Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Mar., 1886.
Complete Left, 15th Dec., 1886.
Complete Accepted, 18th Jan., 1887.
I, PEROY HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67 Strand in
the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows :-
This invention consists in substituting for the exciting Chemical liquids between the
two electrodes of an element in a voltaic pile or battery or in an accumulator, a
diaphragm of cocoa nut fibre, or compressed powdered cork or oak saturated with the
required Chemicals; the positive and negative electrodes being flat plates of the metals
or substances usually used for the purpose.
The elements formed as above are either placed in a suitable box of wood, cardboard,
or the like, of a sufficient size to contain all the elements, and a spring or other
mechanism caused to press on the last plate to keep the whole in close contact, or else
they may be threaded on a cord fastened to the lowest plate, and passing through the
center of the diaphragm and of the second plate, and thus through a series of elements,
in which latter case the weight of the elements acts in place of the above-mentioned
spring.
The use of these diaphragms enables the exciting chemicals to be used more con-
centrated, owing to the absorbing power of the cocoa fibre, and also produces a more
equal wearing of the surface of the electrodes, They also enable jars of glass or
porcelain to be replaced by wood, or even omitted altogether, giving thereby greater
lightness and portability.

page_text: COMPLETE DIECIFICATION.
Improvements in Voltaic Piles and Accumulators.
I, PERCY HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents, of 67
Strand in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, a communication to me from abroad by J. Crosse, Manufacturer, of
3 Rue des Vosges, Paris, France, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention consists in substituting for the exciting liquid between the two
electrodes of an element in a voltaic pile or in an accumulator, a diaphragm of cocoa
nut fibre, compressed powdered cork, saturated with the required chemical fluids, the
positive and negative electrodes being flat plates of the metals or substances usually
used for the purpose. The elements formed as above are either placed in a suitable
box of wood, cardboard, or other non-conducting material and a spring or other
mechanism caused to press on the last plate to keep the whole in close contact or they
may be superposed in a vertical frame or threaded on a cord fastened to the lowest
plate and passing through the centre of the diaphragm, and of the second plate, and
thus through the series of elements, in which latter case the weight of the elements
acts in place of the before mentioned spring.
The use of these diaphragms enables the exciting chemicals to be used more con-
centrated, owing to the absorbing power of the cellulose in the cocoa fibre, and also
produces a more equal wearing of the surface of the electrode. They also enable jars
of glass of porcelain etc to be replaced by wood, or even be omitted altogether, giving
thereby greater lightness and portability.
The fibre plate is saturated with the exciting and depolarizing agents preferably in
such a manner that the former is brought into contact with zinc or other metal to be
dissolved and the latter with the electrode of copper or corresponding material-When
zinc and copper are used the fibre plate may be saturated with acidified water on the
one side and with solution of sulphate copper on the other, or two fibres may be
saturated the one with acidified water, the other with the solution of sulphate of
copper; and these two plates placed together to form one plate used as described.
The fibre plates may be fed with the necessary solution or solutions by means of a
tube or tubes from a reservoir having orifices at suitable intervals, so that the fresh
solution may drip on to upper part of the fibre plates, also a trough or the like may be
arranged below the plates to receive the used solution falling therefrom.
In place of cocoa-nut fibre, powdered cork or sawdust or similar woody fibre may
be used, the same being compressed in plates and saturated with the necessary
chemical reagents. Or the plates may be made of a mixture of the said woody fibre
with coca-nut fibre.

page_text: 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 :—
In voltaic piles and accumulators.
1. The combination of the negative and positive electrode of each element, with a
plate of cocoa-nut fibre placed between the electrodes, and saturated with the necessary
chemical reagent or reagents.
2. The combination of the negative and positive electrode with a plate of compressed
cork placed between the electrode and saturated with the necessary chemical reagent
or reagents substantially as described.
PERCY
HADDAN.
Pp. Herbert & Co.,
67, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.