IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRIC BATTERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO ELECTRIC BATTERIES."-A commu-
nication from abroad by Louis Maiche, of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
ELECTRIC BATTERIES [A communication from abroad by Louis Maiche, of
Paris, France.]
33
This invention relates to electric batteries and its chief characteristic feature is
the application of a new principle of depolarization consisting in utilizing the air
which is naturally in solution in water for combining the oxygen which it contains
with the hydrogen which tends to polarize the positive plate or electrode of the
battery whatever may be its form.
In describing my invention I will assume that this electrode is carbon. If this
carbon were completely immersed in the water the quantity of air dissolved would
not act promptly enough upon the hydrogen and it would only be possible to utilize
that which is found in solution in the layer or stratum of water adjacent to the
carbon, Moreover this air would only be replaced very slowly by the air which
becomes gradually dissolved at the surface of the water exposed to the atmosphere.
In order to always have a sufficient quantity of air in solution in contact with the
carbon I give to the latter a considerable surface area which is effected in a simple
nanner by employing a mass of crushed or broken carbon half of which is immersed
in the water, and which is therefore kept wet or damp on the surface by capillarity.
The thin layer of water in contact is always saturated with air the oxygen of
which is ready to combine with the hydrogen thus forming water and ammonia.
The carbon should therefore be crushed or broken into pieces of from one (1) to
two (2) centimetres in thickness at most and should not dip far into the water in
-
-

page_text: order to expose to the air as large a wet or damp surface as is possible. Retort
carbon gives good results but any other porous conducting material with a
sufficiently extended surface may be used.
The arrangement of the element of the battery may be effected in any suitable
manner also the composition of the two poles and of the exciting liquid. I prefer
however to construct the battery in the following manner that is to say I provide
a suitable vessel in the upper portion of which there is a porous cup or receptacle
having therein apertures of from four (4) to five (5) millimetres in diameter, some
of these apertures being at the lower part of the porous receptacle and some at the
upper part thereof. This porous receptacle receives the pieces of carbon and is
fixed to a cover of ebonite, which closes the glass or outer vessel, by a tube (also of
ebonite) the ends of which are screw-threaded. The upper part of this tube is
screwed into the aforesaid cover and a projection supports the porous cup or
receptacle; the lower end of the tube traverses a small porcelain cup which is fixed
to it by means of a nut screwed on below the cup. Two copper terminals are fixed
to the ebonite cover, one of which has attached thereto a platinum wire which
passes through the cover and is fixed by torsion to one of the pieces of carbon
within the porous receptacle; the other terminal has attached thereto another
platinum wire passing through the aforesaid tube and out of the same by a lateral
opening therein made on a level with the bottom of the small cup. At the bottom
-of-this-cup--I-place-a-small-quantity-of-mercury-which-covers-the-wire-and-upon-
this mercury I-place-pieces of zinc.
-
--
Although I prefer to employ carbon alone to serve as a vehicle for the water
which is to bring the oxygen of the air into contact with the hydrogen as it is
developed, I may if desirable employ in the same conditions and with the same
object, platinized carbon and the platinization may be obtained readily by plunging
the carbon in a solution composed of ten (10) parts of di-chloride of platinumin
ninety (90) parts of water and then (after allowing it to drip) by heating it to n
dark red heat without air. Instead of platinum I may use palladium, iridium or
_other
metals.of_the_same_order-which-will-produce-the-same-effect....I mention
platinum specially, for the reason that it is the cheapest.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th October 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING ΤΟ
ELECTRIC BATTERIES." A communication from abroad by Louis Maiche, of
Paris, France.
"
This invention relates to electric batteries and its chief characteristic feature is
the application of a new principle of depolarization consisting in utilizing the air
which is naturally in solution in water for combining the oxygen which it contains
with the hydrogen which tends to polarize the positive plate or electrode of the
battery whatever may be its form.
In describing my invention I will assume that this electrode is carbon. If this
carbon were completely immersed in the water the quantity of air dissolved would.
not act promptly enough upon the hydrogen and it would only be possible to utilize
that which is found in solution in the layer or stratuin of water adjacent to the
carbon, Morcover this air would only be replaced very slowly by the air which
becomes gradually dissolved at the surface of the water exposed to the atmosphere.
In order to always have a sufficient quantity of air in solution in contact with the
carbon I give to the latter a considerable surface area which is effected in a simple
manner by employing a mass of crushed or broken carbon, half of which is immersed
in the water, and which is therefore kept wet or damp on the surface by capillarity.
The thin layer of water in contact is always saturated with air the oxygen of
which is ready to combine with the hydrogen thus forming water and ammonia.
The carbon should therefore be crushed or broken into pieces of from one (1) to
two (2) centimetres in thickness at most and should not dip far into the water in
order to expose to the atmosphere as large a wet or damp surface as is possible.
Retort carbon gives good results but any other porous conducting material with a
sufficiently extended surface may be used.
The arrangement of the element of the battery may be effected in any suitable
manner, also the composition of the two poles and of the exciting liquid. I prefer
however, to construct the battery in the manner illustrated in the accompanying
drawing that is to say I provide a vessel A in the upper portion of which there is
n porous cup or receptacle B having therein aperture F of from four (4) to five (5)
millimetres in diameter some of these apertures boing at the lower part of tho
porous receptacle and some at the upper part thereof. This porous receptacle
receives the pieces of carbon and is fixed to a cover G of ebonite (which closes the
glass or outer vessel A) by means of a tube H (also of ebonite) the ends of which
are screw-threaded. The upper part of this tube is screwed into the cover G and
a projection or shoulder upon the said tube supports the porous cup or receptacle;
the lower end of the tube traverses a small porcelain cup K which is fixed to it by
means of a nut I screwed on below the cup. Two copper terminals J, J', are fixed
to the ebonoite cover G; the terminal J has attached thereto a platinum wire which
passes through the cover and is fixed by torsion to one of the pieces of carbon
within the porous receptacle B, the terminal J has attached thereto another
platinum wire passing through the tube H and out of the same by a lateral opening
therein made on a level with the bottom of the small cup K. At the bottom of this
cup I place a small quantity of incrcury which covers the wire and upon this
mercury I place pieces of zinc L.
Although I prefer to employ carbon alone to serve as a vehicle for the water
which is to bring the oxygen of the air into contact with the hydrogen as it is

page_text: developed, I may if desirable employ under the same conditions and with the same
object, platinized carbon and the platinization may be obtained readily by plunging
the carbon in a solution composed of ten (10) parts of dichloride of platinum in
ninety (90) parts of water and then (after allowing it to drip) by heating it to a
dark red heat without exposure to the air, Instead of platinum I may use
palladium, iridium or other metals of the same order which will produce the same
effect. I mention platinum specially for the reason that it is the cheapest.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
Foreign Correspondent and the manner of performing the same I wish it under-
stood that I Claim,
The improved method of effecting the depolarization of electric batteries as above
described and more particularly characterized by the following points, that is
to say :-
First. The utilization of the air naturally held in solution in water for combining
the oxygen which it contains with the hydrogen which tends to polarize the
positive electrode of the battery, the moist surface required to be in contact with
the atmosphere being obtained preferably by forming the positive electrode of a
mass of crushed or broken carbon or analogous conducting substance partly
immersed in tho exciting liquid, and thus kept moist by capillarity, as above
described.
Second. The application for this purpose of platinized-carbon-or-carbon-covered-
with a layer of palladium or other suitable métal as above specified.
I also claim the improved apparatus above described and represented in the
accompanying drawing having as its essential feature the mode of suspension of
the zinc in the cup containing mercury substantially as and for the purpose,
set forth...