Year: 1854

page_text: with a wooden frame well coated with marine glue or other perfect non-
conducting material; then cover the plate with a porous cement, or any porous
substance on both sides; it is then ready for the negative plate or plates to be
attached, as most convenient.
Third, I prepare my positive plate, as above described, with only a top and
bottom wood well coated with marine glue, &c., they being wider than the
plaster cement. I fasten my negative or copper plate or plates to the edges,
leaving a little space between them.
Fourth, I take both positive and negative plates, perforate holes in each,
either rivet or solder them at the top, placing brown paper well coated with
marine glue between them; they are then arranged in a wooden frame at equal
distances; the frame must be well marine glued. When fixed enclose them in
porous cement or any porous substance, leaving a space between each pair,
which space is filled up with straw, paper, sponge, or any other such like sub-
stance, the end plates having a positive and negative pole left out.
Fifth,. I arrange my plates as described in the fourth paragraph, but leaving
the spaces open.
Sixth, I take my plates as described in the fourth paragraph, after being
fastened together; I then have slips of wood already cut the width required, and
well prepared with marine glue or other waterproof material; they are then
planted on each side and at the bottom, the latter having a round hole in, and
so on until the required number are arranged; then coat them on the outside
with marine glue, after which take brown paper, calico, or any other such like
material, coat it with marine glue while hot, bind it round until I get the.
required thickness. This plan I find quite water-tight, & much cheaper than
gutta percha, wood, or any other material. Thus having fixed the plates, as
above described, they are ready for the porous cement upon the face of the
positive metal, putting the cement the thickness required, leaving a space
between the porous plaster and the negative plate; then plant a trough under
the holes before described, with a view to fill and empty the battery at
convenience.
Seventh, I make the arrangement as described in paragraph sixth,' but fill
"the spaces up with cement, leaving a round hole in the cement opposite
the hole in the bottom; that hole is filled with sponge or any other porous
material.
'Eighth, I prepare my negative plates in the same way as my positive ones,
when required, either facing or casing them, or use them without either,
according to the solution used.

page_text: I now describe the manner in which I make the cells or outer cases for the
plates described in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs.
First, to make a single cell battery, I take marine glued brown or any other
strong paper, calico, or any other such like substance; while the paper is hot,
I
put it round a block the size I want the inside when cold; then line the inside
with marine glue.
Second, for intensity batteries I join as many single ones as required with
marine glue paper, leaving holes in the bottom of each, or leaving the bottoms.
open, as may be required; they are then placed in a wooden frame well marine
glued, to which is attached rods, springs, bolts, or a pulley, &c., with a view to
lift up and down, the lid being made air-tight, with a safety valve in the top.
either made with vulcanized india-rubber or metal.
Third, my arrangement is with a feeder attached to the battery with a vul-
canized tubing which is attached to the trough described in the sixth paragraph,
or to any other arrangement, or I may force the solution up from the bottom
with a vulcanized or air-tight bag contained in the reservoir below.
Fourth, I make the cell or cells upon the principle of an exciseman's ink
bottle, either square or round as may be most convenient; with this arrange-
ment a valve will not be required.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Weare in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
16th September 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
WEARE, of Princes Road, Plumstead Common, Woolwich, in the County of
Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Weare, Her special licence that I, the said Robert Weare,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Weare, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the

page_text: Channel-Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF GALVANIC BATTERIES AND APPARATUS-CONNECTED THEREWITH,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Weare, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention; and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
!
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Weare, 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, that is to say:-.
-My Invention consists of improvements in the manufacture and design of
the positive plates of galvanic batteries; also in the manufacture and design of
the negative plates of the same; and in the arrangement of the plates and the
method of their' insulation, and all the parts that require to be non-conducting;
also in raising and lowering the plates, and in filling and emptying the cèlls
of galvanic batteries, and manufacturing vessels for galvanic batteries and
decomposition cells.
My Invention is best and more lucidly described under the following
heads-
.i.
First, I take a positive.plate of. zinc or any other suitable metal, and cut
two ears on it; then form a few holes about the middle of the plate to allow
the cement to have a firm hold; it is then ready to be imbedded in the
cement, which may be Keane's or Martin's plaster of Paris, or any other
porous substance, leaving the two ears out at the top, to which I attach the
negative metal.
Second, I prepare my positive plate as above described, then surround it with
a wooden frame well coated with marine glue, or other sufficiently non-con-
ducting material; 'and I then cover the plate with a porous cement or any other
suitable porous substance on both sides; it is then ready for the negative plate
r plates to be attached as most convenient.
or
bottom
Third, I prepare my positive plate, as above described, with only a top and
wood piece well coated with marine glue, &c., they being wider than
the plaster cement. I fasten my negative or copper plate or plates to the edges,
thus leaving a little space between them.
Fourth; I-take my positive place and turn up the two sides and bottom;
then put my porous cement in the sides and bottom forming a framework;

