to Electrical Batteries.
Year: 1886

page_text: to Electrical Batteries.
I JAMES TARBOTTON ARMSTRONG, of 31 Aldermanbury in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention to be as follows:-
It is well known that electrical batteries with clean electrodes are more effective
than those which are corroded or otherwise impaired; and that when the batteries
have been at work continuously for a length of time the electrodes become corroded
or coated with deleterious chemical compounds, which greatly interfere with their
working, and lessen the electric force or current obtainable therefrom.
This defect in the working of electrical batteries causes much waste of material,
and reduces its constancy and effectiveness.
Now the object of my invention is to remove or remedy such defects, and thus
to improve the normal working and continuity and to render the same more
constant than hitherto has been practicable.
In carrying out my invention I make use of various mixtures of fluids, or fluids
and other substances, and periodically exchange such mixtures for others, which
act upon the electrodes so as to remove or counteract the objectionable effect of the
previous mixture upon such electrodes. Thus one particular exciting or cleansing
mixture may be used for a certain time, then this mixture is withdrawn from the
battery and another inserted which will neutralize the effect of the first upon the
electrodes and remove the deposit, corrosive material, or other obstruction to
the proper working of the battery and restore the electrodes to a great extent to
their initial effectiveness.
I do not confine myself to any particular exciting fluids, as the same must be
varied to suit the nature and character of the materials of which the electrodes are
composed and the time occupied in reducing the electric force arising from the
interaction of the fluids thereupon.
1

page_text: I sometimes find it advantageous to use a cleansing mixture immediately
between the use of exciting mixtures, such cleansing mixture not being necessarily
an excitant. In other cases I alternate exciting mixtures as hereinbefore described.
I sometimes make use of one or more cisterns, constructed and worked in
accordance with my former invention, for which I have applied for Letters Patent
dated 5th June 1885 N° 6878, and use the same as described alternately, or as may
be found necessary, for effecting the purpose hereinbefore mentioned.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of Supplying Liquids and Mixtures
to Electrical Batteries.
I JAMES TARBOTTON ARMSTRONG of 31 Aldermanbury, in the City of London
Analytical and Consulting Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature
of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
It is well known that electrical batteries with clean electrodes are more effective
than those which are corroded or otherwise impaired, and that when the batteries
have been at work continuously for a length of time, the electrodes become
corroded or coated with deleterious compounds which greatly interfere with their
working, and lessen the electric force or current obtainable therefrom; and also
that the sediment which deposits itself in batteries at work, or that have been at
work for some time, is detrimental to their efficiency. These defects in the
working of electrical batteries also cause much waste of material and reduce their
constancy and effectiveness.
Now the object of my invention is to remove or remedy such defects and thus to
improve the normal working and continuity, and to render the same more constant
than hitherto has been practicable, and also to make use of certain mixtures in lieu
of and connected with, the ordinary exciting liquids, for the cells in which the zinc
or equivalent elements are immersed, in electrical batteries.
In carrying out my invention, I make use of various mixtures of fluids with
fluids, and of fluids and other substances mixed therewith, and periodically
exchange such mixtures for others which act upon the electrodes so as to remove
or counteract the objectionable effect of the previous mixture or mixtures upon
such electrodes.

page_text: Thus one particular exciting or cleansing mixture, or exciting and cleansing.
mixture may be used for a certain time: then this mixture is withdrawn.from the
battery and another inserted which will neutralise the effect of the previous
mixture upon the electrodes, and remove the deposit, corrosive material, or other
obstruction to the proper working of the battery, and restore the electrodes to a
great extent to their initial effectiveness; for which purpose I use two or more
cisterns, charged with the necessary fluids or mixtures, and connect and disconnect
such cisterns to and from the batteries alternately, consecutively, or otherwise, as
found necessary to effect such purpose.
I do not confine myself to any particular exciting, fluids, as the same have to be
judiciously selected and varied to suit the nature and character of the materials of
which the electrodes are composed, and the kind of battery, whether of my own
invention or others, and the time occupied in reducing the electric force arising
from the interaction of the fluids thereupon.
دو
In order to effectually cleanse the battery or batteries, from time to time, at
suitable intervals, I provide what I term a "cleansing cistern containing a
solution of selected chemical ingredients, the character of which is varied according
to the nature of the deposit to be removed or cleansed from the cells and plates
and which cistern is placed in communication with the cells of the battery by
means of flexible tubes and other, arrangements as described in N° 68788, or by
the means hereinafter described, or any other means that would readily suggest
itself to those skilled in the use of batteries.
By judiciously selecting the various ingredients in accordance with the laws of
chemical affinities and combinations, I am enabled to obtain materials possessing
marketable value.
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings in which
similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts; and which drawings are
merely illustrative of one method of working my invention, and are not intended
to confine the carrying out of the invention to that one particular form and
arrangement.
Fig. 1 is a plan. Fig. 2 is a front elevation; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a
battery and fittings arranged in accordance with my invention.
a a are standards of T and L form, as shewn in section in Fig. 1. These
standards form part of the frame, and also act as guides to the cisterns b. b¹ and c.
Cross pieces d. d. carry longitudinal bearing bars e e upon which the batteries f. f.
are supported. The cisterns b. 61 are made in one, externally. and divided by a
partition 6 the cistern c being quite separate from the other two.
In Fig. 2 the cisterns b. b are shewn raised nearly to the top of the framing;
and the cistern c is shewn down. In Fig. 3. the cisterns b. b¹ are shewn some-
what lower than in Fig. 2. The cisterns are made capable of being raised and
lowered and are made to partially balance each other. The cisterns are, lifted and
lowered in accordance with my former Patent No 68785 or by other suitable means,
the cistern c having weights added thereto when necessary to enable it to counter-
balance the united cisterns b. b¹. The relative sizes of the cisterns may be varied
and are not necessarily those shewn in the drawings. Communication between the
cisterns and the batteries is made by means of leaden pipes k. k³k such pipes.
being found in practice to be sufficiently elastic for that purpose, but rubber or
rubber and glass or other materials may be used. g. g¹ gå are levers which carry
plugs h. h¹ (shewn by dotted lines) for opening and closing communication with
the pipes and batteries, when necessary.
The pipe k, leading from the cistern b, places that cistern in communication with
the outer cells of the batteries, when the valve h is opened by the lever g. In like
mauner the pipe ² from the cistern c, places such cistern c also in communication
with the same outer cells of the batteries, when the valve h is opened by the
lever g². The cistern 6¹ by means of the pipe is placed in communication with

page_text: the central cells of the batteries, in which the carbons are fitted, when the valve /¹
is opened by the lever g¹.
When it is desired to put the batteries in action, the cistern c being down and
the valve h shut, the twin cisterns b. 6¹ being raised, the valves h. h¹ are opened,
whereby the exciting fluids enter the cells and operate upon the plates and carbons
in the usual manner. The height of the cisterns is regulated to suit the power
required, guage glasses l. 11 being fitted in order that the height of the fluids in the
cells may be rendered visible.
When it is desired to cease working, the cisterns b. 61 are lowered, with the
valves h. h¹ still open, whereby the fluids are withdrawn from the batteries and
returned to the cisterns b. 6. The valves h. ¹ are then closed; cistern c being
now above the batteries the valve h² of the same may then be opened, if necessary,
in order that the operation of cleansing the zinc or other plates and the cells of the
battery may be effected.
o is an overflow pipe to prevent the batteries being inadvertently filled to
the top.
One example of charging the cisterns is as follows:-The cistern 6 may be
charged with an exciting fluid, say a small quantity of acid salt and water or any
other suitable mixture or material. Cistern 6 may be charged with ordinary acid
or alkali mixtures, and cistern c may be charged with a mixture of 8 parts water
and one part sulphuric acid; which mixture is usually capable of cleansing the
zinc in a few seconds; but this is only mentioned as an example.
When the cistern c has been lowered and has received its fluid back from the
cells, after cleansing the zinc, crystals and deposits are gradually formed in such
cistern while at rest, which materials deposit themselves therein; and such
materials usually consist of substances useful in commerce and possessing market-
able value, the process being automatic and inexpensive and tending not only to put
the battery in a better working condition, but also to recoup the expense incurred
in producing the electric current from the batteries; but the main object is to
cleanse the plates used and to make them more effective.
The whole of the apparatus rests on blocks m m of insulating material.
The pipes from the cells to the mains are conveniently united by short rubber
junctions n. n; which junctions facilitate the removal of cells or batteries and are
useful as insulators when required; as described in my said previous Patent
No 687885
By the foregoing method of working I obtain better and more lasting results,
and greatly promote economy in the production of electricity and electrical power
and it will be obvious that some parts of my invention are applicable to ordinary
batteries.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In electrical batteries the application and use of a succession of exciting fluids,
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2. In electrical batteries, the application and use of fluids, or mixtures of fluids
in succession, severally selected and varied so as to neutralise objectionable effects
arising from the action of antecedent fluids, and to restore the electrodes to more
effective working, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. The means herein before described for increasing the uniformity and continuity
of the electric force produced, substantially as herein before described.
4. In electrical batteries, the method and means of filling and emptying the cells
by raising and lowering the cisterns b. b¹ and c. such cisterns being fitted with
plugs h. h h and levers g. g¹ g³, and which cisterns are partially or wholly balanced
and guided by the framing a. a, substantially as herein before described and shewn
on the drawings.

page_text: 5. In electrical batteries, the application and use of the cleansing cistern c
communicating with the cells of the batteries, for the purpose of cleansing the
same and utilising the products arising from such cleansing process, substantially
as herein-before described.
6. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus for effecting the purposes
aforesaid, or some one or more of them, substantially as herein before described and
shewn in the drawings, Figs. 1. 2 and 3.
•
7. The general construction, combination, and arrangement of the several and
respective parts, or of some two or more of them respectively, together forming my
improvements in the method of supplying liquid and mixtures to electrical batteries,
substantially as herein before described and shewn on the drawings.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.