IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR THEIR OPERATION
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Otway Edward Woodhouse, Frederick
Lawrence Rawson, and Alfred Réné Upward at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 31st December 1883.
OTWAY EDWARD WOODHOUSE, FREDERICK LAWRENCE RAWSON, and ALFRED
RENÉ UPWARD, all of Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Electrical
Engineers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN GALVANIC BATTERIES AND IN APPLIANCES FOR
THEIR OPERATION
ܕ,
Our invention relates to chemical galvanic batteries of primary and secondary
types, and it is designed to produce by a novel combination of elements and
exciting fluids and by certain modifications of construction and operative devices,
batteries which shall be effective, continuous, and uniform in their action, which
shall not be liable to short circuiting, and which shall be practically without fumes
or noxious odours.
Taking a cell of the Daniel type, i.e. where the fluids, separated by a porous cell
or diaphragm, are in contact with zinc and carbon respectively, we act upon the
former by means of a dilute solution of sulphuric acid, and constitute our
depolarising agent as follows:-We take a saturated solution of hydrochloric,
sulphuric, or nitric acid, or an admixture thereof, and treat bichromate of potash
therewith, a considerable time being necessary for the operation. To the resultant
solution we add water in suitable proportion to dilute same for use. Alternatively,
we may dissolve the bichromate of potash in water and add the acid thereto.
Our elements we construct of large surface area but small section, and mount
them close together, the cells being constituted by porous partitions across a
continuous trough. This trough is preferably of transparent material and is
mounted upon a lifting and lowering cam or similar device, so that upon any short
circuiting in the cell becoming observable, the trough may be lowered from the
elements and the cause of short circuiting removed. Alternatively, we may mount
the elements upon a spindle, which, on revolution, shall raise them out of the fluids.
We may also attach the elements to the lid, arranging the lid to be pressed down
on the box-by a cam or similar device in order to make a water tight joint.
The employment of this transparent lifting trough will be of advantage in
secondary batteries; necessary insulation being obtained by filling into a trough
in which the separate cells are placed a suitable dielectric fluid, such as petroleum

page_text: rock oil, the films of which, between the cells, shall serve the purpose. Small
projections may be provided across the bottom of the trough (which may be
drained) to catch any leakage from the elements, and thus obviate any short
circuiting thereby.
We may provide between the electrodes a connection that will admit of the
prompt cutting out of any cell without danger to the same or its connections by
short circuiting, and without causing any interruption in the main current. This
we effect by a switch working on a centre, in perpetual sliding contact at one end
with a block connected to one lead, and in intermittent sliding contact at its other
end with three blocks in its radial play. The first of these latter being connected
to one electrode of the cell to be cut out, the main current passes along the switch
to this block, thence through the cell to the third block, which is connected to the
main circuit. When the switch is moved over to the third block, the current passes
straight through the switch to the third block and so to the main circuit without
passing through the cell. The second or intermediate block is connected to the
third by means of a low resistance of great capacity. If the switch, in moving
from the first to the third block, did not pass over the intermediate one, it would
short circuit the cell and probably fuse the connections; but by our arrangement
the cell is only short circuited through the resistance, which is high enough to
prevent too large a current passing through the cell, whilst it is inappreciable in
the main circuit, where it only remains for an instant.