IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC PILES OR BATTERIES
Year: 1884

page_text: We FELIX DE LALANDE and GEORGES CHAPERON Civil Engineers, of Boulevard
Saint Denis N° 1 at Paris do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC PILES OR BATTERIES" and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:—
The improvements which form the subject of our Invention are applicable
generally to electric piles or batteries containing caustic soda or caustic potash
and in particular to batteries with potash or soda, zinc and oxide of copper in
contact with a metallic plate or surface forming the positive part of the element.
The improvements comprise :-
1 A particular construction and arrangement of the outer vases or vessels
forming the battery.
2nd The employment of amalgamated brass supports for the contact with the
zine in the alkaline solution.
3rd A special arrangement which allows the battery to be re-charged by means
of an electric current.
I. Outer Vases or Vessels.-These are characterized by their metallic nature,
being of cast iron, copper, brass, bronze or an alloy, little attackable by the
alkaline solutions as was stated in the Specification of Felix de Lalande's Letters
Patent No 1464 of 1882. They are likewise characterized by an arrangement
which allows of closing them in such manner as to preserve the liquid from the
renewed action of air. With this object the zinc is suspended from a cover or
stopper of caoutchouc or other material which can be fitted to the mouth of the
vase; the vase is in the form of a bottle the neck of which may be more or
less wide.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings is a section of a pile formed of an outer cast
iron vase A of bottle form, the neck is closed by a stopper B of insulating material
carrying the zinc C. This stopper in Figure 1 is of caoutchouc and is perforated
with 2 holes; through one of these is passed the rod D which carries the zinc C;
through the other is passed a metal tube E the outer end of which is covered by a
Prine Rd1

page_text: this
small hollow piece F of caoutchouc in which is a slit forming a valve through
which the gases formed within the vase are disengaged. In Figure 1
stopper B is a piece of ebonite likewise supporting the zinc, and placed on the
mouth of the vase; the tube E and valve F are dispensed with. The outer vase
constitutes the positive part of the element and carries a metallic conductor G
(Figures 1 and 1b) which is connected to the zinc of another element so as to form
a. battery.
Figure 2 illustrates an analogous arrangement; the vase A instead of being of
cast iron is of copper or brass; it can be made of a single piece, or by soldering
plates or discs to the ends of a tube of suitable length.
Figure 3 shows an arrangement of pile which can be turned over or inverted
without the liquid escaping. With this object a central tube H I of metal or glass
open at both ends is passed through the stopper B which carries the zinc. The
lower end is a little above the liquid level the vase being filled for only about half
its depth. It will readily be seen that in all positions the liquid will lodge between
the side of the vase and the tube H I. The depolarizing material K,-for example
oxide of copper mixed or not with conducting materials such as copper turnings,
or pieces of conducting carbon,-is in all cases placed at the bottom of the vase.
In Figure 3 'it is shewn as kept in place by a porous wad L M of paper, asbestos,
cotton, wire gauze or other material.
Figure 4 represents a pile of larger size. The mouth of the vase is larger and
it is closed by an insulating ebonite plate BB supporting the zinc C and fastened
down to the mouth by screws and nuts N¹ N°. The ebonite cover has a tube E
with valve F as in Figure 1.
The employment of cast iron vases for caustic potash or soda piles is of great
advantage because it enables us to obtain readily and at small cost vases of the
most suitable forms such as those above described. These cast iron vases are not at
all attacked by the alkaline solutions. With these arrangements it is sufficient in
order to charge the piles to put the depolarizing materials into the vessels filled
with the solution of caustic potash or caustic soda and to place the cover or stopper
with the suspended zinc on the mouth of the vase. The liquid is perfectly
protected from injurious action of the carbonic acid contained in the air.
II. Arrangement of the Zinc.-In caustic potash or soda batteries the zinc rods
or plates are rapidly attacked at the surface of the liquid, it is very difficult to
prevent this action and it soon renders the battery unserviceable when the zinc
rods or plates are cut or eaten through. We entirely overcome this drawback by
arranging the zinc so that it is completely immersed in the liquid and supporting
it by means of a rod or plate of amalgamated brass (or amalgamated copper,
tin or other metal). The contact of an amalgamated rod or plate with the zinc
will not lead to any attack thereon, this kind of support is not attacked by the
alkaline liquid.
The zinc may be of any suitable form in accordance with the form and
arrangement of the piles. For instance in Figures 1, 2 and 3 they are shown as
cylindrical and of a diameter which allows of their passing through the mouth of
the vase. In this case the zinc is supported by a brass rod D screwed into the
zinc and soldered with tin. It is well to arrange that the top of the zinc is about
dor 3rds of an inch from the surface of the liquid.
Figure 4 illustrates a form of zinc with large surface and composed of a long
sheet or strip rolled into a spiral. It is supported by an amalgamated brass
plate D rivetted to the zinc and soldered with tin. We amalgamate the zinc and
its supports at the same time by immersing them in water acidulated with sulphuric
acid and containing bi-sulphate of mercury.
III. Arrangement of the Piles so that they can be Re-charged.-When a caustic
potash or caustic soda pile is spent it contains a solution of oxide of zinc in the
potash or soda, and the depolarizing material which is generally formed of an

