Improvements in Portable Electrical Batteries and Appliances in Connection therewith.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1886.
Complete Left, 30th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 24th June, 1887.
Improvements in Portable Electrical Batteries and Appliances in
Connection therewith.
I, JAMES TARBOTTON ARMSTRONG, of 31 Aldermanbury, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention to be as follows
:-
The object of my invention is to construct vehicles for conveying electrical
batteries and materials for use in electrical batteries, to distant places, for temporary
use, such as the lighting of gardens for garden parties, electrical displays in halls,
ball rooms, exhibitions and other places, the loading or unloading of ships at night
time; providing the electric light where accidents have occured; also for mining,
building, excavating, submarine and diving operations, drainage and tunnelling, and
all other situations and requirements in which electrical lighting may be useful.
In carrying out my invention, I make use of barrows, trucks, carts, vans, wagons,
and all other road, mining, tramway and railway vehicles, and fit the same with
electrical batteries, in such a manner that the same may be safely transported to any
locality where they may be required, by man, horse or steam power, or by the
application of electrical motors, actuated by the currents obtained in or directly from
the electrical batteries contained in such vehicles, or by other means.
The vehicles may be specially built and fitted for the class of battery and motors
which they are intended to convey; or vehicles, not so built, may be specially
prepared and fitted therefor, with all the necessary connections, switches, unions,
conducting wires, batteries, terminals, tanks, motors, incandescent and other lamps
and carbons, acids, alkalies, and other appliances materials and fluids for effecting the
object of my invention.
In fitting vehicles for my improved batteries, described in my Specifications
Nos. 21658, 68783, 14,381, 14,382, 14,38385, 14,38485, 3988, and 6924. I prefer
to make the bottom of the vehicle low down, near to the ground, in order to provide
space for lowering the cisterns or tanks to the necessary level below that of the
batteries, and provide suitable means for raising such tanks to the height required for
charging the batteries, and again lowering the same to return the contents of the

page_text: batteries into the tanks, and lessen or stop the action of the batteries, or to cleanse
the same.
I also sometimes provide in such vehicles fixed or moveable boxes or cases, fitted
with cellular divisions, suitable for holding measured portions of ingredients for
charging the batteries, for certain periods of time. Thus each cell or compartment
may contain sufficient materials for daily or other period or (say) 5 hours con-
sumption one packet or cell being labelled "Monday," and intended for that day's
consumption; the next cell being similarly fitted and labelled "Tuesday," and so on
for a week or other definite period; the intention being that the attendants will
always be able to ascertain at a glance whether they have periodically supplied the
cisterns, and, through them, the batteries, with the required quantities of materials for
sustaining the electrical force with due regularity.
These cases, so fitted, are intended to be left in places supplied with the electric
light or power detached from the vehicle, or they may be fixed in the vehicle and
so used without removing the case.
It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the construction and fitting
up of vehicles as and for the purposes aforesaid.

page_text: I, JAMES TARBOTTON ARMSTRONG, of 31 Aldermanbury, in the City of London,
Analytical and Consulting Chemist and Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention and what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to construct vehicles for conveying one or more
passengers, goods, and commodities of all kinds, to be propelled by motive power
supplied by primary, storage, or secondary, electrical batteries and for conveying
such batteries or any or either of them and the materials for use therein, to distant
places, for temporary use, such as the lighting of gardens for garden parties, elec-
trical displays in halls, ball rooms, exhibitions, and other places, the loading or
unloading of ships and all other work required at night time; providing the electric
light where accidents have occured; and also either in combination with or without
the electrical motive power for mining building, excavating, crushing and levelling
roads and lands, surface and submarine boats and agricultural and diving operations,
drainage and tunnelling, and all other situations and requirements underneath or upon
or above the surface of the ground in which electrical lighting and electrical motive
power or either of them may be useful. This apparatus or vehicle with its batteries
and other appliances is herein after sometimes referred to as "The Itinerant."
In carrying out my invention, I make use of vehicles moved on rollers, tricycles,
barrows, trucks, carts, vans, wagons, and all other road, mining, agricultural,
tramway, and railway vehicles, and fit the same with electrical batteries, either
primary, or storage, or both, in such a manner that the same may be safely used for
public and private conveyances or transported to any locality where they may be
required, by man, horse or steam power, or by the application of electrical motors,
actuated by the currents obtained in or directly from the electrical batteries contained
in such vehicles, or by other means.
The vehicles may be specially built and fitted for the class of battery and motors
which they are intended to convey; or by which they are to be propelled, or so as to
constitute a receptacle for the batteries and their appliances, while in use, or vehicles,
not so built, may be specially altered prepared and fitted therefor, with all the
necessary connections, switches, unions, conducting wires, batteries, (the batteries
which I prefer for these purposes are those the subject of my patent herein
after mentioned but ordinary batteries may also be used) terminals, tanks, motors,

