Improvements in Electric Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1894-Accepted, 5th Jan., 1895
Improvements in Electric Batteries.
1 CHARLTON JAmes Wollaston of 31 Notting Hill Terrace in the County
of London Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in electric batteries in which, to render
them portable, a non-liquid excitant is used more particular such as have chloride
of silver to form one of the elements or Leclanché batteries in which zinc and
carbon and binoxide of manganese are the elements.
I construct the outer receptacle, which forms one of the elements, of sheet
zinc pressed to the required form preferably so as to give an extended surface by
corrugations or otherwise. Or the zinc element of the battery may be made of
zinc wire which may be coiled, or otherwise formed into shape and it may be
contained in an outer casing of zinc, or of other material, such for example as
earthenware, or ebonite.
When a chloride of silver or other fusible element is used I prefer to fuse the
chloride of silver or equivalent material and cast, or mould, it upon a conductor
(preferably a silver wire) which forms one of the battery terminals. I will refer
to this element as the chloride of silver element. The chloride of silver element
is preferably formed with corrugations, or otherwise, so as to afford as extended a
surface as possible thereby decreasing the internal resistance of the battery and it
may with advantage be covered with fibrous material such for instance as muslin,
or cotton wound around it, so as to reduce, or prevent, the injurious action of the
oxychloride of zinc upon the silver chloride when the battery is in action. I
insulate the lower end of the chloride of silver element from contact with the
zine by means of ebonite, india rubber, or other insulating material. To provide
for the escape of gas from the battery, the terminal from the chloride of silver
element may be passed through a piece of cane, or like material, and this may be
surrounded by any suitable cement to close the battery.
The space between the elements is filled with the excitant, and this I preferably
do as follows:-1 saturate finely divided, or powdered, wood, (such as is known as
wood flour), or equivalent material, which will not have injurious action on the
battery, with a thickened liquid formed by boiling Irish moss in a strong solution
of chloride of ammonium, sodium, chloride, or caustic potash, or the like, or I
may introduce the wood flour, or the like, and the chemicals in a dry state and
subsequently moisten them.
The upper part of the cell, above the chloride of silver element, I fill with a
material through which the gas will readily pass, slag wool being a suitable
material for the purpose, the aforesaid cane, or like material, being inserted into,
or bearing upon, the said slag wool, or equivalent material, the cement which closes
the battery being filled in above the slag wool, or the like, leaving the cane,
or like material, so that gas can escape by it. India rubber, or like insulating
material, preferably is placed between the excitant and the slag wool, or the like.

page_text: Although I have mentioned chloride of silver, other substance may be used as
aforesaid as the element in place thereof.
Dated this 11th day of January 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
Improvements in Electric Batteries.
I CHARLTON JAMES WOLLASTON of 31 Notting Hill Terrace in the County
of London, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in electric batteries in which to render
them portable a non-liquid excitant is used with chloride of silver to form one of
the elements.
I refer to the Specification of Letters Patent No. 13344 dated the 25th day
of August 1890 as describing a battery to which my present improvements are
especially applicable.
I construct the outer receptacle or capsule which forms one of the elements of
zinc which can be sheet zinc pressed to the requisite form preferably so as to give
an extended surface by corrugations or otherwise. Or the zinc element of the
1attery may be made of zinc wire which may be coiled or otherwise formed into
shape and it may be contained in an outer casing of zinc, or of other material such
for example as earthenware, or ebonite.
I prefer to fuse the chloride of silver and cast or mould it upon a conductor
consisting of a silver wire which forms one of the battery terminals. The
chloride of silver element is preferably formed with corrugations, or otherwise
shaped so as to afford as extended a surface as possible thereby decreasing the
internal resistance of the battery and it may with advantage be covered with
fibrous material such for instance as a muslin envelope or cotton wound around it.
This will not only reduce or prevent the injurious action of the oxychloride of
zine upon the silver chloride when the battery is in action but will prevent any
portion of the chloride of silver which may become detached from coming into
contact with the zinc.
I insulate the lower end of the chloride of silver element or the wire which
supports it from contact with the zinc by means of ebonite india-rubber or other
insulating material. To provide for the escape of gas from the battery the
terminal from the chloride of silver element may be passed through a piece of
cane, or like material, such as a piece of the root of the fir tree, and this may be
surrounded by any suitable cement to close the battery. The piece of cane or the
like may however be situated at the side of the terminal instead of the terminal
passing through it.
The space between the elements is filled with the excitant and this I preferably
prepare as follows.-I saturate finely divided or powdered wood (such as is
known as wood flour) or equivalent material which will not have injurious action
on the battery such for instance as sponge or absorbent cotton with a solution of
chloride of ammonium or I use a thickened liquid formed by boiling Irish moss in a
strong solution of chloride of ammonium, sodium chloride or caustic potash or the like,
preferably chloride of ammonium. In place of Irish moss I may use its equivalent
such as ordinary sea weed or like vegetable matter.
The upper part of the cell above the chloride of silver element I fill with a
material through which the gas will readily pass, slag wool (or its equivalent such

