Improvements in Electrical Batteries and in the Manufacture of Depolarizing Bodies to be Used therein.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 22nd Aug., 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1887.
Improvements in Electrical Batteries and in the Manufacture of
Depolarizing Bodies to be Used therein.
We ERNEST BARBIER and MAURICE LECLANCHÉ, both of 1 Boulevard St. Denis,
Paris, France, Electrical Engineers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :-
It has already been proposed to agglomerate, by means of hydraulic or other
pressure, solid, insoluble or slightly soluble depolarizing mixtures employed in
electrical batteries or piles so as to obtain solid agglomerated bodies possessing
sufficient conductivity and allowing of dispensing with the use, in the construction of
batteries, of porous vessels or diaphragms and if necessary of the metallic plates or
carbons which are ordinarily employed as collectors of electricity at the positive pole.
Different processes of moulding various compositions and certain forms of depolarizing
agglomerated bodies have been described. In general, the processes of manufacture
have consisted in adding to the depolarizing substances a small quantity of a substance
(such as tar, pitch, bitumen, albumen, gelatine, paper pulp, cement, gum or resin)
capable of uniting or binding together, either hot or cold, the parts constituting the
mixture. And it has been explained that where the agglomerating substance is an
insulant as little as possible of it must be used so as not to weaken the conductive
power for example for a resin 5 to 10 per cent. is sufficient to produce a good result.
The agglomerating substance generally employed has been gum lac, which is eminently
of an insulating nature and very attackable by alkalies and particularly by ammonia
which is produced in a notable quantity in batteries where the work is pushed to
excess. Under these conditions of excessive work inconveniences have frequently
arisen which are obviated by our mode of manufacture which we will now describe.
The composition which we have found good for the purpose of our invention is the
following

page_text: The materials having been reduced to fine powder and the proportion of water stated
having been added, are intimately mixed together by hand or mechanically.
The moist mixture is moulded when cold that is to say at the ordinary temperature
either by a simple compressing press or by a press in which 2 pistons moving towards
each other compress the block on 2 opposite faces. Or the mixture may be compressed
by drawing as in the manufacture of carbons for lighting purposes.
After compression the products are sufficiently solid to be manipulated. They are
then put in a stove or oven whose temperature is gradually raised to about 350° Centi-
grade, a temperature which is insufficient to decompose the depolarizing body but
sufficient to drive out first the volatile parts of the agglomerating material and to then
transform its fixed parts into an unattackable body. During the gradual heating or
baking which lasts about 2 hours, what remains of the water in the agglomerated
body begins to evaporate, then come the more volatile oils contained in the pitch and
finally the sulphur (which is not there as an agglomerating substance but as a reactive
and this is a characteristic feature of the invention) acting on what remains of the
pitch (as it acts at high temperature on all carbides of hydrogen), transforms it partly
into volatile sulphurated products which become disengaged in the course of the
heating while the rest of the agglomerating substance (the pitch) is transformed by
the action of the sulphur into a fixed and unattackable body as above stated and which
is a good conductor of electricity.
The action of the sulphur on the pitch can very well be likened to that of sulphur
on caoutchouc (which is likewise a carbide of hydrogen) in the operation of
vulcanization.
It must be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the proportions above
given as they can be varied within certain limits. We have also to add that in lieu of
the peroxide of manganese we can employ binoxide of lead, oxide of copper or other
depolarizing material.
We will now describe a form of battery for the use of our depolarizing agglomerated
body. This battery is composed of -1st. An outer vase of glass or other material
not acted on by reactives (chloride of ammonium, acids, alkalies &c.) and containing
an exciting solution of one of these reactives. 2nd. A central cylinder solid or
hollow of zinc amalgamated or not immersed in the liquid. To this negative electrode
is fixed a conducting wire serving as a rheophore. 3rd. An outer hollow cylinder
fulfilling the office of the positive electrode and formed from peroxide of manganese,
graphite and pitch with the addition of sulphur under the conditions already described.
A portion of this cylinder which is above the exciting solution in the battery is
paraffined and the cylinder has at this end a ring of lead or other metal firmly secured
to it. To obtain perfect adherence of this ring to the agglomerated body small holes
can be made in the latter before running on the ring. In order to prevent evaporation
of the liquids and to keep the zinc central we in some cases use a stopper of wood
ebonite or other suitable material to fit the agglomerated cylinder and a caoutchouc
ring between this cylinder and the outer vase. The zinc cylinder is held at top
by the stopper and has a caoutchouc ring at bottom to keep it insulated from the
agglomerated cylinder. This outer cylinder can be formed with holes to allow free
passage to the exciting liquid.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the battery is closed. Its action
has this speciality that the zinc being placed in the centre of the depolarizing
it may b
agglomerated body it necessarily gives the maximum electrical production;
added that the porosity of the agglomerated cylinder offers to the exciting liquid
considerable surface contact which increases the intensity of the battery, while th
absence of all bad conducting material from the agglomerated body gives the batter]
the maximum conductivity.
Dated this gond day of December 1886
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Batteries and in the Manufacture of
Depolarizing Bodies to be Used therein.
We ERNEST BARBIER and MAURICE LECLANCHÉ, both of 1 Boulevard St. Denis,
Paris, France, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :—
It has already been proposed to agglomerate, by means of hydraulic or other
pressure, solid, insoluble or slightly soluble depolarizing mixtures employed in
electrical batteries or piles so as to obtain solid agglomerated bodies possessing
sufficient conductivity and allowing of dispensing with the use, in the construction of
batteries, of porous vessels or diaphragmns and if necessary of the metallic plates or
carbons which are ordinarily employed as collectors of electricity at the positive pole.
Different processes of moulding various compositions and certain forms of depolarizing
agglomerated bodies have been described. In general, the processes of manufacture
have consisted in adding to the depolarizing substances a small quantity of a substance
(such as tar, pitch, bitumen, albumen, gelatine, paper pulp, cement, gum or resin)
capable of uniting or binding together, either hot or cold, the parts constituting the
mixture. And it has been explained that where the agglomerating substance is an
insulant, as little as possible of it must be used so as not to weaken the conductive
power for example; for a resin, 5 to 10 per cent. is sufficient to produce a good result.
The agglomerating substance generally employed has been gum lac, which is eminently
of an insulating nature and very attackable by alkalies and particularly by ammonia
which is produced in a notable quantity in batteries where the work is pushed to
excess. Under these conditions of excessive work inconveniences have frequently
arisen which are obviated by our mode of manufacture which we will now describe.
The composition which we have found good for the purpose of our invention is the
following-
The materials having been reduced to fine powder and the proportion of water stated
having been added, are intimately mixed together by hand or mechanically.
The moist mixture is moulded when cold, that is to say: at the ordinary
35 temperature either by a simple compressing press or by a press in which two pistons

