Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 11th June, 1892-Accepted, 16th July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
I, GUSTAVUS COHEN of 604 Market Street Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster Medical Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows: :-
This invention relates to improvements in galvanic batteries, of which the
following is a brief description:
In a suitably shaped box preferably made of paper mâché or other suitable
material & which is lined with zinc, I place a completely isolated carbon plate and
the intervening space between zinc and carbon plate is filled up with an exciting
compound of the following composition:
Three parts of sal ammoniac and two parts of calcii chloridum are dissolved in
six parts of water. With this solution about ten parts of powdered plaster or
chalk or five parts of each of plaster and chalk is mixed, so that a thin liquid mass
is formed, which, growing hard in a short time, forms the exciting compound.
This mass possesses a very strong exciting power, so that even an ordinary
carbon plate without any preparation will with such a mass produce a powerful
element. The effect of such an element will be still further increased by employing
two agglomery blocks placed on each side of the carbon plate.
The mass of plaster or chalk mixed only with sal-ammoniac or with calcii
chloridum will never give such good results. The strong exciting power of the
mass is only obtained by combining the calcii chloridum and sal ammoniac with
the mass of plaster or chalk. The explanation of this process may be the
following:
The liquid mass of plaster without the above salts would set or become changed
into a hard non porous mass which would not conduct the electricity. A. solution
of calcii of chloridum however is a very good conductor and therefore the mass of
plaster impregnated with such a solution will also become a good conductor of
electricity.
The hygroscopic capacity of the calcii of chloridum prevents the drying of the
mass.
The addition of sal ammoniac gives the above mentioned a greater exciting
power to the mass, owing to the readiness with which the sal ammoniac becomes
decomposed. The sal ammoniac also effects a loosening of the particles of the
mass and consequently facilitates the yielding up of the gas in the elements. Thus
the calcii of chloridum and the sal ammoniac act together and give to the mass of
plaster or chalk an exciting power of a very high degree. Owing to the great
fluidity of the mass at the beginning of the process there results a very intimate
contact with the plates or electrodes, which will also be maintained after the mass
has hardened.
The proportions of the different materials may be varied to a certain extent.
Dated this 10th day of September 1891.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
1 GUSTAVUS COHEN of 60 Market Street Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Medical 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 to improvements in galvanic batteries of which the
following is a brief description: In a suitable shaped case or box preferably made
of paper maché or other suitable material and which is lined with zinc, or a
suitable shaped case or box made of zinc, I place a completely isolated carbon
plate and the intervening space between zinc and carbon plate is filled up with an
exciting compound of the following composition:
Three parts of sal-ammoniac and two parts of calcii chloridum are dissolved in
six parts of water. With this solution about ten parts of powdered plaster or
chalk or five parts of each of plaster and chalk is mixed, so that a thin liquid mass
is formed which growing hard in a short time forms the exciting compound.
This mass possesses a very strong exciting power so that even a ordinary carbon
plate without any preparation will with such a mass produce a powerful element.
The effect of such an element will be still further increased by employing two
agglomery blocks placed on each side of the carbon plate.
The mass of plaster or chalk mixed only with sal-ammoniac or with calcii
chloridum will never give such good results.
The strong exciting power of the mass is only obtained by combining the calcii
chloridum and sal-ainmoniac with the mass of plaster or chalk. The explanation
of this process may be the following
The liquid mass of plaster without the above salts would set or become changed
into a hard non porous mass which would not conduct the electricity.
A solution of calcii of chloridum however is a very good conductor and therefore
the mass of plaster impregnated with such a solution will also become a good
conductor of electricity.
The hygroscopic capicity of the calcii of chloridum prevents the drying of the
mass.
The addition of sal-ammoniac gives the above mentioned a greater exciting
power to the mass owing to the readiness with which the sal-ammoniac becomes
decomposed.
The sal-ammoniac also effects a loosening of the particles of the mass and
consequently facilitates the yielding up of the gas in the elements.
Thus the calcii of chloridum and the sal-ammoniac act together and give to the
mass of plaster or chalk an exciting power of a very high degree.
Owing to the great fluidity of the mass at the beginning of the process there
results a very intimate contact with the plates or electrodes which will also be
maintained after the mass has hardened.
The proportions of the different materials may be varied to a certain extent.
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:
A galvanic battery in which the exciting compound consists of a mixture of sal-
ammoniac, calcii chloridum, powdered plaster or chalk and water in suitable
proportions substantially as described.
Dated this 10th day of June 1892
GUSTAVUS COHEN.