Improved Means for Feeding Electric Batteries and for Removing the Plates therefrom.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1887.
Complete Left, 4th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 6th Sept., 1887.
Improved Means for Feeding Electric Batteries and for Removing
the Plates therefrom.
1 SAMUEL WILLIAM MAQUAY of 1 Whittingstall Road Fulham in the County of
Middlesex Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved means for feeding electric batteries with the
desired liquid during such time as the current is being used and for stopping the feed
and removing the plates or electrodes when the current is no longer desired.
The invention consists in the means hereinafter described by which the desired
results may be attained.
The battery cells are fed from a tube connected through a suitable valve with the
main supply. The plates or electrodes are carried by a counterweighted lever and
this as well as the valve in supply pipe are actuated by means of electro magnets
placed in circuit. When the current is being used the plates or electrodes are in the
cells and the valve in the supply tube is open and a regulated quantity of the necessary
liquid is being fed to the cells."
When using a solution the specific gravity of which becomes less as its strength
diminishes I prefer to feed it through a pipe or compartment to the bottom of the
cell from which the spent or weakest solution will be displaced and gradually dis-
charged to waste if necessary from the top. When using a solution the specific
gravity of which becomes greater as its strength diminishes I feed upon the top, the
spent solution being discharged to waste from the bottom.
When the current is cut off and the circuit broken the valve is closed and the plates
raised until nearly clear of the solution or to such a position as will still give enough
strength to the battery to enable the electro magnets to act and cause the plates to be
lowered and the valve opened when the circuit is again completed. Or to accomplish
the same end one or more cells may be kept in constant action.
Dated this 91st day of January 1887.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane. London,
Applicant's Agent,

page_text: I SAMUEL WILLIAM MAQUAY of 1 Whittingstall Road Fulham in the County of
Middlesex Engineer 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 :-
This invention relates to improved means for feeding electric batteries with the
desired liquids during such time as the current is being used, for the purpose of
replacing the weakened or spent solutions which are discharged to waste by suitable
means, together with means for stopping the feed and for removing the plates or
electrodes when the battery is not in use, the plates being replaced either by hand, or
through the action of the current from a supplemental cell or from the battery itself,
all as hereinafter particularly described, reference being made to the accompanying
drawings forming part of this specification, and which clearly indicate the manner of
carrying my invention into effect and in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of a set of battery cells carried in a framework on the
upper part of which is shown a convenient arrangement of magnets, levers and
counterweight for raising and lowering the plates from and into the cells, the plates
in this figure being shown as down and ready to be put into action, the vessels for
containing the positive and negative exciting liquids with the device for controlling
the flow therefrom being shown at the back. Figure 2 is a similar view with the
plates shown as raised from the cells by the action of the levers and counterweight.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section showing two frames, each carrying a
double row of cells with the vessels for the positive and negative exciting liquids and
regulating devices for controlling the flow thereof. Figure 4 is a plan view of same,
parts being omitted for the sake of clearness. Figure 5 represents an end view of a
battery, into and from which the plates are lowered and raised by means of the action
of a counterweighted lever acted upon by the counterweight and an electro magnet.
Figure 6 represents a modified arrangement of the magnets, levers and counterweights
shewn in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
The cells which I prefer to employ consist of an outer or positive vessel A and an
inner or negative vessel B, which may be placed in a suitable wooden framework as
shown, each frame in the drawings holding thirty six cells. The positive zinc plates a

page_text: C, C,
and the negative carbon plates bare beld by suitable clips upon bars which are
carried by arms d d at the sides of the uprights of the framework, chains or cords e e
running from thence over suitable pulleys to a counterweight D which is somewhat
heavier than the weight of the battery plates, bars and connections. This weight has
an upright bar g in a ring on the upper part of which, when the parts are in the
position shown in Figure 1, the hooked end of a pivoted arm or lever engages.
The upper
end of this lever is held by the hooked end of the pivoted armature i of
the magnets, this armature being held up when the current is not passing through
the magnets, by a pivoted lever k, the point of which is placed in a notch on the end
as shown.
72
h
The vessels for holding the positive and negative exciting solutions may be glass
bottles or jars E E' having taps or valves mm² through the spindles of which are
passed the ends of pivoted levers n n which may be arranged as shown, both of which
are capable of being lifted to allow the passage of the liquids when the armaturo o is
attracted to the magnets 1. As this arrangement of levers and valves does not permit
of any regulation of the amount of liquid passed (the valves being capable only of
being either fully opened or entirely closed) I provide in the stopper of the vessels or
at some other suitable point, cocks p, through which a regulated quantity of air may
be admitted above the liquids in the vessels and thus serve to control the outflow.
The negative exciting liquid from the vessel E passes to a main supply pipe G
preferably of glass which as shown in Figures 2 and 3 may where necessary be
covered with a wooden casing to protect it. From this pipe project small branch
pipes through which the liquid passes drop by drop into the funnel shaped mouths of
tubes thus supplying the negative cells with the fresh liquid from the bottom while
the spent liquid which has become lighter flows away from the top over lips into a
trough I to waste. In the same way the positive liquid from the vessel E¹ passes to
a main supply pipe H, situated beneath the pipe G, similarly encased, and having also
branch pipes through which the liquid passes drop by drop into the positive cells,
the spent liquid, which is heavier than the fresh being drawn off from the bottom to
waste by the syphon tubes into the trough I.
The operation of the parts is as follows
The positive and negative plates being in their respective liquids in the filled cells,
the various other parts are in the position shown in Figure 1.
t
Upon the current being turned on at the switch K to the lamps, or to other uses, it.
passes in the first instance to the magnets thereby attracting the armature o to them
which raises both of the levers n and thus opening the taps m m¹ and permitting
the battery liquids to flow through the pipes G, H, to the numerous branch pipes
and from thence drop by drop into their respective cells, the quantity being so
regulated as to keep the liquids in the cells as nearly as possible at a uniform strength.
The current at the same moment passes up to the magnets and attracting thereto the
pivoted armature passes on to the lamps. When the armature is in this position,
the lever is released from the notch and by its own weight falls into the position
shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, thus clearing the way for the armature when it is
ready to fall.
The turning out of any of the lamps in the circuit will not move the parts out of
action, but as soon as the last lamp or the main switch K is turned off, the circuit
being broken, the magnets cease to attract the armature i which falls into the position
shown in Figure 2 thus releasing the end of the arm which in its turn releases the
bar g of the counterweight, the latter then slowly descends, and as will be readily
seen lifts the plates entirely or nearly out of the cells while at the same time the
armature o falls away from the magnets 1, thus through the levers pressing down the.
spindles of the valves m m' and shutting off the supply of liquids to the cells.
In Figure 6 I have shown an arrangement by which the number of parts employed
in the first described arrangement is lessened, while instead of the large central
counterweight D, a smaller one suspended in the same manner is employed, with the
additional weights D' D' carried by chains e passing over pulleys and down to the