page_text: I then coat the back.with a.sufficient.non-conductor, leaving two, ears out, one
on either side at the top, in order to suspend the plate in the frame, which may
be of wood; properly. coated with marine glue or any other. material which will
act as a non-conductor.
5: Fifth; I take both positive and negative plates, perforate holes in each, and
reither rivet or solder them at the top, placing brown.paper coated with marine
glue.or other sufficient non-conductor between them; they are then arranged in
a wooden or any other sufficiently non-conducting. frame at equal distances, and
when fixed. I enclose them in porous, cement, or any porous substance, leaving
Da space between each pair,. which space I fill up with straw, paper, sponge, or
Fany other substance: of like nature, the end plates having a positive and negative
pole left out.
. Sixth, I arrange my plates as described in the fifth. Art., .but leaving the
spaces open, that is, without straw paper. *.**
Seventh, I take the plates as described in the 5th Art.,.after being fastened
together; I then have slips of wood already formed of the width required; and
(well prepared with marine glue, or other waterproof material; they are then
placed on each side, and at the bottom, the, latter having an aperture-in it,
and so proceeding until the required number are arranged; I then coat them
on the outer, sides with the marine, glue, after which I take brown paper, calico,
or any other material of like nature, and coat it with marine glue, and while it
is hot bind it round until I obtain the required thickness. This mode of pre-
paration I find quite water-tight, more economical. and more durable than
gutta percha, wood, or any other material. Thus having fixed the plates as
above described; they are ready for, the application of the porous cement upon
the face of the positive metal, applying, the cement of the: thickness required,
leaving a space between the porous plaster and the negative plate; I then place
a trough under the holes before described, in order to fill and empty the battery
at convenience.
Eighth, I make the arrangement as described in Art. 7, but I fill the
spaces up with cement, leaving a round hole in the cement, opposite the
aperture in the bottom; that aperture is filled with sponge or any other porous
material........
- נ'
Ninth, I prepare my negative plates in, the same manner as the positive ones,
where required, either facing them or casing them, or use them without either,
according to the solution used...
:.
I now describe the manner in which I construct the cells or outer cases for
the plates described in the (first) 1rst, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, & 6th Art'.
Firstly,, to construct a single cell battery. I take brown paper or any other

page_text: strong paper, calico, or any other like substance, and coat the same with marine
glue, & while the coating of the paper is hot I place it round a block of the
size I require the inside to be when cold; I then line the inside with marine
glue or any other sufficient non-conductor.
Secondly, for intensity batteries I join as many single ones as required with
marine glue and paper, leaving holes at the bottom of each, or leaving the
bottoms open as may be required; they are then placed in a wooden or any
other other frame well coated with marine glue or otherwise with any sufficient
non-conducting substance; to the frame is then attached rods, springs, bolts, or
a pulley, &c., with a view to lift it up and down when required, the lid being
made air-tight with a pressure valve in the top either made with vulcanized
india-rubber, metal, or any other sufficiently elastic material.
Thirdly, I attach a feeder to the battery with a vulcanized india-rubber or
any other water-tight tubing, which is made fast to the trough described in
the 7th Article. When the battery is out of action, the feeder is to be
placed in a suitable drawer, or on a shelf. underneath the battery; but when
the battery is to be put in action, it must be raised to a shelf above the level
of the battery; if it is of small size, this is done by hand, but if large, then
by means of a rope and pulley, or other suitable mechanical arrangements.
I also apply the same apparatus to any other arrangement, &c., or I force the
solution up from the bottom with a vulcanized or air-tight bag contained in the
reservoir below.
Fourthly, I make the cell or cells upon the principle shewn in Fig. 12,
similar to a safety inkstand, either of a square or round form as may be most
convenient, and with this arrangement a valve will not be necessary.
Fifthly, I make the cell or cells with non-conducting ends and bottom, and
the latter with or without a hole, as may be required; I then place wooden
slides, all being well coated with a sufficient non-conductor; they are then
placed side by side, until the required number is arranged. I then bind
them round with brown paper, or calico coated with marine glue, to the
thickness required.
Sixthly, to form the reservoir I take a block of the required size, then cover
it with brown paper or calico, &c., well coated with. marine glue, and while
the coat is warm I bind it round the block, continuing it until the required
thickness is obtained. When cold and set, I take out the block, coat the in-
terior thoroughly with marine glue; after which it may, if needful, be encased
with woodwork, to preserve it from external injury. After this manner I also
make my decomposition vessels.
The nature of the most important points of my Invention, and the manner

