably of a mixture of nitric,
sulphuric, and chromic acids. Outside this same porous pot or bag, and inside the
outer or other porous pot or bag, I place hydrochloric acid and chloride of ammonia

page_text: diluted or not according to circumstances, the acid being thus incorporated with
the ore.
On applying a connection to the middle element of iron or other ore (which may
or may not be mixed with broken pieces of carbon for increasing the conductivity)
it will be found electro-positive to the iron, and electro-negative to the carbon; or in
other words a current of electricity will pass from it (the ore) to the iron or outer
element independent of the carbon, or to it (the ore) from the carbon independent of
the iron.
The cells before described can or may be arranged so that they may be heated
with gas jets or other heating appliance whereby the action is considerably increased,
and when thus heated the apparatus forms and may be used as a thermo-electric
generator, whether heated or not heated; an arrangement may be provided for
drawing off the chloride of iron; this done, I then add a fresh supply of hydrochloric
acid and ammonia, and so on.
To deposit pure iron I make the outer cell of zinc instead of iron, as before
described, or I place in the inner pot or bag zinc instead of carbon, and I fill up the
space between the two porous pots or bags with the chloride of iron solution drawn
from the other cells as before described; or I fill up with fresh iron ore chloride of
ammonia and hydrochloric acid for the purposes of depositing pure iron. The outer
pot or bag next the iron may in some cases be dispensed with, and heat may be
applied to this cell as before described.
Another form of battery can be made of old scrap iron placed within a wood
vessel, preferably of cylindrical form; and inside the iron I place the porous pot or
bag as before. In this way the waste products of a colliery may be utilized.
More than a triple element is or may be made by the use of additional porous
pots, bags, or diaphragms, and ores of iron or other metals of higher or lower
electro-negative or positive characters, incorporated with suitable acids.
Some of the foregoing arrangements may be worked under pressure by sealing
the cells down with a suitable thickness of pitch, resin, or other suitable non-con-
ducting material or materials. Tubes must pass through into the cells for the
admission of acid when required and for the fitting of valves to regulate the
pressure. Batteries thus constructed yield no fumes and are constant in action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Blanch Brain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
September 1877.
WILLIAM BLANCH BRAIN, of Cinderford, in the County of Gloucester. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES, TOGETHER WITH THE MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
SEPARATING IRON AND OTHER METALS FROM THEIR ORES, AND IN GENERATING
ELECTRICITY AND THERMO-ELECTRICITY BY OR DURING THE ELECTRO DEPOSITION OF
SUCH ORES."
My Invention primarily refers to the construction of electric batteries possessing
what I term a triple or more than triple element; with this object various ores,
metallic oxides, acids, or salts are arranged, substantially as hereafter described, so
as to forin triple or multiple elements according to the nature of the metals to be
separated from their ores.
In order to illustrate how my Invention may be applied, I take for example a
single coll, which may consist of three elements, as follows:-The outer element is a
vessel of wrought iron which may be cylindrical, square, or of other convenient
shape, to which a connecting wire or band is secured.
In the metal vessel aforesaid I place a porous pot or a bag made of flannel or
other equivalent material saturated or partially saturated with paraffin wax; within
this porous pot or flannel or other bag I place another porous pot or bag of less

page_text: dimensions than the former, but equal in depth; the space between the two bags is
filled with red or brown hematito iron or other metallic oxide; the inner porous
pot or bag is then filled with a carbon plate or carbon coke, or with any suitable
form of carbon, to which a metallic connection is secured in the ordinary way. This
inner porous pot or bag is then filled up with acid or other active oxydating agent,
such as a mixture of nitric, sulphuric and chromic acids, or of chlorate of potash and
hydrochloric acid. Outside this same porous pot or bag, and inside the outer or
other porous pot or bag, I place hydrochloric acid and chloride of ammonia or either
of them, diluted or not, according to circumstances, the acid being thus incorporated
with the ore, I fill the iron vessel outside this pot or bag with water, with or
without acids or chlorides.
On applying a connection to the middle element of iron or other ore, which may
or may not be mixed with broken pieces of carbon for increasing the conductivity,
it will be found electro-positive to the iron, and electro-negative to the carbon; or in
other words a current of electricity will pass from it (the ore) to the iron or outer
clement independent of the carbon, or to it (the ore) from the carbon independent
of the iron.
The cells before described can or may be arranged so that they may be heated
with gas jets or other heating appliance whereby the action is considerably
increased, and when thus heated the apparatus forms and may be used as a thermo-
electric generator; whether heated or not heated an arrangement may be provided
for drawing off the chloride of iron; this done, I add a fresh supply of hydrochloric
acid and ammonia, and so on.
To deposit pure iron I make the outer cell of zinc instead of iron, as before
described, or I place in the inner pot or bag zinc instead of carbon, and I fill up the
space between the two porous pots or bags with the chloride of iron solution drawn
from the other cells as before described; the outer pot or bag next the iron may
in some cases be dispensed with, and heat may be applied to this cell as before
described.
Another form of battery can be made of old scrap iron placed within a wood
vessel, preferably of cylindrical form, and inside the iron I place the porous pots or
bags as before. In this way the waste products of a colliery may be utilized.
More than a triple element is or may be made by the use of additional porous
pots, bags, or diaphragms, and ores of iron or other metals of higher or lower electro-
negative or positive characters incorporated with suitable acids.
Some of the foregoing arrangements may be worked under pressure by sealing
the cells down with a thickness of pitch, resin, or other suitable non-conducting
material or materials. Tubes must pass through into the cells for the admission of
acid when required, and for the fitting of valves to regulate the pressure. Batteries
thus constructed yield no fumes and are constant in action.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim the application in each cell of a battery of three or more porous vessels
or divisions, each containing its separate fluid for the purpose of increasing the
constancy and available force of the battery, all substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Blanch Brain, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
0
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the above-named W. Blanch
Brain in the presence of
WALTER JNO. BRAIN,
Accountant,
Cinderford.
W. BLANCH BRAIN. (L.S.)