IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Boulay, of Paris, France, Mathematical
Instrument Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC
BATTERIES."
Sealed the 3rd December 1867, and dated the 5th June 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Boulay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th
June 1867.
I, CHARLES BOULAY, of Paris, France, Mathematical Instrument Maker,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
The object of these improvements in galvanic batteries is to afford, lly,
greater constancy of action, and this for a longer period than was hitherto
possible by either Daniels' or other descriptions of galvanic batteries; 2ly,
allow an easier conveying of the batteries ready for use; 3ly, do away with
the formation of dangerous fumes and polarisation on the elements or on the
porous cells.
For this purpose I make use of the following arrangements :-The porous
vessel is divided by means of one or more porous partition plates or diaphragms
into two or more separate porous cells each of them containing its own
electrolyte or galvanic element (zinc, copper, carbon or others), and exciting

page_text: salt or mixture in the dry or slightly moistened state, and which attract
moisture from the liquid contained in the outer vessel, in which is situated
the porous one; thus, for instance, in case the porous vessel be divided into
two cells, one of them may receive a zinc plate or other positive element, and
this cell be filled with a mixture of flowers of sulphur and common salt,
whereas the other cell is to contain the negative element (copper, carbon, or
other) and be filled with a mixture of crystals of sulphate of copper and
nitrate of potash, the porous vessel is then placed in the outer vessel and the
space between the two partly filled with a mixture of crystals of sulphate of
copper, which space may, if wished, receive in suitable opposition a zinc and a
copper plate for forming a second galvanic couple to be used either alone
or in combination with that of the porous vessel, or be entirely left out of
action; the outer vessel and the porous cells are then closed at the top with
any suitable cement, through which pass the tongues or electrodes for
establishing the metallic connexion, and one or two small glass tubes for
allowing to pour in the outer vessel the required quantity of water for
dissolving part of the crystals of sulphate of copper contained therein. The
salts or mixtures in the porous cells should have a great affinity for water
in order always to keep the salts in the proper moistened state required for
the production of the galvanic current; for this purpose glycerine; treacle, or
other water attracting bodies may be made use of.
In the Figs. 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings are shown respectively a
longitudinal, sectional, and a top view of one of the modes of putting the
Invention into effect. A is the outer, and B the inner or porous vessel, this
latter divided by a porous portion or diaphragm C into two cells D and D',
the one D containing a zinc plate E surrounded by a mixture e of flowers of
sulphur and common salt, and the other D' containing a copper plate E¹ and
filled with a mixture e¹ of sulphate of copper and nitrate of potash. e
represents the crystals of sulphate of copper to be put between the inner and
outer vessel, and e³ the water poured into this latter by one of the pipes for f
passing through the layer 6 of cement; this latter is not represented in Fig. 2
in order to allow of better observing the inner arrangement of the battery.
P and Q are the electrodes or connecting tongues respectively of the position
and negative poles or elements E and E¹. Instead of having the cells D
and D forming part of one vessel they might form two or more entirely
separate vessels, or they might also be formed simply by means of porous
partitions suitably arranged in a trough or non-porous vessel.
:

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Boulay in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th December 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BOULAY, of Paris, France, Mathematical Instrument Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Boulay, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Boulay, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Boulay, 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 Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC BATTERIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Charles Boulay, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Charles Boulay, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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:-
The Invention relates to improved arrangements of galvanic batteries or
elements for the purpose of imparting to them a great constancy of action
which is kept up for a much longer period than was hitherto possible, either
by Daniels' or any other of the known galvanic batteries, during which time of
working my improved batteries require neither cleaning nor the addition of
any substance except a small quantity of water for replacing that lost by
evaporation, besides which in my improved batteries no crystallisation on
the electrodes or connecting strips, and no evolution of noxious gases takes
place.
The principle on which my improved arrangements of galvanic batteries or
elements are based consists in putting the electro-motive metals or bodies,

