Year: 1889

page_text: I EMILE GUITTON of Studland Electrical Works, Studland Street, Hammersmith
in the county of Middlesex, Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this invention
which has been communicated to me from abroad by Marcel Sappey of 4 Ruc
Traversière prolongée, à Billancourt Paris, France, Electrician and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The qualities which have always been sought for in Primary Batteries are the
following:
Maximum of output with minimum of bulk.
Constancy of current during the longest possible time without polarization.
Attention required reduced to the greatest simplicity, and finally
Simple and automatic feed.
Constant observation and numerous calculations on the chemical theory of electric
batteries has led to the construction of a generator with perfectly automatic feed or
renewal and answering entirely to the above conditions.
In this generator each battery consists of three boxes and each box is divided into
two compartments.
The invention will be understood by the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 shows a sectional side elevation of one of the batterios which constitutes a
section complete in itself of the generator.
Any number of these sections may be placed together in order to obtain a current
of the strength required.
The front elevation (Figure 2) shows 6 such sections or sets side by side.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of one box on a larger scale. Figure 4 being
a plan of same and Figure 5 a front elevation with part cut away to show the
nterior.
A and B are two reservoirs formed of material not affected by acids.
C, D and E are boxes also formed of material (such as ebonite) not affected by
cids

page_text: F, F. are porous cells in communication with each other at the base through the
holes and connected together by a special watertight joint. Between those cells is
a plate of ebonite H which forms a partition for separation in each of the
boxes C, D, E.
The ebonite plate H has at its lower end a hole I and the two bottom corners J, J,
are cut off (Figure 5). A thin bolt K with nuts at each end (all of chonite) passes
through the holes G, I, and by means of a special glue, unaffected by acids, perfectly
watertight joints are secured at the ends and in the centre where the cells tonch thu
ebonite plate yet leaving free communication between the two porous cells in the
same box through the holes G, L.
Care is first taken to dress the sides of the cells which touch the ebonito plate.
The porous cells are nearly as possible filled with a sheaf or cluster of
carbons M, M. M, (Figure 6) held together by a yoke N of inoxydisable conducting
metal into which they are forced, the heads of the carbons being first electro-coppered
to ensure perfect conduction.
When the carbons are in the porous cells the free space remaining is sufficient to
contain barely a few centimetres cube of the depolarizing liquid in which they are
immersed when the apparatus is at work. This point is very important as will be
seon later.
The amount of this small quantity is determined by calculation based upon the
quantity of oxygen which the depolarizing liquid must furnish in a timo settled in
advances to obtain a given strength of current during the same time.
Observation and theory show that this quantity of liquid must be very small in
order to be entirely renewed when as in the present caso, an automatic change is mado
and here a great novelty exists for by this means a mixing of the fresh with the
partly exhausted liquids is avoided which causes their strength to be constantly
reduced, but the parily exhausted liquid is driven out and replaced by quite fresh
liquid thus re-establishing the original or primitive chemical state.
The means of effecting this automatic renewal at regular intervals will be hereafter
described.
In the ebonite boxes and external to two sides of the porous cells are zinc
plates P, P, (Figure 4 and shown raised in Figure 1) which rest astrido the obonite
partition H. Theso zines are hold up to a crossbar of parafined wood Q by means of
a brass rod, to which they are attached and which has also two vortical piecos with
screw terminals and nuts. Through this brass rod, but insulated from it, passes a
vortical rod R, also with scrow end and nut S (Figure 6) which is fixed to a bar
attached to the yoke N of the cluster of carbons. Each of those three vortical rods
passes through the wood cross-bar Q and is secured to it by the nuts of the screw
terminals. This arrangement is shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Thus any desired grouping of the batteries in the generator may be effected and
the whole of the zines and carbons may be lifted out of the liquids when the
apparatus is not at work (thus proventing wasto and the formation of local currents)
by attaching a leather strap to each wood cross-bar and to pullios on a spindle g which
is turned by the handle h at the front of the apparatus.
The three boxes forming a section or set aro supported on strong rods V, V, and
arranged in step by step formation, as shown at Figure 1.
A³, B3, are two wasto troughs having the same capacity as the rosorvoirs A, B, and
of material unaffected by acids. They receive the spent or exhausted liquids
collected on their discharge from the last boxes by the troughs Y, Y.
The second porous cull of the first box communicates with the first cell of the
second box and the second of the next box with the first of the third or last box
by means of the nozzle b, b, ensuring the methodical flow of the depolarizing
liquid in the direction of the arrows (Figure 3).
The zines P, P, are immersed in the exciting liquid which may be water acidulated
by sulphuric acid, sen sali, or other exciler. This liquid flows from the rosorvoir B
following a course similar to that of the depolarizing liquid by passing through
the cut away portions J, J, (Figure 5) ct the ebonite plate in the box
and

