IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC BATTERIES OR ELEMENTS
Year: 1884

page_text: "1
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC BATTERIES
OR ELEMENTS a communication to me from abroad by Francois Van Rysselberghe
of Schaerbeek, Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium, Electrician, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of hydro electric
elements or batteries of two liquids, its object being to insure the better separation
of the liquids.
It has been customary to employ for such separation, porous partitions, which
however, only forming a vertical wall between the liquids, afford, it has been found
a very poor protection, the liquids usually becoming mixed in a very short time.
Another method has been to superpose one liquid upon the other, simply by
means of the difference in their specific gravity, the surfaces of the two liquids
being of course horizontal, but this method has also been found ineffectual, the
liquids becoming mixed probably on account of the thermal currents which
establish themselves between the liquids and the variations of temperature, or in
consequence of the bubbles of gas arising freely from the lower liquid.
To obviate these disadvantages I separate the heavy and the lighter liquid by
means of a porous membrane of gold beaters skin, aimanthus, or ordinary paper, or
by a porous ring or disc of terra cotta, or the like, the same being placed in a
slanting position, or in some degree away from the horizontal. It has been found
however that the membrane of gold beaters skin usually gives the best results.
The gases contained in the lower liquid being allowed to escape as hereafter
described, whereby they are prevented from contributing to the mixing of the
liquids.
To fully explain the invention, I will describe the method of constructing
a battery cell or element of the "Daniell" type on the principle above described.

page_text: The glass jar or vessel is formed considerably smaller at the bottom than the top,
a ledge being formed about midway from the increased size of the upper portion, a
cylinder of zinc amalgam fitting loosely in this portion of the vessel and resting on
the ledge.
In the lower portion of the jar is placed a copper or lead pan containing the
usual crystals of sulphate of copper, this pan is furnished with a copper or leaden
tube which passes into it through a membrane of gold beaters skin, a hole being
pierced in this tube below the skin and above the surface of the crystals for the
escape of the gas disengaged from the sulphate or from the liquid enclosed in the
pan such gases passing out into the air without affecting the liquid in the upper
part of the vessel, the tube itself serving at the same time as the electrode. To
facilitate the escape of the bubbles of gas the membrane is slightly inclined upward
from the outer rim of the pan to the tube.
When it is desired to obtain a cell or element of the above type, having a low
interior resistance, it is best to charge the same with water, slightly acidulated
with sulphuric acid or with a saline solution such as a solution of chloride of
sodium, which is a good conductor, or by means of an acidified saline solution, and
thus insure the preservation of the zinc amalgam, and prevent its quick dissolution
by local action.
A modification of the glass vessel and zinc cylinder before described, is as
follows.
The zinc instead of being in a cylindrical shape is in the form of a tore laid
horizontally on the ledge of the glass vessel, which in this case may be of a trough
shaped section to receive it, the end of the tore, being bent up and forming the
electrode. A little mercury may be run into the trough around the zinc to maintain
the amalgam.
Or instead of the above arrangement, a plain jar or vessel may be employed,
having therein a grooved ring of insulating material on which the zinc tore may be
placed.
Instead of the metal vessel containing the sulphate of copper or the depolarizing
solution, glass, porcelain, or other similar material may be employed, enclosing a
conducting plate as the positive electrode, and furnished with an orifice or tube for
the escape of the gas bubbles.
The above described elements or cells may be used with great advantage for
microphonic installations, on account of their feeble or low interior resistance, but
they are also well adapted for general purposes.
Dated this fourth day of November 1884.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH ELECTRIC
BATTERIES OR ELEMENTS a communication to me from abroad by François Van
Rysselberghe of Schaerbeek Brussels in the Kingdom of Belgium Electrician 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 to improvements in the construction of hydro-electric
elements or batteries of two liquids, its object being to insure the better separation
of the liquids.
It has been customary to employ for such separation, porous partitions which
however, only forming a vertical wall between the liquids, afford, it has been found
a very poor protection the liquids usually becoming mixed in a very short time.
Another method has been, to superpose one liquid upon the other, simply by means
of the difference in their specific gravity, the surface of the two liquids being of
course horizontal; but this method has also been found ineffectual, the liquids
becoming mixed probably on account of the thermal currents which establish
themselves between the liquids, and the variations of temperature, or in con-
sequence of the bubbles of gas arising freely from the lower liquid.
The object of this invention is to obviate these disadvantages, and this is
accomplished by separating the heavy and the lighter liquid by means of a porous
membrane of gold beaters skin, aimanthus or ordinary paper, or by a porous ring
or disc of terra cotta, or the like, the same being placed in a slanting position, or in
some degree away from the horizontal. It has been found however that the
membrane of gold beaters skin usually gives the best results. The gases contained
in the lower liquid being allowed to escape as hereafter described, whereby they
are prevented from contributing to the mixing of the liquids. To fully explain the
invention I will describe the method of constructing a battery cell or element of
the "Daniell" type on the principle above described, reference being made to the
accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and in which.
Figs. 1. 2 and 4 represent sectional elevations of a cell or element and Fig. 3.
represents a plan of the ring or cylinder Z.
The glass jar or vessel V is formed considerably smaller at the bottom than the
top, a ledge being formed about midway from the increased size of the upper.
portion, a cylinder of zinc amalgam Z fitting loosely in this portion of the vessel
and resting on the ledge. In the lower portion of the jar is placed a copper or
lead pan C containing the usual crystals of sulphate of copper, this pan is furnished
with a copper or leaden tube T which passes into it through a membrane of gold
beaters skin M, a hole O being pierced in this tube below the skin, and above the
surface of the crystals, for the escape of the gas disengaged from the sulphate or
from the liquid enclosed in the pan, such gases passing out into the air without
affecting the liquid in the upper part of the vessel, the tube itself serving at the

