Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Galvanic Batteries.
I, EBEN D. CROSS, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, 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:
The more prominent objects of my invention are to generate a constant galvanic
current of great power; to avoid the escape of noxious or unpleasant fumes or gases
and to utilize the same within the battery; to provide within a comparatively small
space a. negative electrode having a large area of surface; to permit worn out
elements to be readily removed and new ones substituted therefor; to decrease
polarization, and to provide certain novel and improved details all serving to promote
the serviceability and general efficiency of galvanic batteries.
In the accompanying drawing :-
Figure 1 represents in perspective a galvanic battery involving the principles of
my.invention.
Figure 2 represents an annular carbon plate which serves to hold the carbon tubes,
and to close the cell wherein the said tubes are arranged.
Figure 3 represents in side elevation a set of carbon tubes attached to the annular.
carbon plate of Figure 2, and serving as a part of the negative electrode.
Figure 4 shows in perspective one of the carbon tubes of Figure 3.
Figure 5 represents a vertical central section through Figure 1.
Figure 6 represents in perspective a set of zinc rods attached to a metal cap or
cover and employed as the positive electrode.
:
Figure 7 represents one of the two porous cups herein employed as a cell.
Figure 8 represents a set of carbon rods or tubes attached to a carbon plate which
serves to hold the said tubes or rods and cover the cell to which they are allotted, in
which cell the said rod may serve to form one of the parts of the negative electrode
as hereinafter set forth.
Figure 9 represents in perspective a porous cup adapted to provide a cell wherein
the carbon rods or tubes of Figure 8 can be arranged as in Figure 5.
Figure 10 is a horizontal section through the battery taken on a
line 10-10 Figure 5.
plane indicated by

page_text: igure represents on an enlarged scale a central longitudinal section-taken
through a portion of one of the tubes B. and its filling.
Figure 12 is a cross section through Figure 11, on line a-a.
Figure 13 is a vertical central section through the battery with the carbon tubes
omitted from the central cell.
A indicates the battery jar or outer cell, which may be either cylindric or polygonal,
or of other desired shape.
Within the cell A is arranged a smaller porous cup C, and within the porous
cup C, is arranged a still smaller porous cup or cell E. By such arrangement the
porous cup provides a centrally arranged cell or compartment, while the porous
cup C provides a cell or compartment which is intermediate of the said porous
cups C, and E, and also a cell or compartment between the cups E and the
jar A.
For convenience of description, I shall therefore hereinafter designate said cells
or compartments respectively as the first, second and third cells, the first being the
extreme outer cell, the next the second and the next the third cell.
The positive electrode is formed of zinc or its equivalent, and consists of a set of
rods D, arranged in angular series and attached at their upper ends to an annular
plate H, of any good conducting material. The zinc rods are temporarily attached
to the plate H, by screws which pass through the plate and screw into the upper
ends of the rods, whereby, when the plate-which provides a cap or cover for the
second cell is removed any or all of the rods can be readily detached from the plate
and new ones supplied. The cap H, for the second cell is provided with a suitable binding
post and within the cell I provide a suitable battery solution, such for example as a
solution consisting of about one part sulphuric acid to twelve parts of water, and
about ten grains of. bisulphate of mercury to one pint of such solution, I also
propose to put into said cell a few ounces of mercury for well known purposes.
The negative electrode is preferably separated into two parts which are electrically
connected together and respectively arranged in the first and third cells. I also
connect together the first and third cell by a tube K which extends from the upper
portion of one cell to and downwardly within the other cell whereby fumes rising
within one of said cells may be conducted to and discharged within the bottom
portion of the other cell. Said tube is herein shewn arranged to extend from the
upper portion of the first (extreme outer) cell, and to the third (centrally
arranged) cell, within which said third cell the tube extends nearly to the bottom
thereof. When the tube is thus arranged such fumes as may rise within the first
cell are discharged into the third cell at a point adjacent to the bottom of the latter,
whereby when the third cell is filled to a suitable extent with a vehicle such as water
capable of absorbing gases, such vehicle will become impregnated with the gases
from the first cell and thereby provide an active battery solution. I may also place
within the third cell not only a suitable quantity of water, but also a packing
consisting of layers of fine.charcoal alternating with layers of fine asbestos wool,
the lowest layer of the series being preferably of the asbestos. In such case the water
which will become impregnated with the fumes or gases entering the cell and thereby
provide an active solution, while the asbestos will prevent the charcoal from caking
and the packing will serve as a filter which disposes of such fumes as may not be
absorbed by the water.
