IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1885

page_text: THOMAS JOHN JONES of 12 Princes Street Hanover Square in the County of
Middlesex, Electrician do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to voltaic batteries and it has for its object to enable an
inexpensive and durable battery to be constructed in which liability of local action
is avoided.
The invention consists broadly in the employment in the manufacture of the
supports and contacts of the elements, of platinum or gold deposited on or applied
against certain substances which form a foundation for the elements or for the
contacts.
::
According to my Invention I manufacture the elements with a foundation or
support of guttapercha, india rubber, or compounds containing these substances, or
of cellulose xylonite, or other nonconducting, and either inoxidizable or but slightly
oxidizable material; and'coat, either wholly or partially, such foundation or support
with platinum or gold foil or leaf and, if necessary, with a supplemental coating of
these metals by electrolysis or otherwise.
The foundation or support of the elements may also be made by incorporating
with the above mentioned inoxidizable substances preferably when they are in a
plastic state, plumbago or carbon in powder or fragments and moulding the mass
to the required shape To render tlie supports thus constructed more durable
I remove a portion of the inoxidizable material by scraping or otherwise from
the surface of the foundation or support so as to expose the surface of the carbon
and cover or deposit on such exposed portion a thin layer of gold or platinum.
I may also construct the elements & with a support of solid carbon, in-which
case I should saturate the carbon with the inoxidizable compound and then remove
a portion of the compound from the surface so as to expose the carbon and coat or
deposit on such exposed portion a thin layer. of gold or platinum as before; or
I may embed wires or perforated plates or strips of conductive material in contact
with each other in the inoxidizable compound and leave a portion of such wires &°
exposed for the deposit thereon of a layer of the platinum or gold.
In some forms of battery, where for instance the elements are composed of
agglomerated masses of active material and no support is employed, contact may.
y.be.

page_text: made by means of strips or pieces of the above mentioned inoxidizable materials
coated with gold or platinum and clamped against the surface of the active
material.
I am aware that it has been before proposed to employ gold and platinum in the
construction of voltaic batteries but owing to the grat cost the employment of
these metals has been commercially impracticable. By my invention however
I am enabled to overcome this objection.
I THOMAS JOHN JONES of 12 Princes Street Hanover Square in the County of
Middlesex Electrician do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
"
"
The object of my Invention is to construct a durable and inexpensive voltaic
battery and the Invention consists in making the supports for the active material
or depolarising agent" either wholly or partially of a substance or compound
which is not readily oxidizable and which is or is not conductive and, in some
cases, combining therewith platinum or gold in the manner hereafter described for
the purpose of making conductive contact with the active material (this being
necessary when the support is wholly nonconductive) and likewise for the purpose
of effecting electrical contact between the active material and the conductive
portions of the support (when the support is in part conductive) and at same time
protecting such portions from oxidation.
My Invention also consists in the construction of contact pieces which, in effect,
constitute or take the place of the ordinary terminals for certain forms of battery.
According to my Invention the support for the active material is made of
gutta-percha, india-rubber, celluloid, xylonite, (or compounds containing these or
equivalent nonconducting and either inoxidizable or but slightly oxidizable sub-
stances) rendered conductive by being coated either wholly or partially with
platinum or gold foil or leaf (either by means of a solvent or by heat or pressure
or a combination of these) upon which coating, if necessary, a supplemental coating
of the same metals may be applied by electrolysis or otherwise.

page_text: I may also make a support for the active material which is inoxidizable and yet
conductive by incorporating fragments or particles of hard carbon with inoxidizable
substances such as those above mentioned-One method of carrying out this part
of my Invention is to thoroughly incorporate the carbon fragments with the
inoxidizable substance, so that the carbon fragments shall be equally distributed
throughout the mass, by mixing the materials in a machine similar to those
machines which are employed for working gutta-percha or india-rubber, and then
moulding or forming the mass to the desired shape. Care must be taken that
the carbon fragments are in direct contact with one another within the mass, and
that there is sufficient surface of the carbon exposed when the support is com-
pleted to make conductive contact with the active material; the interstices
between the fragments are filled with the inoxidizable substance. If necessary a
portion of the inoxidizable substance may be removed from the surface of the
support, by scraping or otherwise so as to expose a larger surface of the carbon, and
such exposed portion covered by electrolysis with a thin layer of gold or platinum
in order to more effectually protect the carbon from oxidation.
The relative proportions of the carbon and the inoxidizable substances may be
varied but it is not advisable to have less than about 10 parts of inoxidizable.or
insulating material to about 70 parts of carbon. The fragments of carbon should
not be too small but of about the size to pass through a sieve having about ten or
twelve meshes to the lineal inch; otherwise contact between the particles may not
be effected. The india-rubber and gutta-percha can be vulcanised and this may be
done either during the operation of making the compound or after the compound is
made.
In secondary batteries the compound, consisting of inoxidizable material and
carbon fragments, forms an admirable support for the active material at the cathode
(cathode in charging) but it has been observed that where the active material at
the positive electrode (anode in charging) is an oxide, or insoluble salt of lead, the
carbon of the support (when carbon is used) is liable to become oxidized or
disintegrated and consequently it is, in this case, advisable to deposit platinum or
gold on the carbon as above specified in order to obviate this inconvenience.
In some forms of battery, where for instance the elements are composed of
agglomerated masses of active material, contact may be made with the active
material by means of strips or pieces of the above mentioned inoxidizable sub-
stances (or partially oxidizable and partially conductive compounds) coated either
wholly or partially with gold or platinum as above described and clamped or
otherwise secured against the surface of the active material and taking the place
of the ordinary terminals.
word "support" herein employed
material is in contact and which
Thus, in some forms of battery,
I would have it understood that by the
I include all surfaces with which the active
likewise constitute an electrode for the current.
the support might take the form of a container or cell, or of a frame of any
convenient shape; or again the support might be a simple rod & surrounded by
the active material or depolarizing agent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st In a voltaic battery, a support for the active material constructed entirely of
an inoxidizable material such as gutta-percha, indiarubber celluloid, xylonite, (or
compounds containing these or equivalent substances) and coated wholly or
partially with gold or platinum foil, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose specified.
2nd In a voltaic battery, a support for the active material which is inoxidizable
and yet conductive consisting of fragments or particles of hard carbon in electrical
contact with one another and of an inoxidizable substance such as herein

page_text: mentioned which serves to hold the carbon fragments or particles together and
protect them from the effect of electrolysis substantially as specified.
3rd In a voltaic battery, a support for the active material which is inoxidizable
and yet conductive consisting of fragments or particles of hard carbon in electrical
contact with one another and of a sufficient quantity of celluloid or compounds
thereof to protect and hold the carbon fragments or particles together.
4th In a voltaic battery, a support for the active material which is inoxidizable
and yet conductive consisting of fragments or particles of hard carbon in electrical
contact with one another and held together and protected from electrolytical action
by an inoxidizable substance such as herein. mentioned, in combination with a layer
of gold or platinum applied upon exposed portions of the carbon for the purpose of
further protecting the latter and effecting electrical contact between the carbon and
the active material, substantially as specified..
5th. The combination, with the elements of a voltaic battery, of contact pieces,
strips, terminals or their equivalent, composed of an inoxidizable substance such as
herein specified coated wholly or partially with platinum or gold and applied
against the active material substantially as specified.
6th The combination with the elements of .a voltaic battery of contact pieces;
strips, terminals, or their equivalent, composed of an inoxidizable substance and
carbon fragments or particles and applied against the active material substantially
as specified: