Im- PROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Bennett, of 60, Lorrimore Road, in the
County of Surrey, Telegraph Engineer, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES."
Sealed the 28th September 1875, and dated the 31st March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Bennett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
31st March 1875.
I, ALFRED BENNETT, of 60, Lorrimore Road, in the County of Surrey,
Telegraph Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to produce a cheap, constant, and
effective galvanic battery. To this end I use as a negative a piece of
carbon, platinum, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, tin, steel, or iron, or any
suitable substance, electroplated, or otherwise coated with platinum,
gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, or tin, packed in a cell of porous material
most advantageously of carthenware, with pieces of carbon, coke, cinders,

page_text: or charcoal, or a mixture of any of these with peroxide of manganese,
also placing near the bottom of the porous cell or diaphragm a small
quantity of nitrate of cobalt, pyrogallic acid, pyrogallate of potash, or
pyrogallate of soda.
As a positive I use an electrode of zinc (which may be amalgamated
with mercury) immersed in a solution of hydrate or protoxide of
potassium, or hydrate or protoxide of sodium.
A small portion of the solution used may also be added to the negative
portion of the cell, but it is desirable to allow it to reach there by per-
colation through the porous diaphragm.
When a powerful but intermittent flow of electricity is required the
following combination may be advantageously used:-A negative
electrode of platinum, gold, silver, nickel, or cobalt, or any suitable
substance electroplated, or otherwise coated with platinum, gold, silver,
nickel, or cobalt, packed in a porous diaphragm with pieces of carbon,
coke, cinders, or charcoal mixed with peroxide of manganese.
As a positive an electrode of zinc (which may be amalgamated with
mercury) in a solution of any salt of ammonia, by preference the
chloride. A portion of the solution used may also be added to the
negative.
According to another part of my Invention I use a negative of nickel
or of any suitable substance, electroplated or otherwise, coated with
that metal immersed in a solution of a salt of nickel as the nitrate or
sulphate, or of cobalt or any suitable substance electroplated or
otherwise coated with that metal immersed in a solution of a salt of
cobalt as the nitrate or sulphate.
The positive portion of the cell consists of zinc. As the essential part
of the battery is contained in the negative the solution used with the
zinc may be greatly varied without detriment.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Bennett in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 28th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
BENNETT, of 60, Lorrimore Road, in the County of Surrey, Telegraph
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Bennett, Her special license
that I, the said Alfred Bennett, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Bennett, 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 Alfred Bennett, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should
particularly 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 Alfred Bennett, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The object of my Invention is to produce a cheap, constant, and
effective galvanic battery. To this end I use as a negative a piece of
carbon, platinum, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, tin, steel, or iron, or any
suitable substance electroplated, or otherwise coated with platinum,
gold, silver, nickel, or cobalt, packed in a cell of porous material advan-
tageously of carthenware, with pieces of carbon, coke, cinders, or

page_text: charcoal, or a mixture of any of these with peroxide of manganese, also
placing near the bottom of the porous cell or diaphragm a small quantity
of nitrate of cobalt, pyrogallic acid, pyrogallate of potash, or pyrogallate
of soda.
As a positive I use an electrode of zinc (which may be amalgamated
with mercury) immersed in a solution of hydrate or protoxide of
potassium or hydrate or protoxide of sodium.
A small quantity of the solution as used may also be added to the
negative portion of the cell, but it is desirable to allow it to reach there
by percolation through the porous diaphragm.
When a powerful but intermittent flow of electricity is required the
following combination may be advantageously used:-A negative
electrode of platinum, gold, silver, nickel, or cobalt, or any suitable
substance electroplated, or otherwise coated with platinum, gold, silver,
nickel, or cobalt, packed in a porous diaphragm with pieces of carbon,
coke, cinders, or charcoal, with which may be mixed peroxide of
manganese. Or an electrode of carbon may be used, in which case the
peroxide of manganese should be omitted.
A solution of nitrate of chromium may advantageously be added to
this combination should greater quantity or constancy be required.
As a positive an electrode of zinc (which may be amalgamated with
mercury) in a solution of any salt of ammonia, by preference the chloride.
A portion of the solution as used may also be added to the negative, but
not when nitrate of chromium is employed.
I claim the construction of galvanic batteries, substantially according
to any or either of the several methods herein-before set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Bennett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.