page_text: such for instance as zinc, copper, carbon, or others in direct contact with any
suitable pulverized, granular, or more or less coarsely divided exciting body or
bodies, soluble crystals, or mixtures of them in the dry or slightly moistened
state, which dry or slightly moistened exciting body or bodies receive by little
and little and through any suitable porous partition, diaphragm, or separating
body or vessel the moisture required for putting and keeping them in the
working state.
According to this principle various arrangements may be given to my improved
batteries or galvanic elements, of which I will here describe more particularly
to which for electric telegraph and electro-metallurgical purposes have given
me the most satisfactory results.
In the annexed Drawings Fig. 1 shows a vertical sectional view of a galvanic
element constructed according to my improved principle, the section being
taken over the line X, Y, of Fig. 2, which latter Figure shows a top view of
the clement with the layer b of cement removed in order better to show the
internal arrangement of the entire. In both Figures the same letters refer to
corresponding parts. It will be understood that any number of these elements
may be connected together in the well-known manner to form a battery.
A is an outer vessel, which is to be of porcelain, glass, stone, or earthenware,
gutta percha, or any other suitable material, in which vessel is inserted a
'porous vessel B made of any suitable porous material, sucb, for instance, as
porous earthenware, plaster of Paris, sail-cloth, bladder, natural or artificial
parchment, or others. The inner vessel B is of such size as to leave a suitable
distance apart between it and the outer vessel A. In the beginning I had the
inner vessel B divided into two chambers or cells by a porous partition plate,
one of which cells was to contain the positive electro-motive body and required
exciting materials, and the other the electro-negative body and required exciting
materials; but I now prefer not to make use of the said partition plate, instead
of which amalgamated or non-amalgamated plate F of zinc is put in the inner
vessel B, whereas a plate G of copper, gas coke, or other suitable electro-
positive metal or material is inserted in the open space left between the inner
and the outer vessel, after which the vessel B is to be filled with a mixture of
about equal parts of flours of sulphur and common kitchen salt (chloride of
sodium), whilst the open space between the two vessels is partly filled with a
mixture of about equal parts of the crystals of sulphate of copper and nitrate
of potash, though the crystals of sulphate of copper alone answer well
also. The top of the vessels is now hermetically sealed by a layer b of any
suitable cement, such, for instance, as a melted mixture of brick dust and
shellac, leaving the tongues ƒ and g of the plates F and G protruding through

page_text: the layer of cement, in which latter is also inserted a small funnel m for the
purpose of allowing to pour water or any other suitable liquid on the crystals
in the vessel A. For putting the element into working condition the water
required for dissolving the greater portion of the crystals of sulphate of copper
is poured through the funnel m in the interior of the element, which latter a
few hours afterwards will be ready for work. A tube n allows the escape of
the air from the vessel A.
The other arrangement (of battery or galvanic element, which is merely a
modification of the one shown in Figs. 1 & 2, and constructed according to
the same principle as above described, is shown respectively in vertical, section,
and in plan views in the Figs. 3 & 4 of the Drawing, the same letters
corresponding with those of Fig. 1 & 2 showing the same parts in all the
Figures.
In the outer vessel or reservoir A is put the porous vessel B consisting of
a porous bottom b¹ resting on 3 small feet 62 and provided with two vertical
porous sides B & B2, between which is put the zinc plate F, to which I also
give a cylindrical shape, and round which I put the other or copper plate G,
likewise of a cylindrical shape, a cylinder B³ of stout paper, pasteboard, bladder,
or other suitable porous material being inserted between the plates F & G to
keep them duly separated. from each other. f & g are the tongues respectively
of the zinc and copper plates, and to the tongue g of this latter I connect by
a tongue g another cylinder or plate of copper G₁ which is inserted in the
inner or open part of the inner side B of the porous vessel B. The space
between the inner side B' and the cylinder B³ is filled with a mixture of about
equal parts of flours of sulphur and common kitchen salt, whereas the open
space between the side B² and the cylinder B³ is filled with coarsely pulverized
crystals of sulphate of copper mixed or not with nitrate of potash. The porous
vessel B having been thus arranged is inserted in the outer vessel A and a
small layer of crystals of sulphate of copper inserted between the two vessels,
and the top of the entire covered in the manner as shown in the Drawing
with a layer of any suitable waterproof cement, such, for instance, as a
mixture of brickdust and shellac, leaving the tongues f & g to protrude,
whilst a funnel m and an air tube n are inserted in the layer b in order of
allowing to pour in the element the required quantity of water or other suitable
liquid for dissolving the greater portion of the crystals of sulphate of copper of
the vessel A, and so as to leave about one-half of an inch open space at the top
underneath the layer b of cement.
From what bas been described above may be inferred that a great many
variations may be made in the construction of my improved galvanic elements

page_text: or batteries; thus, for instance, several zinc and copper plates, kept separate
from each other by suitable porous diaphragms, may be inserted in the open
space left between the outer and the inner or porous vessel, and in the inside
of this latter, so as to form several galvanic couples; or instead of one porous
vessel several of these vessels, duly separated from each other, may be provided
in the outer vessel, each of them containing its own electro-motive metal and
exciting powder or mixture in the dry or slightly moistened and duly pulverized
state.
I neither intend to restrict myself to any particular shape or size to be
given to my improved galvanic elements, or to any particular exciting body or
bodies or mixture of the same for acting on the electro-motive metals,
though I prefer to use a mixture of flowers of sulphur and kitchen salt for
acting on the zinc, and crystals of sulphate of copper for acting on the copper
plate.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
improvements in galvanic batteries or elements, and the manner in which the
same are or may be put into effect, I declare that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the construction of galvanic
batteries or elements in which each of the electro-motive metals or bodies is
situated in direct contact with a suitable exciting material or materials, or
mixtures of them in the dry or slightly moistened state, the moisture being
transmitted by little and little to the said exciting materials from a suitable
solution, or from partly dissolved crystals from which the exciting materials
are separated by a porous partition plate or diaphragm, the entire element
being covered by a layer of any suitable cement, substantially in the manner
as described and for the purposes set down.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Boulay, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.