Improvements in Apparatus for Electrolysis of Water.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 28th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 31st Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Electrolysis of Water.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED of 12 Queen Anne's Gate,
Westminster in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, and EUGEN
FRIEDRICH AUGUST OBACH, of 2 Victoria Road, Old Charlton, in the County of
Kent, Analytical Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to apparatus, of volta-meter kind, for electrolytic
decomposition of water in such a manner as to effect evolution and perfect
The
separation of the oxygen and hydrogen uncontaminated by other matters.
materials employed in the construction of the apparatus are cheap and durable, and
the parts are so arranged that the internal resistance is very small and that there
is no risk of short circuiting. A vessel, which may be of cast iron, preferably
cylindrical in shape and jacketted by non-conducting material to retain heat,
is tightly closed by a cover which may be of metal or of ceramic or other
non-conducting material.
From the cover there projects down into the vessel and some depth into the
liquid electrolyte an inverted cylindrical vessel which, when the cover is of metal,
To this
passes through a ring of insulating material in a hole of the cover.
cylindrical vessel is attached the upper edge of the diaphragm, which is a cylinder
of iron wire gauze, extending down and having its lower edge fastened to a base of
On this
ceramic or other insulating material placed at the bottom of the vessel.
same base, but at some distance within the gauze cylinder and separated from it,
rests the lower edge of the one electrode which is a cylindrical shell of iron having
attached to its upper edge two iron rods which extend insulated through the cover
and are connected to the + conductor.
-
Outside the diaphragm and kept separate from it by vertical bars of insulating
material, is placed the other electrode, which is also a cylindrical shell of iron, its
lower edge resting on the bottom of the vessel and its upper edge connected to a
bolt which passes through the side of the vessel and is connected to the conductor.
The vessel being charged with electrolyte, which is a solution of caustic soda or
potash or a mixture of both, of maximum specific conductivity, up to a level which
is above the upper edges of the electrodes and such that the lower edge of the
inverted cylindrical vessel projecting down from the cover is immersed in the liquid,
on an electrical current being passed through the apparatus water is decomposed,
the oxygen collecting in the cylindrical space within the downwardly projecting
vessel, and the hydrogen collecting in the annular space around this vessel.
From these spaces pipes conduct the gases to suitable holders.
The vessel is provided with a glass gauge to shew the level of the liquid within,
and with a funnel pipe for water feed.
1000
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Electrolysis of Water.
We, SIEMENS BROTHERS & Co. LIMITED, of 12 Queen Aune's Gate,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, and EUGEN
FRIEDRICH AUGUST OBACH, of 2 Victoria Road, Old Charlton, in the County of
[Price 8.1

page_text: Kent, Analytical Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to apparatus of voltameter kind, for electrolytic
decomposition of water in such a manner as to effect evolution and perfect
separation of the oxygen and hydrogen uncontaminated by other matters. The
materials employed in the construction of the apparatus are cheap and durable,
and the parts are so arranged that the internal resistance is very small and
that there is no risk of short circuiting. The accompanying drawing is a
vertical section of apparatus according to this invention. a is a vessel, which may
be of cast iron, preferably cylindrical in shape and jacketted by non-conducting
material to retain heat. It stands on feet s preferably of insulating material and
is tightly closed by a cover which may be of metal or of ceramic or other
non-conducting material. From the cover 6 there projects down into the vessel a
and some depth into the liquid electrolyte an inverted cylindrical vessel c which,
when the cover is of metal, passes through a ring d of insulating material in a hole
of the cover. To the cylindrical vessel c is attached the upper edge of the
diaphragm, which is a cylinder of iron wire gauze extending down and having its
lower edge fastened to a base k of ceramic or other insulating material placed at the
bottom of the vessel. On the same base k, but at some distance within the gauze
cylinder and separated from it, rests the lower edge of the one electrode f which
is a cylindrical shell of iron having attached to its upper edge two iron rods e e
which extend through insulating and tight material in the top of c and are
connected to the + conductor. Outside the diaphragm and kept separate from
it by vertical bars of insulating material, attached at is placed the other
electrode g which is also a cylindrical shell of iron, its lower edge resting on the
bottom of the vessel and its upper edge connected by strips of ironj to a bolt which
passes through the side of the vessel and is connected to the conductor.
The vessel being charged through a plugged tube o with electrolyte, which is a
solution of caustic soda or potash or a mixture of both of maximum specific
conductivity, up to a level which is above the upper edges of the electrodes and
such that the lower edge of the vessel c is immersed in the liquid, on an electrical
current being passed through the apparatus water is decomposed, the oxygen
collecting in the cylindrical space m within the vessel c and the hydrogen collecting
in the annular space n around the vessel c. From these spaces pipes m¹ and n¹
conduct the gases to suitable holders. The vessel is provided with a glass gauge p
to shew the level of the liquid within. To make up for the water decomposed,
water is introduced by a funnel inserted in o, on removing the plug, the funnel
having a pipe extending down nearly to the bottom of the vessel, so that the fresh
water introduced has to rise through the alkaline solution. The contents of the
vessel can be drawn off by opening the cock g.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
Apparatus for electrolysis of water constructed and operating substantially as
described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.