CARBON FABRICS OR MATERIALS THEIR MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOSEPH STOKES WILLIAMS of Riverton, New Jersey, United States of America,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for "CARBON FABRICS
OR MATERIALS THEIR MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION "
to be as follows:―
I manufacture carbon sheets ribbons fabrics plates or rods flexible or otherwise
for electrical accumulators or electrical gas accumulators or batteries and other
purposes and I obtain any desired strength porosity texture or electrical resistance
also uniformity as well as in some cases the greatest extent of surface practicable
from the quantity of material employed such conditions are important in order to
provide for the working and using thin plates strands cords or ribbons in the
construction or working of electrical depositing apparatus or cells filtering
disinfecting purifying separating apparatus electric lamps electric accumulators and
other purposes.
In the manufacture of such carbon sheets or fabric I sometimes employ vegetable
woody or other carbonizable fibre or material preferably woven twisted or
compressed into sheets ribbons mats cords or other suitable flexible fabric
parchmentized or reduced to cellulose or not which in some cases I saturate
or impregnate with starch or starch refuse dextrine or wood or paper in a finely
divided state or as a pulp or cellulose or Furfurol or Fucusol (with or without
mixing with or charging such impregnating agent or the base with a gun or gums
turpentine oil petroleum or other cementing agent or compound of two or more) and
by passing the fabric or support through rolls or series of rolls or pressure devices
which force the separating or impregnating medium into the pores interstices or
net work of the base or support which becomes loaded or charged therewith
uniformly and evenly and subsequent to such treatment the material can be dried
in drying rooms or by natural ineans or by passing such fabric between or over
steam or otherwise heated rolls or plates and in the same or subsequent operations
the fabric can be carbonized within suitable chambers charged with hydrocarbon
gas and from which the air is excluded heat being applied by the combustion of
gas or fuel in the usual manner or by passage of an electric current through the
fabric so as to heat the same and decompose the gas or deposit the carbon in the
interstices and upon the fabric or material.
In order to provide for this last result and method of charging the fabric with
carbon I dip the fabric or base parchmentized or not into a carbonaceous solution
or I load or charge the fabric with carbon in a finely divided state with the pulp
or fibre or can employ carbon for loading cloths or fabrics in a similar manner as
lime and other materials are now used for charging or increasing the weight of
cotton or other manufactured goods the object of such treatment being to provide
for an electric current being flashed or passed through the fabric when resting or
secured upon suitable supports in a gas chamber (such as is generally known as a
gas jar) which can be adapted to receive or have passed through the same fabrics

page_text: of any length or dimensions or which can be of such dimensions and so equipped
as to receive large rolls or frames of the fabrics to be treated these chambers or
rooms in some cases I equip with mechanical appliances which are adapted to be
operated electrically or by the pressure of gas, passing into the chamber or by the
products of decomposition of the gas passing off from the chamber for the operation
of the mechanical appliances it will be understood I employ a suitable motor in
accordance with the means employed for driving the motor I combine with the
shaft or mechanism upon which the fabrics to be treated is supported and when the
fabric is mounted upon a reel or shaft which is adapted to be revolved I pass
the fabric under or between rollers or guides between two or more sets of rolls
which provide an equivalent arrangement otherwise and I provide a series of such
guides for the fabric these guides are mounted upon suitable supports by or through
which the series are electrically insulated from each other and the guide plates or
rollers are preferably so arranged as to provide for pressing the fabric in closer
contant with the roller support or guides which extend across the width of the
fabric and which are electrically connected with the source of electric power
outside of the chamber preferably a simple or compound electric accumulator which
can be charged from any suitable source dynamic electric gàs batteries or otherwise.
I employ pressure regulators variable resistance or resistances automatically or,
manually operative or both which are so constructed and adapted to operate (and'
preferably automatically) so as to vary the resistance in the circuit from the
accumulator in accordance with the variation of resistance in the portion of the
circuit formed through the fabric under treatment and when the resistance in such
portion of the circuit shall have reached some predetermined limit the supply of
current will be cut out, or instead of regulating the resistance in this manner the
deposition of carbon can be carried on until the conductivity is such as to prevent
the heating necessary for deposition. In order to provide for a more even
deposition of carbon and the treatment of long pieces of fabric I arrange for the
fabric as payed out from a roll being coated with carbon as described and taken up
and coiled upon another roll through the medium of a motor as described the
appliances for regulating the speed and controlling the operation of such mechanism
can be varied but I preferably provide means for governing the speed in accordance
with the work of deposition to be done or being done and in some cases I arrange
for the reversal of the mechanism so as to cause the fabric to be passed backwards
over the contact plates one or more times or until the necessary deposit of carbon
and reduction of electrical resistance is secured. I also in some cases arrange for
maintaining the fabric stretched in order to prevent warping or unevenness the gas
pipe from the gas supply is preferably provided with a check valve to prevent the
backward flow of gas and I also in some cases provide a pressure regulator or
reducer so as to regulate the quantity of gas in accordance with the amount of gas
decomposed and the carbon deposit upon the fabric this can be accomplished. in
various ways for instance by a mechanical governor combined with the motor for
passing the fabric over the terminal plates or rolls of the electric source or by a
pressure gauge for indicating the pressure of the gas in decomposing and carbon
depositing chamber or in some cases I force the gas into the chamber with a pump
(or pumps into a gas reservoir) the pressure regulators or controlling or work
indicating devices can be combined with the cut offs for electric or other power for
driving the motors for pumping in the gas or with the cut offs or check valve or.
valves (which are preferably arranged to prevent the backward flow of the gas or
the admission of air into the chamber adapted to operate in the flue or discharge
pipe from the chamber, the chamber for decomposing the gas is preferably gas tight
and in some cases I employ a vacuum or exhaust pump for drawing off the air and
to render the process perfectly safe and free from accident I in some cases arrange
a test automatically or otherwise operative for testing the preserve of air this device
can be adapted to operate upon an electric circuit the closing of the circuit of which.
can be made necessary before it is, possible to turn the circuit maker for completing
the electric circuit through the fabric or gas chamber this can be accomplished by.

page_text: the following means a small balloon carrying a plunger fitting in guides and into a
socket containing mercury will cause the rise and fall of the mercury in accordance
with the variation in the rarification of the gas in the chamber and when the
chamber contains air this plunger will be raised or operated so that an electric
circuit in a receiver outside of the gas chamber but connected with the chamber
inside will be operated upon preferably in such a manner as to cease to energize an
electric translating device electro magnetic or otherwise operative which has some
part combined with or adapted to operate upon circuit closer for closing the circuit
through the chamber in such a manner as to interrupt the circuit until the air is
pumped out.
In order to provide for the manufacture of carbon fabrics in this manner-In
some cases I employ a commutating or switching device which is adapted to provide
for varying the internal resistance of the accumulator generator or developing
source through the medium of a multiple of circuits or otherwise as will be
understood can be provided by throwing the elements into a series or parallel
circuit or by varying the number in the circuit or in the parallel circuit or the
length in series or I employ a variable resistance in the circuit. In some cases I
employ simple or compound induction or condensing devices adapted to be charged
for the reserve or developing source or both and be discharged through independent
or separate connections or extensions with which the sheets sheet or fabric in the
carbonizing chambers are connected in series or multiple through the medium of a
switching-commutator (or grouping box or not) and I provide an automatic or hand
controlling device or circuit maker or closer or variable resistance adapted to operate
upon the charging circuit in such a manner to vary the resistance in accordance
with the variation of resistance through the carbonized or carbonizing sheets or
fabrics and in some cases I employ a circuit maker or breaker which is combined
or adapted to be brought in action through the medium of time mechanism or a
moter device in such a manner as to provide for the circuit through one or moro
sets of the carbonized sheets or fabrics when they are properly carbonized or in
other words when its resistance or reduced to some predetermined limit with or
without shunting or directing the current through one or more other sheets or sets
of them-adapted to be operated upon and in addition thereto or independently
thereof I prefer to employ automatic pressure regulators and cut off devices and
hand controlling devices in these circuits charging or discharging or both, and other
safety appliances as herein described. I prefer the conical spherical or other
equivalent form of pressure regulators for preventing undue pressure or for reducing
or increasing varying or regulating the force of the current in my electric circuits
as described in my former applications for patent.
I sometimes employ turnings of wood or sawdust or wood in a more fibrous
condition or seawood jute or the stalks of various vegetable growth as such
materials are well adapted (both in view of economy and efficiency) to be
employed in the manufacture of flexible carbon sheets or fabrics of considerable size
adapted for various purposes and especially for electric accumulators batteries
depositing cells and other uses such as herein mentioned.
In the preparation of such material the fibre is acted upon by suitable chemical
agents and reagents which are renewed by distillation or washing and the pulp
mixed or not with some neutral fibrous material say asbestos slag wool or
pulverized carbon or hydrocarbon or gum or oxidized oil or a combination of them
and the material is rolled or compressed into sheets of the desired length or width
which are properly dried and carbonized as herein described or 1 may employ
woven or corded fabrics of such material either as the base or alone and carbonize
the material by an electric current or by the application of heat or by the use of
chemical agents with or without the employment of hydrocarbon vapors or gas or
oil resins or gums as herein described.
In some cases instead of employing a cloth or base composed of fibre or material
which is carbonizable I employ a net work gauze cloth base or fabric for instance
cloth paper sheets ribbons strands or fibre composed partly or entirely of Asbestos

page_text: or other indestructible material (with or without employing wood pulp or vegetable
fibre cellulose dextrine pulverized carbon gums resins or other carbonizable material
or compound as described with reference to the fabric in which the base or support
is composed of a carbonizable material, or I can employ collodion for impregnating
or saturating such non carbonizable base or the carbonizable bases as herein
mentioned or described.
I can employ Metallic sheets strands or gauze as the base for the carbonizable
material or instead of employing a base or support as stated (or in combination
with such base or support) in the construction of such flexible sheets ribbons
layers or strands fabrics partly or entirely composed of carbonized or carbonizable
material I decompose ligneous fibre fabric or Material by a chemical agent re agent
or element so as to impregnate or prepare the base support or fabric coated or
covered or not with Gum Oil Turpentine starch dextrine ligneous pulp or other
bydro-carbon or carbonizable material and in some cases I operate in such manner
upon the Material supported by an indestructible base.
I decompose solid or liquid hydro-carbons, for instance, Petroleum Turpentine,
Gums Oils or the refuse products arising from their distillation or their production
by the application of heat to or within the tubes chambers or retorts from which
the air is excluded and when such chambers become sufficiently heated or when an
electric arc is formed with the same I introduce (preferably) the hydro carbon or
material to be treated in a spray or finely divided state under which process
I obtain a thorough decomposition and product of such process is thrown down in
the retorts or condensers connected therewith which I subject to treatment with or
without mixing the same with other ingredients for instance pulverized carbon or
a fibrous material carbonizable (parchmentized or not) or uncarbonizable and
I subject such material to pressure by passing same through rolls or other suitable
distributing and compressing and formning devices so as to provide for the
formation of flexible sheets ribbons or other suitably formed fabric which in some
cases I subsequently in the same operation caused to be dried in drying rooms or
by causing the same to be subjected to heating rollers or surfaces or in some cases
I mounted or support such material upon a base or support of cloth paper or other
material as herein described or instead of operating upon and with the hydro
carbons in this manuer in the construction of flexible sheets I can employ
oxidized oil or gums resins glue and starch cellulose dextrine or a combination
mixed or not with a ligneous or fibrous material or pulp (parchmentized or not)
the oxidized oil or such materials or gums can be oxidized through the medium of
an electric current such oxidized oil or carbonizable gums or resins mixed or not
supported or unsupported by fibrous carbonizable or noncarbonizable material can be
distributed by suitable machinery in thin sheets layers or ribbons of any length
of uniform or varying section and of the desired width with or without being
supported by or upon or in the interstices of a woven or matted carded or other-
wise formed fabric.
In some cases I impregnate saturate load or charge a fabric or cloth base or
support with pulverized carbonized as sizing or charging or mix with wood pulp
wood or paper would pulp vegetable fibre or an indestructible fibre or combination
of them as herein described plumbago black lead or other form of solid carbon in
a finely divided state and preferably mixed with some hydro carbon or other
liquid or some cement say dextrine cellulose starch glue resin or other suitable
material as a compound and by suitable machinery as herein described I provide
for the construction of cloths or sheets thoroughly impregnated or loaded with
carbon or carbonizable material. In the construction or formation of flexible
carbon sheets ribbons or fabrics of or impregnated or loaded with carbon I some-
times employ a muting furnace or a chamber or retort into which the material is
placed for carbonization such chamber or retort being constructed of some highly
refractory substance or compound which will stand a high degree of temperature
and in order to make such chamber or retort air tight I preferably employ such
refractory material as the lining of a metallic casing and I also provide meaus for

page_text: the extraction of the air I provide an opening or door also lined with some
refractory material through the medium of which the rolls or sheets of the material.
to be carbonized can be placed in such chambers or retort and therein secured in
position.
In some cases I arrange a series of sheets mounted upon or secured to supports
or a framing which acts as a stretcher the sheets can be and are preferably a slight
distance apart so as to admit of the free circulation of the gas, the pieces or
supports can be forced apart by springs or weights in such a manner as to com-
pensate for the variation in the fabric caused by expansion and contraction
I thereby provide for maintaining the sheets in proper relative position to cach
other while being operated upon suspended vertically or otherwise and maintained
in position by the stretchers or by plates under compression.
I provide for passing liquid hydrocarbons or gas or vapour into and through
such chamber so as to give the material being carbonized an increased charge in
carbon.