page_text: as spun glass) being a suitable material for the purpose the aforesaid cane, or like
material, being inserted into or bearing upon, the said slag wool, or equivalent
material, the cement which closes the battery being filled in above the slag wool, or
the like, leaving the cane, or like material, so that gas can escape by it. India-
rubber or like insulating material preferably is placed between the excitant and
the slag wool or the like.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shews in longitudinal section an electric
battery constructed according to my invention the outer receptacle of which
forms one of the elements of the battery and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the
same. Figures 3 and 4 are similar views shewing a modification in which the outer
receptacle is made of insulating material such as earthenware, glass, ebonite or
the like.
Figure 5 shews the chloride of silver element with a serrated or roughened
exterior for increasing the acting surface.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 the outer receptacle or capsule is made of zinc
for instance of sheet zinc pressed into shape and constitutes the positive element
of the battery it is shewn in the drawing as being of cylindrical form but it may
be made rectangular or of any other desired shape and may be grooved, fluted,
corrugated, or otherwise formed so as to provide an extended internal surface.
The negative element 6 consists of chloride of silver carried on a silver rod or
wire 6 which serves as the conductor of the said negative element the said rod or
wire projecting at both ends beyond the chloride of silver carried thereon. The
chloride of silver element may be cylindrical or of any other desired form and
may be smooth but is preferably serrated roughened or grooved or otherwise
shaped so as to provide an extended surface for the excitant to act upon. The
chloride of silver element is placed centrally within the outer receptacle a and is
supported at its lower end by the projecting end of the silver wire b³ resting on a
disc or washer c of suitable insulating material such as ebonite india rubber or the
like placed in the bottom of receptacle a to prevent contact between the silver
wire and the zinc. To ensure the centering of the chloride of silver element in
the outer receptacle a the disc or washer c is preferably made cup shaped or
internally coned or recessed as shewn and on the upper projecting end of the silver
wire 6 place a washer d of insulating material of a diameter corresponding to
the internal diameter of the outer receptacle a the said washer d having
perforations therein for the passage of gas from the battery as hereinafter
described.
Before placing the washer d in position the space c* between the chloride of
silver element and the internal surface of the receptacle a is charged with the
excitant which is preferably prepared by making a thickened liquid by boiling
Irish moss or its equivalent in a strong solution of chloride of ammonium sodium
chloride, or caustic potash or the like, and then adding this to powdered wood
(wood flour) or its equivalent such as sponge in small pieces. The excitant having
been introduced the washer d is placed in position and over this is placed a layer
of slag wool e or its equivalent and on the projecting end of the silver wire b³ is
placed a short length of cane for equivalent material. The end of the receptacle a
is then closed with any suitable cement 9 the outer end of the cane f and the
projecting end of the silver wire b' being left exposed, and the inner end of the
cane or the like being in contact with, or embedded in, the slag wool or the like.
Gas generated in the battery will pass through the perforations in the washer d
into the slag wool or its equivalent and thence through the interstices of the cane ƒ
or the like to outside the battery.
Instead of making the container a of zinc it may be made of earthenware
ebonite or other insulating material and be lined in the interior with zinc which is
preferably in the form of a wire coil or helix as shewn at a² Figs. 3 and 4, one
end of the coil or the like being made to project outside the container for example
as shewn to form one pole of the battery the other parts of the said battery being
made as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The chloride of silver element

page_text: may be provided with an extended acting surface by grooving or fluting its surface
or otherwise, but I preferably roughen or serrate the surface as shewn in Fig. 5
and in order to prevent injurious action of the oxychloride of zinc upon the
chloride of silver and also to prevent any portion of the said chloride of silver
which may become detached from coming into contact with the zinc I enclose the
said chloride of silver element in a covering h of fibrous material such for instance
as muslin as shewn in Fig. 5 or cotton or the like may be wound round the said
element. I prefer to dip this fibrous material into chloride of ammonium before
or after applying it to the element.
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 :-
1. In a galvanic battery the combination with a receptacle or capsule made of,
or lined with, zinc forming one element of the battery and containing chloride of
silver constituting the other element of the battery and a suitable excitant in the
condition described, of cane (or its equivalent) substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
2. In a galvanic battery constructed as claimed by the preceding claiming clause
the use of slag wool or its equivalent in combination with the cane or its
equivalent substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
3. In or for a chloride of silver battery an excitant consisting of wood flour or
its equivalent mixed with a solution of chloride of ammonium or with Irish moss
or its equivalent and chloride of ammonium, sodium chloride, or caustic soda or
the like, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. A chloride of silver battery consisting of the arrangement and combination
of parts hereinbefore described and shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings and also the modifications hereinbefore described and shewn in Figs. 3
and 4 and in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of November 1894.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, W.C., Agents.