page_text: moving towards each other compress the block on two opposite faces. Or the
mixture may be compressed by drawing as in the manufacture of carbons for lighting
purposes.
After compression the products are sufficiently solid to be manipulated. They are
then put in a stove or oven whose temperature is gradually raised to about 350° Centi-
grade, a temperature which is insufficient to decompose the depolarizing body but
sufficient to drive ont first the volatile parts of the agglomerating material and to then.
transform its fixed parts into an unattackable body. During the gradual heating or
baking which lasts about two hours, what remains of the water in the agglomerated
body begins to evaporate, then come the more volatile oils contained in the pitch and
finally the sulphur (which is not there as an agglomerating substance but as a reactive,
and this is a characteristic feature of the invention) acting on what remains of the
pitch (as it acts at high temperature on all carbides of hydrogen), transforms it partly
into volatile sulphurated products which become disengaged in the course of the
heating while the rest of the agglomerating substance (the pitch) is transformed by
the action of the sulphur into a fixed and unattackable body as above stated and which
is a good conductor of electricity.
The action of the sulphur ou the pitch can very well be likened to that of sulphur
on caoutchouc (which is likewise a carbide of hydrogen) in the operation of
vulcanization.
It must be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the proportions above
given as they can be varied within certain limits. We have also to add that in licu
of the peroxide of manganese we can employ binoxide of lead, oxide of copper, or
other depolarizing material.
We will now describe a form of battery for the use of our depolarizing agglomerated
body. This battery is represented in vertical section in Figure 1 and in horizontal
section in Figure 2 of the annexed drawings and is composed of :-1st. An outer
vase A of glass or other material not acted on by reactives (chloride of ammonium,
acids, alkalies &c.) and containing an exciting solution of one of these reactives.
2nd. A central cylinder D, solid or hollow, of zinc amalgamated or not, immersed in
the liquid. To this negative electrode is fixed a conducting wire C serving as a
rheophore. 3rd. An outer hollow cylinder B fulfilling the office of the positive
electrode and formed from peroxide of manganese, graphite and pitch with the
addition of sulphur under the conditions already described. The part a, b of this
cylinder which is above the exciting solution in the battery is paraffined and the
cylinder has at this end a ring E of lead or other metal firmly secured to it. To obtain
perfect adherence of this ring E to the agglomerated body B, small holes or cavities
can be made in the latter before running on the ring. In order to prevent evaporation
of the liquids and to keep the zinc central we in some cases use a stopper F of wood,
ebonite or other suitable material to fit the agglomerated cylinder and a caoutchouc
ring G between this cylinder and the outer vase. The zinc cylinder D is held at top
by the stopper F and has a caoutchouc ring H at bottom to keep it insulated from the
agglomerated cylinder B. This outer cylinder B can be formed with holes I, 1 to
allow free passage to the exciting liquid.
It will be seen from the foregoing description that the battery is closed. Its action
bas this speciality that the zinc D being placed in the centre of the depolarizing
agglomerated body B it necessarily gives the maximum electrical production; it may
be added that the porosity of the agglomerated cylinder B offers to the exciting
liquid a considerable surface contact which increases the intensity of the battery,
while the absence of all bad conducting material from the agglomerated body gives
the battery the maximum conductivity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:
1. In the manufacture of depolarizing bodies of the kind herein referred to to be
used in electrical batteries, the employment of sulphur not as an agglomerating sub-
stance but as a reactive. which has the effect of eliminating at a relatively low

page_text: temperature part of the agglomerating material and of forming with that which
remains of the agglomerating material a body which is not attacked by the liquids of
the battery, as set forth.
2. The manufacture of depolarizing agglomerated bodies for electrical batteries by
compressing the ingredients when cold and afterwards submitting the bodies to
progressive heating so as to eliminate or partly eliminate the agglomerating substances
and chemically and physically modify them, as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The employment in electrical batteries of depolarizing agglomerated bodies
manufactured in the manner hereinbefore described.
4. The novel construction or form of electrical battery hereinbefore described with
reference to the annexed drawings.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169, Fleet Street, London,
Agent.