IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT, to George Edward Dering, of Lockleys, in the County
of Herts, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Edward Dering
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
.1st July 1856.
I, GEORGE EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES,"
to be as follows:-
My first improvement consists in certain new exciting liquids for the
negative element of those kinds of batteries in which nitric acid, or a mixture
of nitric acid and sulphuric acid, has usually been, employed, to excite their
negative element, and for this purpose I employ the liquids resulting from the
addition of the salts, nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda, or other. suitable
nitrates or nitrites to. sulphuric acid. I am aware that it has been pro-
posed to employ similarly certain aqueous mixtures of these salts, or of
some of them, with sulphuric acid, and I do not claim the use of such liquids;
but my process consists, firstly, in placing the salts directly in contact with
the acid without previously dissolving them, and without the addition of
water, unless in quantity not exceeding one-third of the whole; or, secondly,
in mixing with the acid a solution of the salt, in quantity not exceeding one-
third of the whole; both of which plans I find to be attended with a more
powerful evolution of electricity, and other important advantages.

page_text: My second improvement consists in the use of a mixture of nitric acid
and hydrochloric acid, either with or without the addition of sulphuric
acid, or other acids, as an exciting liquid for the negative element of those
kinds of batteries in which nitric acid, or a mixture of nitric acid and sul-
phuric acid, has usually been employed to excite their negative element.
My third improvement consists in certain methods of employing iron of any
description, or alloys of iron and other metals, or unamalgamated zinc, as a
positive element in batteries which have their negative element excited by
nitric acid, or nitrous acid, or liquids containing nitric acid or nitrous acid in
any form. I am aware that it has been proposed to employ iron as a positive
element in batteries of this kind, but its use has, I believe, been abandoned, in
consequence of the violent local action produced by the liquids employed to
excite it. Myplan consists in employing, as the exciting liquid,solutionsofany
suitable salts, such as, for instance, nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda, or
common salt, or mixtures of any suitable acids with water, the proportion of
water being, in the case of mineral acids, not less than thirteen volumes to
one; or liquids containing both acids and salts, or plain water, or sea water,
or any other suitable weak liquids which have little or no local action upon
iron or unamalgamated zinc, such liquids being separated by a porous divi-
sion, or other suitable means, from the liquid in contact with the negative
element of the battery. And a very cheap method of working batteries
upon this principle consists in the use of borings, or turnings, or filings, or
refuse scraps of iron or zinc, as the positive element.
My fourth improvement consists in forming the metals of batteries,
whether they be flat plates, or of any other form, thicker towards the upper
part, and especially at about the surface of the liquid, so as to compensate
for the more rapid consumption which takes place at those parts. I am aware
that it has been proposed to cast zinc plates for batteries after this plan, and
1 lay no claim to doing so, but the method which I find to be far superior
in the case of zinc is to bring it to the desired form by rolling.
My fifth improvement consists in applying a covering of gutta porcha, or
other suitable material, to the metals of batteries, at about the surface of
the liquid, and for a sufficient distance above and below it to prevent the
destructive action which usually takes place there. I prefer for this pur-
pose sheet gutta percha, of about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness,
which I attach to the metal by any suitable cement impervious to the acid
or other exciting liquid.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Edward Dering in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 1st January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
EDWARD DERING, of Lockleys, in the County of Herts, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and sticcessors, give and grant unto me, the said George
Edward Dering, Her special licence that I, the said George Edward Dering,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Edward Dering, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GALVANIC BATTERIES," upon the condition (amongst others that I, the said
George Edward Dering, my executors, or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be
filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Edward Dering, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say :-
My first improvement consists in certain new exciting liquids for the
negative element of those kinds of batteries in which nitric acid, or a mixture
of nitric acid and sulphuric acid, has usually been employed to excite their
negative element, and for this purpose I employ the liquids resulting from
the addition of the salts, nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda, or other suitable
nitrates or nitrites, to sulphuric acid. I am aware that it has been proposed
to employ similarly certain aqueous mixtures of the salts, or of some of them,
with sulphuric acid, and I do not claim the use of such liquids; but my
process consists, firstly, in placing the salts directly in contact with the acid,
without previously dissolving them, and without the addition of water, unless
in quantity not exceeding one-third of the whole; or, secondly, in mixing
with the acid a solution of the salt, in quantity not exceeding one-third of the

page_text: whole; both of which plans I find to be attended with a more powertul
evolution of electricity, and other important advantages.
My second improvement consists in the use of a mixture of nitric acid
and hydrochloric acid, either with or without the addition of sulphuric acid
or other acids, as an exciting liquid for the negative element of those kinds
of batteries in which nitric acid, or a mixture of nitric acid and sulphuric
acid, has usually been employed to excite their negative element.
My third improvement consists in certain methods of employing iron of
any description, or alloys of iron and other metals, or unamalgamated zinc, as a
positive element in batteries which have their negative element excited by
nitric acid, or nitrous acids, or liquids containing nitrous acid or nitrous acid in
any form. I am aware that it has been proposed to employ iron as a positive
element in batteries of this kind, but its use has, I believe, been abandoned in
consequence of the violent local action produced by the liquids employed to
excite it. My plan consisists in employing, as the exciting liquid, solutions
of any suitable salts, such as, for instance, nitrate of potash, or nitrate of soda
or common salt, or mixtures of any suitable acids with water, the proportion of
water being, in the case of mineral acids, not less than thirteen volumes to
one; or liquids containing both acids and salts, or plain water, or sea water,
or any other suitable weak. liquids which have little or no local action upon
iron or unamalgamated zinc, such liquids being separated by a porous division,
or other suitable means, from the liquid in contact with the negative element
of the battery. And a very cheap method of working batteries upon this
principle consists in the use of boreings or turnings, or fileings, or refuse scraps
of iron or zinc, as the positive element, the supply of which may be renewed
periodically, in the same manner as fuel is added to the furnace of a steam
boiler. Various methods may be adopted for establishing the necessary con-
nexion with positive elements of this kind, but the plan which. I prefer is
to plant in the midst of the scraps forming the positive element a stout wire,
or bar of the same metal, a coating of varnish, or other means of protection
being applied to it at above the surface. of the liquid, and for a sufficient
distance above and below. I prefer to employ carbon or cast iron as the
negative element of batterics having positive elements, and their exciting
liquids, according to this third part of my Invention; but various other
materials, metals, or alloys of metals may be employed. I would remark,
however, that I lay no claim to such batteries it platiuum be used as the
negative element, as I am aware that somewhat similar proposals have before
been made. And with regard to the term "unamalgamated zinc," in the
description of this part of my Invention, I would remark that. 1 intend it to

page_text: signify zinc unassociated with mercury; it may, however, have various
other metals alloyed with it, and I claim the use of all or any such alloys,
although not of zinc amalgamated with mercury.
My fourth improvement consists in forming the metals of batteries, whether
they be flat plates, or of any other form, thicker towards the upper part, and
especially at about the surface of the liquid, so as to compensate for the more
rapid consumption which takes place at those parts. I am aware that it has
been proposed to cast zinc plates for batteries after this plan, and I lay no
claim to doing so, but the method which I find to be far superior in the
case of zinc is to bring it to the desired form by rolling.
My fifth improvement consists in applying a covering of gutta percha, or
other suitable material, to the metals of batteries at about the surface of the
liquid, and for a sufficient distance above and below it to prevent the destructive
action which usually takes place there. I prefer for this purpose sheet gutta
percha of about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness, which I attach to the
metal by any suitable cement impervious to the acid or other exciting liquid.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the details of the description which I have given of my Invention, as the
mode of carrying out the same may be greatly varied, but what I claim is,--
First, the use of the mixtures of acids and salts, described as an exciting
liquid in galvanic batteries.
Secondly, the use of mixtures of nitric acid with hydrochloric acid as an
exciting liquid in galvanic batteries.
Thirdly, the use of iron or unamalgamated zinc in the manner described
as a positive element in galvanic batteries.
Fourthly, the forming the metals of galvanic batteries thicker towards
the upper part as described.
Fifthly, the method described of protecting the metals of galvanic
batteries at and about the surface of the liquid.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Edward Dering, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.