page_text: same time, as the electrode. To facilitate the escape of the bubbles of gas, the
membrane M is slightly inclined upward from the outer rim of the pan, to
the tube, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or one side of the pan is higher than the other
as shown in Fig. 4. When it is desired to obtain a cell or element of the above
type, having a low interior resistance, it is best to charge the same with water
slightly acidulated with sulphuric acid or with a saline solution such as a solution
of chloride of sodium, which is a good conductor, or by means of an acidified saline
solution, and thus insure the preservation of the zinc amalgam, and prevent its
quick dissolution by local action.
A modification of the glass vessel and zinc cylinder before described is as
follows.
The zinc instead of being in a cylindrical shape as shown in Fig. 1. is in the
form of a tore as shown in Figs. 2. 3 and 4 laid horizontally on the ledge of the
glass vessel, which in this case may be of a trough shaped section to receive it, the
end of the tore being bent up and forming the electrode Z. A little mercury may
be run into the trough around the zinc to maintain the amalgam.
'
Or instead of the above arrangement, a plain jar or vessel may be employed,
having therein a grooved ring of insulating material on which the zinc tore may
be placed as shown in Fig. 4. Instead of the metal vessel containing the sulphato
of copper or the depolarizing solution, glass, porcelain, or other similar material
may be employed enclosing a conducting plate as the positive electrode, and
furnished with an orifice or tube for the escape of the gas bubbles. The above
described elements or cells may be used with great advantage for microphonic
installations, on account of their feeble or low interior resistance, but they are also
well adapted for general purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
ine by my foreign correspondent I declare that what I claim is
1. In hydro-electric elements a metallic or conducting vessel which forms the
positive electrode and contains the depolarizing liquid, said vessel being closed by
ineans of a nearly horizontal porous membrane or partition and provided with a
tube of the same metal, or of the same conducting material, by which tube the
gases disengaged can escape without disturbing the liquid above, all substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
2. In hydro-electric elements a glass or other like vessel formed or in combi-
nation with a ledge or support, carrying a tore or cylinder, which may be covered
with mercury all substantially as described and as illustrated by the drawings.
8. In hydro-electric elements a glass or similar vessel covered with a nearly
horizontal porous membrane, said vessel containing a conducting plate as a positive
electrode, and furnished with an orifice or tube through which the disengaged
gases may escape, all substantially as and for the purposes described.
Dated this twento ninth day of July AD 1885