page_text: incandescent and other lamps and elements, acids, alkalies and other appliances
materials and fluids for effecting the object of my invention.
In fitting vehicles for my improved batteries described in my Specifications
Nos. 2165, 687885, 14,38385, 39888, and 10,82480, I prefer to make the bottom of the
vehicle or a portion thereof low down, near to the ground, in order to provide space
for lowering the cisterns or tanks to the necessary level below that of the batteries,
and provide suitable means for raising such tanks to the height required for charging
the batteries, and again lowering the same to return the contents of the batteries
into the tanks, and lessen or stop the action of the batteries, or to cleanse the same.
I also sometimes provide in such vehicles fixed or moveable boxes or cases, fitted
with cellular divisions, suitable for holding measured portions of ingredients for
charging the batteries for certain periods of time as described in my said Specifica-
tion No. 10,82480.
These cases, so fitted, are intended to be left in places supplied with the electric
light or power, where they are not required to be attached to any vehicle, or they may
be fixed in the vehicle, and used.
I sometimes use compressed materials, such as will dissolve in the fluids and
furnish the excitants. I also fit a drum in any convenient part of the van or other
vehicle as aforesaid, for holding a coil of wire, whereby provision is made for carrying
the electricity to any required distance.
I also use the "Itinerants" in lieu of fixed primary batteries or other fixed means
of generating electricity, for charging and manipulating secondary batteries, when
placed in one or more houses or a block of buildings for the purpose of lighting, or
motive power, or either of them.
When it is desirable to reduce the weight of the apparatus carried by a vehicle
which is to be moved by and to work the motive power for any purpose, I effect such
reduction of weight by placing the charging and cleansing cisterns at or on premises
adjacent to the works to be carried on; or, in the case of travelling vehicles, at their
ordinary depôts, or at certain convenient stations or places on the route, instead of
fitting them to the vehicles themselves; at which stations such vehicles can con-
veniently make short stoppages for the purpose of being charged, cleansed, and
otherwise manipulated, as may be necessary or desirable.
In connection with this method of working I sometimes find it advantageous to
cleanse the batteries by connecting the same with suitable hydrants, or other sources
of water supply, and thereby thoroughly wash out the same with water, without
delay; and thus prepare the batteries for a fresh charge of exciting fluids, which may
be immediately supplied thereto from the stationary cisterns.
I also sometimes arrange and utilise, in combination with the aforesaid methods of
working batteries,-glass cisterns, to which I attach pipes connecting them with the
batteries and cisterns described in my former Specifications, in such a manner that
greater facilities are afforded for supplying, changing, filling and emptying the same.
By the use of glass cisterns the height of the fluids therein are rendered visible. The
overflow pipes may also be fitted to these cisterns, and plugs with suitable handles or
levers, cocks or valves, are also fitted to shut off, open, and otherwise manipulate the
flow of the various mixtures and water.
It is obvious that many modifications may be made in the construction and fitting
up of vehicles and apparatus, as and for the purposes aforesaid.
And in order that my said invention may be more particularly described and
ascertained, reference is hereby made to the accompanying drawings, which are
intended merely to be illustrative of, and to describe one method of carrying out my
invention, and in each of the figures of which similar letters of reference indicate
corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a vehicle suitable for carrying a complete apparatus, and
conveying the same to any distance, by road or railway, or other means of transit-
The vehicle is shewn insulated from the ground by glass insulators a a,
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of Fig. 1.

page_text: .
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same, on the line 1-2 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 5 is a similar section on the line 5-6 of Fig. 2.
Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section of one of my glass cisterns herein described,
Fig. 7 is a transverse section, and Fig. 8 a horizontal section of the same.
Referring to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, bb are the batteries, placed upon shelves cc on
each side of the vehicle. dd are the filling and emptying tubes, each connected with
the respective batteries, and united, by means of rubber junctions, with the longitudinal
tubes d' d¹. ee are the two glass cisterns. One of these cisterns is shewn, enlarged,
in Figs. 6, 7 and 8; in which figures e¹ e¹ is the body of the cistern. is an overflow
pipe. d² is the pipe, which is connected with the pipe d' leading to the batteries.
999 are three plugs, which may be raised by the cams h¹ fitted to the axle h. The
cams are, by preference, triangular cams, as is clearly seen in Figs. 6 and 7 and
are so formed and arranged that only one plug can be opened at a time. ³ is a hand
wheel for lifting the plugs ggg. The pipes ii of two cisterns may be connected by
flexible or other pipes with the cisterns k, l, m, as shewn in the drawings. being
the cleansing cistern, and the double cistern Im being used for supplying the exciting
fluids and mixtures to the batteries. The cisterns k and 1m are so arranged that
when one is raised the other is lowered, being balanced, or partially balanced by the
ropes, cords or chains oo passing over pullies; and the cisterns guided by T and
Liron, as shewn.
By means of the cisterns klm, the intermediate glass cisterns e e, and by the
connection and disconnection of the pipes and raising and lowering of the cisterns klm,
as required, the batteries may be filled, emptied, cleansed and otherwise manipulated
as desired.
The overflow pipes to the cisterns e prevent the possibility of over-filling the
batteries, and the quantity of fluids in the batteries can be regulated to any height, as
they always coincide with the height seen in the glass cisterns.
By shutting off the fluids as required, the batteries may be used in sets of one, two,
or more, for supplying less or more electric force.
The switch board arrangements are fitted at p, as shewn in Fig. 2, r is a reel or
drum for holding the coil of connecting insulated wire, as herein before mentioned,
and is a winch and pulley for winding in the wire when not in use.
The vehicle may be fitted with doors at tt and ventilators at ss.
Also a movable
or other seat may be fitted at u, which may he converted into a sleeping bunk for the
attendant.
Referring to Fig. 1, is a pitch chain wheel, attached to a suitable axle, which may
be driven by an electric motor geared thereto, and actuated by electric currents
derived from the batteries; wc is a pitch chain boop fitted to the large wheel of the
Itinerant, to which hoop the wheel v is geared. One or both of the hind wheels may
be thus fitted, for driving the Itinerant by electric power.
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. The application and use of complete itinerating electrical apparatus, mounted,
fitted, and arranged upon wheels for transport or transference to any distance or
locality, for at once producing the electric light or power, when and where required
substantially as herein before described and illustrated on the drawings.
2. The application and use of apparatus for transport as aforesaid, and also for
charging accumulators, (or secondary batteries) substantially as herein before described
and illustrated on the drawings.
3. The application and use of apparatus as aforesaid, fitted with portions of the
apparatus for reducing weight, and arranged to receive supplies of fluids at convenient
stations, substantially as herein before described.
4. In electrical batteries, the application and use of cisterns such as e e, made of

page_text: glass or other suitable material fitted with plugs and other outlets, substantially as
herein before described and illustrated on the drawings.
5. The use of the Itinerants, as described, for the purpose of supplying fixed
secondary batteries with electricity for lighting and motive power, or either of them.
6. The general combinations, arrangements, and applications of the several and
respective parts, constituting my improvements in road vehicles, and portable electrical
batteries, and appliances in connection therewith, substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described.