page_text: then from one box to another by the nozzles b¹, b₁, finally being collected by the
trough Y and discharged into the waste trough B³.
Before going further I will complete the description of the automatic distribution
of the exciting and depolarizing liquids by reference to Figure 2, which as before
stated, represents a generator consisting of 6 sectious, or sets and containing there-
fore 18 boxes and consequently 36 porous cells and 72 zinc plates.
The two reservoirs A, B, are of equal size and in this case are made of light
sheet iron and wood lined with lead to enable them to withstand the action of the
exciting and depolarizing acids they contain. They communicate by the cocks r, r',
with the lead tubes T, T', which are each provided at the lower end with a valve U
(Figure 7) of acid resisting material. These valves are connected by ebonite rods
(jointed in the middlo k by silver links for greater flexibility) to the armatures V of
the solenoids E¹, E².
W is an ordinary or electric clock but having a minute hand only and a special
dial furnished with pins of silver C, C1, projecting from its face and electrically
connected respectively with the solenoids E', E. The body of the clock is in electric
connection with one of the poles of two of the boxes of the generator mounted
especially for this service. The other pole of these two boxes is also in electric con-
nection with the electro magnets or solenoids E¹, E³, passing the two disconnecting
points or terminals d, d.
In each of the cylinders A2, B2, is a float f moving in a body of liquid relatively
large to render it very sensitive, see Figure 9. When at rest these floats have their
two points i, i, on the terminals d, d, and on charging the cylinders, they rise and
thus break the connection or circuit. By weighing them, they can be made to rise
only when the cylinder is full.
A, B, are two small reservoirs or boxes, by which is regulated exactly the volume
or quantity of liquid it is desired to distribute and that quite independently of the
height or pressure of the liquids in the reservoirs A, B. They are in fact motors and
by this means is obtained an outflow of each liquid of the quantity necessary to
produce a current of the desired strength in the time fixed by the contact pins on the
dial of the clock. This quantity can be made more or less, by means of the specially
constructed and shaped syphons X, X, which can be raised or lowered in the box and
which start automatically as soon as the liquid covers the top bend of them. The
distributing tubes A², B³, connected with the syphon are furnished with small nozzles
which allow the liquid to leave them at a very slow rate only.
It will be observed that the tube B2 which corresponds with the exciting liquid, not
only feeds the nozzles or outlets discharging into the first serios of battery cells, but
also feeds the similar nozzles or outlets discharging into each of the other series of
cells. The tube A² only feeds the first series, the liquid supplied by this tube flowing
from one element to the other.
This having been described, the action of the automatic distributor will now be
understood following the course of the depolarizing liquid which is the same as that
of the exciting liquid.
The hand of the clock comes into contact with the silver pin C on the dial corre-
sponding with the electro magnet E'. The circuit is then closed the current passes
into the electro magnet E¹ the valve U is opened by the raising of the rod and the
depolarizing liquid Hows into the meter or syphon box A¹. As soon as it covers the
top of the curve of the syphon it begins to flow and as the size of the syphon is
relatively large, the liquid flows instantly and very quickly into the distributing tube
and cylinder A which it completely fills. At this moment the float frises, opens the
circuit in the electro magnet i, d, the rod falls and the valve closes, thus stopping the
flow of the liquid. The Hoat may be replaced by a current disconnector. The dis-
tributing tube then slowly empties itself through the small nozzles into the top set of
boxes and by the time the float has descended, so that its points touch the
terminals d, d, the hand of the clock has freed itself from the pin C on the dial, the
circuit remains open, the hand travels to the other point and so on.
This mechanisin, which in writing seems complicated, is in reality very simple,

