TMPROVEMENng in Galvanic BattfrIES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Marston Warden, John Muirhead, and
Josiah Latimer Clark, all of 29, Regent Street, Westminster, for
the Invention of " TMPROVEMENng in Galvanic BattfrIES ”
the Invention of "TREDDAVEMents in Galvanic BarTERIES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Marston
Warden, John Muirhead, and Josiah Latimer Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
30th July 1875
WC, WILLIAM MARSTON WARDEN, JOHN MUIRHEAD, and JOSIAH
LATIMER CLARK, all of 29, Regent Street, Westminster, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC
BATTERIES," to be as follows..
-
This Invention has for its object improvements in galvanic batteries,
and relates to those batteries in which the negative element is sur-
rounded with manganesc,

page_text: The manganese batteries now in use have a porous earthenware canvas
cloth or other sumilar cell or diaphragm between the two clectrodes,
which causes great increase of the internal resistance when the battery
has been charged for some time in consequence of the formation of
insoluble oxysalts of zinc within and upon the body of the porous
material The gradual accumulation of these salts of zinc bursts or
disintegrates the porous diaphragm, or otherwise impedes and destroys
the action of the battery. Another defect in the existing forms of
manganese batteries is the rapid polarization of the negative or carbon
clectrode when the battery is worked hard, in consequence of its surface
not being sufficiently extensive.
We employ instead of the porous earthenware or other similar
diaphragm a cell or diaphragm of vitreous carthenware or other non-
porous material perforated with holes. We picfer to use a cell of
cylindrical form Outside this cell wo place a carbon or platinum plate
surrounded by graphite and manganese (pyrolusite), each in small pieces
or lumps and intermixed, the whole being contained in an outer cell of
glass, stoneware, or other suitable material. Inside the perforated cell
wc place a zinc pole, this we prefer to cast in the form of a hollow
cylinder with a slit or slits up the side, or the zinc may be in the form
of a solid rod or bar. The exciting reagent we prefer to use is chloride
of ammoniuni in a saturated solution. The carbon or platinum negative
clectrode we platinize Sometimes also we platinize the graphite lumps
surrounding the negative electrode. The two poles of the battery are
provided with suitable terminals or connections.
By the use of the perforated non-porous diaphragm the action of the
battery is not impeded by the formation of the oxysalts of zinc, and the
cell is not liable to the bursting and disintegrating that takes place in
the existing forms of battenes where a porous material is used.
When the carbon lumps are platinized we prefer to use platinum as
the negative clectrode. By placing the negative electrode surrounded
by the carbon and manganese lumps outside the perforated cell, a
greater depolarizing mass is presented to the zinc, and at the same time
the resistance of the negative electrode is diminished. The zinc being
placed inside the cell and being cast in cylindrical form permits of its
being brought close to the inner surface of the perforated cell (thus

page_text: diminishing the resistance of the battery), and being hollow and slit at
the side a large quantity of solution can be held.
There is advantage in the use of a perforated non-porous cell even if
the zinc plate be placed outside and the carbon inside, but the arrange-
ment previously described is preferred.
Josiah Latimer Clark in the Great Scal Patent Office on the 29th
January 1876
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, WILLIAM
MARSTON WARDEN, JOHN MUIRHEAD, and JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK, all
of 29, Regent Street, Westminster, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirticth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said William Marston Waiden, John Muirhead,
and Josialı Latimer Clark, Her special license that we, the said William
Marston Warden, John Muirhead, and Josiah Latimer Clark, our exc-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as wc, the said
William Marston Warden, John Muu head, and Josiah Latimer Clark,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agrec
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said William Marston Warden, John Muirhead,
and Josiah Latimer Clark, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and scal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: two poles of the battery are provided with suitable terminals or
connections.
By the use of the perforated non-porous diaphragm the action of the
battery is not impeded by the formation of the oxysalts of zinc, and the
cell is not liable to the bursting and disentegrating that takes place in
the existing forms of batterics where a porous material is used
When the carbon lumps are platinized we prefer to use platinum as
the negative electrode By placing the negative electrode surrounded
by the carbon and manganese lumps outside the perforated cell a greater
depolarizing mass is presented to the zinc, and at the same time the
resistance of the negative electrode is diminished The zinc being
placed inside the coll, and being cast in cylindrical form, permits of its
being brought close to the inner surface of the perforated cell (thus
diminishing the resistance of the battery), and being hollow and shit at
the side a large quantity of solution can be held
There is advantage in the use of a perforated non-porous cell even if
the zinc plate be placed outside and the carbon inside, but the arrange-
ment previously described is preferred
In the annexed Drawing is shown a vertical section of a battery cell
constructed according to our Invention. a is the outer cell, is the
inner perforated non-porous cell, c is the zinc element contained within
the cell b; d is the negative clement of either graphite or platinum
´surrounded by a mixture of graphite and manganese in lumps about the
size of peas and in equal parts. This mixture marked e, as the Drawing
shows, is filled in all around the cell b.
We prefer to platinize the graphite and manganesc lumps, and also
the surface of the platinum or graphite plate around which the lumps
are packed. Over the filling marked e is placed a cover rendered tight
by bituminous coment to prevent evaporation
When required for use the battery is filled with a saturated solution
of salammoniac The zinc element is attached to a cork which fits the
mouth of the cell b, and closes it so as to prevent rapid evaporation
We claim,-

page_text: In witness whereof, 1, the said John Muirhicad, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year 5
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.