An Improved Electric or Galvanic Battery and its Adaptation to Brushes and other articles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Oct., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1892-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1892
TRUVIDIONAL DIBUITIVATIO
An Improved Electric or Galvanic Battery and its Adaptation to
Brushes and other articles.
I, ARTHUR HERVEY BYNG of Wydford House, Ryde, Isle of Wight, Esquire.
a retired Naval Officer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention consists primarily of an improved electric or galvanic battery, and
is applicable more particularly to portable batteries used for medical or therapeutic
purposes.
The improved battery is made in two parts or halves which can be made as
required either to meet or to move apart from each other, for which purpose they
can be connected by hinges or otherwise and be provided with springs, clamps,
screws or other suitable fastenings.
Each part or half is provided with plates of zinc and copper or other
combination of elements so arranged that when the halves are brought together or
made to meet the battery is formed, while on the other hand when the halves are
separated the battery is put out of action and decomposition of the positive plate
prevented. When the halves are closed each cell should preferably be complete in
itself, one element of the cell being in the one half, and the other element in the
other half, and either half can carry the insulating material which divides the cells
from each other. The cells may be arranged in series or parallel by means of
conducting connections passing under the insulating material and communicating
from cell to cell as required. Each element or plate may be arranged to slide into
its place with the aid of a groove, so that it can be easily renewed when necessary,
or it may be fixed by glue or otherwise.
The exciting fluid which may be vinegar or any suitable acid, saline or other
excitant is supplied by means of an absorbent pad of flannel, felt, blotting paper or
the like. This pad after having been moistened is laid in each cell before the halves
are closed. There may be a separate pad for each cell and these separate pads
may be connected together by a framework or carrier, or there may be one
continuous pad for all the cells, connected or not with the framework of the battery
as may be convenient.
In applying or adapting the battery to brushes I make the brush in halves which
can be moved apart or made to meet as required and each of which carries one
element of every cell as above described. From each pole of the battery a metallic
connection leads to the corresponding half of the brush where it is connected with
a sheet of suitable thin metal. The thin metal may be covered with india rubber
"bristles" of the
or other insulating material through which wires forming the
brush are passed or otherwise. The heads of these wires are brought into the
framework of the brush in any usual manner and rest upon the metal plate, thereby
making electrical connection. When the halves are closed the metallic connections
are complete, so that when the brush is applied to the head or any part of the body
the current
passes through the wire bristles of one half of the brush and through
the part of the body that the wires touch to the other half of the brush; that is the
portion of the body to which the brush is applied completes the circuit.
There are many other purposes for which the battery can be employed for which
its lightness, portability and the case with which it can be cleaned and repaired-
render it particularly suitable; for instance as a portable battery for medical,

page_text: telegraph or other purposes or to fit into body belts or other clothing when worn
for electro-therapeutic purposes.
Dated this 16th day of October 1891.
J. C. MEW.BURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.
An Improved Electric or Galvanic Battery and its Adaptation to
Brushes and other articles.
I, ARTHUR HERVEY BYNG of Wydford House, Ryde, Isle of Wight, Esquire,
a retired Naval Officer, 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: -
My invention consists primarily of an improved electric or galvanic battery and
is applicable more particularly to portable batteries used for medical or therapeutic
purposes.
The improved battery is made in parts or halves which can be made as required
either to meet or to move apart from each other for which purpose they can be
connected by hinges or otherwise and be provided with springs, clamps, screws or
other suitable fastenings.
Each part or half is provided with plates of zinc and copper or other combination
of elements so arranged that when the halves or parts are brought together or
made to meet the battery is formed, while on the other hand when the halves or
parts are separated the battery is put out of action and decomposition of the
positive plate prevented. When the halves or parts are closed each cell should
preferably be complete in itself one element of the cell being in the one half or
part and the other element in the other half or part and either or both halves or
parts can carry insulating material which divides the cells from each other. The
cells may be arranged in series or parallel by means of conducting connections
passing under the insulating material and communicating from cell to cell as
required. Each element or plate may be arranged to slide into its place with the
aid of a groove, so that it can easily be renewed when necessary or it may be
fixed by glue or otherwise.
The exciting fluid which may be vinegar or any suitable acid, saline or other
excitant, can be supplied by means of an absorbent pad of flannel, felt, blotting
paper or the like. This pad after having been moistened is laid in each cell before
the halves or parts are closed. There may be a separate pad for each cell and
these separate pads may be connected together by a framework or carrier, or there
may be one continuous pad for all the cells connected or not with the framework of
the battery as may be couvenient.
י
Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings represent by way of example one
way in which my invention can be carried into effect. Figure 1 is a plan view of
a portable battery in the open position, Figure 2 an end view of the battery closed
and Figure 3 a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a detail view
showing how the connections between the cells may be carried out.
a a represent the body or frame of the battery composed of halves hinged
together at b. They may be of vulcanite, xylonite, wood or other suitable
material. Each half is divided by means of insulating pieces or partitions dd into
a number of compartments or recesses (of which eight are shown by way of
, example in each half) to receive the zinc and copper plates, marked respectively Z
and C, or other combination of elements. It will be seen that in each half the
zinc and copper plates are placed alternately and that the zinc and copper plates
in the one half respectively face the copper and zinc plates in the other half so
that when the halves are brought together as seen in Figures 2 and 3 the battery

