Improvements in Electric or Galvanic Batteries, and in Materials therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric or Galvanic Batteries, and in Materials
therefor.
I, DANIEL MARTIN LAMB, Chemist, a Citizen of the United States, residing at
No. 129 West Newton Street, in the City of Boston, County of Suffolk, and State
of Massachusetts, U.S.A., 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 :-
This invention has for its object improvements in electric or galvanic batteries,
and relates more especially-
First, to certain novel compounds or ingredients constituting active material for
electric batteries ;
Second, to a novel method of preparing active material for electric batteries ;
Third, to a novel construction or organization of battery-cells; and
Fourth, to a novel construction or organization of electric batteries.
The ingredients best adapted to my purpose are the bi-chromates of potash or
of soda; sulphate of copper; and sal-ammoniac, one or more of which ingredients
are mixed with black oxide of manganese and a water-repellant material or
substance, such as rosin, paraffine, ozokerite, or equivalent resinous or waxy
material.
I find about twenty-five per cent. of the resinous material to answer admirably in
practice.
In order to carry out my invention, I reduce all of the above-mentioned
materials, save the waxy material, to the condition of fine powder, and mix
one or more of the ingredients with the black oxide of manganese and the resinous
material.
This mixture is then heated sufficiently to melt the resinous material, and
thoroughly stirred while thus heated, with the result of causing its particles to boil
or swell, and roll over each other in such manner that each granule or particle
becomes thoroughly coated with water-repellant material.
After this active material is thus coated, I sometimes stir in melted waxy material,
the result of which is the further coating of the individual granules with additional
water-repellant material; my experience being that the more thorough the coating
the better the result.
I sometimes mingle with these granules thus coated small lead shot, and coarsely
granulated black oxide of manganese, stirred in in an uncoated condition.
While the ingredients and proportions of my improved compounds may be varied
within certain limits, and well-known chemical equivalents substituted therefor, I
prefer, as the result of many experiments and practical demonstrations, a composi-
tion consisting of the following ingredients, in about the proportions specified,
treated in the manner herein described, viz. :
Bichromate of potash or of soda
Sulphate of copper
Sal-ammoniac
Black oxide of manganese
Carbon dust
Rosin
-
-
1
16 ozs.
24 "
24 99
32
"
8
"
24
33

page_text: which, except the shot and an additional thirty-two ounces of coarsely granulated
black oxide of manganese afterwards mingled therewith, is coated with water-repellant
material.
I find the best results to be attained by reducing the granules of active material
to uniform size, which I do by passing them through a riddle or screen of about
three-sixteenths of an inch mesh, and by re-heating and re-passing these granules
through such screen repeatedly, say three or more times.
The ingredients may be treated with chlorine gas, in well-known ways, preferably
under pressure, before being coated with water-repellant material.
prefer to use my improved compound immersed in simple or slightly acidulated
water as the exciting-fluid, and in connection with carbon and zinc electrodes,
enveloped in absorbent, fibrous material; and with my improved cell hereinafter
described; but the compound will operate advantageously with other exciting-fluids,
electrodes and cells.
In order to carry out my invention in the best manner, I have devised a new con-
struction of battery-cells, and combine them in a battery shown in the accompanying
drawings, in which—
Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a compound cell or battery, consisting of a large
jar or vessel enclosing a number of cells, each containing its proper elements, active
material, and exciting-fluid, and
Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof-partly in section-to illustrate the organization.
Except as otherwise indicated, the parts are of usual approved construction and
material.
The relative size of the cells and containing vessel may of course be varied
according to the power or quantity of electricity required to be developed. The
vessels and cells are shown as cylindrical, which form leaves space for interposed
packing of absorbent material, but vessels and cells of polygonal form may also be
used with advantage.
The containing vessel A, is shown of a size sufficient to contain the desired
number of cells, with packing-room between them. Fig. 1 shows seven cells, six
of which are arranged around the central one. Each cell contains a tubular,
longitudinally-slotted, open-ended zinc electrode Z, preferably of a height slightly
less than that of its containing cell and of somewhat less diameter, so as to leave
an annular space between them. A wire X is connected with each zinc electrode
by a binding-screw Y. A carbon-rod electrode C, connected with a wire W, by a
binding-screw V, is provided, one for each cell. These rods are preferably cylin-
.drical in form and of smaller diameter than the zinc cylinders, within which they
are inserted concentrically, so as to leave an annular space between them, but are
made long enough to project above the zinc-electrode, their cell, and the containing-
vessel, as shown in Fig. 2.
The spaces between the respective electrodes, and between them and their
respective cell-walls are filled with the active material above described up to a point
slightly below the upper ends of the zinc electrodes, as shown in Fig. 2, while the
spaces between the cells and containing vessel are packed with sawdust or equivalent
absorbent and moisture-retaining material.
The cells and containing vessel are then filled with exciting-fluid, and the battery
is ready for action. The vessel may be covered, if desired, but I prefer to allow
free access of air to the active material. The cells are shown as coupled in series,
but this coupling may of course be varied according to the requirements of the
case.
As an additional improvement, I envelop the electrodes with absorbent,
permeable material, through which the exciting-fluid can freely pass, but which
protects the electrodes from deleterious action, or the deposition of clogging or
foreign matter thereon. I am thus enabled to maintain constant or uniform
action of the battery. These envelopes may consist of fibrous or textile material,
such as cloth, canton-flannel, flannel or felt, but I prefer to use the strongest and
heaviest filtering paper obtainable, to apply it closely to the surface of the electrodes,

