IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Fuller, of Thomas Place, Thomas Street,
Kennington, in the County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer, for
the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES."
Sealed the 7th June 1853, and dated the 19th April 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Fuller at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th April 1853.
I, JOHN FULLER,. of Thomas Place, Thomas St., Kennington, in
the County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BAT-
TERIES" to be as follows:-
the
The object of this Invention is to arrange a galvanic battery, com-
posed of copper and zinc, in such manner that when the battery is not
in use, that is, when the circuit is not coupled up, that the fluids em-
ployed shall not act on the respective metals; and for this purpose
salts of the metals employed are found to be the best for the purpose;
and sulphate of copper in contact with the copper, and sulphate of zinc
in contact with the zinc, is what is preferred. The peculiarity of the

page_text: Invention consisting of the employment for copper a salt of copper, and
for the zinc à salt not acting on the metal when no circuit is made up.
And another improvement consists in using plumbago or coke in a
powdered state, in a porous cell, as the positive element of the battery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Fuller, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 19th October 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN FULLER, of Thomas Place, Thomas Street, Kennington, in the
County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Fuller, Her special licence that
I, the said John Fuller, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Fuller, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BAT-
TERIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Fuller, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Fuller, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof (that is to say):
The object of this Invention is to arrange a galvanic battery, com-

page_text: posed of copper and zinc, in such manner that when the battery is not
in use, that is, when the circuit is not coupled up, that the fluids em-
ployed shall not act on the respective metals; and for this purpose the
salts of the metals employed are found to be the best for the purpose;
and sulphate of copper in contact with the copper, and sulphate of zinc
in contact with the zinc, is what is preferred. The peculiarity of the
Invention consisting of the employment for copper a salt of copper,
and for the zinc a salt not acting on the metal when no circuit is
made up. And another improvement consists in using plumbago or
coke in a powdered state, in a porous cell, as the positive element of
the battery.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed
to describe the manner of performing the same. I use troughs divided
into separate cells, and composed of any suitable material, such as wood
coated with marine glue, or of gutta percha or otherwise, as have here-
tofore been practised, and are well understood; and I divide each cell
into two compartments by a porous partition. Into one compartment
the plate of zinc is placed, and into the other the plate of copper is
placed, and into that compartment of each cell where the copper is
placed a solution of sulphate of copper is employed, and in that coni-
partment of the cell where the zine is placed a solution of sulphate of
zinc is employed; by which means the solutions will not act upon the
plates when the battery is not at work. I would, however, remark that
although I prefer sulphate of copper and zulphate of zinc, other salts
of those metals may in like manner be used, and the form of the battery
or trough may be varied.
In carrying out the second part of my Invention, I employ a like
trough or apparatus to that above described; that is, having each cell
divided by a porous partition; and into one of the parts of each cell I
introduce powder of plumbago or of coke in place of a positive
metal, such as copper; and into the other part of cach cell I in-
troduce a plate of zinc, or a negative metal; and I connect the zinc
or negative metal with the powder of plumbago or the powder of coke
by a strip of copper, which is fixed in the ordinary manner to the
negative metal, and the other end is caused to dip into the powder in

page_text: the other part of the cell. I prefer to use dilute sulphuric acid in the
cells.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is the employment of solutions of the salts of copper and zinc
in divided cells where pairs of copper and zinc plates are employed in
galvanic batteries, as herein described. And I also claim the use of
powdered plumbago or powdered coke in constructing a galvanic
battery, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Fuller, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of
1
JNO. FULLER. (L.S.).
Witness, JNO. ALCOCK.