Improvements in or connected with Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 16th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 22nd Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Galvanic Batteries.
I, ARMAND C. IWANOWSKI of Kiev in the Empire of Russia, Electrician, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a galvanic battery in which polarisation and the
consequent constant diminution of current cannot take place, the current from this
improved battery being always constant.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in sectional elevation as
applied to a battery of, for instance, four elements.
The improved battery consists of a suitable number of elements, the cells or
vessels a of which are supported in a suitable frame b, and are formed at their lower
ends with tubular extensions a' by means of which they are all connected to a main
pipe d by suitable pipes c.
The pipe d is provided at one end with a tap or cock e and at the other
end is connected to the tubular extension f¹ of a vessel f of similar form to
the cells a.
The vesself is. closed at the top by an air-tight lid f and is connected by means
of a pipe g and cock g' with a reservoir h which is also hermetically closed by means
of a cover h', said reservoir containing the electrolyte for the cells of the battery, in
this case for instance bi-chromate of potash.
From the above it will be seen that the cells a of the elements, the electrodes of
which consist of carbon plates K with zinc plates Z arranged between, are all
connected to the vessel f and thereby to the reservoir h, so that after the cock g¹
is opened and the cock e closed, said cells will be filled from below with the
electrolyte until the vacuum which forms above the level of the liquid in the
reservoir, when the cock g' is opened, reaches a certain degree. When
the vacuum has formed, and reached a certain degree all influence of the vessel /
on the cells a will cease until air is again allowed to flow into the reservoir h.
If the apparatus be arranged so that this subsequent flowing of air into the
vessel h, and consequently of the electrolyte into the cells a, takes place auto-
matically each time the current developed by the elements commences to diminish,
and so that this supplementary flowing continues until the current has again
attained its former strength through the rising of the electrolyte in the cells a and
the fresh surface of the electrodes k and thereby brought into co-action, a
galvanic battery is obtained in which the deleterious effects of polarisation are
avoided, and which therefore possesses a constant strength of current.
supplementary flowing in of air takes place in the present example through
a passage provided in the reservoir h. This passage is normally closed by a
valve under the action of the current. For this purpose the valve i is connected
to the armature of an electro-magnet i, the coils of which are placed in the
circuit S of the battery, and is also connected to a spring adjustable by means of
a nut 1.
The
The electro-magnet tends to press the valve body i against the mouth of the
passage hand to thereby close the passage, whilst the spring constantly tends to
draw the valve i away from the passage and to keep the same open.
This arrangement acts in the following manner :-
The spring is so adjusted by suitably turuing the nut that the normal current
produced by the battery and flowing through the conductor S is capable of exciting

page_text: the magnets sufficiently to cause the armature ¹ to be attracted, and the passage h³
to be kept closed by the valve i. As soon however as the strength of the current
diminishes through polarisation of the elements, the attractive force of the electro-
magnets diminishes also, that is to say, is overcome by the strength of the spring /
and the valve is drawn away from the mouth of the passage 2, thus allowing air to
flow into the reservoir h.
In consequence of the above, the electrolyte or exciting fluid flows into the
cells a, rises upwards therein, and excites constantly fresh surface parts of the
electrodes, until the current developed has again attained the desired normal
strength when it again causes the armature to be attracted and to thus close the
passage h² and stop the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the cells a and so forth
continuously.
The above operations continue until the cells a are filled to the brim. When this
is the case the cock g' is closed, the cock e opened, and the exhausted electrolyte is
allowed to run out of the cells a.
In practice it is advisable to arrange the contents or the capacity of the reservoir h
to equal the total capacity of all the cells a.
The vessel is filled through the stopper h³.
It must be noted that the zine plates z are dissolved in the usual way by
means of the chromic acid, so that the above described operations or actions
will take place each time that a given portion of the zinc plates is dissolved.
The zinc plates are arranged so as to be adjustable downwards by means of
set screws.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in or connected with Galvanic Batteries.
I, ARMAND C. IWANOWSKI of Kiev in the Empire of Russia, Electrician, 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 :-
This invention has for its object a galvanic battery in which polarisation and the
consequent constant diminution of current cannot take place, the current from this
improved battery being always constant.
The invention is shown in the drawing accompanying the Provisional Specification
in sectional elevation as applied to a battery of, for instance, four elements.
The improved battery consists of a suitable number of elements, the cells or
vessels a of which are supported in a suitable frame b, and are formed at their
lower ends with tubular extensions a' by means of which they are all connected to
a main pipe d by suitable pipes c.
The pipe d is provided at one end with a tap or cock e and at the other end is
connected to the tubular extension f¹ of a vesself of similar form to the cells a.
The vessel is closed at the top by an air-tight lid f and is connected by means
of a pipe and cock gl with a reservoir which is also hermetically closed by
means of a cover ¹, said reservoir containing the electrolyte for the cells of the
battery, in this case for instance bi-chromate of potash.
From the above it will seen that the cells a of the elements, the electrodes of
which consist of carbon plates K with zinc plates Zarranged between, are all
connected to the vesself and thereby to the reservoir, so that after the cock g¹ is
opened and the cock e closed, said cells will be filled from below with the electrolyte
until the vacuum which forms above the level of the liquid in the reservoir h, when

