Improvements in the Preparation or Manufacture of Negative Elements for Voltaic Batteries.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 7th Mar., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 7th June, 1887.
Improvements in the Preparation or Manufacture of Negative
Elements for Voltaic Batteries.
I, DESMOND GERALD FITZ-GERALD of 6 Akerman Road Brixton in the County
of Surrey Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates first to an improved method of manufacturing the "lithanode"
negative elements described in my former Patent dated April 15th 1885 No. 4671;
and it consists in the use of granulated peroxide of lead or of granules partly
converted into this peroxide in the production of the said elements; and secondly the
Invention has for its object to obtain a greater depolarising capacity for the said
negative elements or for any other suitable negative elements such as a plate of carbon
or of platinum; and it consists in partly or wholly surrounding the said elements with
the granulated peroxide of lead.
I obtain the granulated peroxide of lead by mixing preferably the monoxide of lead
(litharge) (or it may be the carbonate or some other salt of lead) with the solution of
a salt or acid which reacts more or less gradually upon the lead compound, and by
passing the plastic mass before the reaction is complete through a sieve or its
equivalent, or through an apparatus similar to that used in the manufacture of
vermicelli. The fragments produced by the granulating apparatus are allowed to
remain undisturbed until the chemical reaction is complete or nearly so, when the
granules acquire a considerable degree of hardness and do not disintegrate or become
reconverted into a plastic mass when they are immersed in a liquid. The granules are
next more or less superficially converted into peroxide of lead by treatment with
chlorine or with a hypochlorite and the conversion may afterwards be carried to
any required extent by means of electrolysis i.e. by bringing the granules into
contact with a suitable anode surface within an electrolyte such as dilute sulphuric
acid.

page_text: In making up negative elements, the granules more or less completely.converted
into peroxide by one or both of the above mentioned processes are mixed in any
suitable proportions with the plastic mass preferably of oxide of lead in admixture
with a solution such as those above mentioned, or with a mixture of glycerine and
water. The elements thus constructed are allowed to harden by exposure to the
atmosphere and are afterwards, before use, preferably subjected to further processes of
poroxidation either by the agency of chlorine, by that of electrolysis, or by both these
agencies consecutively.
A porous vessel, or preferably a perforated or reticulated vessel or partition made
of cellulose or other suitable material may be used to contain the granulated
peroxide when this is employed as a depolarising agent in contact with a negative
element.
Dated thi. 7th Jan of Tn 1000

page_text: Elements for Voltaic Batteries.
I, DESMOND GERALD FITZ-GERALD of 6 Akerman Road Brixton in the County of
Surrey Electrician 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, first, to an improved method of manufacturing the negative
elements denominated "lithanode" and described in the specification of former Letters
Patent granted to me dated April 15th 1885, No. 4671; and it consists in the
production of granular peroxide of lead (or of granules formed of monoxide of lead
and partly converted into this peroxide) and in the use thereof in the production of
the said elements; and secondly, the Invention has for its object to obtain a
greater depolarizing capacity for the said negative elements, or for any other
suitable negative elements such as a plate of carbon or of platinum; and it consists
in partly or wholly surrounding the negative elements with the granular peroxide
of lead.
I obtain the granular peroxide of lead by mixing preferably the monoxide of lead
(litharge) (or it may be the carbonate or some other salt of lead) with the solution of
à salt or acid which will react (more or less gradually) upon the lead compound in
such a way as to cause it to slowly "set" or harden, and by passing the plastic mass,
before the re-action is complete, through a sieve or its equivalent, or through an
apparatus similar to that used in the manufacture of Vermicelli.
The vermicular mass produced by this granulating apparatus breaks up into granules
and is allowed to remain undisturbed until the chemical reaction is complete, or nearly
so, when the granules acquire a considerable degree of hardness and do not disin-
tegrate or become re-converted into a plastic mass when they are immersed in a liquid.
The granules are next more or less superficially converted into peroxide of lead
by treatment with chlorine or with a hypochlorite, and the conversion may afterwards
be carried to any required extent by means of electrolysis-i.e. by bringing the
granules into contact with a suitable anode surface within an electrolyte, such as dilute
sulphuric acid.
The salt or acid by which the lead compound is to be caused to "set" must be such as is
specified by my former Patent aforesaid, that is to say, it must be decomposable by
oxide of lead, and its radical must form with lead an insoluble, or nearly insoluble
compound.
In making "lithanode" negative elements by the present Invention, the granules
more or less completely converted into peroxide by one or both of the above mentioned
processes, are mixed in any suitable proportions with the plastic mass preferably of
oxide of lead in admixture with a solution, such as one of those above mentioned, or
with glycerine, or with a mixture of glycerine and water which will produce the same

page_text: effect, i.e. cause the mass to "set." The elements thus constructed are allowed to
harden by exposure to the atmosphere, and are afterwards, before use, preferably
subjected to further processes of peroxidation either by the agency of chlorine, by that
of electrolysis, or by both these agencies consecutively.
A porous vessel, or preferably a perforated or reticulated vessel or partition made
of celluloid or other suitable material, may be used to contain the granulated peroxide,
when this is employed as a depolarizing agent, in contact with a negative element made of
"lithanode," or other suitable negative element such as carbon or platinum, the said
element being surrounded by the granulated peroxide, as above mentioned.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. The herein described process of producing granular peroxide of lead, or partially
peroxidized granules of lead compound, which process consists in granulating a plastic
mixture composed of litharge (or its equivalent) and a solution of a salt or an acid
which slowly reacts upon the lead compound and causes it to "set" whilst the
granulating operation is being effected, and subsequently more or less completely
converting the granulated substance into peroxide of lead by the agency of chlorine,
or of electrolysis, or by both these agencies.
2. The herein described process of manufacturing negative elements for voltaic
batteries, which process consists in incorporating granular peroxide of lead or
peroxidized granules of load compound (obtained by the action of electrolysis, or of
chlorine, or by both these agencies combined, upon a mass mainly composed of the
monoxide of load which has been granulated and caused to "sot" as herein-described)
with a plastic mass composed of monoxide of lead in admixture with the solution of a
salt or an acid which will cause the mass to "set," or with glycerine, or a solution of
glycerine in water.
3. The use, in combination with and surrounding an element of carbon, platinum, or
"lithanode," of the granular peroxide of lead, or partially peroxidized granules of lead
compound as a depolarizing agent, the same being contained within a porous, perforated,
or reticulated vessel or partition.