.
The foregoing mole of carrying off the fumes from one cell and discharging them
into another cell for the purpose. set forth, constitutes a feature of improvement
regardless of the material of which the negative electrode is composed or of the
arrangement of such electrode which for said purpose can be omitted from the cell
into which the fumes are discharged. As a further feature of improvement however
I form the negative electrode of two sets of carbon tubes, one set being arranged
within the first cell and the other set within the third cell.
The set of carbon tubes B, for the first cell are arranged in annular series (where
the cells are of cylindric form) and are attached at their upper ends to a flat ring or
annular plate 1, which. serves as a lid or cover for the first cell. Said cover I is

page_text: composed of pressed carbon and made of suitable thickness, and as a means for
attaching the carbon tubes the lid is provided with a series of holes (Figure 2)
wherein the carbon tubes can be fitted. The lid I has however a couple of holes
respectively provided for the tube K, and for a carbon plug, which fatter can be
removed for the purpose of introducing the solution. The two holes for such
purposes can be provided by omitting to fit carbon tubes in two of the holes in the
annular series shewn in Figure 2, or if desired other holes can be formed in the cap
so as to avoid interrupting the series of carbon tubes. Each carbon tube is provided
with a longitudinally formed slot which desirably faces the porous cup C.
The provision of said slots or openings in the carbon tubes allows free circulation of
the solution through the tubes and greatly increases the area of surface that is
exposed to the solution. Within each slotted carbon tube B, I provide a filling
consisting of a cylinder 6' of porous material (preferably porous paper) filled with a
packing of asbestos ground into wool.
The porous paper cylinders fit within the carbon tubes as linings for the same and
while not interfering with the action of the solution prevent the formation of bubbles
on the inner walls of the tubes and hence check polarization.
The cap or cover I tightly closes its allotted cell, and to such end it is jointed to
the jar A, and porous cup C, and provided both on its upper and lower sides with a.
suitably thick coating of paraffine which not only holds the tubes in place, but also
covers over the cap except at the points where the plug and the tube K are arranged.
As a simple form of joint the lid I, is grooved to receive the top edges of said jar and
porous cup.
The third cell which is formed by and within the small porous cup E contains a
set of carbon rods or tubes but preferably a set of carbon tubes having longitudinal
openings and containing fillings similar to those herein before described in connection
with the carbon tubes B.
The carbon rods or tubes F, are at their upper ends fitted to a carbon plate L,
in the way that the carbon tubes B are fitted to the carbon plate I. Said carbon
plate L, is applied as a cover for the third cell and should be provided with a
suitably thick coating of paraffine, a hole being left in the centre of said plate for
the glass, rubber or other suitable tube N.
The carbon lids I, and L are provided with binding posts electrically connected"
together by a wire T, thereby so connecting the two sets of carbon tubes as to form
the complete negative electrode.
As a preferred battery solution for the first or extreme outer cell, I propose using
a solution of nitric acid and nitrate of amonium, say about two ounces of nitrate of
ammonium to one pint of nitric acid.
The tube K conducts the nitrogen peroxide fumes from the first cell and.
discharges the same into the lower portion of the third cell wherein the fumes in
rising must necessarily pass through both the asbestos wool and charcoal, and also
through the water contained in the cell. The water absorbs such fumes or gases,
thereby providing a very active solution, while the charcoal and asbestos necessarily
causes such distribution of the fumes as to cause the water to become thoroughly
impregnated, any excess of gas not absorbed by the water being filtered through the,
packing and absorbed by the charcoal.
I also propose varnishing or coating the porous cups C and E, on their outer sides
with a thin solution of gluc or other gelatine solution so that while preventing the
ready admixture of the solutions in the cells, such coatings will not interfere with
the free passage of the galvanic current. A battery formned as herein before described
possesses a powerful electric motive force, and can readily be taken apart for the
purposes of cleaning and repair.
It is herein understood that when the jar A is of other form than cylindric,
the form of the lids and arrangement of the carbons will be modified accordingly, and
that various minor changes of arrangement could be made without departing from
my invention as will be evident to those skilled in the art.
