Improvements in or relating to Electrodes, and Method of Manufacturing the same.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 13th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Electrodes, and Method of
Manufacturing the same.
I, CARL KELLNER, Doctor of Philosophy, Director of The Kellner-Partington-
Paper-Pulp Company, in Hallein, Austria, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
:-
Heretofore, electrodes 'connected in series after the manner of the plates in a
Cruickshank battery, have always been arranged with their broad or flat surfaces
turned towards one another. This arrangement possesses the disadvantage that
the useful area of the electrodes is limited by the linear dimensions to which it is
practicable to make the plates employed, and that it is difficult to prevent
perviousness of such plates.
Now the present invention has for object to obviate these disadvantages by
means of a novel construction and arrangement of electrodes which can be made
of any desired size, and of any conducting material capable of resisting the action
of the ions, and which at the same time constitute a perfectly tight closure, and
have also the great advantage that, in consequence of the "point-action" which
takes place by their use, they can be worked with much greater density of current
than other electrodes heretofore used.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows an arrangement in which electrodes a of plate-form are divided by
a superposed partition into two halves, of which one acts electro-positively and
the other electro-negatively, the several electrodes divided in this manner being
arranged on the bottom of the electrolytic apparatus and being separated by
partitions of non-conducting material 6. For such an arrangement of electrodes
with partitions I contemplate obtaining separate Letters Patent.
Now in order to obtain with such electrodes the aforesaid advantage of "point-
action," they may according to the present invention, be constructed as shown in
Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which the electrodes a consist of narrow
strips of platinum clamped in grooves in an ebonite plate e, that serves as a base
plate, and are held down by superposed partitions, so that their free edges at
which the "point-action" takes place, are turned towards one another.
It has been found by experiments that the action of such electrodes is very
largely increased when a number of such platinum electrodes a are arranged above
one another and in such a manner that they extend through the partition 6 so that
their free ends project beyond the partition on both sides thereof.
The compound electrodes produced in this manner may be constructed in various
ways according to the material of which the electrodes are made and the object in
view.
As shown in Fig. 3, the electrodes a may be constructed in the form of rods,
bars, or wires penetrating or extending through the partition which may consist
of a plate or fabric of non-conducting material.
The electrodes may also be made in the form of plates or sheets a clamped
between strips b of insulating material such as glass or ebonite constituting. the
partition carrying the electrodes as shown in Fig. 4.
The whole may be
rendered rigid by surrounding the alternately succeeding plates a and strips b
with one or
more hoops of suitable material for example ebonite, in which
hoop or hoops the last two wedge-shaped glass or ebonite strips 61 62 are

page_text: driven as shown in Fig. 5. The strips b forming the partition may be made hollow
to allow of a cooling liquid circulating through them.
Instead of constructing the electrodes of platinum as mentioned for the two
preceding cases, they may be constructed of other material as for example carbon
in which case the several electrodes a, which are divided into two halves by the
partition, are arranged over or next to one another in the manner shown in Fig. 6,
so that each partition is common to two successive electrodes.
In constructing such compound electrodes, the carbon electrodes a, preferably in
the form of plates, are placed in a mould-box c (Fig. 7) with their one ends in an
easily removable mass of material such as sand, plaster of Paris, loam or the like,
and then there is cast around them a layer of resisting cement such for example
as sulphur, asphalte, or ceresine, which serves to form the aforesaid partition
between the end portions of the several plates a and constitutes in combination with
the said plates, a compound electrode which after removal from the mould-box and
freeing from the adhering mass d, can be coupled up for tension.
In this way the described arrangements allow of constructing in a most simple
manner compound electrodes of any desired dimensions from small electrode
elements, whilst the latter may be made of any material suitable for this purpose,
and of any suitable shape, as for examples in the shape of plates, sheets, and rods.
The herein described mode of construction obviates a draw back experienced
especially when dealing with retort-carbon which is the material chiefly employed
for electrodes, so that the dimensions of electrolytic apparatus are no longer
restricted by the limited size and irregular shape of this important electrode
material.
The said arrangement also allows of the use of pieces of ore and other bodies
which could not heretofore be employed as electrodes.
In all these cases the "point-action of the compound electrode thus formed,
takes place on both sides of the partition or partitions.
But if this "point-action" is to take place on one side only, or if the compound
electrode is to be composed of two kinds of metal, or of carbon and metal, as may
appear desirable for some purposes, then the projecting ends of the electrodes on
one side of the partitions are conductively connected with the body that forms the
other side of the compound electrode.
Assuming that carbon is to be employed on both sides, but that the "point-
action" shall take place on one side only, then instead of sand or loam, a mixture
of powdered carbon and tar or molasses is poured into the mould-box c Fig. 7 to
form the mass d, after which the carbon pieces a are inserted and are cast around
with material such as sulphur, ceresine, or asphalte.
But if on the contrary, one side of the compound electrode is to consist for
example of zinc or lead and the other side is to consist of carbon or platinum, then
the carbon or platinum parts a are inserted in the sand or the like to a depth such
that only that portion thereof shall project which is to be embedded in the zinc or
lead. This metal is then cast around the said projecting portions, and after the
metal has cooled, the metal plate g (Fig. 8) with the inserted electrodes a, is taken
out of the mould-box, freed from sand, and after the whole has been reversed or
turned over, the cement, such as sulphur, asphalte, ceresine or the like, forming
the partitions b, is poured in between the electrodes a to the desired height, so as
to produce a compound electrode of the form shown in Fig. 8.
Two such compound electrodes may be employed at each end of the apparatus for
conveying or transmitting the current, whilst the other or intermediate compound
electrodes are constructed and arranged as described with reference to Figs. 3,
4 or 6.
Compound electrodes of the kind described can be constructed of the material which
is most suitable for the particular electro-chemical or metallurgical process to be
carried out, and the "point-action" produced allows of working with a density
of current hitherto impracticable for the purposes mentioned. Furthermore with
the aid of these compound electrodes, processes can be carried out which could not

page_text: be executed heretofore, whilst on the other hand, the electrolytic apparatus can be
made much smaller for a given result, and, when platinum is employed for forming
the electrodes, the weight of the apparatus can be very materially reduced.
Dated this 10th day of May 1894.
Improvements in or relating to Electrodes, and Method of
Manufacturing the same.
I, CARL KELLNER, Doctor of Philosophy, Director of The Kellner-Partington-
Paper-Pulp Company, in Hallein, Austria, 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 :-
Heretofore, electrodes connected in series after the manner of the plates in a
Cruickshank battery, have always been arranged with their broad or flat surfaces
turned towards one another. This arrangement possesses the disadvantages that
the useful area of the electrodes is limited by the linear dimensions to which it is
practicable to make the plates employed, and that it is difficult to prevent pervious-
ness of such plates.
Now the present invention has for object to obviate these disadvantages by means
of a novel construction and arrangement of electrodes which can be made of any
desired size, and of any conducting material capable of resisting the action of the
ions, and which at the same time constitute a perfectly tight closure, and have also
the great advantages that, in consequence of the "point-action" which takes place
by their use, they can be worked with much greater density of current than other
electrodes heretofore used, and that owing to the fact that the layers of gases
cannot remain adhering to the points polarization is entirely obviated.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 shows an arrangement in which electrodes a of plate-form are divided by
a superposed partition into two halves, of which one acts electro-positively and
the other electro-negatively, the several electrodes divided in this manner being
arranged on the bottom of the electrolytic apparatus and being separated by
partitions of non conducting material b'. For such an arrangement of electrodes.
with partitions I have obtained separate Letters Patent, viz. No. 2806 of 1894.
Now in order to obtain with such electrodes the aforesaid advantages of "point-
action" and avoidance of polarisation they may according to the present invention
be constructed as shown in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings, in which the
electrodes a consist of narrow strips of platinum that are clamped in grooves in an
ebonite plate e, that serves as a base plate, and are held down by superposed
partitions b, in such a manner that their free edges, at which the "point-action
takes place, are turned towards one another.
"
It has been found by experiment that the action of the electrodes is very largely
increased when a number of such platinum electrodes a are arranged above one
another and in such a manner that they extend through the partition 6 so that
their free ends project beyond the partition on both sides thereof.
The compound electrodes produced in this manner inay be constructed in various
ways according to the material of which the electrodes are made and the object in
view.
As shown in Fig. 3, the electrodes a may be constructed in the form of rods,

page_text: bars, or wires penetrating or extending through the partition b which may consist
of a plate or a piece of fabric of non-conducting material.
The electrodes may also be made in the form of plates or sheets a clamped
between strips 6 of insulating material such as glass or ebonite constituting the
partition carrying the electrodes as shown in Fig. 4. The whole may be rendered
rigid by surrounding the alternately succeeding plates a and strip 6 with one or
more hoops of suitable material, for example ebonite, in which hoop or hoops
the last two glass or ebonite strips, which are wedge-shaped, are driven
as shown in Fig. 5. The strips b forming the partition may be made hollow to
allow of a cooling liquid circulating through them.
Instead of constructing the electrodes of platinum as mentioned for the two
preceding cases, they may be constructed of other material, as for example carbon,
in which case the several electrodes a, which are each divided into two halves by
the partition b, are arranged over or next to one another in the manner shown in
Fig. 6, so that each partition is common to two successive electrodes.
In constructing such compound electrodes, the carbon electrodes a, preferably in
the form of plates, are placed in a mould-box c (Fig. 7) with one of their ends in
an easily removable mass d of material such as sand, plaster of Paris, loam or the
like, and then there is cast around them a layer of resisting cement such for
example as sulphur, asphalte or ceresine, which serves to form the aforesaid
partition between the end portions of the several plates a and constitutes in
combination with the said plates, a compound electrode which after removal from
the mould-box and freeing from the adhering mass d, can be connected in series.
In this way the described arrangements allow of constructing in a most simple
manner compound electrodes of any desired dimensions from small electrode
elements, whilst the latter may be made of any material suitable for this purpose,
and of any suitable shape, as for examples in the shape of plates, sheets, and rods.
The herein described mode of construction obviates a drawback that has been
experienced especially when dealing with retort-carbon which is the material
chiefly employed for electrodes, so that the dimensions of electrolytic apparatus
are no longer restricted by the limited size and irregular shape of this important
electrode material.
The said arrangement also allows of the use of pieces of ore and other bodies
which could not heretofore be employed as electrodes.
In all these cases the "point-action" of the compound electrode formed as
described, takes place on both sides of the partition or partitions.
But if this "point-action" is to take place on one side only, or if the compound
electrode is to be composed of two kinds of metal, or of carbon and metal, as may
appear desirable for some purposes, then the projecting ends of the electrodes on
one side of the partitions are conductively connected with the body that forms the
other side of the compound electrode.
Assuming that carbon is to be employed on both sides, but that the “ point-
action" is to take place on one side only, then instead of sand or loam, a mixture
of powdered carbon and tar or molasses is poured into the mould-box c, Fig. 7, to
form the mass d, after which the carbon pieces a are inserted and are cast around
with material such as sulphur, ceresine, or asphalte.
But if, on the contrary, one side of the compound electrode is to consist for
example of zinc or lead, and the other side is to consist of carbon or platinum,
then the carbon or platinum parts a are inserted in the sand or the like to a depth
such that only that portion thereof shall project which is to be embedded in the
zinc or lead. This metal is then cast around the said projecting portions, and
after the metal has cooled, the metal plate g (Fig. 8) with the inserted electrodes a,
is taken out of the mould-box, freed from sand, and after the whole has been
reversed or turned over, the cement, such as sulphur, asphalte, ceresine or the like,
forming the partition b, is poured in between the electrodes a to the desired height,
so as to produce a compound electrode of the form shown in Fig. 8.
Such compound electrodes, the two sides of which are composed of different

page_text: materials can be made in the mauner shewn in Figs. 9 and 10 the electrodes a
being embedded either in the copper or other conducting core k or only in the
protecting-sheath m thereof, according as the latter is made of non-conducting
material, such as ebonite, or of metal such as lead.
Two compound electrodes of the kind shown in Fig. 8 or in Figs. 9 and 10 may
be employed at each end of the apparatus for conveying or transmitting the
current, whilst the other or intermediate compound electrodes are constructed and
arranged as described with reference to Figs. 3, 4 or 6.
Compound electrodes of the kind described can be constructed of the material
which is most suitable for the particular electro-chemical or metallurgical process to
be carried out, and the "point-action" produced allows of working with a density
of current hitherto impracticable for the purposes mentioned. Furthermore with
the aid of these compound electrodes, processes can be carried out which it has
not been possible to execute heretofore, whilst on the other hand, the electrolytic
apparatus can be made much smaller for a given result, and, when platinum is
employed for forming the electrodes, the weight of the apparatus can be very
materially reduced.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what---
claim is:-
1. A compound electrode consisting of conducting and non-conducting materials
combined in such a manner that the conducting parts a are divided by insulating
partitions 6 into two halves that act in an electrically contrary sense and the free
ends of which project beyond the insulating partition on one or both sides thereof
substantially as described and shewn.
2. The herein described method of manufacturing a compound electrode of the
kind specified in the preceding claim according to which the conducting bodies a
serving as electrodes, are held at suitable distances apart and a mass of cementing
or binding non-conducting material is cast around them in such a way as to form a
connecting plate or partition from one or both sides of which the free ends of the
conducting bodies project substantially as described.
3. A compound electrode of the kind specified in Claim 1 in which the ends of
the electrodes a projecting beyond one side of the insulating plate or partition b
are electrically connected with a conducting body forming the other side of the
compound electrode and consisting of a different material to that of the said
electrodes a substantially as described.
4. Compound electrodes constructed substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference respectively to and shown in Fig. 2; in Fig. 3; in Fig. 4; in Fig. 5;
in Fig. 6; in Fig. 8; in Fig. 9 and in Fig. 10 of the drawings annexed for the
purposes specified.
Dated this 11th day of March 1895.