IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1884

page_text: I PAUL RAOUL DE FAUCHEUX D'HUMY of Carlton Mansions Clapham Rise in
the County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES to be as follows :—
According to my present invention instead of employing cylindrical or other
shaped porous cells made in one piece of earthenware and placed in the centre of
outer cells formed concentric therewith or of other suitable form I employ a tank or
chamber or a series of tanks or chambers each of which is formed on the inner face
of two opposite sides with a series of vertical grooves in which I place a series of
porous earthenware slabs or plates so as to form a series of chambers within which
the negative and positive elements are placed alternately.
The carbon or negative elements and the metal or positive elements are also
formed in the shape of slabs or plates provided with extended surfaces according
to an invention for which I obtained Letters Patent dated February 3, 1883
No 592 which are placed in similar grooves to those in which the porous slabs or
plates are received.
The joints at the ends and bottoms of the porous earthenware slabs or plates are
made tight by means of solid paraffin wax or other suitable material. I sometimes
dispense with the porous earthenware slabs or plates in which case I arrange the
carbon slabs or plates in pairs with only a small space between them to receive
acid or other exciting liquid; the joints at the ends and bottoms of these carbon
slabs or plates are in this case made tight as before described with respect to the
porous earthenware slabs or plates. The carbon slabs or plates are also made of a
porous character to permit of the acid or other exciting liquid in the space between
two of them passing gradually through the body of such carbon slabs or plates.
Supposing a single main tank or chamber to be divided into two or more tanks
or chambers by one or more divisions fixed therein I perforate the division or
divisions at or near the botton thereof to permit the acid or other exciting liquid
in the several spaces between the various porous slabs or plates to pass from the
One set of spaces into the other corresponding set or sets of spaces in the adjoining
tank or chamber. I also form similar holes in the ends of the main tank and at
one end I fix a supply tank for the acid which is capable of passing through said
holes into the said spaces, and below the main tank or chamber I place a receiving
tank which is connected by a pipe with a series of cocks or valves communicating

page_text: with the holes in that end of the main tank which is opposite the supply tank
A pipe passes from the bottom of the receiving tank to the top of the supply tank
and a series of valves are connected with the holes leading from the supply
tank into the various spaces. Thus by supplying compressed air to the upper part
of the receiving tank and opening the valves in the supply tank I am enabled to
force the acid or other exciting liquid from the receiving tank into the supply tank
from which it flows into the various spaces between the porous earthenware or
carbon plates so as to supply said liquid to the various cells or spaces of the
battery; if however some only of the valves in the supply chamber are open then
only the cells or spaces communicating therewith will be supplied. If after the
battery has been at work and it is desired to empty the acid cells or chambers, or
only some of them, then all or some only of the outlet cocks are opened when
the acid in the cells or chambers required to be emptied will flow therefrom into
the communicating pipe from whence it may be drawn off by a suitable cock or
valve or by shutting the latter and opening another it may be allowed to flow into
the receiving tank.
I also connect to the battery an overflow chamber into which the water or other
exciting liquid from the positive cells or chambers can flow when from any cause it
should rise above a given level and from which such overflow liquid can be run
away to waste or for use as may be desired.
This part of my Invention is also applicable to other descriptions of batteries
than that above described.
I also according to my present Invention form carbon plates or slabs for use as
above described in the following manner I take thick fabric such as hemp canvas
and steep it in a bath consisting of powdered carbon mixed with a small quantity
of sugar and tar with the addition of naptha or other suitable hydro-carbon to
obtain the required fluidity.
After the fabric is sufficiently saturated with this preparation it is partially dried
in the air after which it is completely dried in a suitable drying chamber, it is
then cut to the required size and placed between metal plates in a crucible where
it is submitted to the required degree of heat but not sufficient to destroy the fibre
of the cloth. By these means I obtain carbon slabs or plates for use in batteries as
above described, which are flexible or fibrous and therefore less liable to be broken
or injured in use and transport than when slabs or plates of ordinary carbon are
employed.
This part of my Invention is also applicable to the manufacture of carbons for
other descriptions of galvanic batteries.

