Improvement in Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1.91
COMPLETE STATIUATION.
Improvement in Galvanic Batteries.
I, CLARENCE EDWARD DUTTON, Junior, of 2024 R Street, Northwest,
Washington, in the County of Washington, District of Columbia, United States of
America, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
The objects of the invention are to secure in a battery stability or fixity of its
internal parts in their proper relative positions to the end that constancy of current
and a prolonged run of a single charge may be attained without restriction of the
rate of discharge; automatic circuit connections: and portability of such a character
that the cell may be roughly handled and carried about either in vehicles or by
hand without danger of breakage or derangement.
In the ordinary cells of primary batteries open at the top, importance is not often
attached to a symmetrical position of the electrodes with respect to each other, nor
to the rigid maintenance of such a position. The importance of it, however, is
great, since the internal resistance is inversely proportioned to the square of the
distance between the electrodes, if the carbon be nearer to one portion of the zinc
than to the other portions, the action on the zinc will be greatest at those points
which are nearest to the carbon. In other words, some portions of the zinc will be
corroded more rapidly than the others and the plate or cylinder will be destroyed
while a large portion of its substance is unconsumed; thus entailing a great waste
of zinc. Furthermore, the total internal resistance of the battery will be a minimum
when the carbon is everywhere equidistant from the zinc. Hence so far as the rate
of discharge is dependent upon internal resistance, it will be a maximum when the
surfaces of the two electrodes are equidistant.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a vertical section of this
improved battery.
Figure 2 represents a horizontal section thereof on line A-A' of Figure 1.
Figure 3 represents a horizontal half-section on line B-B of Figure 1.
Figure 4 represents in section and in plan the differential elastic washer which is
interposed between the cover and the carbon electrode.
Figure 5 represents in section a nut on the clamping rod between the central
portion of said washer and the carbon electrode.
Figure 6 represents in vertical section and in plan a double washer disposed at
the bottom of the porous cup.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
This improved primary electric battery comprises an outer vessel or jar V, a
cover for closing the top thereof, a positive electrode Z, a porous cup P, a
negative electrode C, and means for fixing said parts in their normal relative
positions, as hereinafter described.
The jar V is constructed of vulcanite, fiberite or other suitable material in cylin-
drical or other suitable form. The bottom of this jar is provided with a central
aperture n and an eccentric aperture o, with a shallow groove k on its interior near
the outer wall of the jar, and with a well m in said groove opposite the eccentric
aperture. The cover V₁ is provided with a central recess 7 and a shoulder s, on its
under side, and with a central aperture and holes ll. An elastic washer W is
disposed on the under side of the cover, and extends inward from the periphery
thereof to the shoulders. This washer is preferably composed of soft-rubber, and
is provided with holes registering with the holes in the cover and with a rib h,
and a groove i on its inner face.
The zinc electrode Z preferably corresponds in shape to the shape of the outer

page_text: vessel V, and is adapted to rest at its lower end in the groove k at the bottom of
aid vessel and at its upper end against the elastic washer W outside the rib
thereof. This electrode is preferably open at one side as shown in Figure 2, to
permit the free access of the exciting liquid to both the inner and outer surfaces of
the electrode.
9
The porous cup P is provided with a central hole in its bottom and a spool-
shaped duplex elastic washer composed of soft-rubber or other suitable material is
applied thereto. The tubular body of this washer extends through said hole and
the upper and lower flanges or heads thereof overlap the inner and outer surfaces of
said bottom around said hole. This cup is disposed in the jar concentric with the
zinc electrode, its upper end resting in the annular groove in the cover-washer W
and its lower end resting on the lower flange or head of the spool-shaped elastic
washer 9 which is interposed between its bottom and the bottom of the jar. Both
the upper and lower ends of the porous cup are thus supported by clastic bearings.
The carbon electrode C is disposed in the porous cup P and has an elastic bearing
at its lower end on the upper flange or head of the spool-shaped washer g between it
and the bottom of the porous cup.
This electrode is rendered hollow by an axial
bore and in external shape it preferably corresponds with the shape of the zinc
electrode.
A clamping rod extends through the bore of the carbon electrode C, and
through the spool-shaped washer disposed in the bottom of the porous cup, and
projects at its lower end through the central aperture n in the bottom of the jar V
and at its upper end through the central aperture of the cover.
