IMPROVE- MENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice Vergnes, of the City and State of New
York, in the United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES."
Sealed the 6th July 1860, and dated the 10th January 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice Vergnes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th
January 1860.
I, MAURICE VERONES, of the City and State of New York, in the United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists generally in an inprovement on the Grove and Bunsen
battery.
As generally constructed it consists of three cells, and unlike all batteries
heretofore known and, used, has three decomposing and three decomposable
elements. The outer cylinder or vessel is of zinc, to which is connected a
copper rod and knob, which conveys the negative electricity. Within this
vessel of zinc is placed a porous cup similar to those made use of in ordinary
batteries. Within, this porous cup is also placed a cylinder or vessel of glass,
china, or any substance adapted to resist the action of nitric acid, and to this
is attached a platinum rod with knob, to convey the positive electricity. This
[Price 8d.]

page_text: inner cylinder is hollow, and is open at the bottom, and has at its top a
stopper which closes hermetically, and which can be removed when required.
The interior of this inner cylinder is filled with pieces of porous carbon or coke,
which are covered with a coating of platinum by the Knoltz and Eagleton,
or by any other proper process, and the several pieces are also connected
together by a small platinum wire. This cylinder is also surrounded from
bottom to top by several sheets of platinum, which communicates with the
coke in the interior, and which are joined at the top with a small platinum
wire which connects with the platinum rod, transmitting the positive elec-
tricity. This cylinder is also filled through its stopper with pure oxygen,
atmospheric air, or any other gas suitable. The space between the porous
cup and the inner cylinder is filled with small pieces of porous coke, and is
further filled with pure nitric acid, of which, however, only a small quantity is
required. The zinc forming the outer cylinder or vessel is mercuried on its
inside, and painted on the outside with any proper substance to prevent the
mercury acting too deeply on the metal. The space between the zinc and the
porous cup is filled with water acidulated slightly with sulphuric acid.
With this arrangement and construction of battery a greatly increased
electric power is secured, and my objects are, ist, to produce a larger amount
of electricity with a very limited daily expense of acid; 2nd, to obviate the bad
smell arising from ordinary galvanic batteries; and 3rd, to make use of air,
oxygen, or any other gas for producing electricity. The inner vessel being
closed at the top, the nitric acid is prevented from rising in it, but the fumes
of such acid rise and fill such vessel, and surround the platinized coke, and
thus render the whole interior a source of electricity, and make the battery as
powerful as if the inner vessel were wholly filled with acid, but at a greatly
reduced expense.
What is claimed as new is, the use and arrangement of the inner cylinder
or vessel, substantially as described, for economizing the use of the nitric acid,
and fitting it with a moveable stopper to facilitate the introduction of the
oxygen, air, or other suitable gas.
The use of the platinized coke or carbon within such vessel to receive the
fumes of the nitric acid, and thereby render the whole interior a source of
electricity, and thus make a small quantity of acid as effectual as a large
quantity would be under other circumstances.
The general arrangement and construction of a galvanic battery, substantially
as described, to secure or produce great electric and galvanic power with great
economy of construction and operation.

page_text: the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the, said Maurice. Vergnes, in the Great Seal Patent Office
9th July 1860.
D. t..
110-2
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4.! : "...
1. J
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME 1, MAURICE
VERGNES, of the City and State of New York, in the United States of America,
send greeting...
...WHEREAS Iler most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of January, in.the.. year of our Lord
One thousand eight. hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did,. for Herself, Her,heirs and successors, give, and grant unto me, the
said Maurice. Vergnes, Her. special licence that I, the said Maurice Vergnes,
my executors; administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
Maurice Vergnes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should' at any
..time. agree. with, and..no..others, from time to time and at all, times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should, and lawfully, might, make,
use, exercise,.. and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
.MENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES," upon. the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Maurice Vergnes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in, writing under my or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly, 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 Maurice Vergnes, do. hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, and reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters of reference thereon, that is to say:-
My. Invention is an improvement on the Buntzen & Grove batteries, and con-
sists of a novel arrangement of the parts of and a new mode of building up or
composing the battery, so as to secure the following among other objects:-
The use and introduction of atmospheric air, oxygen, ozone, or any other
suitable gas, for the production or increase of electricity.
The production of a much larger quantity of electricity with a smaller
expense of acid.
'
Fig. 1 is a view of a single battery or cell constructed according to my
Insentian

