IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Charles Vincent Holmes of Sussex Villas in
the County of Middlesex Civil Engineer, Stephen Henry Emmens of
8 Argyll St in the same County Electric Engineer, and Francis Eustace
Burke of Members Mansions Victoria St in the same County, Civil
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Charles Vincent
Holmes, Stephen Henry Emmens and Francis Eustace Burke at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th October 1883.
GEORGE CHARLES VINCENT HOLMES, of Sussex Villas, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of 8 Argyll Street, in the
same County, Electric Engineer, and FRANCIS EUSTACE BURKE, of Members
Mansions, Victoria Street, in the same County, Civil Engineer, IMPROVEMENTS
IN GALVANIC BATTERIES"
Our invention relates to the construction of galvanic batteries and is partly an
improvement upon the matter, in respect of which a provisional Specification was
filed by the said Stephen Henry Emmens, and George Charles Vincent Holmes,
under date the twenty first day of August 1883 and numbered 4059.
Our invention is designed to facilitate the charging and discharging of galvanic
batteries and to prevent the escape of noxious fumes therefrom, except through the
channels provided for such escape, and thereby to facilitate their collection for
utilization.
We carry out our invention as follows:-
We constract the cover of each cell in one piece so shaped and fitted as to
hermetically close the porous and outer compartments of the cell in a water
and air tight manner, this cover further serving to carry the positive and negative
electrodes
In this cover we pierce one or more holes, communicating with the interior of
the porous compartment, and thence carried through the substance of the cover,
first in a horizontal, and then in a downward direction, until it terminates at the

page_text: surface where the cover makes an air-tight joint with the outer wall of the cell.
The passage or hole is continued from the joint through the thickness of the wall
and is finally carried to the outside of the said wall of the cell.
Each cell is further provided with one or more holes direct through its wall to
give external communication to the outer compartment, and this aperture is
preferably near to the point of exit of the passage communicating with the inner
compartment.
We fix along the outside of the cell or series of cells, two or more horizontal
pipes or closed troughs communicating by closed joints with the respective apertures
from the inner and outer compartments, or channelled in the substance of the walls,
by which we are able to charge or discharge either compartment or the cell at
pleasure.
Suitable vent apertures to the inner and outer compartments are similarly pierced
through the substance of the cover or wall of the cell, to allow ingress of air to
permit of discharge by the other apertures, or to act as gas-vents for accumulated
fumes, their collection being thus easily affected. These apertures may be
conveniently closed at will by cocks or vent pegs
We effect the emptying of the compartments by turning the cell or series of cells
upon trunnions, or by tilting them on hinges, the liquids being thus discharged
through the apertures and troughs aforesaid by gravitation: or they may be ejected
by syphonage through pipes carried down to the bottom of the compartments, and
to a lower level outside, or by direct air pressure through the vent apertures, or by
suction through the delivery apertures. The charging may be effected through the
same pipes and apertures by a change in the direction of the flow.
We control the charging and discharging of the cell by the automatic closing, by
the rising level of the liquids, of the vent apertures before described as pierced
through the substance of the covers, walls and joints, in the same manner as
described for the charging and discharging passages; or the same control may be
effected by a corresponding use of vent-pegs or cocks in connection with the said
apertures.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
"by the said George Charles Vincent Holmes, Stephen Henry Eminens and
Francis Eustace Burke in the Patent Office on the 18th April 1884.
GEORGE CHARLES VINCENT HOLMES, of Sussex Villas, in the county of
Middlesex, Civil Engineer, STEPHEN HENRY EMMENS, of 8 Argyll St, in the
same county, Electric Engineer, and FRANCIS EUSTACE BURKE, of Member's
Mansions, Victoria Street, in the same county, Civil Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS
IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
"
Our invention relates to the construction of galvanic batteries, and is partly
an improvement upon the matter in respect of which a Provisional Specification
was filed by the said Stephen Henry Emmens and George Charles Vincent. Holmes
under date the 21st day of August 1883 and numbered 4059
Our invention is designed to facilitate the charging and discharging of galvanic
batteries, and to prevent the escape of noxious fumes therefrom, except through
the channels provided for such escape, and thereby to facilitate their collection for
utilization.
In order that our invention may be the better understood, we now proceed to
describe it with reference to the drawings hereto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through our improved battery.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through an alternative form of our improved
battery.
1
Figure 3 is a transverse section through our improved battery applicable to either
of the above views.
Like letters refer to similar parts in the different views.
To carry out our invention and to adapt our batteries to railway, ship, or
transport purposes, with the object of preventing splashing over and consequent
short circuiting between the cells, we cover the whole of the porous and outer
cells A and B respectively of any galvanic battery by a single cover C, bolting or
fixing it down hermetically as to the joints upon the edge of the walls of the outer
cell, preferably with an india rubber washer between the faces, so as to make a
perfectly air-tight joint thereon. The inner porous cell A is sunk into a groove
channelled in the cover, and sealed therein by paraffine wax or other cement not
attacked by the fumes or acids. It is thus suspended from the under side of the
said cover C, and similarly the positive electrodes D D, Figure 3, and the negative
electrodes E E are similarly hermetically attached to and suspended from the same
cover, the necessary binding screws F F for the attachment of the wires being
metallically connected to the said electrodes, and conveniently arranged on the
outer surface of the cover Ơ. In this cover we pierce one or more holes G G',
Figures 1 and 2, communicating with the interior of the porous compartment.
In one case G, Figure 2, a tube g from this passage is carried to the bottom of
the cell.
These passages are carried first upwards, thence horizontally, in the substance of
the covers, and finally downward, or carried through the substance of the covers
in other such manner, so as to communicate with a continuation of the passages HH
through the air tight joint of the cover upon the wall of the cell. The passage H
is continued through the thickness of the wall of the cell and finally carried to the
outside of the said wall. Each cell is either further provided with one or more
holes K, as in figure 1, to give external communication to the outer compartment B,
or alternatively the said passages K¹ K¹, Figure 2, communicating with the outer

page_text: compartment, may also be caused to reach to the bottom of the cell by an internal
pipe L, Figure 2, and be carried through the substance of the cover Ĕ, and thence
through the joint on the wall of the cell, similarly to the arrangement of passages
from the inner cell as hereinbefore described. Along the outside of the cell or
series of cells, we fix two or more horizontal pipes or closed troughs M M, commu-
nicating with closed joints with the respective apertures H and K' from the inner
and outer compartmenta. Or these troughs may be channelled in the substance of
the walls of the cells, and closed by a plate M³, Figure 1, over the said troughs.
Upon these channels we fit either junctions N N, Figures 1 and 2, for the attach-
ment of hose or syphon pipes P P, Figure 2, which are fitted to turn easily upon
their neck joints, or alternatively to bend easily in the joints, so that they may be
used for syphon discharge when turned downwards, or for charging with fresh
solutions when turned upwards. These reversible syphon tubes also serve the
purpose of gauges when turned upwards, to indicate the level of the fluids in the
cells, thus affording an indication to permit of control of the charging.
Vent apertures to the inner and outer compartments may be pierced directly
through the cover as at Q, Figure 1, and through the wall of the outer cell as at R,
Figure 1, to allow ingress or egress of the air, to permit of discharge or charge, by
the other apertures, and also, as in the case of R, to indicate when the level of the
liquid inside the cell has reached the said vent.
These apertures may be conveniently closed at will by cocks or vent pegs.
Where the collection of the fumes generated in the inner cell be desired, the gas
vent from the inner cell may be carried through the substance of the cover Cas
at S, Figure 2, downwards through the joint of the cover and thence through the
wall of the cell to a collecting trough T which is connected to a fume chamber by
a suitable pipe. These gas vents may also be used instead of independent vents
for charging and discharging with syphons.
Alternatively, this latter special vent may be dispensed with, the charging
aperture H, Figure 1, serving also for the escape of fumes by the insertion of a
branch carried upwards from the charging pipe to a collecting chamber.
We effect the emptying of the compartments either by turning the cell or series
of cells upon trunnions V, Figure 1, or by tilting them upon hinges, the liquids
being thus discharged through the apertures and troughs aforesaid by gravitation.
These trunnions may also be of service for supporting the batteries in an approxi-
mately horizontal position on board ship. Or the contents may be ejected by
syphonage through pipes g and L within the cells, and the passages K' and G¹ and
syphon pipes P P outside the cells carried down to a lower level than the bottom
of the cells; or direct air pressure may be applied to the vent apertures, thus
forcing discharge, or suction may be applied by any known means to the delivery
apertures to induce discharge. The charging may be effected through the same
pipes and apertures as are used for discharge by a reversal of the angle to which
the cells, Figure 1, are tilted for discharge, or by the turning up of the syphon
pipes P P, Figure 2, effecting in both cases a reversal in the direction of the flow.
We control the charging of the cell, Figure 1, by the automatic closing by the
rising level of the liquids of the vent aperture Q, or the same control may be
effected by a corresponding use of vent pegs or cocks in connection with the said
apertures.
In some cases the inner cell alone is closed quite gas tight upon the whole of
the surrounding walls, the outer cell having gas tight joints only on the end walls
through which the passages are perforated and is left partially open at the sides to
allow of access to the zincs; and where this is the case, only the method of charge
and discharge by syphons is used for the outer cell.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and
the manner of its performance, be it known that what we consider novel and
claim is:-
First. In galvanic batteries, the construction of the cells with a cover closing
both the inner porous and outer compartments with air tight joints, the said porous

page_text: cell and both positive and negative electrodes being suspended therefrom,
substantially as and for the purposes described
Second. The combination with a double cell galvanic battery, hermetically
closed as to all the joints, or with side recesses in cover over outer cell to give
access to the zinc plates, of charging, discharging, or vent and fume passages, made
in the substance of the cover and walls, and passing through the joint between the
said cover and walls, so that the cover may be removed without breaking the
external connecting pipes, substantially as described.
Third. In a galvanic battery, a cell or cells closed with a cover making gas tight
joints thereon, provided with vent apertures, in combination with supporting
trunnions or hinges, so that the battery may be readily inclined at any required
angle for charge or discharge, or may be maintained approximately by gravitation
horizontal on boardship, substantially as described.
Fourth. In a galvanic battery closed by a cover making gas tight joints
therewith, the combination with the before claimed vent and charging and
discharging apertures, of internal and external tubes to serve for charging and
discharging by syphonage, pressure, or suction, or to act as gauges, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof I, the said George Charles Vincent Holmes, on behalf of
myself, and the said Stephen Henry Emmens, and Francis Eustace Burke, have
hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of April in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty-four.
Witness
S. P. WILDING.
23 Rood Lane, London. E.C.
Patent Agent
GEORGE C. V. HOLMES. (LS.)