IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERIES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry Theodore Barnett, of St John's Wood, Middlesex
.
for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERIES
AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harry Theodore Barnett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1882.
HARRY THEODORE BARNETT, of St. John's Wood, Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERIES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,
My invention relates to secondary or storage batteries, or accumulators of
electric energy, and to apparatus used therewith.
The object of the invention is to construct an accumulator which when fully
charged, will automatically switch itself out of the charging circuit, and which
when partly discharged, will immediately switch itself in again; also, to provide
an attachment which will enable several accumulators to be charged in series,
automatically bridging over an accumulator when the latter breaks the circuit, and
switching it subsequently again into the circuit, without interfering with any
other accumulator that may be in the charging circuit or with any lamps that
may be in the circuit of the accumulator.
The accumulator consists of a long box divided into compartments by alternate
plates of lead and porous earthenware, the spaces between the lead and earthenware
partitions being filled with alternate layers of lead amalgamated and in a state of
division, and felt or other convenient material.
The end electrode which when the battery is in action, is electro-positive to the
oxidized lead, is made of some convenient metal capable of having reduced on its
surface, by the electricity passing through the battery, a layer of copper or other
metal or metals electro-positive to the oxidized lead.
This plate is attached to a metal rod the end of which dips into a mercury cup
connected to one of the binding screws for the charging current while the other
charging binding screw is connected to the end lead plate.
The metal rod is balanced on a pivot connected to one of the discharging
binding screws, while the other is connected to the end lead plate. The position
of the plate and rod is regulated by a sliding weight or spring and screw.

page_text: The lead compartments are all filled with dilute sulphuric acid, and the compart-
ment in which the copper or other metal electrode is suspended, is filled with an
acidulated solution of some salt or salts capable of metallic reduction under the
influence of the electric current. The salts are such as will deposit some metal or
metals electro-positive to the oxidized lead.
A shunting arrangement is placed across the charging current before it reaches
the accumulator. It consists chiefly of an electro-magnet or magnets wound with
two wires, one very fine and one very thick, and springs combined with armatures
and contact-pieces, the armatures being opposed to the magnets, and the contact
pieces facing the contact screws, the whole being so connected electrically as to give
the before-mentioned result.
The details of this shunting device may be slightly varied, but I prefer to use
two magnets connected with each other and the rest of the apparatus in the
following manner. Each magnet consists essentially of two coils of wire, a fine
wire coil and a coarse wire coil; two ends, one from each thick wire coil, are joined
together, and the other end of the first thick wire coil is joined to a brass block in
which turns a contact screw, while the other end of the second thick wire coil is
joined to a binding screw; two ends of the fine wire, one from each coil, are also
joined together, while each of the other two ends leads to one of the two binding
screws, and the above mentioned brass block is connected with a second brass
block.
Connected to one of the binding screws last mentioned is a brass block on which
is a steel spring carrying at its two ends little iron armatures and on its centre a
little brass disc.
To the core of the second magnet is fixed a spring carrying on its end an
armature, and on its centre a brass contact plate. The action is as follows: The
accumulator being discharged, and the end of the balance rod dipping in the
mercury cup, the current passes through the accumulator, thereby decomposing
the copper solution, oxidizing the lead on one side, and depositing copper on the
other.
When the accumulator has become fully charged, the weight of the copper on
the end electrode pulls it down, thereby lifting the opposite end of the balance rod
out of the mercury cup, and breaking the circuit.
Immediately it does this, the whole current passes through the high resistance
wire, pulls up the corresponding armature spring and the current then flows
through the thick wire, bridging across the outer circuit, and retains the said
spring in its position, but there is not enough current to pull down the second
armature spring which is made of stiffer steel; but when the accumulator becomes
in the least discharged, the end electrode becomes lighter, and causes the end of
the balance rod to dip into the mercury cup.
The
This allows the current of the accumulator to pass through, and augment the
current in the short-circuit. This extra power overcomes the resistance of the
stronger armature spring which makes contact with the corresponding screw.
path of the current is now along the weak spring through the corresponding contact
screw up the wire and through the other contact screw along the strong spring to
the binding screw. Now, as the current does not pass through the coils, the weak
spring falls through the demagnetization of the iron cores, and immediately it does
so, it breaks the short circuit, and the current immediately flows through the
accumulator. This action is repeated every time it is charged and discharged.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Harry Theodore Barnett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th February 1883.
HARRY THEODORE BARNETT, of St John's Wood, Middlesex, " IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECONDARY OR STORAGE BATTERIES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH,
My invention relates to secondary or storage batteries or accumulators of
electric energy, and to apparatus used therewith.
The object of the invention is to construct an accumulator, which, when fully
charged, will automatically switch itself out of the charging circuit, and which,
when partly discharged, will immediately switch itself in again; also to provide an
attachment, which, if several accumulators are charged in series, will automatically
bridge over an accumulator when the latter breaks the circuit, and switch it subse-
quently again into the circuit, without interfering with any other accumulator or
with any piece of apparatus in the circuit of the accumulators.
In the following description reference will be had to the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1 to 9, which embody my invention and serve to explain the same.
I may
employ any type of accumulator or storage battery in carrying out my invention,
but I prefer to employ that of which Fig. 1. represents a vertical section and Fig. 2
a horizontal section. The elements of this battery are enclosed in an oblong box A,
the dimensions of which will be governed by the kind of work to be performed by
the current.
The box is divided into compartments by transverse partitions alternately con-
sisting of lead plates a, a, and plates of porous earthen ware b, b.
The spaces between the partitions are packed with finely divided lead c, c
(see Fig. 3.) and felt, asbestos, or other porous material & d.
in alternate;
preferably horizontal, layers. This finely divided lead may, if desired, be amal-
gamated. The lead compartments are filled with dilute sulphuric acid or some
other convenient solution. Fig. 3. is a vertical section, representing a part of the
battery on a larger scale. The terininal electrode e is made of some metal, such as
copper, which, when the accumulator is being charged, will have metallic copper or
other metal or metals deposited upon its surface.
To secure this result, the electrode e is contained in a separate compartment B of
the box A, or in a separate cell, which compartment or cell, instead of being packed
with layers of lead and porous material, is nearly filled with a solution of a suitable
metallic salt, or salts, capable of metallic reduction under the influence of the
electric current, such as sulphate of copper.
The solution may be acidulated with sulphuric acid. The metallic deposit effected
on the terminal e during the charge is dissolved during the discharge of the
accumulator, and hence there arise variations in its weight, of which fact I take
advantage for the purpose of causing the accumulator to automatically place itself
in and cut itself out of the charging circuit, when required.
To attain this object I suspend the variable electrode e, see Fig. 1, in its solution
from a metal rod f or a spring carrying a contact-piece g which is capable of
dipping into a cup h containing mercury.
The mercury-cup is in electrical contact with one of the binding screws or
terminals. of the charging circuit, designated in Fig. 1. with letter C, while the
other terminal k of the charging circuit is connected with that end electrode of the
accumulator which is opposite to the automatic electrode e. The rod or spring fis
u permanent electric connection with one of the binding screws, m, for the
lischarging or working circuit.
In the drawing this connection is established through the pivot f¹ of the rod f
R 6758 1' 12 105
.

page_text: and the discharging or working circuit is designated with the letter D. The
position of the metal rod ƒ may be regulated by means of a sliding weight n or
other suitable contrivance. The automatic cell (that which contains the electrode e)
may either be placed in the main circuit of the accumulator, as assumed in the
I prefer to
foregoing description, or in a shunt-circuit, as illustrated in Fig. 4.
make the automatic cell separate from, the others, and the automatic electrode may
be opposed in the liquid to any convenient metal, or other conductor.
As the regulating action of the automatic electrode is caused by its change of
weight under the influence of electric currents, it is obvious, that the same effect
may be produced by an electrode on which the charging current deposits a metallic
oxide, instead of a metal, or by an electrode which is partly dissolved by the
charging current and thereby made lighter, while it gains weight during the
discharge of the accumulator, or that solid electrolytes, such as oxide of lead, or
chloride of silver may be used; or I may use plates covered with these materials.
In short, the regulating action may be obtained by any galvanic cell containing a
moveable electrode, which may be made alternately lighter and heavier by the
influence of galvanic currents.
If the automatic electrode is arranged to lose weight during the charge of the
accumulator the apparatus must be slightly varied, for instance by placing the
contact-piece over the contact spring or lever, as indicated in Fig. 1°, where
the mercury cup g is replaced by a contact screw gº, and the automatic cell B° is
detached from the box A. Fig. 5 illustrates a cell for the decomposition of insoluble
compounds on electrodes consisting of corrugated metal.
A shunting arrangement is placed across the charging circuit before it enters the
accumulator.
It comprises chiefly an electro-magnet (either an ordinary magnet or a solenoid)
or magnets wound with two wires, one very thick and one very thin, and springs
combined with armatures and contact-pieces, the whole being so connected
The details of this shunting
electrically as to give the before mentioned result.
device may be greatly varied, but I prefer to use the construction illustrated by
Figs. 6 and 7, of which Fig. 6 is a plan and Fig. 7 an end elevation of a shunting
apparatus.
P
Two electro-magnets M and M', each of which is wound with a thin wire and
a thick wire p¹ are joined with each other and the rest of the apparatus in the
following manner. One end of the first thick wire-coil (P¹) is joined to one end of
the second thick wire-coil (P'), and the other end of the first thick wire-coil (Ps) is
joined to a brass-block q, through which passes a contact-screw r, while the other
end of the second thick wire-coil (P), is joined to a binding screw 8 through the
metal-strip x.
