Improvements in Primary and Secondary Batteries, applicable for 'Use with Pocket Electric Lamps and for other purposes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 5th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1895
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Batteries, applicable for
'Use with Pocket Electric Lamps and for other purposes.
I, EDWARD BURNET of Brynn, near Wigan in the County of Lancaster, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention has for its primary object a battery or compound cell useful for
pocket electric lamps, but the invention is also applicable for almost all forms of
battery (primary or secondary).
I will now describe my apparatus for a pocket electric lamp, which is as
follows:-
:-
Two C-shaped or partial-cylinder-shaped carbons back to back are enclosed
each in a porous cell. These two cells are enclosed in the two compartments of
an oblong cell with rounded ends made of ebonite or of other suitable material.
Outside this cell and partly surrounding it is in each case a semi-cylinder
or C sectioned zinc plate. Bedded or resting on a socket or recess formed in the
walls of the double cell and on the porous cells and the diaphragm is a tray. This
tray is flanged upward and again outward forming a male socket in the socket top
of the outer cell. A plate lid rests with an indent on the outwardly projecting
flange, thus forming with the tray an enclosed chamber. The joint between the
tray and the socket of the outer cell, can be made air tight and water tight by
paraffin wax if desired. The carbon passes through a C-shaped hole through the
tray into the chamber above, the upper end is coated with electro deposited
copper and a brass or other angle piece cap is brazed or sweated to it all round.
The carbon below this for a short distance is coated with copper. A space or nick
is now scraped bare of copper immediately below the cap leaving a band of copper
plating below and this bare portion is coated with melted paraffin wax.
This
seals all the pores in the carbon round the neck while the paraffin is prevented
from spreading on the surface by the copper. The carbons are now passed
upward through the holes in the inverted tray, the cap screwed down to the lid
and melted paraffin or other like material poured into the crack between the
carbon and the tray. The zincs are now attached to the tray by terminals
insulated from the carbon or its cell and coupled up in series or multiple arc as
required. The crack between the zinc and the tray is also filled with paraffin or
the like and the zinc plates held tight by nuts to the lid. The outer and porous
cells are now filled to the required height by the liquids used and the tray placed
in position, the edges of the latter being preferably smeared with tallow before
inserting in the socket. The lid being now applied, the terminals are passed
through the lid, a tin or other sheet metal casing with the central portion of
bottom and lid cut away is placed around the cell, the handle passing through the
lid, and nuts on said handle being screwed down onto the lid. The whole is held
tight. A lug on the side of the case can be used for hooking a lamp bulb holder
on. In thus describing my invention as used for a pocket battery for electric light
I do not confine it to this use. It is obvious that the arrangement of tray and
cap is applicable to all batteries and the mode of attaching the carbous and of
paraffining their heads, and yet by means of plating below preventing the paraffin
creeping down and injuring the conductivity is applicable to many kinds of

page_text: batteries and to other negative electrodes besides carbon ones. Lastly that the
arrangement of the C-shaped electrodes and porous cells is also applicable to large
batteries as well as small ones.
Dated this 4th day of November 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Batteries, applicable for
Use with Pocket Electric Lamps and for other purposes.
I, EDWARD BURNET of Brynn near Wigan in the County of Lancaster, 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 has for its object a battery or compound cell applicable for a
pocket electric lamp. The invention is however applicable to almost all kinds of
electric batteries, both primary and secondary. The great desideratum of a
pocket electric lamp is that the liquids shall not upset or creep and that the
fumes, if there be any, shall not escape, and that the terminals and connections
shall be quite clear of the electrolytes, and there shall be no communication between
the two.
My invention is best described by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a section of my battery for a pocket electric lamp with case.
Figure 2, a section on the line Z Z;
Figure 3, plan of top of battery, the case being removed;
Figure 4, plan of lid and bottom of case;
Figure 5, a reduced elevation of a battery and handle complete ;
Figure 6, a view of a handle suitable for fixing to the frame of a bicycle;
Figure 7, a view of a valve to be hereinafter described; and
Figure 8 detail views showing the groove in carbon.
Referring first to the battery proper, A is a double cell formed of ebonite or
other suitable material, and having a diaphragm a It is obvious that this cell
instead of being a double cell could be a triple cell, the central partition being
rectangular, also that in large batteries the cell could be arranged of different
shape and with numerous partitions. B B are porous cells closely fitting to cell A.
These cells are of the same height as the diaphragm a and the rebate a¹ herein-
after described. C is a partially cylindrical carbon of somewhat smaller diameter
than the porous cell so as to allow the electrolyte to freely circulate round it.
D is the zinc also made in section a segment of a circle. It is obvious however
that if the porous cells be of other form than circular, these carbons and zincs
must be of similar contour so as to allow the two to approach together as near as
practicable to keep down the internal resistance. E is a tray of ebonite or other
like material, closely fitting into the socket in the cell A formed by the rebate a'.
This tray has a flange e projecting over the top of cell A and fitting closely on it.
The joint between this tray and the cell can be made with paraffin, or other water-
proof composition not acted upon by the electrolytes in the cell. F is a cap of
brass or other metal. This cap fits on the top of the carbon.
A groove is formed
round the top of the carbon, Figure 8, which is then plated with copper or other
negative metal near the top, in fact for the length covered by the cap, and a short
distance below. The cap is brazed or sweated on to the coppered portion, the
groove being filled in with the brazing or sweating material, and may be screwed
down to the tray and a water tight joint made between. Or instead of using