page_text: I PAUL RAOUL DE FAUCHEUX D'HUMY of Carlton Mansions Clapham Rise in
the County of Surrey, Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
According to my present invention instead of employing cylindrical or other
shaped porous cells made in one piece of earthenware and placed in the centre of
outer cells formed concentric there with or of other suitable form, I employ a tank or
chamber or a series of tanks or chambers each of which is formed on the inner face
of two opposite sides with a series of vertical grooves in which I place a series of
porous earthenware slabs or plates so as to form a series of chambers within which
the negative and positive elements are placed alternately. The carbon or negative
elements and the metal or positive elements are also formed in the shape of slabs
or plates provided with extended surfaces according to an invention for which I
obtained Letters Patent dated February 3, 1883 N° 592 which are placed in similar
grooves to those in which the porous slabs or plates are received.
The joints at the ends and bottoms of the porous earthenware slabs or plates are
made tight by means of solid paraffin, wax or other suitable material.
I
I sometimes dispense with the porous earthenware slabs or plates in which case
arrange the carbon slabs or plates in pairs with only a small space between them
to receive acid or other exciting liquid; the joints at the ends and bottoms of these
carbon slabs or plates are in this case made tight as before described with respect
to the porous earthenware slabs or plates. The carbon slabs or plates are also
made of a porous character to permit of the acid or other exciting liquid in the
space between two of them passing gradually through the body of such carbon
slabs or plates.
Supposing a single main tank or chamber to be divided into two or more tanks
or chambers by one or more divisions fixed therein, I perforate the division or
divisions at or near the bottom thereof to permit the acid or other exciting liquid
in the several spaces between the various porous slabs or plates to pass from the
one set of spaces into the other corresponding set or sets of spaces in the adjoining
tank or chamber. I also form similar holes in the ends of the main tank and at
one end I fix a supply tank for the acid which is capable of passing through said
holes into the said spaces, and below the main tank or chamber I place a receiving
tank which is connected by a pipe with a series of cocks or valves communicating
with the holes in that end of the main tank which is opposite the supply tank. A
pipe passes from the bottom of the receiving tank to the top of the supply tank
and a series of valves are connected with the holes leading from the supply tank
into the various spaces.
Thus by supplying compressed air to the upper part of the receiving tank and
opening the valves in the supply tank I am enabled to force the acid or other
exciting liquid from the receiving tank into the supply tank from which it flows
into the various spaces between the porous earthenware or carbon plates so as to
supply said liquid to the various cells or spaces of the battery; if however some
only of the valves in the supply chamber are open then only the cells or spaces
communicating therewith will be supplied. If after the battery has been at work
and it is desired to empty the acid cells or chambers or only some of them then all
or some only of the outlet cocks are opened when the acid in the cells or chambers
required to be emptied will flow therefrom into the communicating pipe from

page_text: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section: Figure 2 is a cross section: and Figure 3 is a
plan of a galvanic battery constructed according to my invention and Figure 4 is a
plan representing a slight modification.
According to my present invention instead of employing cylindrical or other
shaped porous cells made in one piece of earthenware and placed in the centre of
outer cells formed concentric therewith or of other suitable form I employ a tank
or chamber a or a series of tanks or chambers a each of which is formed on the
inner face of two opposite sides with a series of vertical grooves a¹ in which
I place a series of porous earthenware slabs or plates b so as to form a series of
chambers c c within which the negative and positive elenients d. e. are placed
alternately. The carbon or negative elements d and the metal or positive elements c
are also formed in the shape of slabs or plates provided with extended surfaces as
shown according to an invention for which I obtained Letters Patent dated
February 3, 1883, No 592 which are placed in similar grooves to those in which
the porous slabs or plates b are received.
The joints at the ends and bottoms of the porous earthenware slabs or plates are
made tight by means of solid paraffin, wax or other suitable material. I sometimes
dispense with the porous earthenware slabs or plates 6 in which case I arrange the
carbon slabs or plates d as shown at Figure 4 in pairs with only a small space
between them to receive acid or other exciting liquid; the joints at the ends and
bottoms of these carbon slabs or plates d are in this case made tight as before
described with respect to the porous earthenware slabs or plates b. The carbon
slabs or plates & are also made of a porous character to permit of the acid or other
exciting liquid in the space between two of them passing gradually through the
body of such carbon slabs or plates d.
Supposing a single main tank or chamber a to be divided into two or more tanks
.or chambers by one or more divisions a² fixed therein I perforate the division or
divisions a² at or near the bottom thereof as shown at a³ to permit the acid or

