Year: 1889

page_text: I, CHARLES MALTBY-NEWTON of Holly Lodge Windmill Road, Croydon, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer 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
-
The object of my invention is to obtain a constant electric current of sufficient
quantity for Electric Lighting or other purposes for a longer duration and at a less
cost than has been hitherto possible with little or no mampulation of the plates or
solution after charging until they are fully exhausted and at the same time without
any noxious fumes or smell being given off by the battery.
My invention consists principally in employing plates constructed or compounded
of Oxide of Lead and Syrup of Sugar or Molasses, formed upon an inner metal
support as the positive pole of the battery, thus forming the positive pole and
depolarizer in one plate, together with a strong solution of Caustic Soda of 30
to 50 per cent.
The Oxide of Lead I prefer to use is a mixture of that known commercially
as Flake Latharge and powdered Litharge, or Flake Litharge and Red Lead,
in equal proportions but I can use any other Oxide of Lead for the purpose of my
invention.
The Syrup of Sugar that I prefer to use is commercially known as Molasses of
the cheapest quality and I dilute it with about half its weight of water that is to say
halt a pint of water to every pound of Molasses but I may use any form of Sugar
made into a liquid syrup of similar density.
The positive pole of the battery is constructed of a plate of perforated sheet
Iron, (Copper, Lead or other metals) or wire gauze of such metals of any suitable
shape and size covered on both sides with a coating of the Oxide of Lead and Syrup
of Sugar or Molasses made into a stiff paste and spread on each side of the perforated
metal or gauze plate about a quarter of an inch thick, it is then baked or dried at a
temperature of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, suitable binding screws or connections
are made to a tongue projecting from the upper end, or to one edge of the plate
so as to form the battery.

page_text: The negative pole of the battery is constituted by a plate of Zinc, Tin, Lead or
any metal of like nature and properties capable of being attacked by the exciting
liquid or solution of the battery when the circuit is closed, although I may use
Tin or Lead I prefer in general to use Zinc as giving the greatest Electro Motive
Force and if not chemically pure it should be well amalgamated to prevent
local action
As caustic soda in solution vigorously attacks any portion of the Zinc exposed
to the surface of the solution even on open circuit I coat those portions which are
not covered by the solution with Marine Glue, or Ozokerit and parafin wax in equal
proportions by weight and put on those portions required to be protected when
boiling with a brush or other means, 1 also heat the parts which require protecting
so as to make the Marine Glue, or mixture of Ozokent and Parafin wax cling to the
metal and thus prevent the solution from creeping underneath it, to a tongue pro-
jecting from the upper end or to a corner of the plate forming the negative pole I
attach the clamp or connection for constituting the battery.
The cell can be of any convenient shape or size and made of any material not
attacked by Caustic Soda in Solution such as earthenware, Glass, Iron or Copper,
but I generally prefer wrought or Cast Iron of a rectangular or square shape as
being both cheap and strong A porous diaphragm may be employed consisting of
any suitable material such as vegetable parchment, clay, canvas or asbestos and of any
form necessitated by the shape of the containing vessel, but in general I prefer to use
vegetable parchment of good quality in which I wrap up the plate forming the positive
pole of the battery, turning the edges that join, over two or three times or sticking
them together with Marine Glue, and keeping the vegetable parchment in its placo
with indiarubber rings or bands, but if clay canvas, or asbestos be used as a porous
diaphragm they can be constructed of any convenient shape necessitated by the shape
of the containing vessel or outer cell.
If wrought or cast Iron cells be used of a rectangular or square shape I prefer to
place the plates vertically, insulating them from the bottom by a piece of earthenware
or glass upon which they rest and with a sufficient space between the edge of the
plates and the cell to prevent any short circuiting, but they may be placed horizontally
if required
When charging the battery I prefer to place several plates in each cell vertically,
commencing with first a plate of the Oxide of Lead Compound wrapped in its
vegetable parchment covering or porous diaphragm, then a plate of zinc, (tin or lead,)
then another plate of Oxide of Lead Compound then another plate of Zinc (Tin or
Lead) and so on until the cell is full, leaving an Oxide of Lead Compound plate at
each end, the whole of the plates are rested upon a piece of Glass Earthenware or
other insulating material and they are held vertically at the top by a piece of wood
(properly insulated by boiling in Ŏzokerit & parafin wax, or Marine Glue,) and placed
across the middle of the cell and I cut slots in the piece of wood for the tongue or
connecting part of each plate to come through and a rebate at each end to fit on the
edge of the cell, leaving a space, in a cell of about twelve inches square, of one and
a quarter inches between the surfaces of each plate and a similar space between the
edges of the plates and the sides of the cell next to them. All the Oxide of Lead
Compound plates are then connected together by means of clamps or any suitable
metallic connections and thus form the positive pole of the cell, the zinc or other
similar metal plates are also connected together by their clamps or connections and
form the negative pole of the cell, a solution of Caustic Soda of a strength preferably
of about 35 per cent by weight is poured into the cell until the whole of the plates
are covered except the connecting tongue or part, a little Caustic Soda Solution is also
poured into the inside of the porous diaphragm and the cell is charged, and is ready
for work as soon as the Oxide of Lead compound is thoroughly soaked by the Caustic
Soda Solution.
This invention is capable of various modifications but they all depend upon the use
of the Compound of Oxide of Lead and Syrup of Sugar or Molasses upon a support
of perforated Iron, (Copper Lead or other similar metal) as the positive pole and

page_text: depolarizer of the battery or cell, and of Zinc (Tin or lead) plates as the negative
pole, of such various shapes and forms as circumstances may require, the whole being
immersed in a solution of Caustic Soda.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood that I
do not confine myself to the precise details or arrangements as herein described as
the same may be varied without departing from the nature of my invention
but what I believe to be new and therefore desire to claim and secure by Letters
Patent is
The employment in Galvanic or primary Batteries of a compounded plate of Oxide
of Lead and Syrup of Sugar or Molasses as the positive pole and depolarizing body,
together with a single liquid of Caustic Soda as an exciting liquid substantially as
herein described.
.