page_text: screws for fixing the carbon caps to the tray, I prefer to use vulcanite valves F
having a broad flange which bears upon the inner rim of the caps F when the
valve is screwed into the bottom of the tray as shown. Another object of this
valve whose bore is very small is to provide for the release of any gas which may
collect in the porous pot. Further, the crack round the carbon in the tray is filled
with paraffin, bitumen or the like. The copper plating immediately below the cap
is then scraped away for a short distance leaving however a band coppered below
the portion thus bared, the space bared above the further belt of copper plating
is covered and saturated with paraffin, the coppering below however prevents the
paraffin from creeping down on to the portion contained in the cell. The top of
the cap of one of the carbons is connected to the terminal G by à metallic
connection, the cap F¹ on the other carbon is formed with a projecting plate for
connecting with the zinc of the other couple so as to connect up in series. A large
hole in the cap F is left round the nearest zinc, in which hole insulating material
is placed to prevent, any connection between that zinc and the cap. That zinc is
connected by metallic connection with terminal H, the crack between the zinc and
the metallic plate is filled with paraffin or bitumen as in the case of the crack round
the carbon and the terminal of the zinc is screwed into a thickened portion on the
top and screwed down to the lid by means of a nut with preferably an india-
rubber washer below so as to completely close the aperture round the connection.
There can be two screws if desirable fixed in this way so as to hold the zinc
perfectly rigid, one of them only being used as a terminal. I is the metallic case
&
for protecting the battery in the pocket and for carrying it about. J, shown in
dotted lines, is a lug brazed or rivetted to the case for the purpose of hooking
lamp bulb holder on. K is a lug to which the handle L is hinged. M is a lid.
This, and the bottom of the case has a part cut away as shown in the plan. The
lid is held down by the nuts N.
Figures 5 and of the drawings show a form of handle which serves the double
purpose of an ordinary handle and also as a ready means of fixing to the frame
of a cycle or other machine, such fixing being by means of a strap L' as shown.
It is obvious that this form of cell, especially. the tray whereby it is made
absolutely watertight can be used for any kind of battery whatsoever, whether
primary or secondary, and is a great advantage as all the connections are in a
chamber absolutely protected from the creeping of the salts of the electrolyte from
the liquid and from gases. The peculiar arrangement too of the partially circular
plates enables one to form a battery of very small resistance in a very small space.
The lid too, being pressed down by means of the nuts M in the cover, holds the
porous cells tightly in position, while the manner in which the electrodes are fixed
in place enables the battery to be subjected to comparatively a rough shaking
without any disturbance of the relative positions of the parts.
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 portable battery formed of a double cell having approximately semi-
cylindrical sides and the partition wall combined with interior porous cups and
electrodes supported in the cells and shaped to closely fit the semi-cylindrical sides
substantially as described.
2. The combination of a cell having a socket or rebate at the top, the electrodes,
a tray supporting the electrodes and closely fitting within the socket and so
arranged as to hermetically seal the top of the cell, a lid closely fitting on the tray
and suitable connections and terminals in the space between the tray and the lid
and connected through it and the lid, whereby the connections are protected from
the contents of the cell.
3. The method of preparing battery carbons which consists in plating the upper
ends of the carbons, brazing on or fastening a metal cap, plate or connection to the
plated end of the carbon, removing a strip or portion of the plate from the carbon

page_text: beneath the metal cap, plate, strip or connection, and finally immersing the
connected end of the carbon in paraffin up to and including the portion from
which the plate has been removed, or in plating a band of metal round the carbon
before paraffining the end above it so as to prevent the paraffin from creeping
downwards.
4. The general arrangement and construction of battery cell and its connections
substantially as described.
5. In combination with a 'battery cell the frame or casing for containing the
same constructed substantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of August 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester and London, Patent Agents.