Improvements in Primary Electric Batteries.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Primary Electric Batteries.
JOHN EDWARD PRESTON, 36 Lyndhurst Road, Peckham, S.E., Engineer,
CUTHBERT SIMKIN, 7 Southampton Row, London, W.C., Iron Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object the improvement and simplification of Electric
Primary Cells.
The Carbon element is made of any suitable form to fit the sides of the cells
the top of same being returned to form a cover and provided with a circular tube or
other opening to receive the positive element which is held in position by an
expanding rubber washer or other well known method. The above carbons being
castor moulded in one piece practically close the cells when placed in position
thus forming when coated with varnish or other suitable compound a sealed ceil
which is necessary when using the reversible tyne of cell or battery.
Dated this 20th day of October 1896.
J. E. PRESTON.
C. SIMKIN.
We, JOHN EDWARD PRESTON, formerly of 36 Lyndhurst Road, Peckham, but at
present residing at 8 Burton Road, Brixton, both in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, and CUTHBERT SIMKIN, of 7 Southampton Row, in the County of Middle-
sex, Iron Merchant, 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:-
Our invention has for its object the improvement and simplification of electric
primary batteries, and in order that the said improvements may be fully under-
stood we will proceed to describe the same with the aid of the accompanying sheet
of Drawings in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a battery of
three cells constructed in accordance with our invention, Figure 2 a half horizontal
section taken on the line X-X of Figure 1, Figure 3 a half plan and Figure 4 a
side elevation of the battery provided with an incandescence electric lamp and
adapted to be mounted on a cycle, for example, to take the place of the ordinary
lamp.
A is the cell case made of gutta percha, ebonite, or other suitable non-conducting
material, not acted upon by the electrolyte. This case is subdivided into any

page_text: required number of separate cells A by partitions A2 which extend across from
side to side, but do not extend quite to the bottom A³ of the case. A is the cover
of the case A, jointed liquid-tight to the upper ends of the sides and partitions,
so that when the battery is reversed, as hereinafter described, no liquid can escape
from the cells A¹.
B are the carbon elements, each cast, moulded, or otherwise made of any suitable
shape but preferably conforming more or less closely to the shape of the cells A'.
They are each provided with a bottom or end B₁ so that when the battery is
reversed, as above mentioned, -each element forms a cell in itself to contain the
electrolyte. Care the zinc elements which pass through holes in the, bottoms 13'
of the carbon elements, and through the cover As of the cell case. They are
secured in place by means of expanding india rubber washers D interposed between
the stems of the zinc C and the sides of the holes through the bottoms B¹ of the
carbon elements B, the said india rubber washers D thus serving to insulate the
zincs C from the carbous B. The stems C¹ of the zincs C are screwed at their
upper ends to receive thumb nuts C2 and pass upwards through washers C³ which
Bear upon the top of the cover A4. When the nuts are screwed down the
wasters D are compressed between the shoulders C of the zines C and the
washers C3 and they consequently expand laterally making liquid-tight joints
round the sides of the holes in the bottoms B and round the stems. CT of the
zines C and produce sufficient friction to hold the zincs securely in position. The
stems C¹ form point of connection for the conducting wires to the zincs, and
wires B³ moulded in or otherwise secured to the carbons B form points of connection
for the conducting wires to the carbons.
The
It will now be understood that when the battery is not in operation it stands in
the position shown in Figure 1, that is to say with the electrolyte E out of contact
with the elements B, C, but when it is required to put the battery into operation
it is turned over so that the elements B, C stand at the bottom; the electrolyte E
then comes in contact with the said elements and current is produced.
quantity of electrolyte in the battery should be regulated so that when the battery
is in its operative position the electrolyte shall not extend above the then upper
ends of the partitions A2 in order that the cells may act in series otherwise they
would act in parallel only.
By the arrangements above described the zines or other positive elements can
be easily inserted into and removed from the negative elements when the former
require renewal by simply screwing or unscrewing the nuts C³.
The battery may be used without any outer casing, but if preferred it may be
enclosed in any suitable box or casing. Figure 4 shows it enclosed in an outer
casing G on the front of which is arranged an electric incandescence lamp H
suitably connected to the elements of the battery, and on the back devices for
attaching the battery and lamp to a cycle for example.
Carbon and zinc are mentioned above as the elements of electrodes, but it is
obvious that other suitable negative and positive elements may be employed in
lieu of them.
The electrolyte may be introduced through an opening in the case A which may
be closed by a plug A5. The partitions A² are stopped short of the bottom .\"
in order to avoid the necessity of providing separate means of filling the electrolyte
into each cell separately and to enable the electrolyte from all the cells to mix
together when the battery is out of actien so as to secure uniform strength thereof.
The same effect may be produced by continuing the partitions to the bottom A.
and making perforations in them through which the electrolyte can pass from one
cell to the other.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we ueclare that what
we claim is :-
First. Negative elements for primary batteries constructed in the form of cells

page_text: having sides and a bottom, the latter being provided with an opening in which
the positive element can be fixed, substantially as described.
Second. In a primary battery the combination which consists of a negative
element constructed in the form of a cell having sides and a bottom, and a positive
element, secured in the bottom of the carbon element by means of an expanding
washer of insulating material compressed by a nut and screw, substantially as
described.
Third. In a primary battery constructing the cell casing with a liquid-tight
cover and partitions which are connected liquid-tight to the sides and cover of
the said cell casing, but are perforated or otherwise provided with communicating
passages at their lower ends whereby the whole of the electrolyte is mixed
together forming a single mass of liquid when the battery is out of action, but
is divided into separate portions distributed amongst the several cells when the
battery is in action substantially as described.
Fourth. A primary battery constructed and operating substantially as described.
141
T
1007
J. E. PRESTON.
C. SIMKIN.
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, S.E., Agent.