Improvements in Primary Batteries.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 27th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Primary Batteries.
We EDWARD MOSES LEVETUS Manufacturer HYMEN LEVETUS Manu-
facturer and WALTER ROWBOTHAM Electrician all of 47 Vittoria Street
Birmingham in the County of Warwick do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
In constructing a primary battery the outer cell being made in the usual
manner we use a carbon plate for the positive pole and a known suitable metal
for the negative pole together with a suitable solution. In order to obtain a
circulation of the solution and to prevent polarization we drill one ore more holes
in the top of the carbon plate and leave a space free at the lower end of the said
plate which we fit tightly to the sides of the cell. When the temperature of
the solution is increased by the chemical action the heated portion being the
lightest rises and circulates through the holes thus preventing polarization.
Dated this First day of January 1895.
EDWARD MOSES LEVETUS.
HYMEN LEVETUS.
WALTER ROWBOTHAM.
Improvements in Primary Batteries.
We, SARAH ISABELLE LEVETUS, Executrix of the late Edward Moses
Levetus, Manufacturer, HYMEN LEVETUS, Manufacturer, and WALTER ROW-
BOTHAM, Electrician, all of 47 Vittoria Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 more particularly to single-fluid primary batteries in
which the elements employed are carbon and a suitable metal such as iron. Our
invention has for its object to so take advantage of the increase of temperature
arising in the active portion of the cells when the battery is supplying current,
that a circulation of the exciting fluid is produced, which greatly assists in
preventing polarization.
For this purpose the main body of the exciting fluid is separated from the
exciting fluid within the active portion of the cell by the carbon elements which
are provided with circulation openings near their upper and lower ends.
In order that our said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried
into effect we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed which
illustrate a battery constructed in accordance with our invention, Figure 1 being a
plan and Figure 2 a vertical section taken on the line 1. 1.
A is a vessel of ebonite, glass, stoneware or other suitable material that will
not be detrimentally affected by the exciting fluid employed in the battery. This
vessel is divided into four or other convenient number of cells by partitions a
which are of the same material as that composing the vessel A. B, B are the
iron elements and C, C are the carbon elements. The carbon elements are made

page_text: in the form of plates which are retained in place against the sides of the
partitions a and the inner surface of the vessel A, by entering grooves provided
for their reception.
'
Each of the aforesaid cells is thus divided into three compartments, an inner
one a' and two outer ones a², a² Into, the said inner compartments a¹ we place
the iron or other metal elements B which are retained in position by entering
grooves similar to those already referred to in connection with the carbon
elements. The aforesaid elements are tightly held in said grooves by suitable
cement or other means so that the exciting fluid cannot pass from one compartment
to the other save through the circulation openings with which the carbon
elements are provided.
It will be seen on reference to Figure 2 that the circulation openings care
produced by the carbon plates not extending completely to the bottom of the
vessel A, and that the circulation openings care produced by forming holes near
the upper ends of the said carbon plates. The level of the exciting fluid should be
high enough to come above the aforesaid holes c¹..
When the battery is working the temperature of the exciting fluid within the
inner compartments a', or active portion of the cells, gradually rises with the
result that the warmer portion of the fluid tends to ascend its place being taken by
cooler fluid descending in the outer compartments a² and passing through the
spaces c into the inner compartments a¹.
As the warmer portions of the fluid reach the surface they tend to pass from
the inner compartments a¹ to the outer ones a² through the upper openings or
holes c'. In this way a continuous circulation of the exciting fluid is produced
which greatly aids in preventing polarization of the battery.
The closer together the carbon and metal elements are placed in the cells, that
is to say the smaller the amount of exciting fluid contained between them with
respect to the main body of exciting fluid employed, the higher will be the
temperature produced within the inner compartments when the battery is working
and the better will be the circulation of the fluid.
We do not confine ourselves to the circular shape of the battery shown in the
drawings as it may be made of rectangular or other convenient shape.
The position of the elements respectively to each other may be reversed, that i-
to say we may locate the carbon elements centrally and the metal elements on
each side thereof, in which case the aforesaid circulation openings c c¹ would be
formed in the metal elements. Or we may employ only one carbon element and
one metal element for each cell in which case the aforesaid circulation openings
would be formed in each of the elements.
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. A single-fluid primary cell in which each part of the main body of the
exciting fluid is separated from the exciting fluid within the active portion of the
cell by one or other of the elements, the elements used for thus separating
the exciting fluids being provided with circulation openings near their upper and
lower ends substantially as described and for the purpose specified.
2. A single-fluid primary battery in which the carbon elements are provided
with circulation openings near their upper and lower ends substantially as described
and for the purpose specified.
3. A single-fluid primary battery constructed substantially as described and
shown in the accompanying drawings and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 92.1 1...
1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.