IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Meidinger, of the University of Heidelberg,
Germany, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES."
Sealed the 31st May 1859, and dated the 8th December 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Meidinger at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
December 1858.
I, HENRY MEIDINGER, of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES,
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improved method of arranging electric
batteries, and consists in arranging batteries on the principle of Daniell's
constant battery, in the manner. herein-after described, avoiding the use of a
diaphragm, and protecting the zinc from being too rapidly touched by the
sulphate of copper. For this purpose a large vessel of glass or of other
suitable substance is filled, partly (say, two-thirds) with a diluted solution of
sulphate of zinc, and another glass of half the height and diameter of the large
vessel is placed within it, standing in the solution; this second glass is covered
on the inside with a copper plate to serve as the negative pole of the battery,
and a copper wire is fixed to the plate. This wire is covered by a small glass
tube, so as to protect it. from the liquid through which it passes. The mouth
of the exterior vessel is closed by a cork, in which are two holes, one for
holding a large and high glass tube, the other for holding a strip of amalga-
[Price 8d.]

page_text: mated zinc. The former, closed at the lower end with a permeable fabric, is
plunged into the small glass, and kept full of sulphate of copper; this forms a
solution within the interior vessel, and the negative pole is thus constantly
kept in contact with a solution of this salt. The zinc is immersed as far as
possible from the small glass into the zinc solution. The battery constructed
in this manner serves for a long time, the sulphate of copper never getting at
the zinc.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Meidinger in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, 1, HENRY
MEIDINGER, of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Henry Meidinger. Her special licence that I, the said Henry
Meidinger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry Meidinger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Meidinger, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Meidinger, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object an improved method of arranging electric
batteries, and consists in arranging batteries on the principle of Daniell's

page_text: constant battery, in the manner herein-after described, avoiding the use of a
diaphragm, and protecting the zinc from being too rapidly touched by the
sulphate of copper. For this purpose a large vessel of glass or of other
suitable substance is filled, partly (say, two-thirds) with a diluted solution of
sulphate of zinc, and another glass of half the height and diameter of the
large vessel is placed within it, standing in the solution; the second glass is
covered on the inside with a copper plate to serve as the negative pole of the
battery, and a copper wire is fixed to the plate. This wire is covered by a
small glass tube, so as to protect it from the liquid through which it passes;
the mouth of the exterior vessel is closed by a cork, in which are two holes,
one for holding a large and high glass tube, the other for holding a strip of
amalgamated zinc. The former, closed at the lower end with a permeable
fabric, is plunged into the small glass, and kept full of sulphate of copper;
this forms a solution within the interior vessel and the negative pole is thus
constantly kept in contact with a solution of this salt. The zinc is immersed
as far as possible from the small glass into the zinc solution. The battery
constructed in this manner serves for a long time, the sulphate of copper never
getting at the zinc.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The Drawing shows a longitudinal section of a battery cell arranged in the
manner I prefer in carrying out my Invention. a is a cylindrical glass vessel,
which is closed at the top by the cover b, of cork, wood, or other suitable
material. The vessel a contains within it another glass vessel c; this inner
vessel is lined with a cylinder of copper d, to which a copper wire e is attached
by rivets or otherwise; is a glass tube passing through a hole in the cover b,
and containing within it the wire e, which it protects from the action of the
liquid through which it passes; g is another glass tube also passing through
the cover b, and having a piece of muslin tied over its lower end; or this
tube may be drawn out and closed at the end by a blow pipe, and two or
other number of small holes formed through the closed end; h is a plate of
amalgamated zinc, about an inch and a half broad, which is fixed in the cover
near the side of the vessel opposite to that at which the vessel c is placed.
The liquids which I prefer to employ in the battery are solutions of sulphate of
copper and of sulphate of zinc. In charging the battery cell, both the vessels
are in the first place filled with a solution of sulphate of zinc, the cover b and

page_text: the parts connected with it are then dropped into their places, and the tube g
is filled with crystals of sulphate of copper; this quickly forms a solution in
the vessel c, but in consequence of the greater specific gravity of this solution.
it will not pass into the exterior vessel a; the cell is then in working order.
Crystals of sulphate of copper are from time to time placed in the tube g to
maintain the solution at the proper working strength. I prefer that the
solution of sulphate of zinc should consist of, say, equal parts of the saturated
solution and of water. In place of sulphate of zinc, other salts, such as the
sulphates of the alkalies or the sulphate of magnesia may be employed. A
battery cell arranged in this manner will work well for many months, until, in
fact, all the zinc is dissolved, or till the zinc solution becomes too concentrated.
This result depends in great measure on the zinc plate being so placed that
the concentrated solution of zinc formed on the surface of the plate, and also
any impurities that fall from it, sink to the bottom of the exterior vessel and
do not enter the vessel containing the copper solution, and thus the diffusion
of the copper solution is rendered much less than it otherwise would be; this
is a very important feature in my combined arrangement. If the battery is
required to work through a short circuit only, and a large quantity of electricity
be required, in place of the zinc plate h I employ a cylinder of zinc, lining the
upper part of the interior of the vessel a, and in this case I place the interior
vessel in the centre of the vessel a, so as to be at a distance from the zinc,
for the reason before mentioned.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Meidinger, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-first day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
24, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.
D. HENRY MEIDINGER.
(L.S.)