page_text: other exciting liquid in the several spaces between the various porous slabs or plates
to pass from the one set of spaces into the other corresponding set or sets of spaces
in the adjoining tank or chamber. I also form similar holes (which are marked a¹)
in the ends of the main tank and at one end I fix a supply tank fƒ for the acid
which is capable of passing through said holes at into the spaces communicating
therewith and below the main tank or chamber a I place a receiving tank g which
is connected by a pipe h with a series of cocks or valves h¹ communicating with the
holes in that end of the main tank a which is opposite to that adjoining the supply
tank f. A pipe i passes from the bottom of the receiving tank g to the top of the
supply tank fand a series of valves are connected with the holes a leading from
the supply tank into the various spaces.
The valves j are fixed to the lower ends of levers j mounted on axes j³, the
upper ends of such levers being acted on by springs to keep the valvesj up to
their seats; other descriptions of valves may however be employed.
By supplying compressed air by means of a foot bellows k communicating by a
pipe with the receiving tank g or by other suitable means and opening the
valves in the supply tank f, I am enabled to force the acid or other exciting
liquid from the receiving tank g into the supply tank f from which it flows into
the various spaces between the porous earthenware plates 6 or carbon plates d so as
to supply said liquid to the various cells or spaces of the battery; if however some
only of the valves j in the supply tank or chamber are open then only the cells or
spaces communicating therewith will be supplied.
If after the battery has been at work and it is desired to empty the acid cells or
chambers or only some of them then all or some only of the outlet cocks ¹ are
opened when the acid in the cells or chambers required to be emptied will flow
therefrom into the communicating pipe from whence it may be drawn off by a
suitable cock or valve h³ or by shutting the latter and opening another (h³) it may
be allowed to flow into the receiving tank g.
I also connect to the battery an overflow chamber into which the water or
other exciting liquid from the positive cells or chambers can flow when from any
cause it should rise above a given level and from which such overflow liquid can be
run away to waste or for use as may be desired. The liquid from the positive cells
or chambers can, when required be run off therefrom by taps or valves m. This
part of my invention for receiving the overflow liquid from the positive cells or
chambers is also applicable to other descriptions of batteries than that above
described.
I also according to my present invention form carbon plates or slabs for use as
above described in the following manner; I take thick fabric such as hemp canvas
and steep it in a bath consisting of powdered carbon mixed with a small quantity
of sugar and tar, with the addition of naptha or other suitable hydro-carbon to
obtain the required fluidity.
After the fabric is sufficiently saturated with this preparation, it is partially
dried in the air after which it is completely dried in a suitable drying chamber, it
is then cut to the required size and placed between metal plates in a crucible
where it is submitted to the required degree of heat, but not sufficient to destroy
the fibre of the cloth.
By these means I obtain carbon slabs or plates for use in batteries as above
described, which are flexible or fibrous and therefore less liable to be broken or
injured in use and transport than when slabs or plates of ordinary carbon, are
employed.
This part of my invention is also applicable to the manufacture of carbons for
other descriptions of galvanic batteries."
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 claim is
1. Constructing galvanic batteries of one or more tanks or chambers a formed
with grooves a¹ to receive porous slabs b so as to form a series of chambers c c¹
-

page_text: within which the negative and positive elements de are placed in other grooves a¹.
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination of one or more tanks or chambers a grooves a¹ openings a³ a
slabs 6 chambers c, c¹, negative and positive elements d, e, supply chamber f, receiving
chamber g, pipe h, taps or valves h¹, h and h³ tube i valves j, bellows k tube k
overflow chamber and outlet cocks or valves m all arranged substantially as
herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
3. Forming the cells or chambers for the negative and positive elements by
employing slabs b of porous earthenware fitted into grooves a¹ substantially as
herein shown and described.
4. In galvanic batteries dispensing with the slabs b of porous earthenware and
employing only the negative and positive elements de fitted and arranged.sub-
stantially as shown and described with respect to Figure 4 so as to form narrow
spaces or chambers for the reception of the exciting liquid for the negative element
and broader chambers for the reception of the positive elements and the exciting
liquid for the same.
5. The method substantially as herein described of constructing carbon plates or
slabs for use in the manner heretofore described and carbons of other forms for
other descriptions of galvanic batteries.
Dated this 20th der of Tanuary 1985
P: R. DE FAUCHEUX D'HUMY.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings,
Agents.