IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES"-a communication to me from abroad by Philipp Goorge
Skrivanow of 32 Rue Vignon, Paris, in the Republic of France Electrician-to bo
as follows:-
-
This Invention has for its object to provide an electric battery capable of
furnishing a powerful current of electricity but occupying a relatively small space.
For constructing an electric battery according to this invention flat cells of
porous material are provided, each containing nitric acid in which is immersed a
plate of platinum or carbon-These flat cells are arranged in a suitable trough or
vessel constructed of gutta percha, ebonite, porcelain, wood or other suitable
material, preferably of rectangular form and containing a solution of sulphate of
zinc Plates of zinc are introduced into this trough or vessel between each two
adjacent porous cells and these plates of zinc are electrically connected together at
their lower edges by being placed in contact with mercury contained in the bottom
of the trough or vessel or by other equivalent means of contact-This mercury or
contact is also connected by a plate preferably of platinum to the negative pole-
The platinum or carbon plates or electrodes in the porous cells are connected at
their upper edges to the positive pole-The upper part of each porous cell is
hermetically closed preferably by means of paraffin wax, through which are passed
two tubes (preferably of glass) one of which extends nearly to the bottom of each
cell and is used for supplying the cell with nitric acid, the other tube being much
shorter and serving for the escape of air and gases-The arrangement of the
Electrodes or plates as described presents a large surface to the action of the
liquids.
The walls of the porous cells and the plates or electrodes are made as thin as
possible in order to enable a large number of plates or electrodes and cells to be
packed or contained in a small compass,
1004

page_text: D
A
I JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES" which Invention has been communicated to me from
abroad by Philippe George Skrivanow of 32 rue Vignon in the Republic of France
Electrician 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 to provide an electric battery capable of
furnishing a powerful current of electricity but occupying a relatively small space.
This improved battery-is-of-the-class in which two liquids are employed and is
-constructed to present a multiplicity and large area of acting surfaces-without.a_
corresponding increase of bulk. This result is obtained according to this. Inven-
-tion-by-constructing the batteries and employing therein electrolytes as bereinafter
explained.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to 1
the several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of referenco
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings represent vertical sections at
right angles to each other of a battery constructed according to this invention.
The battery is provided with flat or narrow vessels or cells A of porous material,
the walls of the said vessels being made as thin as possible and as near to each
other as is practicable to leave sufficient space for the liquid and thin plates B of
platinum or carbon forming electrodes are placed one in each of these vessels A
and are connected with the external circuit by wires a The upper parts of the
porous vessels are sealed preferably with paraffin wax at c and two tubes 6 bl
(which may be of glass) are passed through this scaling the tube b descending to
within a short distance from the bottom of the vessel and being employed for
introducing the liquid into the vessel. The tube b¹ is shorter and is provided for
the escape of air and gases from the interior of the vessel. The elements thus
constituted occupy very little space laterally and are arranged side by side as
closely as possible in a trough or vessel D constructed of gutta percha, ebonito
porcelain wood or other suitable material. The others of the elements are formed
of thin plates of zinc E placed in the trough D being arranged alternately with the
porous vessels A and elements B. The said plates of zinc can be most conveniently
connected together electrically at their lower edges by being placed in contact with
mercury F contained in the bottom of the trough or vessel D or by any other
equivalent connection. This mercury or contact is also connected to the negative
pole by a plate d preferably of platinum soldered to a wire e leading to the external
circuit.
Nitric acid is introduced through the tubes b into the porous vessels A and
sulphate of zinc (preferably as pure as possible) is placed in the trough or vessel D.
The arrangement as described presents a large surface of the electrodes or plates to

page_text: the action of the liquids or electrolytes and the porous vessels A being made as
flat or narrow and thin as possible enable a large number of plates or electrodos to
be packed or contained in a small compass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First The general combination and arrangement of parts constituting the
improved electric battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the accompanying drawings whereby great power is obtained in a relatively small
compass.
Second-In an electric battery constructed as herein before set forth the
employment of a solution of sulphate of zinc as one of the liquids or electrolytes as
hereinbefore described.