Improvements in Primary Batteries
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Primary Batteries,
I, HAYDN THIES HARRISON, of 23, Throgmorton Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to primary batteries where a large number of cells are
employed, and its object is to provide means for feeding the electrolyte and
depolariser to the cells automatically.
The invention consists generally in providing an overhead trough with a
number of divisions corresponding to the number of cells in the battery and
arranging this trough in such a manner that the fresh electrolyte and depolariser
can be fed in at one end from a single supply while each compartment of the
trough is practically insulated from the other when the battery is in action; and
further in providing particular means to effect automatic electrical control of
the supply of this depolariser to the trough and consequently to the cells of the
battery.
In multiple cell primary batteries where a liquid electrolyte is employed a
common cause of loss of energy is short circuiting through bad methods of
supplying the electrolyte and the first portion of this invention covers simple
means for supplying the said electrolyte while obviating the short circuiting.
In carrying this portion of the invention into effect where cells are employed in
which the electrolyte is caused to enter the porous chamber which is closed with
the exception of the inlet, there is arranged above the row of cells to be fed a long
closed-in trough with partitions dividing the said trough into a number of
compartments equal to the number of cells in the battery. Each partition rises
from the bottom of the trough to within a short distance of the top and the
electrolyte is fed from an overhead tank into the compartments at one end from
where it overflows compartment by compartment until the trough is completely
filled up to the level of the top of each partition, the electrolyte being then
automatically shut off. The slight film of electrolyte which might exist across the
top of each partition during the process of filling would form too large a resistance
to in any way interfere with the working of the battery, but as an additional
security, it is preferred sometimes to place the trough at a slight angle to the
horizontal so that the fluid in each compartment would have a small portion of
the dividing partitions bare and projecting above the level of the electrolyte. The
general effect of this arrangement is that each cell of the primary battery has a
small reservoir of electrolyte fluid to supply it. The fumes or gases generated at
the cathode when enclosed in the porous compartments of the battery pass up
through the fluid in each compartment in the trough and are collected in the top
space running the entire length of the trough from which suitable pipe or pipes
lead which pipes may pass through a trap to regulate the pressure at which the
gas is allowed to escape if necessary.
One form of automatic electrical means employed to control the supply of
electrolyte from the main reservoir to the trough is constructed as follows: -The

page_text: last compartment of the sub-divided trough is provided with two contact pieces
preferably made of platinum foil at different levels so that when this last com-
partment is filled with electrolyte the two contact pieces and the end cell are
connected through the electrolyte, but when the last compartment in question
is empty and carries no electrolyte the contact between these is broken. The tap
which allows the electrolyte to pass from the main reservoir feeding the trough
is controlled by an electro magnet in such a manner that when a current passes
through the coils of the magnet the tap is turned on and when no current is
passing the tap is turned off by any mechanical arrangement such as a spring or
weight. One end of the electro magnet circuit is connected through the contacts
of an electro magnet relay to one pole of the battery and the other end to the other
pole. The electro magnetic relay is arranged in such a manner that when the
current passes through its coils the contact made by the armature is broken. One
end of the relay coils is connected to the top contact in the last compartment of
the trough and through a suitably adjusted resistance to the other contact the
other end of the relay coils being connected to, say, the third or fourth cell from
the one containing the contacts.
The operation of this automatic device is simple. Consider first, the supply tap
turned on the current does not flow through the relay coils. When the electro-
lyte reaches the last compartment it first of all rises to the level of the lower
contact allowing the current to flow through the relay coils but the resistance being
interposed the magnet field induced is not strong enough to attract the armature
and break the circuit of the electro magnet controlling the tap, but when the
level of the electrolyte reaches the top contact a greater quantity of current
passes through the relay coils and this is sufficient to move the armature and
break the contact of the electro magnetic circuit and allow the springs or weights
to close the tap. It is evident that as the level of the electrolyte falls below the
top contact the tap will still remain closed as the current passing through the
bottom contact and resistance while not sufficient to move the armature when
away from it is still sufficient to hold the armature in its present position until
the current is completely shut off by the level of the electrolyte falling below
the level of the second and bottom contact in the last compartment.