page_text: Fig. 2 is a perpendicular section of Figure One.
Fig. 3 is à representation of the exterior of the inner cell or vase.
Fig. 4 is a representation of the device used for connecting several cells.
The battery has three cells, and is a compound or combination of the acid
and gas battery, having or using two acids, sulphuric and, nitric, and the vapor
of the latter in combination with air, oxygen, ozone, or other suitable gas, and
in connection with platinized porous coke. The outer cell A, A, is made of
zinc, and to this is connected a copper wire N to conduct the negative
electricity. The interior of this cell or vase should be slightly amalgamated
or coated with a covering of mercury, and its exterior surface may be covered
or varnished with any proper substance, to prevent a too vigorous action of the
mercury on the metal, thus securing. longer durability to the vase. This vase
also should be cleaned occasionally. Within this cell or vase of zinc is the
porous cell C, C, which is similar to the porous cup used in ordinary batteries.
At the top & bottom of this vase C there may be made or placed a curved
rima, a', to meet the outer cell A, so as to keep the two in position and
prevent the cell C shaking- or striking against. the zinc. vase A. Within such
porous cell or vase is another cell .D, D, made of china, glass, or any material
capable of resisting the action of nitric acid; this vase D is open at its lower
end; or has no.bottom, and also has in its top a stop-cock or faucet E, through
which is a small hole or passage for the introduction of gaseous substances
into or their escape from the interior of such vase. When the faucet or cock
is turned so as to have its flattened end perpendicular, such passage will be
open, but when the flattened end is horizontal the passage will be closed, and
the vase be air-tight. The outside of this vase D is covered with sheets or
ribbons of platinum b, b, which communicate through their lower ends with
the platinized coke in the interior of such vase, and they are also connected
together by a platinum wire F, which also connects with the conductor P, and
which thus conveys the whole of the positive electricity to the point P; the
interior of this vase is filled with pieces of porous coke, platinized by the
Knoltz and Elkington process; these pieces of coke retain in their cavities
the atmospheric air, oxygen, ozone, or other gases that may be introduced into
the vase D, and a platinum wire runs from the interior of such vase to the
exterior, and conducts the positive electricity to the knob or point P. The
space between the vases. C and D is much smaller than that between A and C,
and is filled with small granulated pieces of porous coke, as shewn in Figure 2.
When the battery is, to be used, the zinc vase A is filled with water slightly
acidulated with sulphuric acid. The faucet in the top of the inner vase D is
then turned so that such vase may be filled with atmospheric air, oxygen, or

page_text: 5
other suitable gas, when it is again turned, so as to make such vase air-tight.
The space between the two vases C and D, and in which are the pieces of
granulated coke, is then filled with pure nitric acid. By reason of the small
space between these vases C and D, and the pressure of the air or gas in the
inner vase D, the acid is prevented from entering or passing up into such vase,
but the vapor of the nitric acid rises within the vase D, and mingles with the
air or gas within it, and gives to it à remarkable degree of conductability.
The gradual increase of the pressure of the gases in the vase D, arising from
the introduction of the vapor of the nitric acid, may cause the nitric acid
between the vases C and D to rise at c, but the equilibrium may be restored
by opening the faucet E for a moment.
When several cells are employed for a compound battery, a glazed or
vitrified plate should be placed under them to prevent communication between
the different cells; such cells are also to be connected together at the top by
a device or arrangement shewn in Fig. 4, and which I prefer to have of brass
and gilded, or by some similar device.
When the battery is to be unloaded, the faucet E is turned so as to let the
nitrogen escape, when the acid rises a little within the vase D; the two inner
vases C and D should then be lifted from the zinc vase, and placed in any
convenient earthen vessel to receive any acid that may drip from the porous
vase C.
The quantity of acid required decreases every day, and thus the expense of
the battery becomes very trifling; and as the fumes or vapor of the nitric acid
rises into the inner vase D, there is no unpleasant smell or odour produced by
the battery, as is the case with other batteries.
When the battery is to be used on shipboard, each cell should be suspended
near its top, in the same manner that compasses are hung by concentric rings,
having glass or china bearings.
By the arrangement of the inner vase or cell D, filled with platinized coke,
and permitting or causing the vapor of the nitric acid to rise within it and
source of
surround the platinized coke, the whole interior is rendered a
electricity, and the battery rendered as powerful as if the vase or cell D was
filled with the acid.
What is claimed as new and sought to be protected is,-
The use and application of the inner vase or cell D, filled with platinized
coke, when arranged substantially as above described, for economizing the use
of nitric acid.
The use, in gas, or combined acid and gas batteries of platinized coke,
substantially as set forth, to receive the vapor of nitric acid, and render the

page_text: whole a source of electricity, thus making a small quantity of acid as effectual
as a much larger quantity under ordinary circumstances.
The general arrangement and construction of the whole battery, substantially
as described, and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice Vergnes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
1860.
MOE VERGNES. (L.S.)