With fuller reference to the carbon, electrode, it will be seen that the paraffin
'

page_text: coating for the plate I to which a set of carbon tubes are attached (and particularly
the paraffin coating applied to the underside of said plate) serves to hold the tubes
in place. But in addition to such function paraffin coating on the underside of the
plate prevents the salts from working through the carbon plate, and in this the paraffin
coating on the underside of the carbon plate is supplemented by the paraffin, coating
on the upper side of the plate. It will also be observed that the paraffin coatings on
the carbon plate L serve the same purposes as the paraffin coatings on the
plate I.
A peculiar feature involved in my three cell batteries is that the third cell serves
as a supply cell. Thus should the third cell contain some fluid capable of being charged
with the fumes and thereby converted into an excitant, the excitant thus created in
the third cell will be found by actual test to supply the first cell.
To thus supply the first cell from the third cell it is not necessary that the third
cell should contain an electrode or any portion thereof, nor is it necessary it should
contain any packing or charcoal or the like as herein before set forth, the presence of an
excitant in the third cell being only necessary.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A galvanic battery having three cells whereof two of its cells contain
suitable electrodes and excitants, while the third cell contains an excitant and serves as
a supply cell, substantially as set forth.
Second. In a galvanic battery a fume conducting passage arranged to conduct
fumes from one cell and discharge the fumes into a cell containing a fluid capable of
being charged with such fumes and thereby converted into an excitant, substantially
as set forth.
Third. In a galvanic battery the negative electrode separated into two parts
which are respectively arranged in separate cells, and a tube or passage arranged to
conduct fumes from one of such cells and discharge the same in to the other cell, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Fourth. In a galvanic battery the negative electrode separated into two parts
which are electrically connected together and respectively arranged in separate cells
whereof one contains an excitant, and a tube arranged to conduct the fumes from the
cell that contains the excitant and discharge the same into the other cell which latter
contains a vehicle capable of being impregnated with the fumes so as to provide
therein an excitant due to the fumes from the cell wherein they are first generated,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth. In a galvanic battery, a carbon electrode consisting of two sets of carbon
tubes which are electrically connected together and respectively arranged in separate
cells, whereof one contains an excitant in combination with a tube arranged to conduct
the fumes from the cell that contains the excitant and discharge the fumes into the
other cell, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. In a galvanic battery the negative electrode separated into two parts which
are electrically connected together and respectively arranged in separate cells whereof
one contains an excitant in combination with a tube arranged to conduct the fumes
from the cell containing the excitant and discharge such fumes into the other cell
which latter contains a packing of charcoal and asbestos, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Seventh. In a galvanic battery a carbon electrode formed of carbon tubes each
having a longitudinally formed slot or opening, for the purpose set forth.
Eighth. In a galvanic battery the combination with a couple of cells each having a
carbon cover, of a couple of sets of carbon tubes respectively arranged within one
and the other of said cells and attached to the carbon covers said covers being electri-
cally connected together, substantially as set forth.
Ninth. In a galvanic battery the combination substantially as hereinbefore set
forth of three concentric cells, a carbon electrode separated into two parts which are
I

page_text: electrically connected together with one part arranged in the central cell and the
other in the extreme outer cell a zinc (or its equivalent) electrode arranged within the
intermediate cell, and a tube leading from one to the other of the two cells which
contains the said parts of the carbon electrode, substantially as set forth.
Tenth. In a galvanic battery, a carbon electrode formed of carbon tubes each
having a longitudinal slot or opening and combined with a filling of a tube or lining
of porous material packed with asbestos, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Eleventh. In a galvanic battery a zinc electrode consisting of a set of zinc rods
attached to a metal plate screws which engage in the upper ends of the zinc rods,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Twelfth. In a galvanic battery the negative electrode combined with a solution of
nitric acid and nitrate of ammonium.
Thirteenth. In a galvanic battery the negative electrode composed of carbon and
combined with a solution of nitric acid and nitrate of ammonium.
Fourteenth. In a galvanic battery a carbon electrode composed of carbon tubes
each having a longitudinal opening and containing a filling of asbestos packed in a
tube of porous material, combined with a solution of nitric acid and nitrate of
ammonium, substantially as set forth.
Fifteenth. A three cell galvanic battery having in its first and third cells portions
of a negative electrode electrically connected together, a positive electrode in its second
cell, a fluid such as water in its third cell, and a fume conducting tube connecting
together its first and third cells, as set forth.
100
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.