It is to be clearly understood that this method of supplying and controlling the
electrolyte from an overhead subdivided trough by an electrically controlled tap
and relay may be applied to other than primary batteries having close porous
compartments.
Another arrangement of automatically controlling the tap or valve consists of
a float in the last reservoir which is made to allow the valve which may be of the
ball type to close when the float is at the top of the compartment owing to its
being full of electrolyte but when it sinks to the bottom opens the valve thus
allowing the compartments to fill.
In order to carry out this invention I prefer to place the valve directly over
the last compartment but the electrolyte is conveyed from the valve to the com-
partment at the top of the trough by a gutter or pipe placed along the top of the
troughs or compartments.
By this arrangement the tap or valve having opened owing to the float having
sunk when the solution is used fills the compartment most remote from it and so
on all the compartments until the end one in which the float is, being filled the
valve closes.
When the valve is electrically controlled I sometimes connect in the circuit of
the electro magnet a second relay which is wound in such a manner as to break
the electro magnet circuit controlling the valve and so prevent the supply of
electrolyte when the electro motive force of the battery is above a certain point or
the current being generated by the battery is below a certain point. My object is
thus to economise electrolyte when secondary batteries are used in conjunction
with the primary battery, because when the secondaries are fully charged the
electro motive force will rise showing that no further charging current is required

page_text: therefore the valve will admit no further electrolyte until the electro motive force
falls and the current increases due to the secondary cells having become partially
discharged.
Dated this 17th day of December 1898.
Improvements in Primary Batteries.
I, HAYDN THES HARRISON, of 23, Throgmorton Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, 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 relates to primary batteries where a large number of cells are
employed, and its object is to provide means for feeding the electrolyte and
depolariser to the cells automatically.
This invention consists generally in providing an overhead trough with a
number of divisions corresponding to the number of cells in the battery and
arranging the trough in such a manner that the fresh electrolyte and depolariser
can be fed in at one end from a single supply while cach compartment of the
trough is practically insulated from the other when the battery is in action, and
further in providing means to effect the automatic electrical control of the supply
of this depolariser to the trough and consequently to the cells of the battery.
The method of carrying my invention into effect is illustrated in the accom-
panying sheet of drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is an elevation of a battery showing the overhead trough with its
electrolyte or depolariser supply reservoir.
Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of connections of
the apparatus for automatic electrical control of the supply of electrolyte, and
Figure 3 illustrates a modification of the same.
Referring to Figure 1 a long closed trough A is arranged above the battery of
cells B, said trough being divided by partitions C into compartments equal in
number to the cells in the battery. Each partition C extends from the bottom
of the trough to within a short distance of the top. The cell, which may, however
be of any suitable type, is provided with two porous vessels 1) closed except at
the inlet where they are connected to the trough A by pipes E. Each porous
vessel D contains a carbon cathode element F and the space between the porous
vessels contains a metal anode element F¹.
The exciting and depolarising liquid diffuses through the porous vessels into
liquid in contact with the metal anode when the cell is in action.
The exciting and depolarising liquid is fed from a overhead reservoir G through
a valve H into the end compartment of the trough A whence it overflows into the
successive compartments until they are filled up to the top of the partitions C.
The operation of the valve H in admitting and shutting off the supply of liquid
to the trough A is automatically controlled by the solenoid I in the manner
hereinafter described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. When all the compart-
ments are filled the cells are practically insulated from each other, the slight film
of liquid which may exist upon the top of the partitions being of so high resist-
ance as to allow of only a negligible leakage of current which does not interfere
with the working of the battery. But as an additional security it is sometimes
preferred to tilt the trough A slightly so that a small part of the dividing

page_text: partition E in each compartment is left bare and projecting above the level of
the liquid. The same end may be attained by making the partitions of heights
successively diminishing from the end at which the liquid is supplied and placing
these partitions at slightly increasing distances apart from each other so as to
keep the capacities of the compartments equal.
