An Improvement in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM BURNLEY, of North East, Erie County,
State of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, Electrical Engineer.]
An Improvement in Galvanic Batteries.
I, CHARLES ADDISON HITCHCOCK, of No. 3 Popes Head Alley, Cornhill, in the
City of London, Attorney at Law, 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 relates to galvanic batteries constructed and arranged as I will
describe with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a vertical central
section of the improved battery. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line x x of
Figure 1.
A is a cylinder of zinc or equivalent metal forming the one electrode and provided
with a clamping screw B for connecting a conductor to it; a piece of carbon C
is the other electrode. The cylinder A is lined with an exciting agent E consisting
preferably of the following ingredients viz. salammoniac 1 part, chloride of zinc
1 part, plaster of Paris 3 parts and water 2 parts, to which is added a little less than .
1 part of a comminuted vegetable material, preferably flour. For preparing the
exciting agent E, the materials are mixed, forming a semi-fluid which is poured into
the cylinder A around a central core temporarily inserted. The exciting agent soon
sets to the condition of a semi solid and the temporary core is removed. The carbon C
is then inserted centrally in the space left by the withdrawal of the core and the space
around the carbon is filled with a compound F consisting preferably of the following
ingredients: Salammoniac 1 part chloride of zinc or other hygroscopic analogue,
th part and as depolarising agents pulverised peroxide of manganese 3 parts with
pulverised carbon 3 parts.
These are mixed with water two parts to form a semi solid which is packed in
around the carbon c. The top of the cylinder A is then sealed around the carbon c
with bitumen or other suitable material G substantially impervious to air or moisture.
The materials mentioned as electrodes and as exciting and depolarising agents and
their proportions may be varied, as the important feature of the invention is the
interposition between the positive and negative electrodes of two layers of exciting
composition, in a semi solid or plastic state, the one in contact with the negative
electrode having intermixed with it depolarizing agents and the one in contact with
the positive electrode, having no such depolarizing agents in its composition.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
A galvanic battery having the space between its positive and negative electrodes
filled with a semi solid or plastic exciting agent in two layers, the one layer in contact
with the negative electrode having depolarizing agents intermixed therewith, and
the other layer in contact with the positive electrode having no such depolarizing
agents, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 21st day of January 1890.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.