IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CELLS OF VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Henélade Courtenay at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st August 1883.
ROBERT HENELADE COURTENAY, of 40, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CELLS OF VOLTAIC BATTERIES
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This invention has for its object improved methods of constructing and using
the cells of voltaic batteries; by which the production of powerful currents of
Electricity is effected without the use of nitric acid.
My improvements consist first in the construction of negative elements with large
surfaces in the usual space of porous cells.
To effect this, I carbonize a suitable fabric of any fibrous substance or substances
which can be readily carbonized, such as cotton cloth, wadding or canvas, after
having previously saturated it with a mixture of plumbago, moistened with water
and saccharine matter or other suitable liquid and dried.
After perfect carbonization has been effected, I unwind the carbonized substance
on a smooth board, and I coat the carbon on both sides with oxides of any of the
metals, or a compound of the same preferably of the common metals, such as copper
and I then wind the prepared surface whilst wet, upon a rod or slab of solid
carbon, either layer upon layer or with a suitable insulating medium interposed
such as shellac paper, and the whole is kept in position with twine varnished or
otherwise made waterproof.
11301
The elements thus prepared are allowed to dry, and are then ready for the porous
tubes which are filled in with small pieces of compound oxides, or a compound of
carbon and oxides.
The second part of my invention consists in compounding an oxide or compound
oxides with pounded dates or other fruit of a saccharine nature, or sugar itself may
be used, the object being to render the compound when carbonized of a spongy
nature so as to obtain large surface; the cakes compounded as above described are
carbonized and broken in pieces, and placed in the voltaic cells with the carbon
elements.
The negative elements above described can be used as positive elements in
secondary cells.
The positive element in primary cells may be any electro-positive metal, but
zinc is preferred, either in slab. rod. or cylinder, but instead of the usual mode of

page_text: mixing a certain quantity of acid direct with the water of the charge, it can bo
added gradually from what is termed a drop bottle or tube, and the exciting
substances used are either cast, or rolled, or broken in pieces, or into powder, and
placed in a receiver or feeder according to the shape of the element employed, such
receiver or feeder being of any convenient form, and working in a slot or tube
fixed at the top of the cell.
The tube or other form of feeder is solid at the bottom, but pierced with holes
at or about half the distance between the top and bottom of the cell.
The feeder is adjusted to supply the exciting substance to the liquid as required,
by the fluid of the excitant dissolving only at the part immersed, the extent of
which is regulated at the will of the operator and the cell is thus sustained for a
much longer period than can be done in the usual way.
A third part of my invention consists in placing a feed tube or other form of
supply vessel between a bent U shaped plate or cylinder or other form of zinc
perforated or not, or a single plate may be used outside of which are a pair of
carbon plates, or platinum foil may be used when lightness is required, or they can
be arranged for quantity, zincs, carbons, or platinum if preferred, a number of the
supply tubes described being arranged to feed the cells or battery while they are
required for lighting or any other purpose, after which they can be lifted out of
the excitant until required again.
The substances used in the excitants are preferably the oxides or oxychromates
of the common metals, single or compound and they may be used in the form of
powder or rods of a kind similar to carbon rods made in moulds, the thickness
and length being according to the size of the cells and the current required. The
substances employed, may be made in the form of spherical balls, which will be
found a most convenient and economical method of supply or feed to the excitant
in the cells, by simply placing, then in tubes in single file, i.e. one following another,
Another method of using the oxides of the common metals is to fuse the refuse
sulphate of zinc from the cells with bichromate of potash and before the mixture
becomes solid to cast it into perforated zinc cylinders or between plates. The
above method is also applicable to any single or compound oxides moulded into
cakes and placed either between two zinc plates or by the side of a single plate.
Provision is preferably made also in each cell to prevent overflow of the fluid
through the supply of the solid excitant; by placing a small india rubber tube
within a short distance from the top of each cell, so as to convey the overplus to
any convenient receptacle, and when a Battery of many and large cells is employed,
an adjustable cock or valve of an insulating substance is inserted in each cell for
the purpose of drawing off the spent fluids without disconnecting the couplings or
leads of the battery.