page_text: in which the same are to be performed, are described more particularly by
reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which it is to be
understood that the same letters refer to similar parts in all the views, of
the same object.
Fig. 1 is a front view of a zinc plate prepared as described in Art. 1. This
also shows a method of preparing the negative plates when the solution
requires it, as in Art. 9; Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same. Fig. 3 is a
front view of a zinc plate prepared as described in Art. 4 (this also shews a
method of preparing the negative plates, as in Art. 9). Fig. 4 is an edge view
of the same, but showing the non-conducting material next the zinc plate and
the copper plate attached, as in Art. 5. Fig. 5 is a side view of a zinc plate
prepared as in Art. 4, but with a hole H, by which to fix it on a rod of non-
conducting material to form a battery, instead of two ears resting on the sides
of the trough; this is also applicable to Art. 9; Fig. 6 is an edge view of the
same. Fig. 7 is a front view of the arrangement described in Art. 7, with the
method of feeding described in the third plan of making the cell or trough for
the plates; Fig. 8 is a profile view of the same; and Fig. 9 is a plan of the
arrangement. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of an arrangement the
particulars of which are set forward in Arts. 4, 5, and 7, with the sixth plan of
constructing the reservoir or trough. Fig. 11 is a cross section of the same.
In Figs. 7, 9, and 10, the arrows denote the direction of the galvanic current.
In Figs. 1 and 2 the dotted lines show the zinc plate imbedded in cement,
plaster of Paris, or other porous material. The cement P is indicated by the
continuous black lines. There are also two ears E, E, shown, to attach the
plate to the other metallic element of the battery.. There are also five holes in
the zinc plates for the purpose of attaching the porous material firmly, shown
in the Drawing. In Fig. 3, z refers to the zinc plate, P to the porous material,
and E to the ears. In Fig. 4, an arrangement is shown in which the zinc
plate has it's side covered with porous material, and the edges turned up,
as set forth in Art. 4; the other side is covered with non-conducting material
I, and the copper plate C is shown as soldered to it in its proper place.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the plate, with the plaster P attached, but with a hole
H, instead of the ears E, E. In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, the battery B (of 6 cells)
is fed by raising the reservoir R, in which the exciting liquid is contained, to
the height of a shelf above the plates, as shown by the dotted lines seen at R,
in Fig. 8, when the fluid descends through the flexible tube T, and fills the
cells, air being admitted to the interior of the reservoir by the aperture A;
when the battery is not required to act, the reservoir is placed in the box or

page_text: drawer placed under the battery. In Figs. 10 and 11; C, C, C; are the copper
sor negative plates; and z; the zinc or positive plates; S, the straw paper
between the plates in the same pair; P, the porous material; and B, the box
containing the exciting fluid.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said. improvements
in the construction of galvanic batteries and apparatus: connected therewith,'I
desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the precise
details herein described; as such may be varied or modified without departing
from the principle. of action thereof Likewise I do not confine myself to the
strict figure or form of any apparatus: or portions of apparatus herein described.
But I claim as new and of, my Invention,
clrst, the peculiar mode of enclosing the positive and negative plates in
porous cement or any other porous material of suitable nature, as described in
Art 1,2, & 3.
Secondly, the mode and manner of turning up the edges of the plates with
a view to fix cement to them, as described in Art. 4
3d, the entire arrangement as described in Art. 7.
4th, the mode described of constructing the exterior cells of batteries, reser-
"voirs and decomposition vessels with marine glué, paper, calico, or substances
of those descriptions as described in the.:6th method of. constructing: battery
.troughs.
5th, the employment of elastic washers to render air-tight the holes for
raising and lowering the plates of a battery.
he
6th, the peculiar mode of raising and lowering battery arrangements : with
vulcanized 'india-rubber or other elastic washers, as set forth in the 2d plan of
constructing battery troughs.
747
7th; the mode of filling and emptying the battery by means of a feeder and
pliable tube, as described in the third method of constructing battery troughs.
8th, the mode of feeding the battery by the application & action of a water-
tight plyable bag.
9th," the mode of making the battery on the principle shewn in the Figure 12,
'similar to a safety inkstand.
10th, the peculiar mode of making. the carcase. or body of the battery as
described in the fifth method of making the exterior cells of batteries.
11th, the coating of the inside of the edges of positive plates with a suffi-
ciently perfect non-conductor. This refers to the case in which the cement is
fixed to the plate by its edge being turned-up, as set forth in the fourth Art. of
the Specification.

page_text: 12th, 1 claim the whole construction and arrangement of the parts used in
the various constructions of batteries in their combination, mutual dependance,
and working action, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Weare, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord 1854.
ROBT WEARE. (L.S.)