page_text: is formed, while on the other hand when the halves are separated the battery is
put out of action.
When the halves are closed each cell is complete in itself one
element being in the one half, and the other element in the other half. The cells
are arranged in series by means of conducting connections e e, seen most clearly in
Figure 4, communicating from cell to cell as required. fare pads or sheets of
blotting paper, flannel or the like moistened with the exciting fluid, and placed
above the zinc and copper plates in the recesses or compartments. They may
either be laid as separate pads in the recesses of one or both halves before these
are closed or they may be connected to a framework or carrier to be fitted between
the halves, or there may be one continuous pad for all the cells. When the halves
are closed they are secured by any suitable fastenings such as are indicated at yy.
Instead of making the battery in two parts or halves it may be made in more
than two parts but the zinc element of any cell must not be in the same part as
the copper element of the same cell, or in other words the opening of the battery
must separate the zinc and copper elements of every cell from each other.
Figure 5 shows a battery made in three parts viz. two parts aa hinged together
as in Figures 1, 2 and 3 and an intermediate part a' likewise hinged. The part a¹
may carry the exciting pads or some of the zinc and copper elements.
In applying or adapting the battery to brushes I make the brush in parts or
halves which can be moved apart or made to meet as required and each of which
carries one element of every cell as above described. From each pole of the
battery a metallic connection leads to part of the brush where it is connected with
a sheet or strip of suitable thin metal. The thin metal may be covered with india
rubber or other insulating material through which wires forming the "bristles" of
the brush are passed or otherwise.,, The heads of these wires are brought into the
framework of the brush in any usual manner and some or all of them rest upon the
When the parts or
metal sheets or strips, thereby making electrical connection.
halves are closed the metallic connections are complete so that when the brush is
applied to the head or any part of the body the current passes through some of
the wire bristles of the brush, and through the part of the body that the wires
touch to others of the bristles, the portion of the body to which the brush is
applied completing the circuit.
Figures 6 to 9 represent the manner in which I prefer to construct an electric or
galvanic brush according to my invention, Figure 6 is a back view showing the two
parts open. Figure 7 is a back view and Figure 8 a longitudinal section of the brush
closed. Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 7. The brush back
is made in two parts a a hinged at b. In recesses in these parts are inserted the
All the zinc
zinc and copper elements Z and C which are in the form of discs.
and all the copper elements in the one part a respectively face copper and zine
elements in the other part a when these parts are closed and the cells thus formed
become connected up in series by metal strips or wires as indicated by the broken
lines ee. Upon the discs Z and C in the part of the brush that carries the bristles
are placed circular pads or discs (one of which is shown separately in Figure 10)
moistened with the exciting fluid. From each pole of the battery a metallic
connection leads to a thin metal sheet or strip hou the bristle side of the brush
back. The wire bristles i are secured to a sheet of india rubber k so that their
heads or the heads of some of them are in contact with the metal sheet or strip h.
Consequently when the brush is closed the metallic connections are complete and
it only requires contact between the wire bristles and part of a person's head or
body to complete the circuit. The parts when closed can be secured by the winged
nut and screw g or in any other suitable manner. Figures 11 and 12 represent a
modification in which instead of the brush back being divided horizontally into
the two parts a a as in Figures 6 to 9, the whole brush is divided longitudinally
into halves a a hinged together. Z and C are the zinc and copper elements in the
respective halves. hh are metal sheets or strips in the brush back against which
bear the beads of wire bristles carried by an india rubber sheet; the bristles and

page_text: °
rubber sheet are not shown. 11 are the metal; connections between the two poles
of the battery and the sheets hh.
There are many other purposes for which the battery can be employed for which
its lightness, portability and the ease with which it can be cleaned and repaired
render it particularly suitable for instance is a portable battery for medical,
telegraph or other purposes, or to fit into bod belts or other clothing when worn
for electro-therapeutic purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The construction of electric or galvanic batteries in parts or halves which can
be caused as required to meet and thereby form the battery or to move apart from
each other and thereby put the battery out of action, the two elements of each cell
being carried respectively in different parts or halves, substantially as and for the
purpose herein before described.
2. The improved electric or galvanic batteries constructed substantially as
represented in the accompanying drawings and hereinbefore described.
3. The construction of electric or galvanic brushes in parts which can be caused
as required to meet and thereby form a battery or to move apart from each other
and thereby put the battery out of action, the battery elements being so arranged
in the said parts that the two elements of each cell are carried respectively in the
different parts, while a metallic connection leads from each pole of the battery to a
metal sheet or strip with which the heads of wire "bristles" of the brush are in
contact substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
4. The electric or galvanic brushes constructed substantially as represented in
the accompanying drawings and herein before described.
Dated this 18th day of July 1892.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agent.