IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC OR PRIMARY BATTERIES
Year: 1885

page_text: CHARLES MALTBY NEWTON of 29 Romola Road Tulse Hill London S.E. Civil
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC OR PRIMARY BATTERIES to be as follows:-
The electric piles or Batteries are characterised by the employment of Oxide of
Lead or Litharge as a depolarizer I generally employ a single liquid or solution of
Caustic Alkali which may be either a strong solution (30 to 50 per cent) of Caustic
Soda or Caustic Potash, or a mixture of both these Caustic Alkalies.
The negative pole of the pile or battery is constituted by a metal capable of
being attacked by the exciting fluid or liquid of the pile or battery when the circuit
is closed, for example zinc, tin, lead, copper, or any metal of like nature and
properties.
The positive pole is formed by a plate or plates of iron, copper, Lead or other
metal, which are allowed to dip into or are placed in contact with a quantity of
Oxide of lead or Litharge, or else it is formed by the containing vessel or cell being
made of wrought or cast iron (or copper lead or other metal) and a quantity of
oxide of lead or litharge at the bottom and sides as a depolarizer.
For constituting the negative pole of the pile or battery, although I may use
copper, tin, or lead I prefer in general to use zinc as giving the greatest electro
motive force, it should be amalgamated in the usual manner, and as Caustic
Alkalies in solution vigorously attack any portion of zinc exposed to the surface.
of the solution even on open circuit, I prefer to solder and rivet a strip of brass or
copper on to one end of the zinc plate to which. I attach a clamp or binding screw
or other suitable means for connecting it so as to form the battery or pile, and I
also amalgamate the strip of brass or copper.
The oxide of lead or litharge which I prefer to use is that known as scale litharge,
but I may use any oxide of lead.

page_text: I, CHARLES MALTBY-NEWTON, formerly of 29 Romola Road, Tulse Hill, in the
County of Surrey, now of Linden, Clifton Road, South Norwood, in the aforesaid
County, Civil 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, reference being had to the accompanying
drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of my invention is to produce a more constant and steady current,
and one of longer duration than has hitherto been possible, and, at the same time,
to prevent smell or noxious fumes being given off by the battery.
My invention consists principally in employing an oxide of lead, or litharge, as a
depolarizer, together with a single liquid or solution of caustic alkali, as an exciter,
which may be either a strong solution-30 to 50 per cent-of caustic soda or
caustic potash, or a mixture of both these caustic alkalies.
The oxide of lead, or litharge, which I prefer to use is that known commercially
as "Scale Litharge," but I can use any other Oxide of lead for the purpose of my
Invention.
The negative pole of the battery is constituted by a metal, such as zinc, tin, lead,
copper, or any metal of like nature and properties capable of being attacked by the
exciting liquid of the battery, when the circuit is closed. Although I may use
copper, tin, or lead, I prefer, in general, to use zinc, as giving the greatest electro-
motive force and it should be amalgamated. As caustic alkalies in solution
vigorously attack any portion of zinc exposed to the surface of the solution, even
an open circuit, and would therefore destroy the connection for constituting the
battery, in order to avoid this, I prefer, if zinc is used, to solder and rivet a strip of
brass or copper on to one end of the zinc plate, to which I attach a clamp or binding
screw, or other suitable means, for connecting it, so as to form the battery, and I
also amalgamate the strips of brass or copper covering the zinc, tin, lead, copper, or
other metal of a like nature, with the solution. Instead of using the brass strip,
I may coat that portion of the zinc exposed to the surface of the solution, with
marine glue.
The positive pole is formed by a plate or plates of iron, copper, lead or other
metal, which is or are allowed to dip into, or is or are placed in contact with a
quantity of oxide of lead or litharge, or else such pole is formed by the containing
vessel or cell being made of wrought or cast iron (or copper, lead or other metal)
and a quantity of oxide of lead or litharge is placed at the bottom and sides of the
containing vessel, as a depolarizer. A porous diaphragm may be employed, and
when such is used, may consist of any suitable material such as clay, canvas or
asbestos, and may be of any form necessitated by the containing vessel.
In charging the battery, when a cell of wrought or cast iron is used (or copper,
lead, or other metal) a thin layer of oxide of lead is placed at the bottom thereof,
and upon this is placed a porous diaphragm of clay, canvas, asbestos, or other
porous material, of such a size and shape as to leave about a quarter of an inch

page_text: upon all sides between this porous diaphragm and the wrought or cast iron (or
copper, lead or other metal) cell or containing vessel.
Oxide of lead is then placed in suitable quantities, say from to 3 lbs. upon all
sides between the porous diaphragm and the sides of the cell, so as to obtain as
great a contact as possible between the oxide of lead and the iron (or copper, lead,
or other metal). The zinc plate, bent so as to present as large a surface, and in
proper proportion to the iron (or copper, lead or other metal) is then placed inside
the porous diaphragm and the spaces between the porous diaphragm and the iron
(or copper, lead or other metal) cell, as well as the inside of the porous diaphragm,
are filled with a solution of caustic soda or caustic potash, or a mixture of both
these caustic alkalies, of a strength of preferably about 35 per cent, by weight, and
in such quantity as to wholly cover the zinc.
This oxide of lead can be mixed with iron filings or turnings, or copper filings
or turnings, or pieces of metal gauze or fragments of carbon to increase the surface
of the positive or depolarizing pole.
I can also make an agglomeration by mixing the oxide of lead with 10 to 15 per
cent of its weight of oxychloride of magnesium in a pasty condition, prepared by
crushing or pounding together and mixing with water, or other suitable liquid, in
the following proportions;
100 parts calcined magnesia.
200 parts chloride of magnesium of 22° Beaumé.
This invention is capable of various modifications, but as they all depend solely
upon the use of iron (or copper, lead or other metal) as the positive pole, in contact
with oxide of lead, and of zinc (copper, tin, or lead) plates bent into various forms,
as circumstances may require, as the Negative pole, the whole being immersed in a
solution of caustic alkali, the accompanying drawings, although not descriptive of
every modification which I may find necessary for certain specific work, will
explain my invention clearly, the like letters representing the same parts in all the
figures.
Fig. 1 is a round form of iron (or copper, lead or other metal) cell A, in which
I place the porous diaphragm P. Z is a plate of zinc (or copper, tin or lead) bent
into a spiral form, and having a strip K, of brass or copper soldered and rivetted
to its upper end; to this cell is also soldered and rivetted a small strip of iron,
copper or brass C, to form the positive pole of the cell.
Fig. 2 shews the same cell in section, O being the oxide of lead, or the
agglomeration herein before described.
Figs. 3 and 4 shew another form of wrought or cast iron (or copper, lead, or other
metal) cell.
Figs. 5 and 6 shew in elevation and in section, respectively, an earthenware or
glass vessel E, in which a sheet of iron I (or copper, lead, or other metal) is bent
around a porous diaphragm P, to form the positive pole, and the oxide of lead O, or
agglomeration, is placed upon the inner and outer surfaces of this sheet of iron,
while the zinc (or copper, tin, or lead) Z is bent into a spiral form, similar to that
shewn in Fig. 1.
For some purposes it is advisable not to use a porous diaphragm to separate the
two poles, as by not doing so, I find there is less internal resistance, while the bye
products formed in producing the electric current from the spent, or partially
spent, solution are readily obtained. When the porous diaphragm is dispensed
with, I generally use a square or oblong shallow cell, or containing vessel, made of
iron (or copper, lead, or other metal) as shewn in section in Fig. 7, in each of the
four corners of which I place glass insulatora G formed with a rebate about one
inch from the bottom upon which rests the plate of zinc, (or copper, tin or lead) Z.
Having fully described my invention, and the means by which the same may be
carried into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the

page_text: precise details or arrangements bereinbefore described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the nature of my invention, but what I believe to be new
and therefore desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is
The employment, in galvanic or primary batteries, of an oxide of lead as a
depolarizing body, together with a single liquid or solution of caustic potash or
caustic soda, or a mixture of both these caustic alkalies, as an exciting liquid,
substantially as herein described.