Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 29th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 29th Apr., 1887.
I, ARTHUR FRENCH ST. GEORGE of Redhill in the County of Surrey Electrician
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to apparatus used for the purpose of
generating or developing electricity which may be used for obtaining light motive
power or for other purposes. It has for its objects new and improved methods of
constructing arranging and actuating the parts of a galvanic battery so that the
current generated or developed by it is very uniform and constant in character. In
galvanic batteries as ordinarily heretofore constructed and used it has been found
that after the battery plates or elements of which each cell is composed have been
immersed in the exciting fluid for some time and chemical action has been going on
gases are evolved and adhere to the plates in the fluid and hydrogen more especially
will adhere to one plate in the form of bubbles and the plate will also have occluded
in its substance a great amount of hydrogen in what is usually termed a nascent
condition. Such collection of gas upon the surface and in the pores of the immersed
plate of metal or other material has been found to interfere very considerably with
the action of a galvanic cell and by giving the cell a tendency to develop currents
of electricity in a direction opposed to that of the main current which it is constructed
and arranged to produce the efficiency of the cell is very much reduced and it rapidly
becomes useless. This disturbing action is ordinarily well understood and is usually
termed polarization and it has been sought to overcome or lessen it by various means
such as the use of porous screens divisions or partitions enveloping one or both of the
elements of the cell.
According to my present invention in order to construct a galvanic battery to
produce a steady and practically unvarying current of electricity I take a long flexible
ribbon band, belt chain or wire of metal or other suitable material as hereinafter
described, and I cause such ribbon band belt chain or wire to pass into a vessel
containing a suitable exciting chemical solution and to move slowly by a continuous
or intermittent movement through the solution and to pass out of it so as from time to
time to cause fresh portions of the ribbon band belt chain or wire to be exposed to the
chemical action of the liquid. Two of such moving ribbons bands belts chains or

page_text: wires of suitable dissimilar materials such as for instance one of carbonized vegetable
or animal material and the other of zinc immersed and travelling through an acidulated
solution of bichromate of potash form a very powerful galvanic cell. The action of
such a cell is constant by reason of there being fresh surfaces of material submitted to
the action of the exciting liquid in the cell so that so soon as or before any portion of
the material has become polarized and rendered inactive by the galvanic action a fresh
portion takes its place and the cell is thus constantly renovated or rather maintained
in a constant state of efficiency. Sometimes it is sufficient to cause one element only
to progress through the liquid in the manner described the other remaining stationary
the moving element in such case being the one that would be most injuriously affected
by the galvanic action if it were stationary and constantly immersed. The collection
and occlusion of gas is not the only injurious action that the elements of a cell sustain
by a continued immersion in an exciting chemical solution as is ordinarily well under-
stood and my invention provides besides that one or both of the elements shall not
remain sufficiently long in the liquid to sustain injurious action other than the actual
consumption or dissolution of one or both of them in exact proportion to the length of
time it is exposed to the chemical action of the exciting liquid the character of the
latter and the material of which the element is composed. Sometimes I employ an
endless ribbon band belt chain or wire for an element and I prefer to make it
progress through the solution of the cell into a separate cell containing a depolarizing
liquid or gas or substance such for instance as nitric acid or charcoal which shall have
the effect of dissipating or dissolving out the gas collected on or occluded in the
ribbon or wire upon its leaving the liquid of the galvanic cell. After passing through
such depolarizing liquid or gas or substance the ribbon or wire reenters the galvanic
cell and so on as before. A continuous or intermittent movement of the ribbon or
wire is imparted by a train of clockwork or by a small motive engine or by hand or
other convenient power. I prefer to wind the ribbon or wire upon a suitable containing
drum or wheel after leaving which it enters the galvanic cell whence it is withdrawn
as described and may then be collected on another containing drum such a ribbon or
wire after use I renovate by immersion in a depolarizing liquid or gas or by burying
it in a depolarizing material preferably in the form of powder. By such action for a
sufficient time I restore the ribbon or wire to its original condition and it may be
used again as before in the galvanic cell. Instead of a metallic ribbon or wire or
their equivalent I sometimes use carbonized vegetable or animal material of natural
or artificial structure and carbonized to a condition of sufficient flexibility and capable
of conducting electricity. I pass the ribbon or wire through rollers of conducting
material connected with an electric circuit which it is desired to supply with an
electric current. My Invention as above described may also be applied to electric
batteries of the kind ordinarily well known as a secondary or storage batteries the
alternate oxidization deoxidization or polarization and depolarization of the wires or
ribbons or their equivalents being used for the purpose of generating and giving out
a current of electricity in the well known way. I do not confine myself to the
precise method of carrying out my Invention and sometimes I vary the form of the
moving element of the cell. In some cases I prefer to cause the cell containing
the elements to progess & bring within it from time to time fresh portions of the
elements.
D
1

