Improvements in and relating to Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
Communicated from abroad by SIEGFRIED SILBERBERG, of Times Building, New
York, in the State of New York, United States of America, Merchant.
Improvements in and relating to Galvanic Batteries.
I, WILLIAM GEORGE HEYS, of 70, Market Street, Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 has reference to galvanic batteries of that class in which porous
cups are used, the object being to provide means whereby the liquid solution may
be renewed with the greatest facility. A further object of the invention is to
provide a cell which will become active instantaneously when assembled and a still
further object is to produce a cell which shall be generally efficient and cheap.
It is well understood, that, from evaporation and heavy deposits the solution
of batteries becomes dense and decreases the efficiency after a short period of use.
If the density of the liquid used could be maintained constant, a more uniform
operating battery would be the result. In renewing the solution ordinarily it
requires considerable time and it is an unclean piece of work, requiring, as it does,
that the porous cup shall be entirely removed, emptied, and refilled, besides a
general cleaning. By my intention the solution may be renewed without remov-
ing the porous cup and with extremely simple apparatus.
In the accompanying drawing in which my invention is illustrated, the figure
represents a central vertical section of a battery cell constructed in accordance with
my invention. A indicates the outer cell containing an electrode, B, of copper in
a sulphate of copper solution b. C, is a porous cup having a curved or rounded
bottom c, and a wider cylindrical portion c¹, forming an external and an internal
shoulder and 3 respectively. The bottom of the cup is preferably hemispherical
although it may be of any other shape so long as it inclines upward from the
lowest and middle point. The cup is supported in the cell by resting with its
shoulder, upon an annular flange a, formed in the outer cell. Inside the cup
is an electrode D, which is preferably a star or wheel resting upon the inner
shoulder 3. The electrode as shown is supported some distance above the bottom
of the porous cup where it will be in a stratum of liquid that would ordinarily
remain at a constant density. e is a pipe in the form of a goose neck, that extends
through a packed opening e, in the side of the cell A, and through the bottom of
the porous cup and opens into the latter. The outer end of this pipe rises to a
point slightly above the level of the liquid in the porous cup and is open ended.
f represents the end of a pipe, funnel or any other means for supplying water to the
porous cup. As the clear water is poured into the cup by this means, the denser
liquid at the bottom of the cup flows out through the goose neck in the same
proportion, thus the solution in the cup may be renewed at as frequent intervals
as desired without removing the cup from the cell, and by frequently renewing
the solution, I hold that the initial efficiency of the battery may be maintained.
Before placing the porous cup in the cell, I saturate the bottom part with

page_text: undiluted commercial sulphuric acid, the purpose of which is to clean out any dust,
dirt or impurities that may be in the material of which the cup is made and to
render the cell immediately active as soon as it is assembled. This treatment with
acid may be done by dipping the cup into a quantity of the acid and allowing it to
remain a short time or by pouring a quantity into the cup and allowing it to soak
through the pores thereof. The opening in the outer jar through which the goose
neck passes may be packed with soft rubber bushing in order to make it water-
tight, but the opening in the porous cup need not be so packed, as an easy fit is
all that is necessary. The object in providing a flaring or spherical bottom for the
cup, is to promote the escape of air that ordinarily forms in bubbles on the surface
of the cup and increases the internal resistance. Any bubbles rising from the
lower portions of the jar, striking the bottom of the cup, will be deflected, and
rise to the surface of the liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In a galvanic battery, a porous cup having external and internal shoulders
formed by offsetting the walls of the cup combined with an outer cell provided with
an annular interior flange upon which the exterior shoulder of the cup rests, an clec-
trode inside of the cup and resting upon the interior shoulders thereof and an electrode
in the outer cell, all constructed and arranged substantially as herein before
described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
2. In a galvanic battery, the combination of the outer cell, a porous cup therein,
an electrode horizontally supported in the upper part of the porous cup and an
outlet tube for the liquid in the porous cup extending from the lower portion
thereof through the walls of the porous cup and the outer cell and upward to a
point above the electrode in the cup, all constructed and arranged substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
3. A cell for a galvanic battery, constructed and arranged substantially as here-
inbefore described and as illustrated by the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 9th day of December A.D. 1898.
W. E. HEYS & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.