IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THERMO- ELECTRIC PILES OR BATTERIES
Year: 1884

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I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare
the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO THERMO-
ELECTRIC PILES OR BATTERIES" to be as follows:
This invention relates to thermo-electric piles or batteries.
The alloys which generally serve as positive electrodes in thermo-electric batteries
are very brittle and liable.to. fracture. I therefore give these electrodes a well
insulated core of an elastic. metal, which may either be the negative electrode or a
neutral metal. Graphite is used by preference to form the insulating layer around
the core, but clay, porcelain, glass asbestos or the like do nearly the same service.
If the said core is formed by the negative electrode, it runs through the whole length
of the positive metal, and carries by one end a pole wire cast thereon, while the
other end of both metals carries a piece of neutral plate, destined to be heated. On
the contrary, if the insulated core is formed by a neutral metal the said core may
be wholly enclosed in the positive electrode and the negative electrode does the
office of a heat-receiver. In both cases the heat-receiving metal piece either is
sufficiently long to prevent the positive electrode, arranged to freely radiate
warmth, from melting, or a strangulated portion is formed in this metal piece for
the same purpose.
The pairs or couples thus formed are preferably arranged in a circular series,
having the heat generator in its middle but separated from the heat receiving ends
by a layer or jacket of atmospheric air. The two pole wires of each couple are so
connected with the wires of the adjacent couples, by means of metallic ring-sectors
cast on these wires, as to form what is called a connection by series. Several such
series may be superposed, separated from each other by asbestos plates, a common
heat-generator or stove being placed in the central hollow of the column thus
formed, and the different layers being pressed together by means of base-plates and
screw bolts. In this case, the pole wires of the superposed batteries may be
connected with each other in a series, or in a multiple arc.. Between the stove and
the back ends of the couples an air jacket must be formed and closed at its top.
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Such thermo-electric piles may be arranged in an upright or lying position."
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I HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent
Agents, Southampton Buildings, London in the County of Middlesex do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
THERMO-ELECTRIC PILES OR BATTERIES" 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 thermo-electric piles or batteries, and has for its objects
to render the thermo-electric pairs more durable and at the same time give them
such a form as to permit their heating to be effected in a more rational manner
than heretofore without incurring the danger of melting the alloys; and to provide
an improved arrangement of the thermo-electric pairs forming the thermo-electric
battery or pile, by means of which arrangement very powerful currents may be
produced by generators having a relatively small volume.
In the accompanying drawing
Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent various forms of improved thermo-electric pairs.
Figure 4 represents an annular chain or system composed of such improved
pairs.
Figure 5 represents a sectional elevation of a thermo-electric battery or pile,
composed of a number of superposed annular chains; and
Figure 6 is a side-view of this column-shaped battery.
It is known, that in thermo-electric batteries the positive electrodes are
generally made of alloys containing antimony, because in the thermo-electromotive
series, antimony is the most positive body. But, owing to the great brittleness of
these antimonial alloys, the positive electrodes are very fragile.
To overcome this inconvenience, I cast the electrodes, consisting of brittle alloys,
upon cores made of any tenacious metal and coated with an insulating material.
In the case when the second (negative) electrode is made of such a tenacious
metal, this electrode itself may form the insulated core of the other (pósitive)
electrode.
· Figure 1 represents an improved thermo-electric pair in which the negative
electrode e', made for instance of an alloy of copper, and nickel; itself forms the
insulated core for the positive electrode, made for instance of an alloy of antimony
and zinc. This metal core e¹, as shown in the drawing, is surrounded by an
insulating coat v, preferably made of plumbago, although clay, porcelain, glass or
asbestos may be employed for the same purpose. The said negative electrode e¹,
which serves as a core for the brittle positive electrode, bas the shape of a bar, and
may be surrounded on all four sides, or only on three sides thereof, by the metal of
the positive electrode e having a prismatical shape. Both ends of the bar-shaped
negative electrode e' project beyond the ends of the positive electrode e.
Upon one end of the so obtained prismatical body or pair is cast a piece n of
some neutral refractory metal. In order to obtain a solid fastening of this piece
of metal to the pair, the rear end of the outer or surrounding electrode e is
dovetailed, and the projecting end of the inner bar-shaped electrode e¹ enters into
the metal-piece n serving as a tang.
In order to avoid too strong heating of both metallic alloys the neutral heat-
receiving metal piece n is either provided with a portion v narrower than the main
portion as shown in Figure 1, or is made long as represented by Figure 2. Both
electrodes are so arranged that the heat can radiate freely in all directions.

