Year: 1885

page_text: Two clerical errors in the Original Specification having been amended by
consent of the Comptroller, the Printed Specification will now read as shown by
the corrected line below:-
-

page_text: I, CHARLES PARKER ORNE, of Cambridge, County of Middlesex, State of Massa-
chusetts United States of America, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC ELEMENTS," 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 a voltaic element or pile, so called, for producing an
electric current and consists in this particular instance in the peculiar construction
and form of one of the electrodes forming said element.
This element consists like various others of a jar or reservoir of any proper
material for holding an acid solution and within such solution is a plate or stick of
carbon and a porous cell, the latter in the present instance containing quicksilver
and a stick or piece of zinc immersed therein.
In the drawings Fig. 1 represents the element as complete, while Fig. 2 shows
a vertical section of my improved form of electrode embodying my invention.
In such drawings A represents the element as an entirety, B the vessel for
containing the acid solution, C the carbon or positive electrode and D the negative
electrode. The latter is compound so to speak, that is it consists of a porous cup E
which is preferably cylindrical in shape, the lower cylinder a being surmounted by
and forming part of a second cylinder 6 of larger diameter.
Hitherto in voltaic elements or piles of the class before premised, during long
continued action of the acid solution upon the zinc amalgam, while the element is
being actively employed, causes the formation of large quantities of sulphate of
zinc upon the walls of the lower part of the porous cup E.
Thus the capacity of the latter is very much lessened and the amalgam is forced
upwards towards the top of the cup, and over the edge of the latter and runs to
waste.
I have therefore constructed the cell E in the manner above described and have
secured a large chamber with sufficient room to hold the amalgam under ordinary
circumstances and prevent it from overflowing and being lost.
I do not desire to
be limited to the precise form of cup as herein described, since evident modifications
may be introduced without departing from the spirit of my invention, thus a
porous cup may be constructed of the shape of an inverted cone by which & very
much increased area or capacity is secured at or near the top and the same object
obtained.

page_text: Furthermore I have introduced an improvement in the shape of the rod or
stick of zinc c which is shown as provided with a hole d passing through it
longitudinally. While within the upper part b of the cup E I have disposed a
tightly fitting stopple e through which is passed a metallic rod F.
This rod extends into the amalgam passing through the bore d, which is a loose
fit therefor and consequently the zinc is free to move thereupon whenever
circumstances may require.
By this employment of a piece of zinc so constructed we can by means of the
stopple and its metallic rod maintain and hold the zinc in the center of the cup E
and thus prevent said zinc from having contact with the walls of the cup; as
should the zinc touch the sides of the cup it would cause chemical action to take
place whether the element was in use or not, causing the formation of sulphate of
zinc and unnecessarily weaking and destroying the action of the element.
Moreover by permitting the zinc to play freely upon the rod F the zinc, since it
floats in amalgam may move down as fast as its lower end is dissolved off by said
amalgam. Thus a constant metallic connection is maintained until the zinc is
entirely destroyed.
On the other hand provided the zinc and rod were secured together after the
amalgam had dissolved off the end of the zinc, the amalgam would cease to touch
it, the metallic contact would be broken and the element would be rendered at
once inactive until the zinc was again lowered and immersed in the amalgam.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I olaim is
1st In a voltaic element, the combination with a porous cell having an enlarged
upper portion, of a stopple, a metallic rod and the zinc longitudinally bored and
moving loosely upon said rod, substantially as and for purposes set forth.
2nd In a voltaic element, the improved electrode consisting of a porous cell
adapted to receive amalgam and provided with an enlarged upper portion, a
stopple closing the mouth thereof and a metallic rod loosely supporting the stick
of zinc, and adapted to maintain the latter in proper position within the porous
cell, substantially as stated.