An Improved Primary Battery.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Dec., 1894-Accepted. 30th Mar.,
1895
An Improved Primary Battery.
I, VALDEMAR LUDVIGSEN, of Johannevej 4, Copenhagen, in the Kingdom of
Denmark, Engineer, do hereby deolare 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 to an improved primary battery cell or element the chief
advantage of which consists in the fact that for convenience of handling and
transport it is provided with all parts necessary for working but only produces
a current when it is supplied with a regular flow of water by means of an arrangement
contained in the cell or element.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawing which represents a vertical section of
my cell.
a is the carbon electrode and the zinc electrode; the exciting agent is placed
in the space c and is mixed with any suitable dry material. d is the depolarizing
material surrounding the carbon.
I will now describe the part of the cell forming the subject of my invention.
At two diagonally opposite corners of the cell or element I introduce tubes f, ƒ
which are perforated and are passed through the hermetically closing cover and dip
in the exciting body. These tubes are open at the top and bottom but may be
closed at the upper ends, which are funnel shaped, by wax plugs 9, 9.
Glass tubes h, are arranged at the sides of the tubes ff and are filled with a
hygroscopic salt and closed permanently top and bottom. The glass tubes h, h are
provided with hollow lateral projections, which enter into corresponding holes in
the tubes ff.
The hygroscopic salt (solution) used in the tubes h, is a mixture of about eighty
parts of chloride of zinc, ten parts of chloride of magnesium, and ten parts of
chloride of calcium and these tubes are closed at the top by means of sealing
composition before they are put into their proper place.
The function performed in the battery by the hygroscopic salt is to keep the
electrodes clean and, on account of its hygroscopic peculiarity it prevents the
exciting solution from being dried up.
The exciting agent is chloride of ammonium mixed with some porous material
such as slag-wool or the like.
This mixture fills up the whole interior spare space in the cell, this said cell
being square and watertight, and it is packed around the electrodes and the tubes in
such a way that the said electrodes and tubes are immovable.
There is a space between the depolarizing body and the mill-board cover, which
space is in connection with the atmosphere by means of small glass tubes passing
through the mill-board cover. Then the cell is closed at the top by means of
melted sealing composition.
The zinc-electrode b is perforated with large holes as shewn in the drawing.
The depolarizing material is mixed with pulverized carbon and separated from
the zinc by means of a porous layer of felt.
The cell or element may be kept in this condition for an unlimited time without
Buffering any change as there is no fluid contained in it.
When it is desired to use the cell or element the wax plugs 9, 9 are removed and
the projections i, are knocked off by passing a rod or pin into the tubes f, so that
a free connection is opened up between the tubes hand; then water is supplied to

page_text: the tubes and passes through the openings of these tubes into the space c and also
through the openings left by the knocked off projections i, i into the hygroscopic
salt in the tubes h. The plugs g, g are then replaced and the cell or element 18
ready for use.
When the projections are knocked off the glass tubes the hygroscopic salt flows
into the tubes and therefiom it gets absorbed into the porous material, when the
water is poured in, it gets absorbed in the same way and decomposes the chloride of
ammonium-salts and combines with the hygioscopic salt
The carbon electrode a and the depolarizing body d are supported by means of a
layer of gypsum.
As will be seen this arrangement causes a regular division of the water and the
continuous solution of the hygroscopic salt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A primary battery, cell o element provided with perforated tubes in the
exciting body for the supply of water before the cell can be used substantially as
descubed.
2. A primary battery, cell or element of the kind described in Claim 1 in which
hollow projections of a tube filled with salt penetrate in such a manner into the
perforated supply tube that they can be broken off by the usertion of a 1od or pin
into the supply tube for the purpose of opening up a free communication with the
Baid supply tube substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. The manufacture and use of the improved primary battery, cell or element
herembefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 29th day of December 1894.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street. Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant