Year: 1897

page_text: WALTER ROWBOTHAM, 24, Harleyford Road, Vauxhall, London, S.E., in the
County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
:-
To carry out my improvements I arrange a number of cells together in series
& in steps. Each cell is divided into two compartments, one, the active, contain-
ing water & the other, the depolarising which is gas-tight, containing preferably
a solution of sulphuric acid, water & nitric acid. These cells are connected to
each other (each compartment to each, namely the active to the active & the
depolarising to the depolarising) by pipes so that the acid solution & the water
are respectively fed from the top of the first cell to the bottom of the next & so
on, a break or space being between the liquids in each. The water is fed from an
ordinary water cistern. The acid solution is fed from a cistern containing at its
top a chamber to form an acid trap. From the bottom of this trap a pipe runs to
its top & thence to the top of one of the cells. Through this pipe the gases,
which have collected owing to communication between the cells, rise & after
attaining a certain determined pressure, are dissolved in the trap causing an
overflow into the bulk of the acid in the cistern & thus increasing its depolarising
properties. By means of this trap a constant gas pressure is kept in the cells
when they are working. The overflow of the last cell of the series enters the
bottom of another acid trap deeper than the first. The object of this is to permit
the exhausted acid, but not the gases, to pass away.
I, WALTER ROWBOTHAM, of 24, Harleyford Road, Vauxhall, in the County of
Surrey, 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:―
My invention relates to primary batteries, and my object is to produce an easily
manipulated primary battery capable of giving a large and constant output at
a low cost per unit.
My invention consists in an improved construction of the liquid feeding
arrangements of batteries of the kind described in my Specification No. 2378 of
1897 and in means for conserving the depolarising solution. In this battery each
OTI

page_text: cell is divided into two compartments, one, the active, containing the water, and
the other, the depolarising, which is gas tight, containing preferably a solu-
tion of sulphuric acid, water and nitric acid. These cells are connected to each
other (each compartment to each, viz., the active to the active, and the depolar-
ising to the depolarising) by pipes, so that the acid solution and the water are
respectively fed from the top of the first cell to the bottom of the next, and so
on, a break or space being between the liquids in each. The water is fed from an
crdinary water cistern.
The active and depolarising solution is fed from a cistern containing at
its top a chamber to form an acid trap. From the bottom of this trap a pipe
runs to its top and thence to the top of one of the cells. Through this pipe the
gases, which have collected owing to communication between the cells above the
level of the liquid, rise, and after attaining a certain determined pressure are
partially dissolved in the acid in the trap, and partly pass through it causing an
overflow into the bulk of the acid in the cistern and thus increasing its depolaris-
ing properties. By means of this trap a constant gas pressure is kept in the
cells when they are working. The overflow of the last cell of the series enters
another acid trap deeper than the first. The object of this is to permit the
exhausted acid, but not the gases, to pass away.
Referring to the two accompanying sheets of drawings, which illustrate one
method of carrying my invention into effect.-
Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a step by step arrangement of the batteries
and water circulation.
Figure 2 is a plan corresponding to Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an elevation in section showing the depolarising solution reservoir,
and arrangement of the batteries for the circulation of the depolarising fluid.
Figures 1 and 2 show a series of three cells mounted one above the other, each
cell leading to the next lower one by a pipe. In Figure 1, A, A, A, are the active
compartments each having a division and a second compartment A¹. The water
passes by pipes A² from vessel to vessel,, finally discharging at a similar pipe A²
after having completed the course of all the cells. In passing from cell to cell
the water drops through an air space in each cell, and so no electric communica-
tion is made by the water from one cell to another, and in each case the water
has to pass down to the bottom of the partition, so that it enters at the bottom of
the active division A, and thus tends to displace the whole of the contents by a
discharge pipe A² into the next cell, or away altogether.
In Figure 3 we show the circulation of the exciting and depolarising fluid
through the compartments E. The exciting and depolarising fluid is contained
in the large reservoir F. It flows through the pipe H by way of the regulating
tap H', passes down to the bottom of the chamber E¹ and round the partition
into E as shown by the arrows, and then displaces the acid already in the space,
causing it to drop by way of the pipes E2 into the succeeding spaces E'. The
acid after performing its work, is finally discharged at I, which is preferably a
syphon arrangement, provided for keeping the whole of the contents of the com-
partments E under any desired pressure. A pipe G leads from the upper part of
one of the compartments E, and the nitrous fumes, generated in the depolarising
fluid by the action of the battery, ascend the pipe G, and enter the upper part
of the reservoir F through the trap F. Thus the fumes bubble through the
depolarising fluid in the cistern F, and trap F¹ and may be partially absorbeil
therein. It will thus be seen that this cistern and trap will prevent waste of the
depolarising fluid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
A primary battery of the kind described having a closed compartment fed with

page_text: acid from a reservoir having at its upper part a gas trap so arranged that the
action of the battery generates nitrous or other depolarising fumes which produce
pressure within the closed part of the cell, and thus cause acid to pass through
the porous partition into the active part of the battery, substantially as described.
THID
22444
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents.