IMPROVEMENTS THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRODES FOR PRIMARY OR GALVANIC ELECTRIC BATTERIES
Year: 1884

page_text: I THOMAS ROWAN of Palace Chambers, in the City of Westminster Consulting
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRODES FOR PRIMARY OR GALVANIC ELECTRIC
BATTERIES" to be as follows:-
IN
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture or construction of
electrodes for primary or galvanic batteries which improvements are designed to
provide a maximum of active surface with a minimum or constant internal
resistance.
In carrying my invention into practice I employ iron copper manganese silver
lead or other suitable metal in a cellular spongy or porous state or in a state of
division which material is built up or formed into suitable plates or electrodes in
which I preferably employ an inoxidizable base or support either as plain sheets
or ribbons or a series of them or as perforated or ribbed plates or sheets which
extend throughout the electrode or are arranged or formed in such a manner as to
constitute an envelope for the same and I provide these electrodes with extensions
or terminals preferably moulded upon or permanently and intimately secured to or
with the inoxidizable parts of the electrode by fusion or otherwise. And in some
cases for the purpose of maintaining a constant internal resistance in the electrodes
I employ carbon or coke in a granulated or divided state mixed compounded or
fused with the metal or material to be employed as the active agent of the
electrodes. Such material can receive the desired configuration when placed in
suitably formed moulds or shaping devices with or without the application of
pressure and with or without the application of heat and with or without some
cementing agent for more firmly tying or uniting the parts together.
In some cases in order to provide for the construction of such electrodes I employ
a carbon base consisting of sheets or laminae or an open framework of carbon and
with or without such sheets or framework being provided with apertures recesses
or projections.
And I deposit or precipitate electrically electro chemically Or I fuse or mould
the carbon metal or material together by heating the metal or the metal alloyed or
compounded with another material or metal for instance lead and tin, lead and zinc,
zinc and salt, lead and salt, copper and zinc, iron and zinc, or in fact any suitable
"

page_text: combination and I remove electrically or by chemical agents or heat or dissolution
the metal or material from the metal which is designed to remain and constituto
the portion of the electrode And in some cases I subsequently oxidize or transform
to a spongy or porous or cellular state the metal such as iron copper zinc silver lead
or other suitable metal which is employed (supported or combined with the carbon)
through the medium of chemical agents solvents or heat. For instance in the
construction of such electrodes I can employ spongy iron or the oxyde of iron the
oxide or precipitate of copper or zinc, manganese or the like or the oxide of
manganese or of lead and mix the same with granulated carbon and support such
material in an envelope of inoxidizable material either as an insulating or conducting
material and these chambers or supports may be provided with wings blades
dividing or connecting strips which extend through the body of the material
constituting the active agent of the electrodes. And in some cases the carbon and
active agents are moulded into shape or compressed into such chambers with the
terminals or extension of the electrodes being integral therewith such terminals
may be of copper platinum or other suitable métal to which the ordinary or any
preferred character of screw clamp spring clutch or other terminal attachments may
be made with or without the employment of mercury in suitably formed sealed
cups for the establishment of a more perfect circuit at the point of union with the
external circuit.
It will be understood from the description given that the active metal of the
electrode can be moulded upon carbon plates or granules of carbon or upon
plates or laminae of platinum or other inoxidizable support with or to which the
extension constituting the terminals is formed or secured or the active agent may
be precipitated or deposited electrically or otherwise upon such support or the active
agent may be formed when upon such supported by the employment of oxidizing
agents or agents for rendering the material cellular or porous various means may be
employed for such purpose as will be well understood from the description herein
given.
In some cases I secure the terminals to the electrodes by deposition or
moulding.
In some cases I employ metal in combination with the oxide of the metal
instead or in combination with carbon or other inoxidizable sheets supports or
granules adapted to operate as a conducting media for maintaining a constant
internal resistance It will be understood that the stability of some metals are
dependent upon the character of the solution employed in the battery for instance
aluminium is oxidizable in an acid solution therefore aluminium is suitable in such
cases for maintaining a constant internal resistance in the electrodes and the
aluminium may form the core or support of the electrode under proper conditions
in any of the constructions described.
Dated this twenty first day of March 1884.

page_text: I, THOMAS ROWAN of Palace Chambers in the City of Westminster Consulting
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF ELECTRODES FOR PRIMARY OR GALVANIC ELECTRIC
BATTERIES 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 improvements in the manufacture or construction of
electrodes for primary or galvanic batteries which improvements are designed to
provide a maximum of active surface with a minimum or constant internal
resistance.
(a) In carrying my invention into practice I employ (in the construction of
electrodes for primary electric batteries) iron copper manganese silver lead or other
suitable metal in a cellular spongy or porous state or in a state of division which
material is built up or formed into suitable plates or electrodes in which I preferably
employ an inoxidizable base or support (for instance carbon) either as plain sheets
or ribbons or a series of them or as perforated or ribbed plates or sheets which
extend throughout the electrode or are arranged or formed in such a manner as to
constitute an envelope for the same and I provide these electrodes with extensions
or terminals preferably moulded upon or permanently and intimately secured to
or with the inoxidizable parts of the electrode by fusion or otherwise.
(b) In some cases for the purpose of maintaining a constant internal resistance
in the electrodes (of primary batteries) I employ carbon or coke in a granulated or
divided state mixed compounded or fused with the metal or material to be employed
as the active agent of the electrodes. Such material can receive the desired
configuration when placed in suitably formed moulds or shaping devices with or
without the application of pressure and with or without the application of heat
and with or without some cementing agent for more firmly tying or uniting tho
parts together.
(c) In some cases in order to provide for the construction of such electrodes (for
use in primary batteries) I employ a carbon base consisting of sheets or lamino
or an open framework of carbon and with or without such sheets or framework
being provided with apertures recesses or projections.
(d) In the construction of such electrodes for use in primary batteries in some
cases I deposit or precipitate electrically electro chemically or I fuse or mould the
carbon metal or material together by heating the metal or the metal alloyed or
compounded with another material or metal for instance lead and tin lead and zinc
zinc and salt lead and salt copper and zinc iron and zinc or in fact any suitablo
combination and I remove electrically or. by chemical agents or heat or dissolution
the metal or material from the metal which is designed to remain and constitute
the portion of the electrode and if desired I subsequently oxidize or transform to a
spongy or porous or cellular state the metal such as iron copper zinc silver lead or
other suitable metal which is employed (supported or combined with the carbon)
hrough the medium of chemical agents solvents or heat. For instance in the
construction of such electrodes :-
=
(e) In some cases I employ spongy iron or the oxide of iron the oxide or
precipitate of copper or zinc manganese or the like or the oxide of manganese or of
ead and mix the same with granulated carbon and support such material in an
nvelope of inoxidizable material or insulating material and these chambers or
upports may be provided with wings blades dividing or connecting strips which
xtend through the body of the material constituting the active agent of the
lectrodes,

page_text: (f) In some cases the carbon and active agents are mixed or incorporated
moulded into shape or compressed into such chambers with the terminals or extension
of the electrodes being integral therewith; such terminals may be of copper
platinum or other suitable metal to which the ordinary or any preferred character
of screw clamp spring clutch or other terminal attachments may be made with or
without the employment of mercury in suitably formed sealed cups for the
establishment of a more perfect circuit at the point of union with the external
circuit.
(9) In some cases I employ metal in combination with the oxide of the metal
instead of or in combination with carbon or other inoxidizable sheets supports or
granules adapted to operate as a conducting medium for maintaining a constant
internal resistance. It will be understood that the stability of some metals are
dependent upon the character of the solution employed in the battery for instance
aluminium is oxidizable in an acid solution therefore aluminium is suitable in such
cases for maintaining a constant internal resistance in the electrodes and the
aluminium may form the core or support of the electrode under proper conditions
in any of the constructions described and the terminals connections or parts can bo
secured to or with the electrodes in any preferred manner.
It will be understood from the description given that the active metal of the
electrode can be moulded upon carbon plates or granules of carbon or upon plates
or laminæ of platinum or other inoxidizable support with or to which the extension
constituting the terminals is formed or secured or the active agent may be
precipitated or deposited electrically or otherwise upon such support or the active
agent may be formed when upon such support by the employment of oxidizing
agents or agents for rendering the material cellular or porous; various means may
be employed for such purpose and the terminals can be secured to the electrodes by
deposition or moulding.
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 :-
Electrodes of primary or galvanic electric batteries constructed or formed
substantially as herein set forth in the respective paragraphs indicated by the
letters of reference a. b, c, d, e ƒ and g.
1
5
1100.1