Improvements in or relating to Dry Piles for Electrical Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept.; 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Dry Piles for Electrical Purposes.
A communication from abroad by LOUIS MOORTHAMERS, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Electrician.
I, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND, M. Inst. M.E., of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, & 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object a dry pile of great intensity. It is essentially
composed of a cylinder with a zinc base of, say, 17 centimetres in height by 8 in
diameter. This cylinder is hermetically closed by means of a thick coating of yellow
mineral wax mixed with black pitch, and a very small quantity of tar. The whole is
covered with a coating of varnish. A narrow strip of copper is fastened outside the
cylinder. Into the cylinder passes, from the upper base, a sheet of compressed retort
carbon, paraffined towards the top, the head of lead being mounted by a copper screw
projecting about 2 centimetres from the cylinder.
This sheet reaches nearly to the bottom, and is placed in the middle of a coarse
linen sack filled with grains of retort carbon and peroxide of manganese of the size
of a pea (or less). The exciting compound which surrounds the outside of the linen
sack is composed of chalk, chloride of ammonium, and distilled water.
Sulphate of baryta may be substituted for the chalk.
The ordinary dimensions of the plate are 14 centimetres by 4 centimetres 6 milli-
metres.
The cylinder of thick zinc has a threefold use it is a general receiver, it serves as
a soluble electrode of large dimensions, and by the thickness of its walls, about
2 millimetres, it gives great solidity to the pile.
The linen sack which separates the exciting paste from the depolarising compound,
has the following advantages
It is perfectly porous and retains moisture very well, which is an essential point, at
the same time preventing the formation of a crust and separating, under favourable
circumstances, the exciting compound from the depolarising compound. The sack is
surrounded from top to bottom by a string, the effect of which is to press together the
pieces of carbon and manganese, and to bring them into close contact. The pieces of
retort carbon and manganese, offer collectively a large surface for the reduction of
hydrogen, and absorb in large quantity, the ammonia produced. The sheet of retort
carbon also offers a large surface.
The chalk absorbs a large quantity of salt in solution, it does not barden, and is ·
here without chemical action. It is light and porous. The hermetic closing while
preventing all evaporation, at the same time prevents all change in the arrangement
and condition of the substances present.
The pile excludes all substances useless to its proper action, and the substance used
is of astonishing simplicity.
Dated this 26th day of November 1888.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Dry Piles for Electrical Purposes.
A communication from abroad by LOUIS MOORTHAMERS, of Antwerp, in the Kingdom
of Belgium, Electrician.
1, GEORGE CECIL DYMOND M. Inst. M.E., of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in the
County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent, 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 has for its object a dry pile of great intensity. It is essentially
composed of a zinc cylinder with one end closed, of, say, 17 centimetres in height by
8 in diameter. The open end of this cylinder is hermetically closed by means of a
thick coating of yellow mineral wax mixed with black pitch, and a very small quantity
of tar. The whole is covered with a coating of varnish. A narrow strip of copper
is fastened to the outside the cylinder & serves as a contact piece. Into the top of
the cylinder passes, a sheet of compressed retort carbon, paraffined towards the top,
a conducting head of lead thereon being mounted by a copper or other binding screw
projecting about 2 centimetres from the cylinder.
This sheet reaches nearly to the bottom, and is placed in the middle of a coarse
linen sack filled with grains of retort carbon and peroxide of manganese of the size
of a pea (or less). The exciting compound which surrounds the outside of the linen
sack is composed of chalk, chloride of ammonium, and distilled water.
Sulphate of baryta may be substituted for the chalk.
The ordinary dimensions of the plate are 14 centimetres by 4 centimetres 6 milli-
metres.
The thick cylinder of zinc has a threefold use; it is a general receiver, it serves as
a soluble electrode of large dimensions, and by the thickness of its walls, about
2 millimetres, it gives great solidity to the pile.
The linen sack which separates the exciting paste from the depolarising compound,
has the following advantages :-
It is perfectly porous and retains moisture very well, which is an essential point, at
the same time preventing the formation of a crust and separating, under favourable
circumstances, the exciting compound from the depolarising compound. The sack is
surrounded from top to bottom by a string, the effect of which is to press together
the pieces of carbon and manganese, and to bring them into close contact. The
pieces of retort carbon and manganese, offer collectively a large surface for the
reduction of hydrogen, and absorb in large quantity, the ammonia produced. The
sheet of retort carbon also offers a large surface.
The chalk absorbs a large quantity of salt in solution, it does not harden, and is
here without chemical action. It is light and porous. The hermetic closing while
preventing all evaporation, at the same time prevents all change in the arrangement
and condition of the substances present.
The pile excludes all substances useless to its proper action, and the substance used
is of astonishing simplicity.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed; as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A dry pile in which the depolarising compound, surrounding the negative
element, is placed in a coarse linen sack-wound round from top to bottom with
string which is surrounded by the exciting mixture, the whole arranged and combined
in a zinc cylinder which forms the positive element, substantially as described and for
the purposes set forth.

page_text: 2. The general arrangement and combination of parts forming the improved dry
pile for electrical purposes, substantially as herein described.
Dated this 21st day of Ananst 1889
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.