IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC OR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Wirth, of the Firm of Wirth and Company,
Patent Solicitors, at Frankfort-on-the-Main, in the Empire of Germany, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC OR ELECTRIC BATTERIES.".
A communication from Dr. Julius Stebbins, Dentist, of New York, United
States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Wirth at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1881.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC
OR ELECTRIC BATTERIES." A communication from Dr. Julius Stebbins, Dentist,
of New York (United States of America).
This Invention relates to that class of galvanic or electric batteries in which
porous cells or partitions are used to separate two liquids of different specific
gravities.
The objects of this Invention are to produce a battery combining great quantity
and intensity with a long endurance, and to enable the force of the battery to be
regulated at will.
These results are attained, first, by constructing the inner cell with an upper
comparatively contracted compartment enclosed by a porous wall, and opening into
a lower enlarged reservoir enclosed by a non-porous wall, arranging in the upper
compartment a battery plate of such form and dimensions that but a thin body of
fluid can have place between its surfaces and the porous wall, and locating on
opposite sides of said upper compartment two battery plates of opposite character
to the first, and in such close proximity to its porous walls that but a thin body of
liquid will stand between them and said walls.
When now the plates are so placed and the outer and inner cells properly filled
with their respective fluids, these fluids being as usual of different specific gravities,
the galvanic action between the plates commences, and the current from the
D 31

page_text: positive plate or plates to the negative plate or plates meeting with but little
resistance from the thin bodies of fluid, as above described, will pass off from the
negative over suitably connected conductors with great intensity and quantity.
The vigorous action resulting from the close proximity of the plates would soon
exhaust the thin body of fluid in the inner cell, but as this inner cell connects with
the enlarged lower non-porous reservoir, the fluid as exhausted is gradually replaced
by a live or fresh portion, which arises from said reservoir. This replacement of
exhausted by live fluid may result from two causes-First, if the liquid in the
inner cell is of a less specific gravity than that in the outer cell, the endosmotic
action which carries a portion of the outer liquid into the inner cell increases the
specific gravity of that portion of the inner liquid which is in immediate contact
with the sides of the inner plate, and it therefore falls gradually into the lower
reservoir, from which a lighter and fresh supply rises to take its place and give
place for it below, where it is gradually diffused into the main body, though its
heavier acquired portion settles to the bottom.
Again, if the inner fluid should have greater specific gravity than the outer fluid,
its tendancy to crystallization would cause the upper portion to gradually fall during
the galvanic action, and force up a frosh portion in its place. In either case the
vigorous action of the battery will continue until the entire contents of the reservoir
are exhausted.
The regulation of the force of the battery is accomplished by means of a non-
porous sheath, with which any desired extent of surface of the porous wall is
closely surrounded, so that only through so much of the same as desired the galvanic
action can take place. The action of the battery may also be entirely stopped by
enclosing the entire porous wall of the inner compartment in said non-porous
sheath