Two ends of the fine wire, namely one from each coil, are also joined together,
while each of the other two ends ps and pt, leads to one of the binding screws 8, t,
through the metal strips x and x, and the above mentioned brass-block q is con-
nected with a second brass-block u, through which passes a second contact screw r¹
To the core of the magnet M is attached a thin spring v carrying an armature w
in front of the other magnet M', and to the core of the magnet M³ is fixed a second
spring V, stronger than the spring v, and carrying an armature W in front of the
magnet M.
The metal strip x, leading to the binding-screw 8, is in permanent
electric connection with the core of the magnet M¹, through the metallic end
plate y, while the metal-strip a leading to the other binding screw t is in
permanent electric connection with the core of the magnet M through the metal-
disc y¹.
The connection between the charging circuit, shunting arrangement, accumu-
lator, automatic electrode and working circuit is illustrated by Fig. 1, which Figure
together with Figs. 6 and 7, serves also to explain the working of the whole
apparatus.
If properly adjusted by a screw, weight or equivalent device, the contact piece
(9) connected with the automatic electrode (e) allows the charging current to flow

page_text: through the accumulator, which current decomposes the solution in the automatic
cell B and alters the weight of the electrode.
During this time only a small fraction of the current coming from the dynamo-
machine passes through the fine wire helix of the shunting apparatus, while the
thick wire-helix is entirely avoided, and the magnetism excited by the coils is not
sufficient to overcome either of the two armature springs.
After the charge of the accumulator has reached the desired limit, and the
weight of the automatic electrode has been correspondingly increased or reduced,
the contact piece g breaks the circuit, thereby causing the whole of the charging
current to pass through the fine wire coil of the shunting apparatus, and to attract
the armature attached to the weaker spring.
The current then flows through the thick wire, bridging over the outer circuit ;
its strength is sufficient to overcome the weaker armature spring, and hold it in
position, without affecting the stronger armature spring. When the accumulator
has become sufficiently discharged, the contact piece (g) again makes contact,
thereby causing the current of the accumulator also to pass through the shunt
magnets and to increase their strength so as to overcome the stronger spring,
which then makes contact with the corresponding screw, thus short-circuiting
the magnets.
The current having ceased to flow through the magnets, the springs are allowed
to break the short-circuit, whereupon the path of the charging current is again
through the accumulator, as at first. This action repeats itself by every charge
and discharge of the accumulator.
In order to avoid the production of sparks at the contact-points, where currents
of high tension are used, I adopt the following modification.
Instead of causing the automatic cell to cut itself out of and place itself in the
circuit, I arrange it so as to open and close the circuit of an electro-magnet, which
causes a switch to place the accumulator in and out of the charging circuit.
This modification is illustrated by Fig. 8, which also shows the automatic
electrode e¹ in a separate cell B', in which the electrode e' is supposed to become
heavier, while the charging current flows through the same.
The shunting apparatus, represented by Figs 6 and 7, is replaced by an
apparatus S, the magnets M² of which are wound with a single thin wire leading
to the automatic cell.
When the electrode e¹ falls and breaks the circuit of the magnet coils, the
armature lever f, which is movable between the contact points g¹ and g³, makes
contact with the contact point g², whereby the circuit of the accumulator is
bridged over.
In operating my invention for the distribution of electric current, I place the
accumulators, wherever they may be required, and connect them to the charging
circuit one after the other, or as it is generally termed, in series.
By this means any accumulator, being charged to the desired limit, cuts itself
out of the charging circuit, and, when in the least discharged, switches itself again
into the charging circuit. Fig. 9. represents two accumulators A and A' of a
series charged by the main conductors E and E¹, with their shunting apparatus
S and S¹.
Having described the nature of my said invention, and the best method known
to me of carrying the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details shown and described, as the same may be
varied without departing from my invention, but what I claim is:
1. The use, in electrical accumulators or storage batteries, of finely divided lead,
and felt, asbestos, or other porous material, in alternate layers, substantially as
described.
2. Utilizing the motion of a special electrode in the circuit of an electric
accumulator or storage battery for the purpose of operating a switching arrange.
ment to put the battery into or out of the charging circuit, such motion being
obtained by the variation in weight by electrolysis, substantially as described.

page_text: 3. The combination of a storage battery with an automatic electrode and contact
point, and an automatic arrangement for simultaneously breaking the charging
circuit and bridging it across, so as to cut the accumulator out when charged, and
when discharged to reverse the operation, substantially as described.
In Witness whereof I, the said Harry Theodore Barnett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal this seventeenth day of February A.D. 1883.
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