The fumes or gases which collect at the cathode elements C of each cell pass
by the pipes E through the liquid in each compartment and collect in the top
space running the entire length of the trough A. They are discharged from a
pipe J and may be through a pressure regulating trap or tank such as K provided
with an outlet pipe L.
Referring to Figure 2 which illustrates one method of arranging the connections
of the solenoid I which operates the valve H, controlling the supply of electrolyte
to the trough A, two contact pieces M and N preferably of platinum, are provided
in the last compartment of the trough.
These contact pieces are arranged at different levels inside the compartment
and are connected respectively to two terminals M¹ and N¹ on the outside of the
trough. A resistance O connected across these terminals is in series through the
terminal M with the coils of a relay electro-magnet P which is connected to an
intermediate cell of the battery, say the fourth cell as shown. The relay electro-
magnet operates to make and break the contact R of the circuit of the solenoid I.
The operation of this arrangement is as follows:- Consider first that the
contact R is made, the solenoid I is then energised and opens the valve H. Liquid
flows into the end compartment of the trough A filling up said trough, compart-
ment by compartment. When the level of the liquid in the last compartment
reaches the lower contact piece N¹, the circuit of the relay electro-magnet P is
completed but the slight current which passes, owing to the resistance O, produces
an insufficient field to attract the armature and the contact R remains unbroken.
When, however, the liquid rises into contact with the plate M the resistance O is
shunted and a stronger current flows which is sufficient to cause the armature to
be attracted by the electro-magnet P and break the contact R thus allowing the
valve H to drop on to its seat and shut off the supply of liquid. As the level of
the liquid in the trough A falls below the contact M the valve H still remains
closed for the current passing through the contact N, resistance O and electro-
magnet while insufficient to move the armature when it is away from the
electro-magnet, is still sufficient to retain the armature in its attracted position,
until the current is completely shut off by the level of the electrolyte falling
below the contact N. The armature then springs back, re-making the contact R
and the solenoid I opens the valve H again. The operations above described are
thus repeated automatically on the rising and falling of the liquid in the
trough A. In Figure 3 which represents a modification of the arrangement
shown in Figure 2, a suitable number of turns or a separate winding T of the
electro-magnet P' is connected in series with a resistance S and with the whole
number of cells. The resistance S may be adjustable if desired. When the
electro-motive force of the battery rises above a certain point or the current
discharge falls below a certain point, sufficient current flows to attract the
armature, breaking the circuit of the solenoid I at R and thus shutting off the
supply of electrolyte. The object is thus to economise electrolyte when secondary
batteries are used in conjunction with the primary battery because when the
secondary cells are fully charged the electromotive force rises, showing that no
further charging current is required. Therefore the valve H will admit no
further electrolyte until the electro-motive force falls and the current increases
due to the secondary cells having become partially discharged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1.) In primary electric batteries consisting of a number of cells connected in

page_text: series supplying the electrolyte or depolarising liquid by means of a trough
arranged with dividing partitions, so as to maintain electrical insulation between
the cells, substantially as herein before described.
2.) In primary electric batteries, consisting of a number of cells, connected in
series and supplied with electrolyte or depolarising liquid from a trough arranged
with dividing partitions, so as to maintain electrical insulation between the cells,
automatically controlling the supply of liquid to the trough, substantially as
hereinbefore described.
3.) In primary electric batteries, consisting of a number of cells connected in
series and supplied with electrolyte or depolarising liquid from a trough arranged
with dividing partitions, so as to maintain electrical insulation between the cells,
admitting the fluid to the trough as and when required, by means of an electric-
ally actuated valve automatically controlled by a relay substantially as herein-
before described.
4.) In primary electric batteries, consisting of a number of cells, connected in
series and supplied with electrolyte or depolarising liquid from a trough arranged
with dividing partitions, so as to maintain electrical insulation between the cells,
said liquid being admitted as and when required by means of an electrically
operated valve controlled by a relay, providing an additional relay or opposition
coil which operates to cut off the supply of liquid when the electro motive force
of the battery becomes excessive, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 16th day of September 1899
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and
25, Cross Street, Manchester, Agents.