A VOLTAIC CELL OR ELEMENT
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOHN IMRAY of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "A VOLTAIC CELL OR ELEMENT" and in what manner
the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:--
•
A voltaic cell or element according to this Invention consists of a vessel of
impermeable non conducting material divided by. porous partitions into three
compartments. In one of these compartments is placed the positive element of
platinum, carbon or the like immersed in nitric acid of 30° to 40° Beaumé. In
another of the compartments is placed the negative electrode, preferably zinc,
immersed in a solution of salt (about 1 part by weight of salt to 20 of water) or in
other suitable alkaline solution or in dilute acid. The third compartment which is
preferably between the two compartments containing the electrodes, contains
sulphuric acid of 50° to 70° Beaumé. In a cell thus arranged energetic and nearly
constant action goes on. The nitric acid, which is in contact with the positive
electrode, gives off oxygen which escapes, and water and nitrous acid vapors, which
pass through the porous partition to the sulphuric acid, increasing its volume; and
the sulphuric acid acts by dialysis on the solution surrounding the negative
element. For example, when this is a solution of sodium chloride or salt, chlorine is
liberated, partly escaping and partly combining with the zinc to form zinc chloride,
and sulphate of soda is formed.
The cell may be of various forms, circular elliptical or rectangular in plan. The
accompanying Drawings illustrate two of these forms, Fig. 1 being a section and
Fig. 2 a plan of a cell of circular form, and Fig. 3 a transverse section, Fig. 4 a
longitudinal section and Fig. 5 a plan of a rectangular cell. In these Figures
corresponding parts are marked by similar letters. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A
is a cylindrical glass or ceramic vessel in which is placed the double walled porous
vessel having an outer wall B and an inner wall C. In the annular space between A
and B is placed the positive element E immersed in nitric acid. In the annular
space between B and C is sulphuric acid, which at first should not fill the
compartment, space being left to allow for its increase of volume. In the central

page_text: space within C is placed the negative element D immersed in the alkaline or other
solution. Although the cell is shewn circular in the plan Fig. 2, it might obviously
be square, rectangular, polygonal or elliptical. In the cell. shewn in Figs. 3, 4
and 5, the outer rectangular vessel A is made with grooves a at its ends to receive
the two porous partitions B and C which divide the vessel into three rectangular
compartments, containing the electrodes and the exciting liquids, the places of
which, in either form of cell, may be interchanged. To prevent escape of the gases
and vapors the cell is closed tightly by a cover F which has a plug G to operate as
a safety valve in case of excess of pressure. A number of cells may be grouped
together, with one cover common to all secured to a base by bolts and nuts.
Having thus described the nature of this Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
I claim:-
:-
1
n'
1. In a voltaic cell or element divided by porous partitions into three com-
partments, arranging in one of these compartments the positive electrode immersed
in nitric acid, and in another the negative element immersed in a suitable solution,
whilst the third is charged with strong sulphuric acid, substantially as herein
described.
2. The construction of a voltaic cell or element, of the kind referred. to in the
preceding claim; with concentric porous partitions forming two annular com-
partments surrounding the central compartment, substantially as described with
reference to Figs. 1 and 2.
3. The modified construction of voltaic cell, or element, in rectangular form,
divided by two porous straight partitions into three compartments; substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5.