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frank Wirth in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st April
1882.
FRANK WIRTH, of the Firm of Wirth and Company, Patent Solicitors, at
Frankfort on the Main, in the Empire of Germany. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC
OR ELECTRIC BATTERIES." A communication from Dr. Julius Stebbins, Dentist,
of New York (United States of America).
This Invention relates to that class of galvanic or electric batteries in which
porous cells or partitions are used to separate two liquids of different specific
gravities.
The
The objects of the Invention aro to produce a battery combining great quantity
and intensity with a long endurance, and to enable the force of the battery to be
regulated at will. These results are attained, first, by constructing the inner cell
with an upper comparatively contracted compartment enclosed by a porous wall,
and opening into a lower enlarged reservoir enclosed by a non-porous wall,
arranging in the upper compartment a battery plate of such form and dimensions
that but a thin body of fluid can have place between its surfaces and the porous
wall, and locating on opposite sides of said upper compartment two battery plates
of opposite character to the first, and in such close proximity to its porous walls
that but a thin body of liquid will stand between them and said walls. When now
the plates are so placed and the outer and inner cells properly filled with their
respective fluids, these fluids being as usual of different specific gravities, tho
galvanic action between the plates commences, and the current from the positive
plato or plates to the negative plate or plates meeting with but little resistance
from the thin bodies of fluid, as above described, will pass off from the negative
over suitably connected conductors with great intensity and quantity.
vigorous action resulting from the close proximity of the plates would soon
exhaust the thin body of fluid in the inner cell, but as this inner cell connects with
its enlarged lower non-porous reservoir, the fluid as exhausted is gradually replaced
by a live or fresh portion, which arises from said reservoir. This replacement of
exhausted by live fluid may result from two causes:-First, if the liquid in the
inner cell is of a less specific gravity than that in the outer cell, the endosmotic
action which carries a portion of the outer liquid into the inner cell increases this
specific gravity of that portion of the inner liquid which is in immediate contact
with the sides of the inner plate, and it therefore falls gradually into the lower
reservoir, from which a lighter and fresh supply rises to take its place and give
place for it below, where it is gradually diffused into the main body, though its
heavier acquired portion settles to the bottom. Again, if the inner fluid should
have a greater specific gravity than the outer fluid, its tendency to crystallization
would cause the upper portion to gradually fall during the galvanic action, and
force up a fresh portion in its place. In either case the rigorous action of the
battery will continue until the entire contents of the reservoir are exhausted.
The regulation of the force of the battery is accomplished by means of a non-
porous sheath, with which is closely surrounded any desired extent of surface
of the porous wall, so that only through so much of the same as desired the
galvanic action can take place. The action of the battery may also be entirely
stopped by enclosing the entire porous wall of the inner compartment in said non-
porous sheath.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of four batteries
arranged upon an agitator; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of one of the batteries
or elements on the line x, x, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modification
of the cells.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the lower portions of the large cups C form the
enlarged non-porous reservoirs, which are designated by c', and the letter e denotes

page_text: the wall of the upper contracted compartment, said wall being porous and per-
forming the function of the ordinary porous cup in two fluid electric batteries; this
wall in the present instance is supported by a non-porous cup d, which fills the
upper portion of the large cup C, and through the bottom of which is an opening
affording communication between the porous cup and its lower non-porous reservoir;
this construction simply is shown in the battery numbered 1 in Fig. 1.
In the battery numbered 2 the letter f designates the non-porous sheath, here-
tofore referred to, which may be raised and lowered vertically to cover any desired
extent of the porous wall e:
In the battery numbered 3, in Fig. 1, the fluids and plates are shewn in place.
In this instance the zinc plate Z is shown suspendod in the inner cell, which with
its reservoir is preferably filled with the usual dilute sulphuric acid, and the carbon
plates c are suspended in the outer cell, which is preferably filled with the ordinary
solution of bichromate of potassium.
'
It will be observed that there is but a thin body of fluid on each side of the zinc
between it and the porous wall e, and there is also but a thin body of the outer
fluid between each of the carbons c and said porous wall, so that but little resistance
is opposed to the galvanic action between the plates, and the reservoir c¹ replaces
by a fresh supply that portion of the inner fluid on opposite sides of the zinc as
fast as it becomes exhausted or deteriorated.
In the battery numbered 4, in Fig. 1, the non porous sheath of the porous cup is
removed, while in the battery numbered 3 the sheath f is shown as completely
surrounding the porous cup.
The agitator upon which these batteries are mounted is composed of a base A,
from which rise standards B, B, connected by a cross bar C³, from which the battery
plates are suspended. The cups C rest on a rocking platform D, pivotted at a, a,
and having an upwardly projecting arm b, which may be operated to rock the
platform by any suitable mechanism.
In the modification shewn in Fig. 3 a non porous reservoir d' rests on the bottom
of the outer cells C², and supports the smaller porous cup c¹, and both the reservoir
and the porous cup are surrounded by the outer fluid.
The letter f denotes the sheath of the porous cup, as in the other Figures; it may
be made of hard rubber, or similar material.
The action of a battery with this modification of cells is the same as that bero-
tofore described.
Having now described the Invention and explained the operation thereof, I
declare that I claim,-
1. A battery inner cell having a contracted upper portion enclosed by a porous
wall, and an enlarged lower non-porous reservoir in communication with said uppor
portion, substantially as described.
2. In a galvanic or electric battery the combination with the outer cell and the
inner cell, composed of the enlarged lower reservoir and the upper contracted porous
cup having its bottom opening into said lower reservoir, of the battery plates
arranged in close proximity to each other and to the walls of said porous cup,
substantially as described.
3. The combination with a battery porous cup of an adjustable non-porous sheath,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Wirth, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty first day of March, in the year 1882.
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