IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BATTERIES." A communi-
cation from abroad by Ferdinando Tommasi, of Paris, in the Republic of
France.
Sealed the 13th April 1880, and dated the 29th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th October 1879.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
BATTERIES." [A communication from abroad by Ferdinando Tommasi, of Paris, in the
Republic of France.]
The object of this Invention is to provide a battery which will act with unvarying
intensity for an unlimited time, and in which the chemical action may be stopped
when the battery is thrown out of use.
.
The Invention applies to that class of battery in which two exciting liquids are
employed. In constructing a cell according to this Invention an outer vessel is
employed, which may be described as consisting of two cylinders of about equal
depth, but of different diameters, joined together end to end. The lower half of this
vessel has the smaller diameter, and constitutes the bottom of the vessel. The
annular portion which joins the two cylinders together constitute an annular gutter,
and forms a support for a cylinder of zinc, which is attached by cement to the upper
half of the vessel.
This zinc cylinder is bevilled at its upper periphery, to form between it and the
vessel a gutter for the reception of mercury, and in the gutter at the foot of the
zinc cylinder mercury is also placed. This is for the purpose of maintaining
the amalgamation of the zinc. Within the zinc cylinder, and reaching down to the
bottom of the outer vessels, a cylindrical porous pot is placed. This pot is glazed at
the bottom, and to about one half its height, or to a level with the bottom edge of
the zinc cylinder, and from its top edge down to a level with the exciting liquid
contained in the outer vessel.

page_text: In this partially porous pot a semi cylinder of carbon of about half the depth of
the pot is suspended, and a semi cylinder of glass or earthenware of corresponding
bulk is provided, which is also suspended from a rod sliding through a cover with
which the cell is fitted. The outer vessel is fitted with dilute sulphuric acid and
the porous pot with strong nitric acid.
To set the cell in action it is only necessary to depress the semi cylinder of
earthenware, in order to displace the nitric acid at the bottom of the pot and cause
it to rise and surround the carbon. At this time the two exciting liquids will be
separated only by the porous portion of the pot, and the electric action will therefore
be set up on closing the circuit. To arrest this action it will only be necessary to
draw up the earthenware semi cylinder, when the level of the nitric acid will sink
into the glazed portion of the pot, and the action between the two liquids will
cease.
To construct a battery from cells thus arranged, and to maintain the intensity of
the battery, the outer vessels of the cells are connected together by syphon pipes
suitably provided with exhausting apparatus.
The first vessel of the series is supplied from a suitable reservoir with dilute
sulphuric acid, and the last vessel is fitted with an overflow pipe. By this means a
continuous flow of the exciting liquor through the battery is maintained, and the
intensity of the battery with little or no variation is secured.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
April 1880.
ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office of Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC
BATTERIES." A communication from abroad by Ferdinando Tommasi, of Paris, in
the Republic of France.
The object of this Invention is to provide a battery which will act with unvarying.
intensity for an unlimited time, and in which the chemical action may be stopped
when the battery is thrown out of use.
The Invention applies to that class of battery in which two exciting liquids are
employed. In constructing a cell according to this Invention an outer vessel is
employed, which may be described as consisting of two cylinders of about equal
depth, but of different diameters, joined together end to end. The lower half of
this vessel has the smaller diameter, and constitutes the bottom of the vessel. The
annular portion which joins the two cylinders together constitutes an annular
trough or gutter, and forms a support for a cylinder of zinc, which is also cemented
to the upper half of the vessel. This zinc cylinder is bevilled at its upper end to
form between it and the vessel a second trough or gutter for the reception of
mercury, and in the gutter at the foot of the zinc cylinder mercury is also placed.
