IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Guillaume André of Dorking in the County
of Surrey for an Invention of 'IMPROVEMENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC
BATTERIES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Guillaume André
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th January 1883.
GEORGE GUILLAUME ANDRÉ of Dorking in the County of Surrey "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES "
In an outer jar or box I place one or more inner porous cells and I charge the
outer jar or box with a saline or acid solution and the inner cell or cells with
depolarizing liquid such as a solution of sulphate of copper.
In the outer jar I place a carbon electrode and a metallic electrode such as zinc
and in the inner cell or cells I place a metallic electrode such as copper, and I
connect the carbon electrode in the outer jar with the copper electrode in the inner
cell or cells by a wire or wires so that these electrodes in themselves constitute a
voltaic couple and act together as a negative to the zinc. On closing the main
circuit the copper in the sulphate is thrown down upon the copper electrode and
sulphuric acid liberated as in the well known "Daniell" cell; but on breaking the
main circuit the voltaic couple, that is the copper and the carbon which are on
short circuit through their connecting wire come into action; and the copper which
has been deposited on the copper electrode is now oxydized and re-converted into
sulphate. It will thus be seen that the battery is regenerative so that the
depolarizing substance which is used up while the main circuit is closed is
being brought back into its original state during the time that the main circuit
is open.
The porous cell or cells are advantageously made of calico or other suitable
fabric and parchment paper such as described in the Provisional Specifications of
my patent dated 28th November 1882 N° 5645 and 8th January 1883 N° 108.
In some cases I use a metallic cell instead of the porous cell.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Guillaume André in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th July 1883.
GEORGE GUILLAUME ANDRÉ of Dorking in the County of Surrey
MENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES
"
" IMPROVE-
The object of this Invention is to make primary voltaic batteries regenerative
and for this purpose I construct them as follows.
In an outer jar or box I place one or more inner porous cells and I charge the
outer jar or box with a saline or acid solution and the inner cell or cells with
developing liquid such as a solution of sulphate of copper.
In the outer jar I place a carbon electrode and a metallic electrode such as zinc
and in the inner cell or cells I place a metallic electrode such as copper (or I place
the carbon electrode in a porous cell containing an acid or saline solution and
placed inside the aforesaid inner cell containing the depolarizing liquid) and I
connect the carbon electrode in the outer jar with the copper electrode in the
inner cell or cells by a wire or wires so that these electrodes in themselves
constitute a voltaic couple and act together as a negative to the zinc.
The porous cell or cells are advantageously made of calico or other suitable
fabric and parchment paper such as described in the specifications of my patents
dated 28th November 1882 N° 5645 and 8th January 1883 N° 108.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a vertical section through one form
of battery constructed according to this Invention and Figure 2 a like section
through another but I will here remark that these are mere examples and that the
forms may be varied in a great many ways.
In Figure 1 the outer jar or box A contains a saline or acid solution and a
carbon electrode B such as highly burnt coke the current being collected by carbon
rods B C is a zinc electrode placed therein and which may be in the form of an
open cylinder. D is a porous cell made with calico and parchment paper all round
and with wood bottom as described in my aforesaid patent Specifications. E is a
copper electrode made in the form of an open cylinder and suspended in the
sulphate of copper solution contained in the cell D The carbon rods B¹ and
the copper cylinder E are connected so as to form a voltaic couple while together
acting as a negative to the zinc electrode C.
In Figure 2 the arrangement is reversed, the carbon electrode B with its current
collecting rod B' being in a porous cell B2 which contains a saline or acid solution
and is placed in the porous cell D containing the sulphate of copper with the
copper electrode E suspended therein By this arrangement I avoid the possibility
of deposition of zinc on the carbon which might take place in the arrangement
shown in Figure 1.
The action of both batteries is as follows:-
On closing the main circuit the copper in the sulphate is thrown down upon the
copper electrode E and sulphuric acid liberated as in the well known Daniell cell;
but on breaking the main circuit the voltaic couple that is the copper E and the
carbon B which are in short circuit through their connecting wire come into action
and the copper which has been deposited on the copper electrode E is now oxydised
and reconverted into sulphate.
It will thus be seen that the battery is regenerative so that the depolarizing
substance (in this case assumed to be sulphate of copper) which is used up while
the main circuit is closed is being brought back into its original state during the
time that the main circuit is open

page_text: Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim
Constructing primary galvanic batteries with a third electrode in addition to
and constituting an electro negative to both elements of the usual couple, said
third electrode being electro placed in a suitable depolarizing liquid for the purpose
of rendering the battery regenerative substantially as set forth and as illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said George Guillaume Andre have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Twentyeighth day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three
ANDDE
GEC. C. ANDDÁ