page_text: I ARTHUR FRENCH ST. GEORGE of Red Hill in the County of Surrey Electrician
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 more especially to apparatus used for the purpose of
generating or developing electricity which may be used for obtaining light, motive
power or for other purposes.
It has for its object new and improved methods of constructing arranging and
actuating the parts of a galvanic battery so that the current generated or developed
by it is very uniform and constant in character. In galvanic batteries as ordinarily
heretofore constructed and used it has been found that after the battery plates or
elements of which each cell is composed have been immersed in the exciting fluid for
some time and chemical action has been going on gases are evolved and adhere to the
plates in the liquid and hydrogen more especially will adhere to one plate in the form
of bubbles and the plate will also have occluded in its substance a great amount of
hydrogen in what is usually termed a nascent condition. Such collection of gas upon
the surface and in the pores of the immersed plate of metal or other material has been
found to interfere very considerably with the action of a galvanic cell and by giving
the cell a tendency to develope currents of electricity in a direction opposed to that
of the main current which it is constructed and arranged to produce the efficiency of
the cell is very much reduced and it rapidly becomes useless. Decomposed or reduced
chemical matter remaining upon the surface of and in the pores of the elements of the
cell have a similar effect in reducing its efficiency. This disturbing action is ordinarily
well understood and is usually termed polarisation and it has been sought to overcome
or lessen it by various methods such as the use of porus screens divisions or partitions
enveloping one or both of the elements of the cell. A porous screen or partition in a
galvanic cell introduces to the passage or developement of electricity within the cell
reducing the amount of electricity given off by it considerably.
According to my present invention in order to construct a galvanic battery to
produce a steady and practically unvarying current of electricity I take a long flexible
ribbon, band, belt, chain or wire of metal or other suitable material as hereinafter
described and I cause such ribbon, band, belt, chain or wire to pass into a vessel
containing a suitable exciting chemical liquid and to move by a continuous or
intermittent movement through the liquid and to pass out of it so as from time to
time to cause fresh portions of the ribbon, band, belt, chain or wire to be exposed
to the chemical action of the liquid. Two of such moving elements of suitable

page_text: wires of suitable dissimilar materials such as for instance one of carbonized vegetable
or animal material and the other of zinc immersed and travelling through an acidulated
solution of bichromate of potash form a very powerful galvanic cell. The action of
such a cell is constant by reason of there being fresh surfaces of material submitted to
the action of the exciting liquid in the cell so that so soon as or before any portion of
the material has become polarized and rendered inactive by the galvanic action a fresh
portion takes its place and the cell is thus constantly renovated or rather maintained
in a constant state of efficiency. Sometimes it is sufficient to cause one element only
to progress through the liquid in the manner described the other remaining stationary
the moving element in such case being the one that would be most injuriously affected
by the galvanic action if it were stationary and constantly immersed. The collection
and occlusion of gas is not the only injurious action that the elements of a cell sustain
by a continued immersion in an exciting chemical solution as is ordinarily well under-
stood and my invention provides besides that one or both of the elements shall not
remain sufficiently long in the liquid to sustain injurious action other than the actual
consumption or dissolution of one or both of them in exact proportion to the length of
time it is exposed to the chemical action of the exciting liquid the character of the
latter and the material of which the element is composed. Sometimes I employ an
endless ribbon band belt chain or wire for an element and I prefer to make it
progress through the solution of the cell into a separate cell containing a depolarizing
liquid or gas or substance such for instance as nitric acid or charcoal which shall have
the effect of dissipating or dissolving out the gas collected on or occluded in the
ribbon or wire upon its leaving the liquid of the galvanic cell. After passing through
such depolarizing liquid or gas or substance the ribbon or wire reenters the galvanic
cell and so on as before. A continuous or intermittent movement of the ribbon or
wire is imparted by a train of clockwork or by a small motive engine or by hand or
other convenient power. I prefer to wind the ribbon or wire upon a suitable containing
drum or wheel after leaving which it enters the galvanic cell whence it is withdrawn
as described and may then be collected on another containing drum such a ribbon or
wire after use I renovate by immersion in a depolarizing liquid or gas or by burying
it in a depolarizing material preferably in the form of powder. By such action for a
sufficient time I restore the ribbon or wire to its original condition and it may be
used again as before in the galvanic cell. Instead of a metallic ribbon or wire or
their equivalent I sometimes use carbonized vegetable or animal material of natural
or artificial structure and carbonized to a condition of sufficient flexibility and capable
of conducting electricity. I pass the ribbon or wire through rollers of conducting
material connected with an electric circuit which it is desired to supply with an
electric current. My Invention as above described may also be applied to electric
batteries of the kind ordinarily well known as a secondary or storage batteries the
alternate oxidization deoxidization or polarization and depolarization of the wires or
ribbons or their equivalents being used for the purpose of generating and giving out
a current of electricity in the well known way. I do not confine myself to the
precise method of carrying out my Invention and sometimes I vary the form of the
moving element of the cell. In some cases I prefer to cause the cell containing
the elements to progess & bring within it from time to time fresh portions of the
elements.***
11
'
! 1
!

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 :-
1. In an apparatus for generating or storing electrical energy the combination with
a vessel containing a suitable exciting or conducting liquid of one or more bands,
belts, chains or wires or substantially their equivalent form of element of suitable
conducting material arranged and actuated substantially as and for the purposes
described and set forth.
2. In the construction and use of primary and secondary galvanic batteries the
use of a band, belt, chain, wire or substantially their equivalent form of element or
elements substantially as described.
3. The novel methods of depolarising the elements substantially as and for the
purposes described and set forth.
4. In the construction and uso of galvanic primary and secondary batteries the
combination of a constantly or intermittently moving vessel containing the exciting
or conducting liquid with elements such as mentioned in Claims 1 and 2 arranged
and actuated substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this 28th day of March 1887.