page_text: and secure its overlapping edges by gum-shellac varnish or some equivalent,
adhesive, water-repellant material, as I have obtained the best results in practice
with such paper.
Practical experience has demonstrated that a battery constructed as herein-
before described is capable of generating an uniform electro-motive force, of great
quantity and tension, for a long period, with little perceptible waste of battery-
material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1. The herein before described method of enveloping the individual granules or
particles of the active material of an electric or galvanic battery with a water-
repellant substance.
2. The hereinbefore described method of enveloping the individual granules or
particles of the active material of an electric or galvanic battery with a resinous or
waxy water-repellant substance, by heating and stirring the mixture.
3. The herein before described method of mixing the various ingredients of the
active material of an electric or galvanic battery with rosin, all in the form of
powder, and heating them sufficiently to melt the rosin, whereby each granule
or particle of the composition is enveloped in the rosin or equivalent resinous
water-repellant material.
4. The method hereinbefore described of preparing active material for electric
or galvanic batteries, which consists in coating each separate granule with water-
repellant material, and then mixing such coated material with other uncoated
ingredients.
5. The method hereinbefore described of preparing active material for electric
or galvanic batteries, which consists in coating each separate granule with water-
repellant material, and then mixing said coated material with granulated black
oxide of manganese and small lead shot.
6. The hereinbefore described active material for an electric or galvanic battery,
consisting of a composition of pulverized ingredients in the form of granules or
coarse powder, each of whose granules or particles is separately enveloped with a
water-repellant substance.
7. As active material for an electric or galvanic battery, compositions of matter,
substantially such as described, in the form of powder, each separate granule or
particle of which composition is coated with resinous matter.
8. Active material for an electric or galvanic battery consisting of a mixture of
granules, each separately coated with water-repellant material, and granules of
black oxide of manganese not so coated.
9. The hereinbefore described composition for active material of electric or
galvanic batteries, consisting of black oxide of manganese, sal-ammoniac, sulphate
of copper, and a bi-chromate, such as potash or soda, pulverized and mixed in the
form of granules, each coated with water-repellant material.
10. The hereinbefore described method of preventing clogging of the electrodes
of an electric or galvanic battery by enveloping them in absorbent fibrous or textile
material.
11. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an electric or
galvanic battery, or granulated active material, water-repellant material enveloping
each separate granule, electrodes, envelopes therefor of absorbent paper, and an
exciting fluid, such as water.
12. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, in an electric or
galvanic battery, of granulated active material, the particles of which are separately
enveloped in a water-repellant substance, such as rosin or paraffine, electrodes,
their envelopes of absorbent or permeable material, and an exciting-fluid.
13. A battery-cell consisting of a containing vessel, a series of independent cells
therein, each enclosing a tubular zinc electrode and a carbon-rod electrode, all the

page_text: electrodes being connected in circuit, and the spaces between them and the cells
being filled with granulated active material, having its individual particles each
enveloped with water-repellant material.
14. The hereinbefore described electric or galvanic battery, consisting of a
containing vessel, a series of independent cells therein, zinc and carbon electrodes
concentrically arranged in each cell, their connecting wires, active material, the
granules of which are each separately coated with a water-repellant material,
filling the cells, absorbent material surrounding the cells, and an exciting-fluid,
covering the active and absorbent material.
Dated this 22nd day of May 1891.