page_text: the cock g is opened, reaches a certain degree. When the vacuum has formed,
and reached a certain degree all influence of the vessel on the cells a will cease
until air is again allowed to flow into the reservoir h.
If the apparatus be arranged so that this subsequent flowing of air into the
vessel h, and consequently of the electrolyte into the cells a, takes place
automatically each time the current developed by the elements commences to
diminish, and so that this supplementary flowing continues until the current has
again attained its former strength through the rising of the electrolyte in the cells a
and the fresh surface of the electrodes and thereby brought into co-action, a
galvanic battery is obtained in which the deleterious effects of polarisation are
avoided, and which therefore possesses a constant strength of current. The
supplementary flowing in of air takes place in the present example through a
passage provided in the reservoir h. This passage is normally closed by a
valve i under the action of the current. For this purpose the valve i is connected
to the armature of an electro-magnet, the coils of which are placed in the
circuit S of the battery, and is also connected to a spring adjustable by means of
a nut l
The electro magnet tends to press the valve body i against the mouth of the
passage and to thereby close the passage, whilst the spring a constantly tends to
draw the valve i away from the passage and to keep the same open.
This arrangement acts in the following manner :-
The spring is so adjusted by suitably turning the nut that the normal current.
produced by the battery and flowing through the conductor S is capable of exciting
the magnets sufficiently to cause the armature to be attracted, and the
passage to be kept closed by the valve i. As soon however as the strength of
the current diminishes through polarisation of the elements, the attractive force of
the electro-magnets & diminishes also, that is to say, is overcome by the strength
of the spring and the valve is drawn away from the mouth of the passage ², thus
allowing air to flow into the reservoir h.
In consequence of the above, the electrolyte or exciting fluid flows into the
cells a, rises upwards therein, and excites coustantly fresh surface parts of the
electrodes, until the current developed has again attained the desired normal
strength when it again causes the armature to be attracted and to thus close
the passage and stop the flow of liquid from the reservoir to the cells a and so
forth continuously.
When
The above operations continue until the cells a are filled to the brim.
this is the case the cock g₁ is closed, the cock e opened, and the exhausted
electrolyte is allowed to run out of the cells a.
In practice it is advisable to arrange the contents or the capacity of the
reservoir to equal the total capacity of all the cells a.
The vessel is filled through the stopper 3.
It must be noted that the zinc plates z are dissolved in the usual way by means
of the chromic acid, so that the above described operations or actions will take
place each time that a given portion of the zinc plates is dissolved. The zinc
plates are arranged so as to be adjustable downwards by means of set screws.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A galvanic battery having a reservoir containing a supply of the electrolyte
and communicating with all the cells, and electro-mechanical means for automati-
cally admitting or controlling the flow of the electrolyte from said reservoir to the
cells in such a manner that when the normal current strength of the battery falls,
the level of the electrolyte in the cells rises in order to continually bring fresh
surface parts of the electrodes into co-action until the current has again attained
its former determined strength.
2. In a galvanic battery, an electrolyte-containing reservoir (/) hermetically

page_text: closed and communicating with all the cells and having an air-inlet passage
normally closed by a valve adapted to be automatically opened, whereby the
electrolyte can only flow from the reservoir into the cells when air is admitted
through said valve, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. In a galvanic battery, an electrolyte-containing reservoir hermetically closed
and communicating with all the cells; an air-inlet passage in said reservoir; an
adjustable valve adapted to close said air-inlet; a spring tending to constantly
open said valve; and an electro-magnet having its coils in circuit with the battery
and its armature connected to said valve and adapted to keep the valve closed when
the battery current is at its normal or determined strength in combination
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. The construction and combination of parts taken as a whole forming the
improved galvanic battery substantially as hereinbefore.described and illustrated.
Dated this 11th day of January 1896.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant..