Improvements in and relating to Electric Batteries.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Electric Batteries.
I, BERNHARD SCHEITHAUER of 5, Niemeyerstrasse, Halle on the Saale, in the
Empire of Germany, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :--
This invention relates to electric batteries and comprises a method of keeping
them constant, which consists in hermetically closing the outer vessels of the cells
and continually introducing oxygen gas into them at such a rate that all the
hydrogen which is liberated at or deposited upon the negative electrode will at once
combine with the said oxygen to form water.
By this means the occurrence of the so-called polarization is prevented with
certainty and therefore the inconveniences resulting therefrom are completely
obviated.
The method may be modified in the following manner, that is to say the voltaic
cells composing the battery may be left open above and placed in a hermetically
closed box, into which oxygen gas is continually introduced.
In carrying this method into practice the cells are constructed and arranged as
represented in the accompanying drawing.
In the arrangement represented in Figure 1 each vessel a of a cell is hermetically
closed at the top by means of a lid a'. Through this lid two tubes 61 and 6 made
of glass or lead extend into the interior of the vessel one of which, 61, reaches
nearly to the bottom of the vessel and serves for the introduction of the oxygen-
gas, whilst the other, 63, extends only a little below the lid a' and allows any excess
of oxygen to escape. If several cells are placed side by side the outside end of the
outlet tube 6' is bent and passed through the lid a¹ and nearly to the bottom of the
next cell in order to serve as a gas admission tube for the said cell. The outlet
tube 6x of the last cell of a battery may with advantage extend straight upwards
as indicated in Figure 1.
The first gas admission tube b¹ of a battery is connected with a gas holder, in
which oxygen-gas produced in any well-known manner is collected. On opening
a cock or valve provided in the admission tube 61 the gas passes through the cells
and escapes by the last tube b*. This tube is left open only until all the air is
expelled from all the cells. This is the case if an incandescent splint, held over
the outer orifice of 6*, flames up again. The tube 6x is then closed by means of a
cork soaked in liquid paraffin wax. In order that the pressure in the cells shall
not become too great a suitable pressure-reducing valve is provided in the
admission tube 61, which regulates the pressure in the battery.
If now the cell or the battery is set in action by closing the circuit, decomposition
of the water of the electrolyte into its elements takes place. The hydrogen at the
moment of its liberation combines with the oxygen introduced to form water, and
this mixes with the electrolyte so that the amount of water in the electrolyte
remains constant, and no fresh water is required to be poured in.
Instead of closing the outer vessels of the cells at the top they may be left open,
but in that case all the cells must be arranged in an hermetically closed box. This
arrangement is represented in Figure 2.
The box c containing the elements is provided with a gas admission tube b¹ and
an outlet tube 6*. The latter is closed again after the air has been expelled from
the box. The spaces between the cells and between the latter and the box are
preferably filled with sand, in order to prevent the access of oxygen-gas to these
spaces. The box c may be lower than represented and the electrodes may then

page_text: extend up through the lid c'. The oxygen gas introduced acts in the same manner
as in the arrangement first described."
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 :-
The method of keeping electric batteries constant, which consists in continually
introducing into closed voltaic cells, or into an hermetically closed box surrounding
an open cell or cells as much oxygen gas as is necessary to transform all the
hydrogen liberated at the negative electrode into water and thereby prevent the
occurrence of the counter-electromotive-force of polarization.
Dated this 20th day of October 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.