Improvements in and relating to Primary Batteries.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 19th Mar., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Primary Batteries.
I, CARL KOENIG, of 5, Oranienburgerstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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 to primary batteries, and it is equally applicable to batteries
in which the exciting medium is dry or fluid. The object of the present invention is
to provide an arrangement of permanent coil so that a doubling, trebling or increasing
of the number of volts to be produced is simply arranged for without a corresponding
increase in the space occupied by the primary battery.
The invention generally consists in arranging the alternate elements of the battery
in a concentric cylindrical form, divided between each pair by a concentric insulated
pot of glass or the like, and so arranging the number of these elements to produce the
required voltage, and coupling them up by conducting strips in series or parallel as
required. The accompanying drawing illustrates in vertical section a primary
battery embodying the present invention and it is constructed and operates as
follows,
The glass containing vessel a carries within it immediately adjacent to its well a
zinc cylinder b and concentric with this zinc cylinder and nearer the centre of the
vessel is a carbon cylinder c. The space between the cylinders b and c is filled or
nearly filled up with exciting paste in order to avoid as far as possible the rapid
polarisation which takes place when a liquid excitant is used. This exciting paste is
preferably made of a layer of bi-oxide of manganese and graphite & applied to the
surface of the carbon cylinder c and held in position thereto by a perforated containing
coating or the like.
Within the carbon cylinder c and adjacent thereto is a second glass pot or vessel f
having a zinc cylinder 6' within and immediately adjacent to it and in the centre of
this vessel a carbon rod c¹ is placed, this carbon rod c¹ is again surrounded with a layer
of paste d' of a similar composition to that hereinbefore described, and it also carries
at its upper extremity the main terminal e. The coupling together of the elements
one to the other is effected by strips of lead g joining b and c and brought into good
conducting connection therewith by a wrapping of wire or the like. The outer
terminal which when connected with e completes the circuit is also formed by a strip h
preferably soldered to the zinc cylinder b.
•
The bottom of the outer containing vessel a is filled up as shown by a layer of
saw-dust upon which all the inner elements and smaller containing pot rest, while
similar layers of saw-dust k k¹ close the upper portion of the inner containing pot c
and the annulus between that and the outer containing pot a. Finally a layer of
pitch to completely insulate and hold all the elements in position, is placed as
shown over the saw-dust, and this layer of pitch only allows the terminals e and h to
jut out ready for connection when it is desired to complete the electrical circuit and
allow a current to flow.
It is to be understood that though this construction is specially applicable to what
are known as "dry" batteries, still a liquid excitant may be used with the same

page_text: alternate concentric arrangement of elements, and without departing from the subject
of the present invention.
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,-In primary batteries the provision of alternate concentric elements with insulating
pots between each pair and suitable exciting paste between each set of elements, all
as a means for obtaining a fairly constant high voltage current. from a cell of small
size substantially as described.
2, The improved primary battery substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to the accompanying drawing.
3, The improvements in and relating to primary batteries having either dry or
liquid excitants substantially as hereinbefore described.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.