IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1885

page_text: "
I SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby
declaro the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
A communication to me from abroad by Serge Stepanoff of St Petersburg in the
Empire of Russia Gentleman 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 improvements in galvanic batteries.
In the drawings annexed Figure 1. is a front view of one of the elements of a
battery on my system.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 1. 2. 3. 4 Figure 1.
Figure 3. is a vertical section of a battery of these elements connected in tension.
The elements B (copper and zinc) of my battery are prepared in the following
manner. I take a plate of zinc a of say 25 x 15 to 55 x 30 centimetres and
weighing from 04 to 8 kilogrammes or thereabouts and I enclose it in parchment
paper c. in the manner indicated by M. Reynier (see Reynier's Piles Electriques)
but taking care to wrap around the plate a few turns of twine b of 2 or 3 milli-
metres in thickness so that the paper may not adhere to the plate a. and that the
gas may be developed and escape freely. Above the wrapper c. of parchment paper
I also apply a few turns of twine b arranging them at right angles to the turns of
twine upon the zinc plate. Then upon the two faces of the wrapper c of
parchment paper I apply two plates d of copper held in place by means of copper
bands e. soldered to the edges of the copper plates d. Each of the zinc and copper
plates a and d. is furnished with a metallic band C serving as an electrode and to
connect the elements the one to the other.
The element B thus prepared I place in a mixed solution of sulphate of zinc and
sulphate of copper taking the two salts in about equal quantities. By the use of
these mixed solutions I obtain a constant action of the element from the first
movement of its working. The force of the current is equal to 10 to 20 ampères.
The electro motive force is 1.07 volts as it is with all elements of the Daniel type
and the interior resistance is from 05 to 0 125 ohms.

page_text: This small resistance of my element compared with the resistance of the exciting
liquid, which is considerable permits me to place these elements to any desired
number in the same receiver A containing the mixed solution of sulphate of zinc
and sulphate of copper without having need to leave free spaces between the
elements, and between the elements and the sides and bottom of the Receiver and
to unite in tension all the elements in the battery.
This mode of arranging the elements and their connection in tension has never
before been practised and I believe even it is impossible with the elements of
any other system.
its use.
The arrangement of galvanic battery which I have described facilitates greatly
It is sufficient in short to pour into the receiver sulphate of copper in
the quantity necessary to perform the work required (lighting &c) during one day,
and to dilute by means of water the solution of sulphate of zinc which has become
concentrated.
To ensure absolute constancy in the working of my batteries which depends
principally on the homogeneity of the liquid and the free escape of the gas
I suspend the battery elements from a lever oscillating upon a fixed axis and put
in movement by means of a small dynamo machine. This machine only requires
about 20 volts to actuate it and may be arranged in a shunt on the battery circuit.
The movement of the lever may also be produced by means of a clockwork.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
First: A Galvanic battery in which the elements (copper and zinc) are separated
from each other only by the thickness of a twine or like material.
Second: A battery having the elements connected in tension all in the same
exciting liquid; this liquid being the mixed solution of sulphate of zinc and of
sulphate of copper.
Third: The method of ensuring constancy in the action of the battery by
mechanical agitation.
11
1007

page_text: FIG. 3.