page_text: In the improved pair represented in Figure 3, the metallic core n does not serve
as the negative electrode of the pair but is surrounded on all sides by the brittle
alloy of the positive electrode, to which it serves as a support. In this case the
negative electrode e¹ being made of a refractory metal, serves as the heat-
receiving part.
Figure 4 shows in what manner a number of the described thermo-electric pairs
are arranged so as to form an annular system or chain, which chain is to be
considered as a unit for the formation of a battery or pile (see Figures 5 and 6)
The bar-shaped electrode e¹ and the bar or conductor l, projecting from each
prismatical electrode e, are connected with the electrodes e¹ and bars of the
adjacent pairs in series. To this row of pairs an annular shape is given, whereby
the arrangement of one common heat-generator for all the pairs is afforded.
The connection of the electrodes e¹ lor ll is effected by means of metallic strips l',
cast upon the ends of said electrodes and bent in the shape of sectors of a ring.
These metallic strips offer very little resistance to the current, and besides serve to
increase considerably the heat-radiating surface of the battery. One of these
sectors is separated into two portions, and each portion thereof has connected to
it a conducting wire p or p².
A number of superposed annular units E constitute a thermo-electric pile or
column-shaped battery, Figures 5 and 6. The chains or annular units E are
separated from each other by narrow annular plates k of asbestos or of other
insulating material which is not subject to change at variations of temperature up
to 350° Cels.
The whole battery is provided with two annular end-plates, the top-plate A and
the bottom-plate A₁, and is held together by means of screw-bolts B.
In each thormo-electric chain or unit the interior extremities of the couples are
separated from each other by means of layers of asbestos or of some other
insulating material not subject to change at variations of temperature up to
350° Cels.
In the interior hollow of the pile or column-shaped battery is placed a heat-
generator, consisting of a cylindrical stove C surmounted by a dome D and provided
with smoke-pipe I, fire-box-door K, and ash-pit L. The fire-grate M of the stove C
is adapted either to turn as represented in the drawing, or to be moved in some
other suitable manner.
The outer walls of the stove C are not in direct contact with the heat-receiving
metal pieces n or e¹, but between these pieces and the stove-walls is formed an
annular space containing air. This air-chamber is closed at its top, but left open at
its bottom end, the bottom-plate A¹ being provided with legs ff.
The pole-wires p and p¹ of the separate units may be connected with each other,
according to the effect that is to be obtained, either in a series or in multiple arc.
For this purpose a plate S made of some insulating material and provided with
terminals s is fitted on the outside of the battery.
In order to protect the described thermo-electric battery from accidentally coming
in contact with outer objects, the whole battery is covered by a casing C¹ of wire-
netting. This casing C³ serves besides to increase the heat-radiating surface of
the battery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. A pair for thermo-electric batteries, consisting of two electrodes cast one
upon the other, said electrodes being formed of any of the known metallic alloys
and cast in such a manner, that the part which is first cast, owing to the shape of
its contact surface, carries and firmly holds the part which is cast after, and that
the brittle electro-positive alloys contain an insulated core made of some neutral
tenacious metal, substantially as described.
Second A thermo-electric pair having the general construction specified in the
preceding claiming clause in which pair the bar-shaped negative electrode, con-

page_text: sisting of a tenacious metal, forins also, the insulated core for the brittle positive
electrode, both ends of which core project from the latter electrode; one extremity
of each electrode being provided with a heat-receiving piece made of some neutral
metal and cast on the electrodes as set forth, said heat-receiving piece being either
made of a suitable length or provided with a narrowed portion in order to avoid
the melting of the electrodes, substantially as set forth.
Third. The combination of a number of thermo-electric pairs constructed. as set
forth in the preceding claiming clauses, to form an annular series or chain of pairs
in such a manner that the extremities of the conducting bars or conducting wires
which are inserted in the electrodes when casting the same, are connected by strong
metallic strips, bent in the shape of ring-sectors, cast upon the said bars or wires
and connecting the pairs in series, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. A thermo-electric pile or battery, composed of a number of annular
series of pairs having the construction set forth in the preceding claiming clause,
said séries being superposed one above the other and separated from each other by
narrow rings of asbestos or other insulating material not liable to change at
variations of temperature up to 350° Cels., said battery being further provided with
a heat-generator placed in the inner cylindrical hollow of the battery, and having
such a size and shape, as to leave between the outer stove-walls and the inner ends
of the pairs a frée annular space, closed at its top, substantially as,
and for, the
purpose, specified.
Fifth. In thermo-electric batteries or piles constructed as specified in the
preceding claiming clause, the application of a wire-cloth casing, surrounding the
whole battery and serving to increase the heat-radiating surface of the same,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 6th day of November 1881