page_text: arms d not shown in this figure. This arrangement of weights is sometimes found
more convenient as the single large weight D is found to be sometimes in the way
when a cell is to be removed.
the
The modified arrangement of levers consists in connecting the bar g with the slotted
end of a lever h¹ pivotted at 2, the outer end of which carries an armature
notched end of which is held in position above the magnets j by the pivoted lever k¹.
The operation of this arrangement as will be readily seen is similar to that of the
arrangement first described. The lever is set into the position shown in solid lines
in Figure 6, by hand, the weights being then up and the plates in the cells. Upon
the current being turned on at the switch K shown in Figures 1 and 2 the armature i
is attracted to the magnets which must be of some power to do this, as it necessitates
a slight lifting of the weights D and D D¹ which though nearly, are not quite
counterbalanced by the weight of the plates. The pivoted lever thereupon falls
into the position shown in dotted lines, the armature being held to the magnets until
the last lamp or the switch K is turned off when the circuit being broken, the weights
will run down, carrying the lever into the position shown in dotted lines in
Figure 6. The arrangement is somewhat more convenient for setting in position
than that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 as the handle L for drawing up the weight is
dispensed with, the end of the lever being used for that purpose, while said lever
has only to be set at one point instead of the three points which require attending to
in the other arrangement.
When the plates are to be placed in the cells automatically instead of by hand I
prefer to uso the construction of apparatus illustrated in Figure 5 in which the bar c
is raised or lowered by the movement of one or more levers M carrying counter-
weights D and armature i beneath the electro magnet j. With this construction the
counterweight just overbalances the weight of the plates a b and bar e so that if the
circuit through the magnets is broken the arinature is no longer held thereto and
the weight falls, and raises the plates from the cells at the same time that the feed of
the exciting liquids is cut off.
The current to the electro magnetj may be obtained by the use of supplemental
cells or by leaving some of the plates ab always in the battery or by so arranging the
lever that they are never lifted quite clear of the cells, all that is required being a
current of sufficient strength when switched on to attract the armature to the
magnets and thus depress the main plates into the cells.
The weight D is adjustable on the lever M so that as the plates become lighter after
continued use, said weight may be moved further up the lever, as if this is not done
the proper balance is not maintained and the attraction of magnets will not be
sufficient to draw the lever up and therefore the system of lowering said plates by
hand may be found preferable in many places and in Figures 1, 2 and 3 I have shown
this construction in which the counterweight D is drawn up and the plates replaced
by means of the handle L the other parts being set back into the position shown in
Figure 1 by hand while in Figure 6 as described, the weights D. D¹ D' are drawn up
and the plates replaced by means of the lever '.
Although I do not confine myself to any specific liquids for the cells I prefer to use
for the positive solution one part of sulphuric acid to twenty parts of water, the action
of which upon the zine electrodes forms a sulphate of zinc so that the spent solution
is heavier than the fresh, while for the negative cells I use a solution of about the
following proportions,-Bichromate of Potash oz., Sulphate of Ammonia 1 oz.,
Chromic Acid 3 pounds, Sulphuric Acid 20 Huid oz., and Water & pints, this being
about the quantity required for the two frames of 36 cells each. This solution weakens
and becomes lighter by use.
It will be understood that 1 do not confine myself to the exact arrangement of
parts, or to the number of, or particular cells shown, or liquids described, as in practice
the parts can be arranged to suit the requirements of the work, or single liquid battery
cells can be used in which case only one reservoir vessel with tubes and branches will
be necessary.

page_text: 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 :-
1st. The improved means for feeding electric batteries hereinbefore described which
consists in regulating the feed of the exciting liquids by the action of electro magnets
substantially as set forth and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The improved means for removing and replacing the plates from and into the
cells of electric batteries, which consists in utilizing the action of an electro magnet
and counterweight or counterweights substantially as set forth and as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3rd. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved
means for feeding electric batteries and for removing the plates therefrom substantially
as described.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicant.