IMPROVE- MENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John David Adams, of Marlborough Works, 41 and 42,
Marshall Street, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES.” A communication from abroad by Alfred
Niaudet, Rue de Seine, Paris, in the Republic of France.
Sealed the 18th March 1879, and dated the 19th September 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John David Adams at the
Office of the Commissioners of. Patents on the 19th September 1878.
"
JOHN DAVID ADAMS, of Marlbrough Works, 41 and 42, Marshall Street, in the
County of Middlesex. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES." [A communi-
cation from abroad by Alfred Niaudet, Rue de Seine, Paris, in the Republic of
France.]
In this battery chloride of lime is used as the depolarizing agent.
The zinc pole is plunged into a solution of common salt and water.
The carbon pole is surrounded with chloride of lime contained in a porous jar.
The positive pole is formed of a stick of carbon placed in the centre of the porous
jar.
The porous jar is filled with fragments of carbon and chloride of lime in powder,
care being taken to avoid carbon dust being used.
The stick of carbon is entwined round its upper part by several turns of a copper
wire, which are soldered upon the carbon so as to give perfect contact between the
two.
.
The upper part of the stick of carbon is first saturated with parafine to prevent
the ascension of liquid in the pores of the carbon up to the point where the metal
is soldered.
The other extremity of the copper wire is soldered to the zinc pole of the next
element.

page_text: The zinc pole is formed of a thin sheet rolled round the porous jar, and having a
strip extending upwards from it for the copper wire of the next element to be
soldered to.
To prevent contact between zinc and the porous jar, the latter is protected near
the top and again near the bottom by two bands of india-rubber, which maintain
the jar and the zinc in their proper positions without contact.
The battery is enclosed in a wooden box hermetically sealed.
Each element is in a separate square.cell.
The box of the battery is coated inside with a solution of shellac, which at the
same time ensures insulation and prevents leakage.
The cover of the box is flat and bolted down with screws.
The screws produce compression on an india-rubber band placed in a groove
round the top edge of the box; from this results an air-tight fastening and prevents
any evaporation of the liquid.
If this battery has to be forwarded to any great distance, it is preferred to put in
the top of the porous jar a sealing of plaster of Paris, which keeps in its place the
mixture inside.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John David Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th March 1879.
JOHN DAVID ADAMS, of Marlborough Works, 41 and 42, Marshall Street, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES." (A communi-
cation from abroad by Alfred Niaudet, Rue de Seine, Paris, in the Republic of
France.)
In this battery chloride of lime is used as the depolarized agent.
The zinc pole is plunged into a solution of common salt and water.
The carbon pole is surrounded with chloride of lime contained in a porous jar.
The positive pole is formed of a stick of carbon placed in the centre of the porous
jar.
The porous jar is filled with fragments of carbon and chloride of lime in powder,
care being taken to avoid carbon dust being used.
The stick of carbon is entwined round its upper part by several turns of a copper
wire, which are soldered upon the carbon so as to give perfect contact between the
two.
The upper part of the stick of carbon is first saturated with parafine, to prevent
the ascension of liquid in the pores of the carbon up to the point where the metal
is soldered.
The other extremity of the copper wire is soldered to the zinc pole of the next
element.
The zinc pole is formed of a thin sheet rolled round the porous jar, and having a
strip extending upwards from it for the copper wire of the next element to be
soldered to.
To prevent contact between zinc and the porous jar, the latter is protected near
the top and again near the bottom by two bands of india-rubber, which maintain
the jar and the zinc in their proper positions without contact.
The battery is enclosed in a wooden box hermetically sealed.
Each element is in a separate square cell.
The box of the battery is coated inside with a solution of shellac or pitch, which
at the same time ensures insulation and prevents leakage.
The cover of the box is flat and bolted down with screws.
The screws produce compression on an india-rubber band placed in a groove
round the top edge of the box; from this results an air-tight fastening and prevents
any evaporation of the liquid.
If this battery has to be forwarded to any great distance, it is preferred to put in
the top of the porous jar a sealing of plaster of Paris or pitch, which keeps in its
place the mixture inside.
.
In order that the said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a vertical section of two cells of a battery
constructed according to this Invention.
a, a, is a wooden trough divided into cells by partitions a', a', and waterprooffed
by means of a solution of shellac; b is the cover to the trough, which when the

page_text: around them india-rubber bands e¹, e¹, to keep them from contact with the zincs.
These bands may be formed of string, and similar bands may also be applied
around the zincs to prevent contact with the sides of the cells; ff, are the carbons
contained in the porous jars, which are packed around the carbons with granular
graphite or coke intermixed with bleaching powder, or what is commercially
known as chloride of lime; e2 is a closing at the top of the porous jar; pitch or
plaster of Paris is a suitable material from which to form this closing; g are
copper wires lapped around the upper ends of the carbons, passed through holes
in them, and soldered around the carbon, and also to the zinc of the next battery
cell.
Figure 5 shows separately one of the porous jars with the rings around it, and
Figure 6 is one of the carbons with its connecting wire.
h is one of the battery terminals; gutta percha covered wire is employed for the
terminal, and it is led out through a perforation in the side of the trough a. In
place of chloride of lime the like compounds of soda and potash may be employed,
but the lime compound is preferred.
The trough a is filled around the porous jars e by preference with a solution of
common salt in water.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The use in galvanic batteries of chloride of lime or like compounds of soda
or potash, substantially in the manner described.
Second. The construction of galvanic batteries, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John David Adams, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
ΤΟΠΑΙ TWIN ADAMa
JOHN DAVIE
ADAM
(Ms.)