page_text: insoluble metallic oxide is reduced to the metallic state or to a state less oxidized
than when in the pile before it has been in action. By causing an electric current
to pass into this spent pile the zinc is precipitated on the negative electrode and
the oxygen is absorbed at the positive pole by the metal (for example by the
reduced copper if the depolarizing material was oxide of copper). But the zinc is
deposited in a flaky state or in the state of slightly adherent precipitate. In order
to obtain it in a suitable form we deposit it on mercury with which it becomes
amalgamated. With this object we form the negative part of the pile of a flat vase
or trough VV Figure 5 of brass, copper, zinc or other metal or alloy supported by
a rod D of the same metal, zinc excepted. This vase should contain a certain
quantity of mercury which is retained by the outer edges of the vase or containerl
in a large number of small cavities X X at the bottom of the vase. The whole
exterior of the vase is coated with a varnish or an insulating material such as
gutta percha. In order to charge the pile we fill it with caustic potash or caustic
soda, we place the depolarizing material K, oxide of copper, for example, at the
bottom, then we put into the vase V V¹ a certain quantity of mercury and we
place therein some pieces of zinc Z Z; then we fix the cover and the piece which it
supports. The pile thus formed acts first as a primary pile. The metal of the
vase V V and the rod D become amalgamated and while the pile is in action the
pieces of zinc Z become dissolved. In order to re-charge the pile after it has
become spent I pass through it an electric current so that the positive pole of this
current is in metallic relation with the vase A and the negative pole with the
vase V V¹. The zinc becomes deposited in a coherent state upon the mercury in
the vase VV and becomes amalgamated with it. The oxygen is absorbed more or
less completely by the reduction product of the depolarizer K; the several products
constituting the pile become in a way regenerated and it is then in a state to act
under the same conditions as when first charged.
We should add that the several arrangements which we have described can be
applied when non-metallic outer vases, glass for example, are employed. In this
case we place at the bottom of the vase a cupel U of cast iron, copper or other
metal to which is fixed a copper conducting wire-sce a b Figure 6; this cupel
contains the depolarizing material K. Instead of this cupel we can employ a
metallic surface, a plate or wire of copper or other suitable metal.
We do not limit ourselves to the precise details or arrangements herein before
described as they may be varied without departing from the principle or nature of
our Invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:―
1. In caustic potash or caustic soda piles or batteries the employment of outer
vases constituting the positive part of the element made of cast iron, copper, brass
bronze or an alloy little attackable by the alkaline solutions, the said vases being
in the form of bottles or in other form which will allow of their being easily closed
so as to preserve the liquid from the action of the carbonic acid of the air, the vases
being also fitted with a stopper or cover holding the zinc, and the depolarizing
material being placed at the bottom of the vase, all substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In electric piles or batteries and particularly in caustic potash or caustic soda
batteries, the employment for supporting the zinc below the surface of the liquid
of amalgamated rods or plates of brass, copper, bronze or other metal or alloy
amalgamated with mercury substantially as herein before described.
3. The special arrangements, hereinbefore described which allow the piles or
batteries to be recharged by means of an electric current the special feature of such
arrangements being the employment of a metallic vase or metallic surface of brass,
bronze, copper, zinc or other metal or alloy capable of being amalgamated by
mercury, placed horizontally and formed or not with cavities, the said vase or

page_text: surface containing or being covered with mercury, and being suspended at the upper
part of the liquid all substantially as set forth.
4. The several arrangements of electric piles or batteries hereinbefore described
and represented in the annexed Drawings.
Dated this 5th day of March 1884
F. DE LALANDE.
G. CHAPERON.
J. C. Mewburn,
Agen