Improvements in Carbon Plates for Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1897
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Carbon Plates for Galvanic Batteries.
ROBERT WILLIAM ATKINSON, 44, Loudoun Square, Cardiff, Analytical Chemist,
SYDNEY FERRIS WALKER, 195, Severn Road, Cardiff, Electrical Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
Our invention consists in saturating carbon plates for use in batteries with sul-
phur in such a manner that the pores, naturally existing in such plates are filled
up with sulphur, the plates thus treated being enabled to resist for a much longer
time the action of the corrosive liquids used in the battery.
To effect the saturation of the plate with sulphur we first expel the air from the
pores of the plate, after drying, by means of a suitable liquid, with or without
the aid of a vacuum, the plate thus being saturated with the liquid. For this pur-
pose we use in preference the liquid known as chloride of sulphur, sulphur mono-
chloride, or in chemical symbols S, Cl, containing more or less sulphur or more or
less chlorine dissolved in it. But we may also use any other liquid sufficiently
volatile to be expelled at the temperature of molten sulphur, such as, for example,
carbon chloride, water, &c.
The carbon plate being thus freed from air and saturated with the liquid used,
is immersed in a pan of molten sulphur, in which it is allowed to remain until all
the liquid is driven out of the pores and replaced by liquid sulphur. The plate
is then withdrawn and cooled in the air.
When we wish to deposit copper, or any other metal, upon the end, or any other
portion of the carbon plate, for the purpose of making good contact between the
carbon & other electrical conductors, we immerse that portion of the carbon plate,
upon which we wish to deposit the metal, in any suitable solution, & cause a cur-
rent of electricity to pass thro' the solution, using the sulphured plate as the anode,
and a plain, untreated carbon as the cathode, and allow the current to pass until
the sulphur is driven out of the pores of the carbon, after which the treated carbon
is made the cathode in a solution of salt of salt of the metal to be deposited & dealt
with in the usual way.
101
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100%
Improvements in Carbon Plates for Galvanic Batteries.
We, ROBERT WILLIAM ATKINSON, of 44, Loudoun Square, Cardiff, Analytical
Chemist, and SYDNEY FERRIS WALKER, 195, Severn Road, Cardiff, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
[Price 8d.]

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:
Our invention consists in saturating carbon plates for use in batteries with sul-
phur in such a manner that the pores, existing in such plates are filled up with
sulphur, the plates thus treated, being enabled to resist for a much longer time
the action of the corrosive liquids used in the battery.
To effect the saturation of the plate with sulphur, we first expel the air from the
pores of the plate, after drying, if needful, by means of a suitable liquid, with or
without the aid of a vacuum, the plate thus being saturated with the liquid. For
this purpose we may use the liquid known as chloride of 'sulphur, sulphur mono-
chloride, or in chemical symbols S, Cl, containing more or less sulphur, or more
or less chlorine dissolved in it.
We may use, instead of the above, any other liquid which is sufficiently volatile
to be expelled at the temperature of molten sulphur, such as for example, carbon
chloride, water, or any such liquid's. We may also use molten sulphur alone.
The carbon plates being thus freed from air and saturated with the liquid used,
are immersed in a pan of molten sulphur, in which they are allowed to remain until
all the liquid is driven out of the pores, and replaced by liquid sulphur. The
plates are then withdrawn and cooled, the adherent sulphur being removed by any
convenient means.
When we wish to deposit copper, or any other metal upon the end, or any other
portion of the carbon plate, for the purpose of making good contact between the
carbon and other electrical conductors, we immerse that portion of the carbon plate
upon which we wish to deposit the metal, in any suitable solution, such as sulphate
of copper and cause a current of electricity to pass through the solution, using
the sulphured plate as the anode, and a plain, untreated carbon plate as the cathode,
and allow the current to pass until the sulphur is removed from that portion of
the plate upon which we wish to deposit the metal.
After this the treated carbon is made the cathode in a solution of the salt of the
metal to be deposited, and is dealt with in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is to be carried into effect, we declare that
we claim:
1. The filling up the pores of carbon plates for batteries with sulphur by any of
the methods herein described.
2. The deposition of a conducting metal upon the carbon plates, treated as herein
mentioned by the process herein described.
Dated this Fourth day of December, One thousand eight hundred and ninety-
ROBERT WILLIAM ATKINSON,
SYDNEY F. WALKER.