This rod is pro-
vided at its lower end outside the bottom of the jar with a head preferably in the
form of a nut c screwed thereon. The upper portion of the rod is screw-threaded
and clamping nuts a and b are disposed thereon, the nut 6 being inside the cover
and the nut a outside thereof. The nut is screwed down tightly against the upper
end of the carbon electrode and serves to clamp said clectrode against its elastic
bearing in the bottom of the porous cup. This nut is smaller than the top of the
electrode and an elastic soft-rubber washer f having a central recess f¹ on its under
side to receive said nut is disposed in the central recess g of the cover and covers
said nut and that portion of the end of the carbon not covered by the nut. This
washer prevents access of acid to the nut and clamping rod and makes a tight
joint with the cover preventing the escape of the exciting liquid. The winged
clamping nut a outside the cover serves to clamp the cover in position and when it
is tightly screwed down the central thinner portion of the washer bears harder
upon the nut than the outer thicker portion thereof bears upon the end of the
electrode hence I term said washer a differential washer. This is essential because
if the whole pressure of the washer were upon the top of the carbon, the latter
would be pushed away from its contact with the nut by the elastic yielding of the
spool below, and also the head of the bolt at the bottom of the jar might be in
danger of breaking in the bottom if the winged nut were excessively tightened.
There is, however, sufficient pressure upon the elastic washer and upon the elastic
spool through the nut, cup P and cover V to compress said washer and spool
and cause them to tightly close the central apertures in the bottoms of the porous
cup and jar and in the cover against leakage of the exciting liquids.
The clamping rod, its nuts and the cover secure all the parts rigidly in their
proper relative positions, and the elastic bearings at the upper and lower ends of
the carbon and porous cup permit rough handling of the cell without breakage.
The clamping rod r also constitutes one of the poles of the cell, its head c at the
bottom of the cell serving in lieu of an ordinary binding post. The course of the
current from the carbon electrode is through the nut at the upper end of said
electrode and through said clamping rod to the bottom of the jar.
The lower face of the nut is preferably plated with gold and the top of the
carbon has preferably a film of gold electrolytically deposited on it in order to
protect the contact against corrosion by acid or corrosive fumes and also against the
creeping of salts, which in ordinary open jars, usually impair or interrupt the circuit

page_text: and diminish the current. By this connection constant active electric contact is
secured between the nut and the carbon. The access of corroding agents is further
prevented by the differential washer.
The current from the zinc electrode also passes out through the bottom of the
cell. A polar piece in connection with said electrode projects through the eccentric_
aperture o in said bottom. This polar piece as shown consists of a short bolt d, the
head of which rests in the well m directly beneath the zinc electrode. The well is
filled with a zinc amalgam whereby the bolt is protected from the acid, and the
zinc cylinder or prism has a small stud upon its lower edge which projects into the
amalgam and forms the contact. This bolt is provided with a nut d' outside
the bottom of the jar.
In assembling the parts, the elastic spool-shaped washer g is passed through the
hole in the bottom of the porous cup P, and said
clamping rod is then passed through the cent placed within the jar V. The
aperture in the bottom of
the jar, through the spool-shaped washer and through the porous cup. The hollow
carbon electrode C is then passed over said rod, and the nut screwed onto the
upper end of said rod down against the upper end of said electrode clamping it in
position and forming a contact therewith. The washer f is then passed over the
upper end of the rod onto the upper end of the carbon electrode. The zinc
electrode Z is then placed in position within the jar V, and the jar filled with the
exciting liquid. The cover is then placed in position on said jar. The clamping
nuta is then screwed onto the upper end of the clamping rod r down against the
cover and serves to hold the parts together and fix them firmly in their relative
positions and the cell is ready for use. The holes and serve as vents for the
gases.
In the use of the cell it is simply placed upon a shelf, table or other suitable
support and so adjusted thereon that the pole pieces c and d at the bottom of the
jar come in contact with the metal straps x and y connected with the wires of
the circuit. These metal straps are preferably composed of spring metal so
as to spring up from the surface of the table or shelf into contact with the poles
of the battery.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a battery jar, a cover therefor, electrodes disposed in said
jar, and a clamping rod provided with a head and nut and extending through said
jar and projecting through the bottom and cover thereof.
