IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIMARY BATTERIES
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1887.
Complete Left; 11th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 12th Aug., 1887.
I CHARLES LAKEMAN TWEEDALE, of Crawshawbooth in the County of Lancaster
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRIMARY BATTERIES to be as follows :-
--
My invention relates to improvements in primary batteries and the chief object of
my improvements is to construct an electric battery which can be used either
continuously or periodically after intervals extending over a long space of time and
which battery is or may be so constructed that the solutions therein can be
changed without displacing the battery or its connections.
My improved primary battery is constructed preferably in the following manner
but any suitable arrangement of vessels may be employed.
The containing vessels consist of an outer vessel or container by choice made of
earthenware but which may be of metal and constitute the positive element. In the
centre of this container is placed a porous pot which fits into an annular or other
suitably shaped recess formed at the bottom of the container a watertight joint being
obtained by means of an indiarubber or other ring or otherwise. The porous pot
may he partially glazed or partly coated with a waterproof substance when the
battery is required to last for a long time as by this means the rapid mixture of the
contents of the cells is prevented. A suitable passage or pipe leads from the interior
of the outer vessel and another from the annular recess and porous vessel by means
of which pipes the vessels can be emptied. These pipes may either be closed with
stoppers or may have indiarubber or other flexible discharge tubes connected to them
the ends of the tubes when not in use being held above the level of the liquids in the
vessels. If desired the battery cell might consist of a square containing vessel divided
into two by a partition consisting wholly or in part of unglazed earthenware. In the
earthenware container is placed the positive element say copper although iron zinc
tin lead silver or bronze or analogous alloys might be used. This positive element is
immersed in water to which may be added any substance which will increase its
conductivity and for this purpose I prefer an acid such as nitric hydrochloric sulphuric
chromic or acetic acid but any suitable acid or acid salt may be used. In the porous
pot is placed the negative element which is immersed in nitric sulphuric hydrochloric
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page_text: or acetic acid either singly or combined or the negative element may be immersed in
a solution of a salt containing one or more of these acids.
In practice I obtain good results with the battery made up as follows:-The
negative element carbon or platinum immersed in dilute nitric acid or in a solution
of a nitrate salt say nitrate of copper. The positive element of copper or other metals
as previously specified immersed in dilute nitric acid.
A battery so constructed gives a continuous current and can be used for many
hours together or for a few seconds at a time as required.
I CHARLES LAKEMAN TWEEDALE of Crawshawbooth in the County of Lancaster
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRIMARY BATTERIES, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in primary batteries and the chief object
of my improvements is to construct an electric battery which can be used either
continuously or periodically after intervals extending over a long space of time and
which battery is or may be so constructed that the solutions therein can be changed
without displacing the battery or its connections.
My improved primary battery is constructed preferably in the manner which I
will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
but any other convenient and suitable construction and arrangement of vessels
may be employed.
In the Drawings Figure 1 is an elevation Fig. 2 a sectional elevation and Fig. 3
a plan of one form of my improved primary battery. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are similar
views respectively to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 but on a smaller scale of a slightly modified
construction.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3. a designates the outer vessel or container
made by choice of earthenware but which may he of metal as hereinafter specified
and constitute the positive element. In the centre of this container a is placed a
porous pot which fits into an annular recess a³ formed at the bottoni of the

page_text: container. There is a hole in the hottom of the porous pot which is closed by a
stopper cat the end of a handle c. At the bottom of the container a is formed a
passage leading from the annular recess a¹ to the exterior of the vessel a and in the
passage is secured a short length of pipe e' to which is fastened an india-rubber or
other flexible tube e through which the liquid contents of the outer vessel or container a
can be drawn off when required. On withdrawing the plug c¹ the contents of the
porous pot flow into the annular recess a¹ and container a and can then be drawn off
by the discharge tube e.
