IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Laurence Henderson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1882. Com-
municated to him from abroad by Albert Blondin of Abbeville, France.
JOSEPH LAURENCE HENDERSON of Mansford House Selhurst in the County of
Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES" [Communicated to him from
abroad by Albert Blondin of Abbeville, France]
This invention relates to a construction and arrangement of voltaic battery in
such a manner as to provide great battery power in small compass and at little
expense and to effect in a simple manner the depolarisation by re-oxidation of the
liberated hydrogen and the continuous supply of fresh exciting liquid and removal
of the spent liquid. For this purpose, the two elements carbon and zinc or other
oxidisable metal are arranged so as to present great surface in small.space, the zino
being made in plates, bars or in granular or other form to occupy the middle of a
vessel which is made of porous carbon exposed externally to the atmosphere. When
the zinc is in separate pieces, they are contained in a porous or perforated vessel,
the bottom of which is not permeable and holds a small quantity of mercury which
serves to amalgamate the zinc and to maintain electric connection of all the pieces.
The carbon may be in the form of a vessel containing the zinc and the exciting
liquid, this vessel being preferably corrugated so as to expose large surface, it has
a hollow formed in its upper edge and this hollow is charged with mercury into
which dips the conducting wire. Above the carbon vessel is a closed reservoir
containing a supply of exciting liquid which is maintained therein at a constant
level. This vessel communicates by small holes or through a perforated or porous
diaphragm with the interior of the carbon vessel. Below the carbon vessel and
communicating freely with it is a reservoir which receives the spent exciting liquid
that is drawn off in proportion as fresh liquid is supplied. The hydrogen liberated
during the voltaic action collects on the interior surface of the carbon and passes
through it along with some of the liquid, and the hydrogen is caused by the dialytic
action of the carbon to unite with the oxygen of the atmosphere producing water
which passes away from the exterior of the carbon. The zinc and carbon may be
arranged in many different forms provided that the carbon be exposed on one side
to the exciting liquid interposed between it and the zinc, and on the other side to
TD 1

page_text: the atmosphere so that the hydrogen can freely filter through it to meet the oxygen
of the atmosphere.. The effect of the carbon is enhanced by platinising it. Instead
of employing two solid elements such as carbon and zinc, liquids such as sulphate
of copper and sulphate of zinc or gases such as oxygen and hydrogen may be
employed as the elements. For example when liquids are used two reservoirs, the
one containing sulphate of copper in solution and the other sulphate of zinc, may be
placed above a pair of electrodes one of copper and one of zinc between which the
solutions flow down slowly from filtering holes in the reservoirs, with a porous
diaphragm interposed between them. When two gases such as oxygen and
hydrogen are employed, thoy may be admitted each into a hollow block of porous
carbon. These blocks being placed face to face with an interposed porous diaphragm
impregnated with acidulated water, the reaction of the gases will produce a
current of electricity through conductors attached to the two carbon blocks.