This is for the purpose of maintaining the amalgamation of the zinc. Within the
zinc cylinder, and reaching down to the bottom of the outer vessel, a cylindrical
porous pot is placed. This pot is glazed at the bottom and to about one half its
height, or to a level with the bottom edge of the zinc cylinder, and from its top
edge down to a level with the exciting liquid contained in the outer vessel. In this
partially porous pot a semi-cylinder of carbon of about one half the depth of the pot
is suspended, and a semi-cylinder of glass or earthenware of corresponding bulk is
provided, which is also suspended from a rod sliding through a cover with which
the cell is fitted. The outer vessel is filled with dilute sulphuric acid, and the
porous pot about half filled with strong nitric acid.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a single cell of a
"Bunsen " battery, arranged according to the present Invention; Fig. 2 is a detached
view of the porous pot, shewing the same in sectional plan view taken in the line
A, B, of Fig. 1, and shewing the carbon and glass semi-cylinders in plan; Fig. 3 is
a plan view of three cells of a battery, shewing the mode of connecting the cells
with each other for the purpose of establishing a flow of the dilute sulphuric
acid through the battery, and maintaining the same at a common level in all the
cells.
a, a, is the outer vessel, composed of glazed earthenware or equivalent material,
which will be unaffected by the action of the dilute sulphuric acid contained therein;
b is the cover of a box furnished with holes to receive the smaller diameter of the
cells, which rest thereon as shewn at Fig. 1; d is the zinc cylinder resting in the
gutter e, which is charged with mercury. This zinc cylinder fits the upper part of
the vessel a, and is made fast therein by suitable cement; e' is an annular gutter at
the upper part of cylinder d, also charged with mercury; f is the porous pot which
receives the nitric acid. This pot is glazed for the greater part of its height, as
indicated by the thick lines g, g, a porous portion being left, as at g*, g*; h, h, is the
semi-cylinder of carbon divided vertically to increase its acting surface. This
carbon is suspended from the cover k and reaches down to the lower glazed portion
of the pot; i is a semi-cylindrical block of glass or earthenware attached to a rod j,
which passes freely through the cover k, and serves to adjust the position of the
block with respect to the nitric acid, for the purpose of raising or lowering the
level of that liquid.

page_text: To set the cell in action it is only necessary to depress the filling block i to the
position shewn at Fig. 1. This will displace the nitric acid at the bottom of the
pot, and cause it to rise and surround the carbon. At this time the two exciting
liquids will be separated only by the porous portion of the pot, and the electric
action will therefore be set up on closing the circuit. To arrest this action it will
only be necessary to draw up the block i, when the level of the nitric acid will
sink into the glazed portion of the pot, and the action between the two liquids
will cease.
To construct a battery from cells arranged as above described, and to maintain
the intensity of such battery, the outer vessels u, a, of the cells are connected
together, as shewn in the plan view, Fig. 3, by syphon pipes c, c, of glass or other
suitable material provided with means for exhausting the air therefrom, such for
example as a collapsible vessel of india rubber c¹, c. The first of the vessels a of
the series is supplied by a pipe from a suitable reservoir with dilute sulphuric
acid, and the last vessel is fitted with an overflow pipe. By this means a continuous
How of the exciting liquor through the battery is maintained, and the intensity of
the battery with little or no variation is secured. m is a cock fitted to the first
vessel a of the series, and serving to draw off the dilute sulphuric acid from the
series of cells.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Electric
Batteries," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained the manner of
carrying the same inte offect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in
part recited Letters Patent,
I claim,―
First. The construction and arrangement of cell constructed and arranged as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Second. The arrangement above described for maintaining the amalgamation of
the zinc.
Third. The means above described for putting the cell in or out of action as
desired.
Fourth. The arrangement above described with reference to Fig. 3 for connecting
together any number of cells to form a battery, which having a constant supply of
exciting liquid will discharge the same as it is spent, an uniform level of the liquid
being at the same time maintained in all the cells.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
land and seal, the Twenty eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
part recited Letters Patent,
I claim,-
First. The construction and arrangement of cell constructed and arranged as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings.
Second. The arrangement above described for maintaining the amalgamation of
the zinc.
Third. The means above described for putting the cell in or out of action as
desired.
Fourth. The arrangement above described with reference to Fig. 3 for connecting
together any number of cells to form a battery, which having a constant supply of
exciting liquid will discharge the same as it is spent, an uniform level of the liquid
being at the same time maintained in all the cells.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have hereunto set my
land and seal, the Twenty eighth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
NEWTON.. (L.S.)