Year: 1888

page_text: I DAVID HUMPHREYS, residing at No. 57 Broadway in the City of New York,
County and State of New York, United States of America, Attorney-at-Law, 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 galvanic batteries of that type in which the exciting
liquid is agitated and aerated and has for its object the production of an apparatus
in which these objects will be more efficiently effected than heretofore and in
which accumulation of polarizing gases on the negative electrode surface will be
prevented.
;
My present invention provides for the distribution of air over the entire negative
surface of the battery elements and embodies apparatus for effecting these results
it also embodies apparatus for producing an agitation of the liquid by a mechanical
agitator and conjoint aeration of the excitant; moreover it contemplates the use of
such apparatus with simple battery solution or with solutions which contain
depolarizing materials. It also embodies devices in which air is carried into the
excitant by a mechanical depolarizing device alternately dipped into and withdrawn
from the excitant.
It embodies also, details of structure which will hereinafter be fully described in
this specification and then definitely indicated in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my invention
Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of an apparatus embodying my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a detail partly in section showing one of the aerating and agitating
devices.
1, represents a stand on which are supported a series of cells 2, 2, 2, 2. These
cells are provided with a cover 3, common to all of them, said cover being provided
with a box-shaped flange 4 having suitable partitions and gaskets to make a practically

page_text: fluid-tight joint when the cover is down upon the edges of the cells. Upon the under-
side of the cover are mounted the positive and negative electrodes 6, 5, 5 of the
battery, a set of these electrodes corresponding to each cell.
The positive or soluble electrode, 6, is preferably of zinc and the negative or con-
ducting electrodes 5, 5, of carbon." Two of the latter are provided so as to face both
sides of the zinc. On the ends of the cover are fixed supports 7, 7, in which is
trunnioned a crank-shaft S provided with a series of bends or cranks 9.9, 9,9. Upon
these cranks are hung rods 10, 10, 10, 10 one for each cell of battery. Each rod
has an arm or tubular cross piece 11, closed at one end and open at the other and
secured to each cross piece and in open relation with its tubular space are vertical
tubes 12, 13. These tubes should be made of some material calculated to withstand
the action of battery solutions.
Hard rubber answers well as in addition to its acid resisting properties it is light
and strong.
These vertical tubes extend through slots 14, 15 in the cover 3 and are provided
with a series of tubular cross arms 24, 24¹ perforated as shown in Fig. 2 and closed at
their outer ends but communicating with the main tube at their inner ends.
A motor 16 which may be controlled by a spring or any other suitable motive
agents acts through a pinion 17 upon a gear wheel 18 firmly secured to the crank
shaft. The gear wheels should be so proportioned as to size and number of teeth that
a slow rotary movement will be communicated to the shaft, S.
Upon a crank 19 of the shaft is hung a link connecting with a blower or
bellows fixed to the cover 20 and the bellows communicates by a tube 21 with a
pipe 22.
Flexible tubular connections 23, 23, 23, 23, establish air communication at all times
between the pipe 22 and the tubular cross pieces 1.1.
The cranks are made of such a length that the series of perforated tubes 24, 24¹
will be vertically reciprocated so as to cover the whole surface of the electrodes.
These latter tubes are preferably perforated on both sides facing the zinc and carbon
electrodes.
In addition to the cross tubes 24, 24' already described I provide additional per-
forated cross tubes or rods 25, 251 placed on the tubes 12 at such a height that when
the reciprocating motion is set up, these cross tubes will be alternately dipped into
and withdrawn from the excitant.
These perforations are made so that they will be opposite the negative electrodes.
They serve not only to thoroughly agitate the excitant but entrap air and carry it
down into the excitant, thus contributing materially to the depolarizing action.
In some cases I find it practicable to dispense with the blower and rely entirely for
the depolarizing action on the cross-rods just described.
Simple rods alone, vertical and cross may replace the tubes.
I desire to have it understood therefore that they fall within the scope of my inven-
tion whether used alone or in combination with the other cross tubes hercinbefore
described. When the blower is used it is practicable to dispense with them entirely
and still secure good results.
In the drawings at 27, 28, 29 is shown a device by which the cover and
depolarizing apparatus may be raised from the jars of the battery so as to render
cleansing or replenishing of solution convenient. The operation of this mechanism
will be obvious on inspection of the drawing and need not be further described.
My apparatus will yield good results with any solution whether it contains a
chemical depolarizing material or not, but I prefer to use in practice a solution of
bichromate of potash or soda and water acidulated with sulphuric acid.
This solution yields a high electro-motive force and has a very low resistance. But
the difficulty has been with bichromate solutions that they decline rapidly in
depolarizing power when doing work as when the battery is placed on closed circuit.
This difficulty is due to an exhaustion of oxygen from the film of solution in immediate
contact with the negative electrode.

page_text: In the use of these solutions matter accumulates on the positive electrode or zinc
increasing the resistance and obstructing the access of the acid to the zinc. My
apparatus obviates to a considerable degree these difficulties.
The operation of my apparatus is as follows: The motor 16 is set in operation.
As the crank shaft reciprocates the arms 24 24' are reciprocated vertically and laterally
in the excitant and the arms 25, 25' into and out of the same.
The blower or bellows forces fresh air through the perforations of the aruns at each
revolution of the crank shaft and this air escapes through the excitant revivifying it
and keeps the positive and negative electrodes clean.
The aerating process agitates the excitant and causes the same to be uniformly
reduced during the action of the battery that is to say when the oxygen of the film
in contact with the negative electrode is exhausted, a fresh film will be caused to
take its place and when the acid of the film in contact with the positive electrode is
formed into a salt of zinc, fresh acid is supplied.
The aerating tubes or rods are placed in practice close to the negative surface.
Air is discharged therefore directly against said surface and will reduce or coalesce
with any hydrogen bubbles which may accumulate there by reason of failure of the
solution to reduce the same.
It will be observed therefore that in my battery a very high efficiency is secured
first, by the mechanical agitation of the solution and dislodgment of hydrogen from
the negative electrode and sediment from the positive electrode: second by a reduction
of the hydrogen by bringing air in contact with it; third by preserving uniformity
in the solution so that the whole body of the solution is made to contribute its full
power to the battery fourth by the aeration of the liquid and its revivification
thereby fifth, by the aeration and agitation of the depolarizing liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is:
1. In a galvanic battery, the combination with the positive and negative electrodes
of an aerating device provided with openings opposite the negative surface and a
blower for forcing air through said openings.
2. In a galvanic battery, the combination with the positive and negative electrodes,
of an aerating device provided with openings opposite the negative surface a blower
for forcing air through said openings and means for shifting said openings over the
carbon surface whereby the air may be discharged successively against different parts
of said surface.
3. In a galvanic battery, the combination with the positive and negative electrodes
of an aerating device close to the negative surface, a blower for forcing air upon said
negative surface and a motor for reciprocating said device so as to discharge the air
against the entire negative surface.
4. In a galvanic battery, the combination with the positive and negative electrodes,
of an aerating device provided with openings opposite said electrodes, a blower for
forcing air through the openings and means for reciprocating the aerating device
so as to discharge the air toward the electrodes at different vertical elevations.
5. In a galvanic battery, the combination with the positive and negative electrodes
and an exciting and depolarizing solution of an aerating device, a mechanical agitator
in said solution and a motor for operating said agitator.
6. In a galvanic battery the combination with the positive and negative electrodes
and an exciting and depolarizing solution; of a mechanical agitator, a blower for
forcing a gas into the solution and a motor for operating both the agitator and the
blower.
7. The combination of a galvanic battery, a reciprocating depolarizing device in
operative relation to the negative surface of said battery, a motor for bringing said
depolarizer alternately into the air and the excitant whereby the excitant is agitated
and air is brought into contact with the negative surface.

page_text: 8. In a galvanic battery, the combination of the positive and negative electrodes
the latter opposing both faces of the former an agitator between the opposing faces
and means for reciprocating said agitator.
9. The combination with a galvanic battery, of a depolarizer and agitator consisting of
a rod provided with air recesses and a motor for reciprocating the rod and bringing
said recesses alternately into and out of the excitant.
10. In a galvanic battery, the combination of the positive and negative electrodes,
a mechanical depolarizer provided with cross arms and means for reciprocating said
agitator and alternately shifting it into and out of the solution either partially or
wholly for the purposes set forth.
BERNHARD DUKES,
226, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.