In the other form illustrated by Figs. 4, 5 and 6 the porous pot 6 may rest on or
as shown may be encircled by an india-rubber ring or washer i to form a watertight
joint. A passage e² is formed in the outer vessel a for the purpose of withdrawing
the contents as required. A separate passage d leads from beneath the porous pot to
the outside of the container a by which the liquid in the porous pot can be drawn off
independently of the liquid in the outer vessel a. Discharge tubes not shown may be
connected to the passages e² and d and the end of the discharge tube e Figs. 1 to 3 or
the ends of the tubes Figs. 4 to 6 when not in use are held above the level of the
liquids in the vessels as shown in Figs. 1 and 2: the discharge tube or tubes might
be dispensed with and the passages be closed by stoppers.
In the earthenware container a is placed the positive element in this case a tube or
cylinder of copper lead or tin or alloys mainly composed of one two or all of these
metals. The positive element f is immersed in water to which may be added any
substance which will increase its conductivity. When either copper or tin is employed
as the positive element I prefer dilute Nitric Sulphuric or Hydrochloric Acid either
When lead
singly or combined but any suitable Acid or Acid Salt may be used.
is used for the positive element I can employ the Acids as above mentioned but I
obtain the best results both commercially and economically from a mixture of two
parts of Nitric Acid and one of Hydrochloric Acid diluted with water.
In the porous pot bis placed the negative element g of carbon or platinum which
is immersed preferably in dilute Nitro Sulphuric Acid but Nitric Acid alone or
combined with Hydrochloric Acid may be used but not so advantageously as the
dilute Nitro Sulphuric Acid or the negative element may be immersed in a solution
of a Salt containing one or more of these Acids. I find in practice that the following
proportions for the Nitro Sulphuric Acid solution give good results. Nitric Acid from
one to two parts Sulphuric Acid two parts water six parts.
The porous pot may be partially glazed or partly coated with a suitable water-
proof substance when the battery is required to last for a long time as by this means
the rapid admixture of the contents of the cells is prevented.
The waste solution or insoluble residual product as the case may be obtained
from the positive element which may as previously stated be either copper lead or
tin may be utilized as follows:-
1st. The copper solution may be evaporated to obtain the copper salt or the metallic
copper may be precipitated from the solution by placing iron rods in it and adding a
small quantity of Acid if necessary: or the solution can be used for charging a
"Daniel's battery."
2nd. The insoluble lead salt which when lead is used as the positive element falls to
the bottom of the container may be ground and used as a pigment for paint or by treating
it with Chromic Acid or Bichromate of Potash or other Chromic Salt the bright
yellow substance or pigment known as Chrome Yellow may be produced. I find that
dilute Nitro Hydrochloric Acid when employed in the proportions specified as the
exciting agent produces an insoluble lead salt which does not polarize the positive
element as it is deposited and can be more easily and successfully treated for the
purposes above described than when other Acids are used.
3rd. The tin solution which when Hydrochloric Acid is used in conjunction with
tin as the positive element consists of Dichloride of tin is largely used by Dyers and
Calico Printers. The solution may be treated with an Alkali to produce a precipitate
of Dioxide of tin which on being boiled with Soda produces sodium stannate which is
largely used by Dyers and Calico Printers.

page_text: I would have it clearly understood that although I have described the use and
application of copper lead or tin or suitable alloys of the same as the positive element
in a primary battery I lay no broad claim to the use of tin for such purpose except
when tin or a suitable alloy of the same is used as the positive element in combination
with dilute Nitro Sulphuric Acid to depolarize the negative element as before
described..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is-
1. The use and application of copper lead or tin or suitable alloys of the same as
the positive element for a primary battery.
2. In a primary battery the combination with a positive element composed of
copper lead tin or a suitable alloy of the same of a negative element composed of carbon
or platinum substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The use and application of dilute Nitro-Sulphuric Acid to depolarize the negative
element in a battery in which the positive element is composed of copper lead or tin
or an alloy of the same substantially as specified.
4. The insoluble residual product obtained by the action preferably of dilute Nitro-
Hydrochloric or other Acid as described on the led constituting the positive element
of a primary battery substantially as and for the purposes herein described.
5. The construction combination and arrangement of parts constituting my
improved battery substantially as and for the purposes herein described and as
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
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