2. In a battery cell, the combination of a jar, having a groove in its bottom, an
electrode resting at its lower end in said groove, a cover for said jar engaging said
electrode, and a clamping rod provided with a head and nut and extending through
said jar and through the bottom and cover thereof.
3. In a battery cell, the combination of a jar, having a groove in its bottom, an
electrode resting at its lower end in said groove, a cover for said electrode provided
on its inner face with an elastic washer engaging the upper end of said electrode,
and a clamping rod provided with a head and nut and extending through said jar
and through the bottom and cover thereof.
4. The combination of a battery jar, a cover therefor, a positive electrode
disposed in said jar, a hollow carbon electrode disposed in said jar, elastic bearings
for the ends of the carbon electrode, and a clamping rod provided with a head and
nut and extending through said hollow electrode and through the bottom and cover
of said jar.
5. In a battery cell, the combination of a battery jar, a hollow carbon electrode
disposed therein, an elastic washer interposed between the lower end of said
electrode and the bottom of said jar, a rod extending through said electrode and
washer and through the bottom of the jar, and provided with a head outside said
bottom, and a nut on said rod engaging the upper end of said electrode.

page_text: 6. In a battery cell, the combination of a jar, a cover therefor, a positive
electrode, a hollow negative electrode, an elastic washer interposed between the
lower end of said negative electrode and the bottom of said jar, a rod extending
through the hollow electrode and washer and through the bottom and cover of the
jar, said rod being provided with a head outside said bottom, a nut on said rod
engaging and covering a portion of the upper end of said hollow electrode, a
differential elastic washer interposed between said cover and the upper end of said
electrode and covering said nut, and a nut on said rod outside said cover.
7. The combination of a battery jar, a positive electrode disposed therein, a
hollow carbon electrode also disposed in said jar, a metallic rod extending through
said carbon electrode and through the bottoin of the jar, and a conductive contact
piece between said carbon electrode and said rod, substantially as described.
8. In a battery cell, the combination of a jar, a porous cup therein, clastic
bearings at both ends of said cup, a carbon electrode disposed in said cup, and an
elastic bearing disposed between the lower end of said electrode and the bottom of
said cup.
9. In a battery cell, the combination of a jar, a porous cup therein, provided
with a hole in its bottom, a hollow carbon electrode within said cup, an elastic
spool-shaped washer, the body of which extends through said hole, the lower head
thereof being interposed between the bottoms of the cup and jar and the upper
head between said carbon electrode and the bottom of the cup, and a clamping rod
provided with a head and nut and extending through said carbon electrode and
through said spool and projecting through the bottom of the jar.
10. A battery cell having a carbon electrode supported at its lower end on an
elastic bearing, substantially as described.
11. A battery cell having a porous cup provided with a hole in its bottom, and
an elastic spool-shaped washer disposed therein, the flanges of said spool-shaped
washer overlapping the inner and outer surface of said cup around said hole.
12. A battery cell having a porous cup supported at both ends by elastic
bearings.
13. A battery cell having a hollow carbon electrode, a metallic rod passing
therethrough and serving as the positive pole, and a nut on said rod engaging said
electrode.
14. The combination of a battery jar, a porous cup disposed in said jar and
provided with an aperture in its bottom, an elastic bearing between the bottoms of
said cup and jar, an electrode in said jar outside said cup, a carbon electrode
disposed in said cup on an elastic bearing between the lower end of said carbon
electrode and said cup, and means for holding the upper end of said carbon
electrode.
15. The combination of a battery jar provided with apertures in its bottom, a
zinc electrode disposed in said jar, a carbon electrode also disposed in said jar, and
metallic pole pieces in connection with said electrodes and extending through said
apertures.
16. The combination with a battery jar provided with apertures in its bottom
and with a well opposite one of said apertures, electrodes disposed in said jar, one
of said electrodes having a projection extending into said well, and metallic pole-
pieces in connection with the electrodes, and extending through said apertures.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1890.
Witnesses:
CLARENCE EDWARD DUTTON, Jr.
FRANK C. SOMES, Lawyer, 514, F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
CHESTER A. WEED, Stenographer, 514, F Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.