IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Imray, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC BATTERIES." A communication from abroad by Adèle Engström, of
Paris, France.
Sealed the 9th March 1880, and dated the 25th September 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Imray at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th September 1879.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES." [A communication from
abroad by Adèle Engström, of Paris, France.]
This Invention relates to a construction of galvanic battery cell or element
suitable for production of a constant current, the tension of which may be varied
when desired. For this purpose the element consists of two nearly semicylindrical
cells placed face to face at a little distance apart within a cylindrical vessel of glazed
earthenware which contains the exciting liquid. Each of the semicylindrical cells
is divided by a partition parallel to its straight face, which face, as well as the
partition, the front part of the sides, and the bottom of the cell, is of porous earthen-
ware, the cylindrical back portion behind the partition being glazed, but pierced in
the case of the one cell with a number of holes, and in the case of the other cell
with a single hole at a high level. The portion of the former cell in front of its
partition receives a slab of zinc, and that of the other cell receives a slab of carbon;
the spaces in the cells behind the partitions hold the materials for feeding. The
usual materials are employed to excite the battery, as, for example, bichromate of
potass and sulphuric acid with water. The bichromate is placed in the feeding
compartment behind the zinc, and the acid in the feeding compartment behind the
carbon, not quite up to the hole above mentioned. Instead of a slab of zinc granu-
lated zinc may be employed, portions being fed into the cell from time to time as
required. In this case a little mercury is placed at the bottom of the cell, and the
conducting wire is carried down to the mercury, being insulated where it passes
through the zinc lying above the mercury. For the production of a constant
current of moderate tension the elements are placed as above described, the carbon
close to the acid and the zinc at a distance from it, and separated by the partition
from the bichromate. When a current of considerable tension is required the posi-
tions of the zinc and carbon are exchanged, the zinc being thus brought close to the
acid. When a weak current of long duration is required only small portions of the
surfaces are made porous.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Imray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th March
1880.
JOHN IMRAY, of No. 28, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES." A communication from
abroad by Adèle Engström, of Paris, France.
This Invention relates to a construction of galvanic battery cell or element
suitable for production of a constant current, the tension of which may be varied
when desired. The construction and arrangement of cell or element for this purpose
are shewn in the accompanying Drawings; Fig. 1 being a vertical section, Fig. 2 a plan,
and Fig. 3 a back view of one of the compartments thereof. A is a cylindrical vessel
of glazed earthenware containing the exciting liquid, and having placed in it the two
compartments, the one V containing in its front part a slab of zinc P, and the other
V₁ containing in its front part a slab of carbon N. The front part of the compart-
ment V, namely round D, B, C, E, and the partition E, D, separating it from the
back part and its bottom, are of porous earthenware, the back part round E, F, D,
and its bottom being glazed, but having through it a number of small holes o', o¹¹, &
etc. The compartment V₁ is in like manner porous round D', B, C, E', in the par-
tition E', D', and in its bottom, but is glazed round E', F', D', in which there is a
hole T. There is a hole S, S¹, in each of the faces B, C, and B¹, C¹. According to
this construction the exciting liquid or solution assumes a level throughout the
apparatus, this liquid being of any known kind. For example, the part E, F, D,
may be charged with bichromate of potassa, 150 parts; and the part E, F¹, D¹, with
sulphuric acid, 100 parts, nearly up to the level of the hole T, the space L con-
taining 1,000 parts of water. The proportions may be varied according to the
required duration of current. If the sulphuric acid should be in excess, sulphates of
iron or of soda might be added. Instead of employing a slab of zinc, as shewn in
Figs. 1 and 2, granulated zinc might be used, as shewn in the vertical section, Fig.
4, of the zinc compartment, the zinc in this form being added from time to time,
according to the consumption. In this case the bottom is occupied by a little mer-
cury, amalgamating the zinc throughout its whole height, and a wire passes insulated
through the zinc to the mercury.;
When a constant current of moderate tension is required the elements are
arranged as described above, the carbon N next the acid, and the zinc P at a
distance from the acid. When a very strong current is required the zinc and the
carbon are transposed, the zinc being thus brought next to the acid. For producing
a weak current of long duration more or less of the porous surfaces can be closed in
the usual way. By the construction described polarisation is avoided, the zinc and
carbon being separated by a double diaphragm opposing secondary currents, a large
surface is presented consistently with the placing of the zinc and the carbon parallel
to one another, the feeding chambers E, F, D, and E', F¹, D¹, supply the salt and acid
as they are wanted, and the strength of the current can at once be varied by the
simple transposition of the zinc and carbon.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, I
claim,―
The construction and arrangement of a galvanic battery cell or element, as herein
described with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Imray, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty