IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES OR IN APPARATUS FOR STORING ELECTRICITY
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st July 1882. A communication to
him from Abroad by J. Henry Sutton of N° 31 Sturt Street Ballarat in the
Colony of Victoria Music Seller.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman " IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES OR IN APPARATUS FOR
STORING ELECTRICITY A communication to me from Abroad by [J.] Henry
Sutton of N° 31 Sturt Street Ballarat in the Colony of Victoria Music Seller
My Invention consists firstly in making porous plates cylinders or discs of
Carbon having curved or angular extremities the said plates cylinders or discs
being made of pulverized or ground Carbon moulded into form with a glutinous or
saccharine or carbonaceous substance from which the volatile portions are driven
off by heat leaving the said plates cylinders or discs capable of retaining their
form.
These plates cylinders or discs of Carbon are then electroplated with copper or
other metallic electric conductor, at suitable places for the attachment of other
conductors. These places of attachment are faced with lead by means of soldering
to ensure preservation or partial protection from action of acids or alkalies.
These plates cylinders or discs of porous carbon with or without heating them
are then saturated with an aqueous solution of acetate of lead, then taken and
saturated with an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid whereby sulphate of lead in a
finely divided state is formed or precipitated in the pores and cavities of the said
plates cylinders or discs of porous carbon.
The process of Saturation with Solution of acetate of lead and precipitation with
solution of Sulphuric acid in some cases is repeated several times in order to form
or precipitate a considerable quantity of sulphate of lead in the porous carbons.
Two or more of these porous plates cylinders or discs of carbon treated as above
described are now taken and arranged as the positive and negative electrodes in a
vessel containing dilute sulphuric acid-On a current of electricity being sent
through this system the sulphate of lead in pores or cavities of positive electrode
becomes oxidized and the sulphate of lead in pores or cavities of negative electrode
is reduced to spongy or finely divided lead-When this process completed the

page_text: plates Cylinders or discs are in a condition fit for the retention or holding or
occlusion of gases and are ready for use in secondary batteries
Another part of my Invention consists in saturating the above mentioned porous
plates cylinders or discs of carbon with a solution of nitrate of lead and then
heating them which leaves them in a condition to be treated as follows: Two or
more of these plates cylinders or discs of porous carbon treated with nitrate of
lead are arranged as the positive and negative electrodes in a vessel containing
dilute sulphuric acid a current of electricity being sent through the system. The
material in pores or cavities of positive electrode becomes converted into an oxide
of lead and the material in pores or cavities of negative electrode is converted into
spongy or finely divided lead.
The process of Saturation with nitrate of lead and then heating is performed as
many times as required to produce the required quantity of material in the pores
or cavities of said plates cylinders or discs of porous carbon.
Another part of my Invention consists in carbonizing wood precipitating or
depositing in its pores and cavities the required amount of material by the two
processes just described.
Another part of my Invention relates to the form and substance of the Electrodes
of a Secondary Battery and consists in using carbon plates cylinders or discs
moulded or cut so as to have holes cavities grooves corrugations interstices or
shelves in or on which is deposited spongy or finely divided metallic matter of
finely divided carbon or alumina in fine division.
I also use electrodes of porous carbon without combination with metallic or other
matter these porous carbon electrodes being made with extremely fine pores and
cavities which are capable of retaining or occluding gases.
By constructing secondary batteries in the manner hereinafter described great
electromotive force is obtained.
Take a number of hollow cylindrical vessels of lead or other conductor of
electricity but preferably lead the hollow cylinders having either curved or angular
form of aperture and of such a size as to fit one within the other leaving a space
between each. These vessels are prevented from touching each other at the bottom
by means of a layer of any insulating or semi-insulating substances such as vulcanite
wood paraffine, india rubber, gutta percha, paraffined wood felt, asbestos paraffined
felt woollen cotton or cloth.
The outer and inner vessel must be higher than the intermediate ones and form
the terminals of the battery the spaces being filled with solution to within a short
or long distance from upper extremities. In the case of vessels having an illiptical
form of aperture the inner one contains a plate of saine metal or substance as that
surrounding vessels the inner plate and outer containing vessel being the respective
terminals of the battery must stand higher than the intermediate ones.