IMPROVEMENTS GALVANIC BATTERIES J C .. IN
Year: 1883

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LETTERS PATENT to John Lea of Clarence Gardens in the County of
Middlesex Telegraph Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS
GALVANIC BATTERIES
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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lea at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd May 1883.
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JOHN LEA of Clarence Gardens in the County of Middlesex Telegraph Engineer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
"
My Invention consists first of an improvement on an invention for which Letters
Patent No 4198. A.D. 1882 were granted to Ebenezer Banton Burr and William
Thomas Scott which invention consists in the use in galvanic batteries of electrodes
prepared by coating zinc first with gold or silver or certain other metals and then
covering such coating with a coating of mercury and my said improvement consists
in the use in galvanic batteries of electrodes consisting of zinc or other metal coated
directly with mercury by electro deposition the primary coating of gold or other
metal (which I have found by experiment is unnecessary) being dispensed with.
My invention consists further of the improvements hereinafter described in the
construction of galvanic batteries in which carbon or graphite plates or electrodes
are used the object of my said improvements being to effect the connections
between the said carbon or graphite plates and the zinc plates and the connections
of the terminal wires or rods and the terminal plates in such a manner that the
said connections shall not be injured by the action thereon of the liquid contained
in the battery
I will describe my said improvements as applied to the construction of a trough
battery in which bichromate of potash is used.
In constructing such a battery I form a trough of vulcanite of suitable dimensions
which I divide into cells by means of plates of vulcanite to one side of each of
which a carbon plate has been secured before curing the vulcanite. Before securing
the vulcanite plates in the trough I cut away a portion of each at the lower end
so as to expose the inner side of the carbon plate at that part. I divide each of
the said cells by means of a partition of suitable porous material and place a zino
Prine R31

page_text: plate and a small quantity of mercury in each of the said cells between the porous
partition and that one of the vulcanite partitions which has the carbon plate on
its outer side. The mercury thus forms the required connection between the pairs
of zinc and carbon plates the mercury in each of the cells (except that to which the
terminal is connected) being in contact both with the bottom of the zinc plate in
the same cell and with the exposed part of the innerside of the carbon plate in the
next cell.
I form the connections with the terminal plates of the battery in the following
manner. The connection at the zinc or negative end consists of an insulated wire
bared at one end and immersed at that end in the mercury at the bottom of the
cell which mercury is in contact with the zinc plate. The connection at the carbon
or positive end consists of a piece of platinum or non oxydizable metal screwed or
otherwise fixed in the carbon plate and connected to a wire or strip of metal to
form the terminal the whole of the connection being protected from the action of
the liquid of the battery by a covering of ebonite or vulcanite cured upon the
plate over the junctions of the platinum therewith and with the terminal wire or
strip.
In cases where both sides of the carbon plates are required to be exposed the
connections are made by means of wires or rods secured thereto as follows:-
A wire or rod of copper or other suitable metal coated with platinum or other
metal not affected by the liquid in the battery with which the plates are to be used
is secured in a hole in the carbon. A wire or strip of metal of a sufficient length
to form the required connection is then soldered or otherwise secured to the said
platinum coated wire or rod and the whole of the connection is covered with
ebonite composition which is then cured. The oxydisable metal of the connection
is thus completely protected from the action of the liquid absorbed by the carbon
plates.
Instead of using vulcanite or ebonite for the trough and partitions of the
battery and for the protection of the connections any other suitable insulating
material may be used.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Lea in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st October
1883.
JOHN LEA of Clarence Gardens in the County of Middlesex Telegraph Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES "
My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the construc-
tion of galvanic batteries in which carbon or graphite plates or electrodes are used
the object of my said improvements being to effect the connections between the
said carbon or graphite plates and the zinc plates and the connections of the
terminal wires or rods and the terminal plates in such a manner that the said
connections shall not be injured by the action thereon of the liquid contained in
the battery.
I will describe my said improvements as applied to the construction of a trough
battery in which bichromate of potash is used.
In constructing such a battery I form a trough of vulcanite of suitable dimen-
sions which I divide into cells by means of plates of vulcanite to one side of each
of which a carbon plate has been secured before curing the vulcanite. Before
securing the vulcanite plates in the trough I cut away a portion of each at the
lower end so as to expose the inner side of the carbon plate at that part. I divide
each of the said cells by means of a partition of suitable porous material and place
a zinc plate and a small quantity of mercury in each of the said cells between the
porous partition and that one of the vulcanite partitions which has the carbon
plate on its outer side. The mercury thus forms the required connection between
the pairs of zinc and carbon plates the mercury in each of the cells (except that to
which the negative terminal is connected) being in contact both with the bottom
of the zinc plate in the same cell and with the exposed part of the innerside of
the carbon plate in the next cell.
I form the connections with the terminal plates of the battery in the following
manner. The connection at the zinc or negative end consists of an insulated wire
bared at one end and immersed at that end in the mercury at the bottom of the
cell which mercury is in contact with the zinc plate. The connection at the carbon
or positive end consists of a piece of platinum or non oxydizable metal screwed or
otherwise fixed in the carbon plate and connected to a wire or strip of metal to
form the terminal the whole of the connection being protected from the action
of the liquid of the battery by a covering of ebonite or vulcanite cured upon the
plate over the junctions of the platinum therewith and with the terminal wire or
strip.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section and Figure 2
is a transverse section of a galvanic battery constructed as herein before described
the said transverse section being taken on the line 1 Figure 1. The same letters
and figures of reference indicate the same parts in both Figures
a is the trough of vulcanite placed within a wooden case b, a¹ a' are the vulcanite
plates by which the trough is divided into cells c¹³ ³are the carbon plates in the
said cells the said plates c¹ c³ being secured to the vulcanite partitions a' a¹ and
the said plate 3 being secured to the innerside of the trough a. d d are the
porous partitions by which the cells are divided ele³ ³ are the zinc plates
and ffis the mercury which forms the connection between the pairs of zinc and
carbon plates. g is the insulated wire which forms the connection at the zinc or
negative end of the battery the said wire being bared at the lower end and
immersed at that end in the mercury which is in contact with the zinc plate e¹.

