Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
I, BENJAMIN WILLCOX of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Thomas Palmer Whittier of East Saginaw in the
State of Michigan one of the United States of America, Manufacturer and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
-
This Invention relates to that class of galvanic batteries ordinarily known as single
fluid batteries and its object is to provide a battery of this kind which shall be more
constant in action and which shall retain its efficiency for a longer period than others
which heretofore have been commonly used.
This result is obtained according to this Invention by the use as an excitant of a
complex salt containing essentially and as its main constituents, the chlorides and
bromides of Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium obtained from the waste product or
residual of natural salt bearing brine which remains after the ordinary marketable
table and cattle salts have been extracted. The excitant referred to can be obtained.
from this residual product by ordinary or suitable processes of evaporation and in
addition to the ingredients above named, it usually contains also a small percentage
of Sodium Sulphate, as well as traces of iodine, iron and potassium.
This excitant is preferably used in connection with carbon and zinc as electrodes,
but the invention is not confined to the use of these materials since very good results.
are obtained with other materials and more especially with iron as the positive
electrode. Nor is the invention confined to any particular form of battery, but a
suitable form is one in which the battery cell is composed of a jar of insulating material,
having a cover of metal, carrying a number of carbon rods in electrical contact
therewith, and a binding post which constitutes the terminal of the negative electrode, i.e.,
the positive pole of the battery. In the centre of the cover there is an opening
lined with insulating material, through which the positive electrode is inserted. All
this may be of any ordinary or improved construction, and is only here described as
one specimen of a known type of battery in connection with which the improved
excitant can be used to advantage.
As stated above the improvement according to this invention consists in the use,
as an excitant of a complex salt which is derived from the residual of natural salt

page_text: Dearing brine which is left after the marketable table and cattle salts have been
extracted therefrom. The proportions of the constituents of the excitant vary within
wide limits, but on the average they may be generally stated as follows
Sodium Chloride
The battery jar is filled with a saturated solution of this excitant, and by preference
the jar is charged with more of the salt and will be dissolved as is the usual practic
in batteries of this character, although a saturated and filtered solution may be used
with great advantage.
mag
When the battery circuit is closed the Chloride and Bromide act upon the zinc,
forming Chlorine and Bromide of zine and hydrates of Sodium, Calcium and
nesium and these last named alkaline hydrates in turn act upon the chloride and
bromide of zinc (especially when the circuit is opened) reforming in part the original
chlorides and bromides and precipitating insoluble zine basic chloride and hydrate.
It is to these reactions mainly that are I believe attributable the superior constancy
which the battery in practice exhibits as well as its power of rapid recuperation when
the circuit is opened, if after long continued action the liquid has become unduly
charged with zinc salts.
That the foregoing is the true action of the battery when the improved excitant is
used, is rendered very probable by the fact that if to a portion of the liquid taken
from the battery after the latter has been in action for some time a small quantity of
alkaline hydrate be added, a precipitate will be obtained of the same composition as
that which is deposited in the cell after prolonged action.
But whatever may be the true explanation the fact remains that the battery is
rendered very constant and has marked power of recuperation.
I may also say here that my foreign Correspondent has found that although
bromides and chlorides are perhaps of about equal value when used singly yet that
the bromides act more quickly than do the Chlorides while on the other hand the
Chlorides are more constant than are the bromides. A mixture of the two such as I
have described is therefore better than either one singly in that it combines the rapid
action of the bromide with the constancy of the chloride.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
An excitant for galvanic batteries composed essentially of a solution of the residual 4
salts from natural brine substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 22nd day of ML... 1000