page_text: depending on the movement or an electro magnet which offers no dimicuity,
electrically.
It has been described that the liquids leave the distributing tubes very slowly by
the nozzles and enter the first hoxes and this slowness, in addition to giving time for
the hand of the clock to leave the contact pin on the dial, further assures the perfect
action of the generator.
5
It will be understood that the exact quantity of liquid can be measured which
passes at each movement of tho valve, no matter what may be the height or pressure of
the liquid in the reservoirs A, B. This liquid distributes itself ovenly to each box and
as it arrives slowly and the porous cel take the form of an inverted syphon, it exerts
a pressure by its extra height, and although actually lighter than the liquid which has
just gonerated the electric current, it dous by this extra height or pressure, force out
this latter and replace it entirely in the first cell, and what happens in the first box
happens in the second and third, the liquid then passing by the trough Y into the
waste trough below.
It is this slow and methodical movement of the now liquid forcing out that partially
spent or exhausted and avoiding any mixing which constitutes the difference between
this generator and that called the "Cascade lattery in which the liquids can only
mix and constantly decrease in strength if they do not simply flow along the surface
because in that battery there is nothing to oblige the new liquid to drive the old and
more heavy liquid in front of it.
By the arrangement just described it is possible to work the generator until the
zines are completely consume without change in the flow or power of the liquid. At
each determined interval the first compartment of the first box receives exactly the
same volume of new liquid as that which has given out its maximum useful effect in
that part and it therefore returns to its primitive state and can do exactly the samo
amount of work in the same following interval of time. And the same thing happens
in each section or set of boxes.
It may also be added that this movement of the liquids favours the detachinent of
those bulbs of gas generally so harmful and indicated by many Electricians as the
chief cause of polarization.
A grouping can be made for quantity or tension as desired by means of the dis-
position of the boxes which are of a different current and potential and thus obtain
the maximum of resnit in the minimum of space. The generator can be so arranged
as to take the form of a piece of furniture or a bench or seat (Figure 8) and can bo
either fixed or movable and lends itself to any desired form of decoration or servico
such as circumstances may suggest.
The reservoirs A, B, can be of any desired capacity the filling being unora or loss
frequent accordingly. With those to contain 100 litres the perfect working of the
apparatus may be assured for a week burning 10 lamps an average of 5 hours per day.
Under the same conditions the zines will last about a month. These dimensions can
however be varied and the duration prolonged by increasing the size of the reservoirs
and the zines.
In the space under the reservoirs A, B, accumulators can be placed and in such a
case a special switch arrangement is adopted which stops the action of the battery
when the accumulators are completely charged. This switching off is obtained by
means of a float in the neid liquid of the accumulators utilizing the property which
the liquid has of increasing in density with the charge.
The special reservoirs which would be sent out with fresh liquid to fill A and B,
could also be used to carry away the spent or partly exhausted liquid contained in the
waste troughs A' B³, this liquid having still some commercial value.
The change of tho liquids would be effected by a pump made for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention and
in what mannor the same is to bo performed 1 declare that what 1 claim is :—
1. The system hereinbefore described of emptying in a given time (previously
determined) all the liquid contained in a box of settled capacity as soon as that liquid

page_text: has produced the quantity of electric current it is desired to obtain and avoiding any
mixing of the new and old liquids which would otherwise reduce the strength of the
current all as set forth.
2. The means by which the difference of height at which the liquid enters and
leaves the cells and the slow arrival of the new liquid which thus drives out, by a
certain difference of level, a liquid even heavier than itself, the original chemical
state of the liquids being restored for establishing the same strength of current as
well as the same potential in the boxes or in other words the batteries can never
polarize, all as described.
3. The special mechanical and hydrostatic means :-
a. The arrangement of a syphon allowing the slow accumulation in a reservoir or
box of a settled quantity of liquid and this quantity invariably the same no matter
what may be the pressuro at which the liquid arrives in this box; and the sudden
emptying of it into distributors which divide it exactly into as many points as are
required. (These distributors can be of any substance or shape and fixed or
moveable.)
b. A float which stops the flow of the liquid simultaneously with the starting of
said syphon assuring also the control of the quantity or volume of liquid to be dis-
tributed. This float can be also replaced by a current disconnector, all as described
and shown.
4. The system and the means for feeding or supplying cach of the elements with
fresh exciting liquid in order that the combustion of the positive electrode is effected
by this exciting liquid and without detriment to one of the acids of the depolarizer as
described and shown.