page_text: is the piece of platinum or non oxydizable metal fixed in the carbon plate c³
and he is the wire secured thereto and forming the connection at the positive end
of the battery. The said wire h³ is protected at its junction with the platinum by
being embedded in the vulcanite of the trough as shown in Figure 1 or by being
embedded in any suitable insulating material placed in a slot or recess formed in
the side or end of the trough for the said wire to pass through or lie in
Instead of using solid platinum or other non oxydizable metal for the connection h¹
copper or other metal coated or covered with platinum or.non oxydizable metal
may be used. Where oxydizable metal is used if the extremity of the connection h¹
be not coated or covered with non oxydizable metal it must be protected by a
covering i of vulcanite cured upon the plate c³.
The carbon plates c¹ care secured to the partitions a¹ a² and the plate is
secured to the innerside of the end of the trough a (before the said trough and
partitions are cured) by cementing the said plates to the said partitions by means
of naptha or other solvent of rubber as usual in cementing india rubber to wood
and other materials.
Instead of the zinc plates e¹ e³ ³ granulated zinc or zinc in small pieces. may be
used.
In cases where both sides of the carbon plates are required to be exposed the
connections are made by means of wires or rods secured thereto as follows:-
A wire or rod of copper or other suitable metal coated with platinum or other
metal not affected by the liquid in the battery with which the plates are to be used
is secured in a hole or holes in the carbon plates. A wire or strip of metal of a
sufficient. length to form the required connection is then soldered or otherwise
secured to the said platinum coated wire or rod and the whole of the connection is
covered with ebonite composition which is then cured. The oxydizable metal of
the connection is thus completely protected from the action of the liquid absorbed
by the carbon plates.
Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings is a section of one cell of a battery in
which the connections are formed as hereinbefore described. jj are the carbon
plates is the platinum coated wire or rod by which the plates jj are connected
ll are porous pots in which the said plates are suspended m m are the zinc plates
which are arranged so that each carbon plate has a zinc plate on either side of it
which zinc plates are all connected by a strip of amalgamated zinc n placed at the
bottom of the cell on which strip the said zinc plates rest good contact being
ensured by placing a little loose mercury o on the said strip. p¹ is the wire soldered
to the rod k and q is the insulating covering with which the said wire and the
junction thereof with the said rod are protected from the action of the liquid in
the battery. The wire p' is of sufficient length to dip into the mercury at the
bottom of the next cell (as shown in dotted lines) and thus connect the carbon
plates in one cell with the zinc plates in the next cell. The insulated wire p¹ is
bared at the end which dips into the mercury as described with reference to the
wire ġ Figure 1.
Instead of coating or covering the whole of the connection of the carbon plates
with non oxydizable metal those parts only which are required to be in contact
with the carbon may be so coated or covered the other parts being protected from
the action of the liquid in the battery by means of a coating of any suitable
insulating material as shown in Figure 4 which is a longitudinal section of a rod
thus coated connecting three carbon plates jj being the said plates k the connecting
rod of copper or other suitable common metal k the non oxydizable metal
covering in contact with the plates and the covering of insulating material. The
connection herein before described of the wire p¹ with the rod k is shown in section
in the said Figure 4.
Instead of using vulcanite or ebonite for the trough and partitions of the battery
and for the protection of the connections any other suitable insulating material may
be used
. Having thus described my Invention I wish it to be understood that I do not

page_text: limit myself to the precise details herein before described as they may be varied
without departing from the nature of my Invention but I claim as my said Invention
of "Improvements in galvanic batteries."
First The improvements herein before described in connecting the electrodes in
galvanic batteries that is to say connecting the positive electrode in one cell with
the negative electrode in another cell through the partitions separating the cells by
means of mercury placed in the bottom of the battery substantially as herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Secondly-The improvements herein before described in connecting conducting
wires or rods or strips of copper or other readily oxydizable metal to the carbon
electrodes of galvanic batteries that is to say covering or coating the said conducting
wires or rods or strips either entirely or at the parts to be connected with the
carbon with platinum or other non oxydizable metal and fixing the said wires
or rods or strips in holes in the carbon electrodes substantially as hereinbefore
described.
In witness whereof I the said John Lea have hereunto set my hand and seal
this twenty ninth day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.