IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th February 1883. Com-
municated to him from abroad by Julius M. Stebbins of the City and State
of New York, United States of America
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & C° Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN VOLTAIC BATTERIES
[A communication to him from abroad by Julius M. Stebbins of the City and State
of New York, United States of America]
This invention has relation to improvements in electric batteries, and its object
is to provide a battery which shall be practically constant for an indefinite length
of time, and at the same time furnish a maximum of motive force during its
existence.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a cell of india rubber or
any suitable vitreous material, and a cover, which is made to fit as nearly air-
tight as possible. I also provide an interior cup or cell closed on all sides except
at the top; this cup is made of any non-porous material except certain portions
between the plates. Carbon plates are suspended in the said cup so as to be
submerged in the exciting solution, and are connected to a screw cup by compound
rods passing through the cover. Zinc plates are suspended from the cover by
connecting rods. These plates are provided with troughs or cups to contain
mercury, to keep up the supply so as maintain a uniform and constant amalga-
mation of the plates.
Hard india rubber cups are suspended from a cross bar by rods so that when the
said cups are lowered the zinc plates are exposed to the action of the exciting fluid,
and a free communication established between the zinc and the carbon, through the
medium of the porous wall so that the full strength of the battery is obtained, but
when the cups are raised, they surround the sides, ends, and bottoms of the zinc
plates so as to cut off all communication with the exciting fluid and stop the action
of the battery. The sides of the cups as they are raised, press against the outside
of the inside cup so as to completely cover the porous part and thus prevent all
commingling of the fluids on the inside and outside of the cup; at the same time
the loose mercury, which is placed in the bottom of the rubber cups is forced up by
the zinc displacing it, and it flows over into the troughs, from whence it is

page_text: distributed by gravity and capillary attraction over the surface of the zincs, and
the surplus runs back into the bottom of the rubber cup where it is retained until
the raising operation is repeated.
I provide a screw post which is a hard india rubber rod, through the centre of
which passes a copper wire terminating in a platina button. An india rubber clamp
is secured to the lower end of the screw post rod to force the platina against one of
the carbon plates.
The zinc connection is likewise an india rubber rod through the centre of which
passes a copper wire terminating in a platina button so that when the rubber rod
is screwed tightly into the element, the platina is forced into intimate contact
there with. The peculiar feature of these connections is, that when the plates are
thus connected and submerged in the exciting fluid the contact is safe and reliable,
as the acid cannot get access to the joint, and all corrosion is thus effectually
prevented
In case the connecting rod is applied to the zinc element, the clamp is provided
with holes through which a pin passes, so that as the zinc plate is consumed the
clamp may be adjusted closer to the screw thereby utilizing the zinc as long as
there is enough left to hold together, and maintaining a sure connection all the
time.
It is also very desirable where the elements are of different thicknesses.
India rubber springs are attached to the lower ends of the lifting rods so as to
press the cup against the porous walls and prevent the mixing of the different
fluids.
A standard is secured to the cover and is provided with ratchet teeth. A spring
pawl, attached to the cross bar serves to engage the ratchet teeth, so that the
sheath may be made to cover the whole or a portion of the zinc plates, and thus
utilize more or less of the strength of the battery.
In practice, I make the inner cup or cell of any porous earthenware, and before
it is finally baked, I coat all that part of it, but what is interposed between the
positive and negative elements, with a glaze, such as potters use for poreclain and
the like, and then bake it; or it may be made by inserting a piece of carbon or
other porous material in that portion, leaving the rest of the cup glazed as above.
In the upper part of this cup are reservoirs, in which are placed crystals of the
bi-chromate of potash, so that as the solution is decomposed, the crystals will
dissolve and thus keep up a saturated solution.