Improvements in Electric Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd July, 1889.
Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 10th May. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALCERT HUSSEY, of Gedney House, New
York, Electrician, and EDWIN HENRY BROWN, of No. 225, Lincoln Place, Brook-
lyn, New York, Lawyer, both in the United States of America.]
Improvements in Electric Batteries.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE,, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This improvement relates to a battery in which two fluids are employed.
The improvement consists in the combination in such a battery of a porous
diaphragm for separating the two fluids and extending solely in a horizontal or
approximately horizontal plane. This diaphragm may advantageously be the bottom
of a cup whose sides are non-porous or in the main non-porous. When the diaphragm
forms part of a cup, it may be made porous and the sides or wall of the cup made
non-porous in the course of manufacturing the cup, or the whole cup may be made
porous and the sides or wall made non-porous by an application of a material closing
the pores and capable of resisting the fluids in the battery.
The porous diaphragm will serve to prevent the fluid in that part of the cell
containing the negative element from reaching the positive element so as to injuriously
affect the same.
This result may be insured by maintaining the fluid which is above
the porous diaphragm at a higher level or under greater pressure than the fluid in the
part of the cell containing the negative element.
This improvement will result in maintaining the positive element in good condition
for. use and other advantages also ensue.
The improvement also consists in providing the cell with a spout extending below
the bottom of the porous diaphragm so that the lower portion of the cell may be
charged without disturbing the said diaphragm or the positive element.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Batteries.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 improvement relates to a battery in which two fluids are employed.
The improvement consists in the combination in such a battery of a porous
diaphragm for separating the two fluids and extending solely in a horizontal or
approximately horizontal plane. This diaphragm may advantageously be the bottom
of a cup whose sides are non-porous or in the main non-porous. When the diaphragm
forms part of a cup, it may be made porous and the sides or wall of the cup made
non-porous in the course of manufacturing the cup, or the whole cup may be made
porous and the sides or wall made non-porous by an application of a material closing
the pores and capable of resisting the fluids in the battery.
The porous diaphragm will serve to prevent the fluid in that part of the cell
containing the negative element from reaching the positive element so as to injuriously..
affect the same. This result may be insured by maintaining the fluid which is above the

page_text: porous diaphragm at a higher level or under greater pressure than the fluid in the part
of the cell containing the negative element.
This improvement will result in maintaining the positive element in good condition
for use and other advantages also ensue.
ว. .
The improvement also consists in providing the cell with a spout extending below the
bottom of the porous diaphragm so that the lower portion.of the cell may be charged
without disturbing the said diaphragm or the positive element.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a battery
embodying our improvement. Figure 2 is a top view of the cell. Figure 3 is a top
view of a cup forming part thereof. Figure 4 is a top view of the positive element.
In this view we have illustrated in dotted outline a bar which rests upon the top of
the cup and from which the positive element is suspended. Similar letters of reference
designate corresponding parts in all the figures.
A designates the cell. B designates a porous diaphragm here shown as comprised
designates the positive element. This, it will be seen, is located above
the porous diaphragm B. D designates the negative element.
in a cup.
This
Having given this general description of the parts I will explain them more in
detail. The cell A is shown as made in cylindric form with a spout a formed at the
upper portion. The cell may be made of glass or other suitable material. The
diaphragm B may be made part of a cup of porous material, such, for instance, as
kaolin. If so made, the side wall will be rendered non-porous in some manner.
may be done by applying to the exterior of the side wall or both the exterior and
interior of the side wall paraffine P. The paraffine P may be applied in any suitable
manner as, for instance, by a brush or by dipping the side wall. As shown, this cup
is supported by means of flanges or lugs formed integraf with it and extending
sufficiently beyond it to rest upon the top edge of the cell. The positive element
may be made of zinc, is shown as of circular form provided with a central hub c and
furnished in the upper surface with a groove c¹ adapted to contain quicksilver and
provided with holes c through which fluid may pass. We have shown this positive
element suspended by a rod, E, which may be screwed or cast into the central hub c
and which, as here shown, extends through a har F and engages with a binding
post, G, by screwing into a tapped hole therein or in any other suitable manner.
The bar F extends across the top of the cup, of which the diaphragm forms part, and
has grooves in the under side to fit the edge of such cup, so that it will occupy the
desired position and thereby centre the positive element. The negative element D
we have shown as made in the form of a cup. It may be made of copper. Of course
the shape we have illustrated is not essential. It is represented as resting upon the
bottom of the cell.
It will be observed that there is a considerable space between the cup of which the
porous diaphragm forms part and the outer portion of the spout, and that thus there
is a clear passage through the spout to the portion of the cell beneath said
diaphragın.
A wire extends from the negative element D. It may be united with this element
in any suitable manner as for instance by solder. This wire is shown as extending
from the cell. It may be connected by any ordinary coupling piece to the circuit
of which it is to form part. The other circuit wire for the battery will extend from
the binding post G.
There is a fluid 1 in the cell A and a fluid J in the cup of which the diaphragm B
forms part. The battery is therefore a two-fluid battery. We have represented the
cup D forming the negative element as having crystals of sulphate of copper K in it.
The fluid I may be water or water acidulated with sulphuric acid and the fluid J in
such case, may also be an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid.
The passage formed by the spout affords facility for replenishing the cell with
sulphate of copper without dismounting any of the parts of the battery, because.
the crystals of sulphate of copper may be dropped through this passage and a
syringe or other device for drawing off excessive fluid may be inserted in this
passage.

page_text: It will be observed that the fluid. J is at a higher level than the fluid I. This is
important in conjunction with the cup of which the diaphragm B forms part, for with
such a relation between the fluids and a separating diaphragm the extra pressure of
the fluid J due to its having a higher head or level will prevent the fluid I from
passing from the cell upwardly through the diaphragm B and hence will preclude the
fluid I from reaching the positive element.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondents, we declare that what we claim is :
1. In an electric battery designed for two fluids, a porous diaphragm for
separating the two fluids and extending solely in a horizontal or approximately
horizontal plane and having non-porous vertical walls, substantially as specified.
2. In an electric battery designed for two fluids, the combination with a cell, of a
cup having a porous bottom portion and an upper non-porous portion, substantially
as specified.
3. In an electric battery designed for two fluids, the combination with a cell made
of porous material, the upper portion being made non-porous by the application of a
material closing the pores and resisting the fluids in the battery, substantially as
specified.
4. In an electric battery designed for two fluids, the combination with a cell
provided with a spout, of a cup arranged in the upper part of the cell, its bottom
being above the lower portion of the spout, substantially as specified.
Dated this 1nd dove of Anvil 1900
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.