Improvements in Voltaic Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Voltaic Batteries.
"
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Buildings,
in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from
abroad by La Société d'Etude des Piles Electriques, of 8, Rue de l'Echelle,
Paris, France, Manufacturers,) to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in voltaic batteries of the kind in
which heated air acts as depolariser, but instead of the air acting outside the
battery or escaping through the electrolyte as in former batteries of this type,
it is, according to this invention, led into the copper electrodes where there is
thus provided a kind of internal atmosphere of hot air in intimate contact with
the electrolyte, and capable of absorbing on the electrode itself the hydrogen
which is disengaged causing polarisation.
For this purpose, the battery has a number of elements each of which has a
positive electrode constructed as follows. Two sheets of copper gauze or of
finely perforated copper are set a little apart and soldered together at the edges
so as to form a thin case into the lower part of which leads a small air pipe which
may be extended along the base with perforations for distributing the air
uniformly within the case. On the outside of this case, on each side is fixed a
protecting sheet of large meshed copper gauze which forms part of the electrode.
Each negative electrode consists of two zinc plates one on each side of the positive
electrode, each of these plates being covered with parchment paper and a thick
sheet of asbestos bent around the plates in U form and having their top edges
secured together by a U clamp of celluloid. The air tubes which supply the
cases are vertical branches from a pipe that extends along the battery above it
from an air pump which is worked from time to time to force heated air into
the copper cases. This issuing through the meshes of the gauze clears away
the hydrogen.
The electrolyte liquid is fed from a cistern at one end of the battery by a
pipe that descends to the bottom and overflows at the other end into a tank
whence it may be transferred back to the supply reservoir.
The strokes of the air pump cause, as it were, throbbing movements of the
walls of the positive electrodes which greatly promote the depolarising action.
The interior of the positive electrode may be loosely filled with asbestos or the
like, and instead of copper and zinc other suitable metals may be employed,
in constructing the electrodes.
Dated this 5th day of No 1800
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of Birkbeck Bank Chambers, Southampton Build-
ings, in the County of London, Consulting Engineer and Chartered Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from
abroad by La Société d'Etude des Piles Electriques, of 8, Rue de l'Echelle,
Paris, France, Manufacturers) and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in voltaic batteries of the kind in
which heated air acts as depolariser, but instead of the air acting outside the
battery or escaping through the electrolyte as in former batteries of this type,
is, according to this invention, led into the copper electrodes where there is
thus provided a kind of internal atmosphere of hot air in intimate contact with
the electrolyte, and capable of absorbing on the electrode itself the hydrogen
which is disengaged causing polarisation.
For this purpose, the battery is constructed as I shall describe referring to
the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section and Fig. 2 is a side view of a copper
electrode of the battery which is introduced between two negative electrodes and
Fig. 3 is an elevation shewing the battery with its connections to reservoir pump
and tank.
For each of the positive electrodes two sheets of copper gauze or copper finely
perforated are placed at a little distance apart and soldered together at their
edges so as to form a thin case A into the lower part of which leads at a small
air pipe B, the part 6 of which within the case is extended along the base and is
perforated so as to distribute the air uniformly within the case A. On the
outside of A on each side is fixed a sheet C of large meshed copper gauze which
forms part of the electrode and is held in position by copper clips c all round
the edge.
Each negative electrode consists of two zinc plates D one on each side of A.
Each plate D is covered by parchment paper d and a thick layer E of asbestos
which is bent round the lower edge of the plate, its two folds being secured at
the top by celluloid clips e. As shewn in Fig. 3 the air pipes B are vertical
branches of a horizontal pipe F connected to a pump P which is worked from
time to time forcing heated air into the cases A. This issuing through the
meshes or perforations clears away the hydrogen.
The electrolyte liquid is fed from a reservoir R by a pipe G provided with a
stop cockr, which pipe descends to the bottom at one end of the battery, and
overflows by a pipe H into a tank I whence it may be drawn to be regenerated
and used again.
The heated air introduced into the cases A occupies the fine meshes or perfora-
tions of its walls and thus forms as it were a uniform thin layer ready to act on
the globules of hydrogen resulting from the action of the battery which lodge
on the positive electrodes.
The strokes of the air pump cause, as it were, throbbing movements of the
walls of the positive electrodes which greatly promote the depolarising action.
The interior of the positive electrode may be loosely filled with asbestos or the
like, and instead of copper and zinc other suitable metals may be employed
in constructing the electrodes.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A voltaic battery having as negative electrodes plates of zinc or other soluble
metal, covered by parchment paper and layers of non-conducting material, and
having as positive electrodes thin cases of copper gauze or perforated copper
supplied internally with heated air so as to be in intimate contact with the
electrolyte and to clear away the polarising hydrogen, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of February 1900.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.