IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES, AND IN VATS USED IN DEPOSITING METALS BY ELECTRICITY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Timothy Morris, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC
BATTERIES, AND IN VATS USED IN DEPOSITING METALS BY ELECTRICITY:"
Sealed the 24th August 1860, and dated the 10th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Timothy Morris at the
Office of the "Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th March 1860.
I, TIMOTHY MORRIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said. Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES, AND IN VATS USED IN DEPOSITING METALS BY
ELECTRICITY," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of the arrangements herein-after described, whereby
the exciting liquids of voltaic batteries are maintained for a long time at a
uniform or nearly uniform strength, and a uniform or nearly uniform electrical
current thereby obtained. Also in applying a similar or nearly similar
arrangement to depositing vats, so as to preserve the liquids in the said vats
of a uniform or nearly uniform composition.
In constructing simple acid batteries according to my Invention I proceed
as follows: I place a closed reservoir containing the exciting acid at a lower
level than that of the battery. A siphon from the top of the reservoir com-

page_text: municates with the top of the liquid in the battery, and a pipe from the
bottom of the battery communicates with the bottom of the reservoir. As
soon as the acid in the battery becomes charged with zinc, it passes, by virtue
of its greater density, into the reservoir, and an equal volume of acid passes
from the reservoir to the battery. A circulation is thus set up, which
continues as long as the battery is in action, and any unsaturated liquid
remains in the reservoir. Where the exciting liquid of the battery is a denso
solution which becomes specifically.lighter by the action of the battery, as
when a solution of sulphate of copper is employed, I place the reservoir
containing the solution at a higher level than that of the battery, and connect
the bottom of the reservoir with the bottom of the battery solution, and and
the top of the reservoir with the top of the battery solution. In sustaining or
constant batteries where two liquids are employed, both the arrangements
described may be employed, one to exchange one of the liquids, and the other
to exchange the other liquid. In constructing a depositing vat according to
my Invention, the reservoir is placed lower than the vat and filled with the
depositing liquid of a proper working strength, and the pipes connecting the
reservoir with the vat are arranged as herein first described. The heavy
liquid as it is formed descends into the reservoir, and liquid of the proper
strength passes therefrom to the vat.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Timothy Morris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
8th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, TIMOTHY
MORRIS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer, send
greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Timothy Morris, Her special licence that I, the said Timothy
Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Timothy Morris, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
.

page_text: Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN. VOLTAIC BATTERIES, AND IN VATS USED IN
DEPOSITING METALS BY ELECTRICITY," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Timothy: Morris, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Timothy Morris, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of the arrangements herein-after described and
illustrated in the accompanying. Drawing whereby the exciting liquids or
solutions of voltaic batteries are maintained for a long time at a uniform or
nearly uniform strength, and a uniform or nearly uniform electrical current
thereby obtained. Also in applying similar or nearly similar arrangements to
depositing vats, so as to preserve the liquids or solutions in the said vats of a
uniform or nearly uniform composition.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in perspective a simple
In constructing the
acid voltaic battery. made according to my Invention.
said battery Figure 1, I place a closed reservoir or cistern a containing the
exciting acid at a lower level than that of the cell 6 of the battery, as
represented. A syphon or pipe c from the top of the reservoir a communicates
with the top of the liquid in the battery cell b, and a pipe d from the bottom
of the said cell b opens into and communicates with the bottom of the
reservoir a. As the arrangement of the plates in the cell 6 of the battery.is
of the ordinary kind, I do not think it necessary. to describe the same. As
soon as the acid.in. the battery cell 6 becomes charged with zinc, the said
charged acid passes, by virtue of its greater density, through the pipe d to the
bottom of the reservoir a, and an equal volume of acid passes through the
pipe c from the upper part of the reservoir a to the battery cell b. A circula-
tion is thus set up, which continues as long as the battery is in action, and any.
The reservoir a is filled by
unsaturated liquid remains in the reservoir a.
means of a pipe e provided with a funnel and stop-cock, as represented, the
height of the said pipe and funnel. being somewhat greater than that of
the pipe c.
Where the exciting liquid of the battery. is a dense solution which becomes

page_text: specifically lighter by. the action of the battery, as for example, when a
solution of sulphate of copper is employed, I arrange the said battery in the
manner represented in Figure 2 of the Drawing, that is to say, I place the
reservoir containing the exciting solution at a higher level than that of
the battery cell g, and connect the bottom of the reservoir f with the top of
the solution. in the battery cell g by means of a pipe h, and the top of the
reservoir with the top of the solution in the battery g by means of the pipe i
The reservoir f is filled through the funnel f. In this case, as by the action
of the battery, the solution in the cell g becomes weakened, the said solution,
by virtue of its lesser density, passes through the pipe i to the reservoir f, an
equal volume of the solution passes from the reservoir through the pipe h to
the battery cell g, and a circulation is thus sustained in the direction indicated
by the arrows so long as the density of the solution in the battery cell y differs
from that in the reservoir f.
"
:
In sustaining or constant batteries where two liquids are employed both the
arrangements of reservoirs herein-before described and represented in Figures
1 and 2 may be used together, that in Figure 1 to exchango one of tho
liquids, and that in Figure 2 to exchange the other of the said liquids.
Figure 3 represents a constant battery made according to my. Invention,
the plates of which are removed in order to show more important parts. The
upper reservoir contains the denso solution, for example, a salt of copper,
which reservoir is connected by the pipes and m to the outer cell n of the
battery, the circulation between the said cell n and reservoir being effected;
as described with respect to Figure 2. The lower reservoir o contains the,
exciting liquid for the inner or porous cell p of the battery, the said reservoir
being connected to the cell by the pipes q and r. The circulation between the
cell p and reservoir o is effected in the manner described with respect to.
Figure 1.
In constructing a depositing vat according to my Invention, I place the.
reservoir filled with the depositing liquid or solution of a proper working
strength lower than the said vat, the pipes connecting the, said reservoir with
the vat being arranged in the manner represented in Figure 1.. As tho
solution in the depositing vat becomes denser, it descends into the reservoir,
and solution of the proper strength passes therefrom to the vat.
.j
Where the solution in the depositing vat becomes specifically lighter during
use, I employ the arrangement represented in Figure 2, that is to say, I place
the reservoir containing the solution at a higher level than the depositing vat,
and connect the said reservoir with the vat in the manner represented with;
respect to a battery in Figure 2. As the solution in the vat becomes

page_text: specifically lighter, it rises from the vat to the upper part of the reservoir, the
denser solution passing from the lower part of the reservoir to the vat. When
solutions of metallic salts are employed in the battery or vat, instead of filling
the reservoir with a solution of the salt, as herein-before described, I some-
times fill the said reservoir with crystals of the salt. During the use of the
said battery or vat, the solution as it becomes unfit for use, passes to the
reservoir and becomes saturated with the said salt, and the saturated solution
again passes as it is required to the battery or vat, and so on until the whole
of the crystals in the reservoir have been dissolved.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood, that I claim as my
Invention the improvements in voltaic batteries, and in vats used in depositing
metals by electricity herein-before described, and illustrated in the accom-
panying Drawing, that is to say, connecting cisterns or reservoirs with the
cells of the said batteries, or with the said vats, the said cisterns or reservoirs
being filled with the liquids or salts, or solutions employed in tho said cells or
vats, so as to remove the liquids or solutions from the cells or vats as they
become unfit for use, and replacing them by fresh liquids or solutions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Timothy Morris, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
RICHARD SKERRETT,
Clerk to George Shaw.
TIMOTHY MORRIS. (L.S.)