I preferably introduce into these chambers (the material for carbonization for
use in secondary batteries or accumulators) in rolls which may be mounted upon
an axle which extends through the end of retort into a second chamber in which
the mechanical appliance or motor is combined with the shaft so as to communicate
motion to the roll of material in the carbonizing furnace or retort or I mount the
sheets of the size desired upon a frame work or stretcher as described in multiple
and when I heat by the electric current I flash through them connected in the
circuit in multiple or in series as may be desired-I may extend the terminal
connections to a grouping box outside the chamber so as to provide for arranging
at will or automatically or both the resistance in the circuit from the receiver or
generative service of electric power or both.
In some cases in operating upon rolls or on long sheets or fabrics in the gas
decomposing chamber I provide for passing the fabric from or through the chamber
by means of a trough or series of them in one or both sides of the chamber this
trough is adapted to hold a liquid preferably mercury (but in some cases such
liquid can be composed of a carbonizable matter as herein described so as to form
a seal against the admission of air or the escape of gas the cloth being arranged to
pass over a roller or ledge projecting into the mercury and towards the bottoin of
the trough and from thence upwards onto the supports rollers or guides in the
decomposing chamber and out again after properly treated in a similar manner tho
machinery for moving and treating the fabric under carbonization being already
described. In some cases I volatilize by an electric arc a solid or liquid containing
carbon in the chamber for carbonization or in one communicating therewith; for
such purposes I extend the electrical connection preferably from circuits having
devices and means adapted to operate as herein described, and in order to provide
for maintaining a proper resistance in that portion of the circuit where the heat is
required I employ a regulator of any suitable type Such process can be employed
in combination with the chemical process of deposition or I sometimes employ in
the construction of the fabrics (such as herein provided for) the process for the
deposition of carbon upon or in the interstices of the fabrics or material as herein
provided for or the process described in Patent No 2848 of 1881.
Flexible or thin sheets of or fabrics composed partly or entirely of carbon made
as herein described can be employed with great advantage in electric accumulators
or in electrical gas batteries, filters, electrical depositing or metal extracting cells
purifying separating and disinfecting apparatus or in some cases in primary
batteries where rapid discharge is needed without regard to further use of the
battery and for other purposes.

page_text: -
I, JOSEPH STOKES WILLIAMS of Riverton, New Jersey, United States of America,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for CARBON FABRICS OR
MATERIALS THEIR MANUFACTURE AND APPLICATION and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
I manufacture carbon sheets ribbons fabrics plates or rods flexible or otherwise
for electrical accumulators or electrical gas accumulators or batteries and other
purposes and I obtain any desired strength porosity texture or electrical resistance
also uniformity as well as in some cases the greatest extent of surface practicable
from the quantity of material employed such conditions are important in order to
provide for the working and using thin plates strands cords or ribbons in the con-
struction or working of electrical depositing apparatus or cells filtering disinfecting
purifying separating apparatus electric lamps electric accumulators and other
purposes.
(a) In the manufacture of such carbon sheets or fabric I sometimes employ
vegetable woody or other carbonizable fibre or material preferably woven twisted
or compressed into sheets ribbons mats cords or other suitable flexible fabric
parchmentized or reduced to cellulose or not which in some cases I saturate or
impregnate with starch or starch refuse dextrine or wood or paper in a finely
divided state or as a pulp or cellulose or Furfurol or Fucusol (with or without
mixing with or charging such impregnating agent or the base with a gun or
gums turpentine oil petroleum or other cementing agent or compound of two or
more) and by passing the fabric or support through rolls or series of rolls or
pressure devices which force the saturating or impregnating medium into the pores
interstices or net work of the base or support which becomes loaded or charged
therewith uniformly and evenly and subsequent to such treatment the material
can be dried in drying rooms or by natural means or by passing such fabric between
or over steam or otherwise heated rolls or plates and in the same or subsequent
operations the fabric can be carbonized within suitable chambers charged with
hydrocarbon gas and from which the air is excluded heat being applied by the
combustion of gas or fuel in the usual manner or by passage of an electric current
through the fabric so as to beat the same and decompose the gas or deposit the
carbon in the interstices and upon the fabric or material.
(b) In order to provide for this last result and method of charging the fabric
with carbon I dip the fabric or base parchmentized or not into a carbonaceous
solution or I load or charge the fabric with carbon in a finely divided state with
the pulp or fibre or can employ carbon for loading cloths or fabrics in a similar
manner as lime and other materials are now used for charging or increasing the
weight of cotton or other manufactured goods the object of such treatment being to
.provide for an electric current being flashed or passed through the fabric when
resting or secured upon suitable supports in a gas chamber (such as is generally
known as a gas jar) which can be adapted to receive or have passed through the
same fabrics of any length or dimensions or which can be of such dimensions and
so equipped as to receive large rolls or frames of the fabric to be treated.
(c) These chambers or rooms in some cases I equip with mechanical appliances
which are adapted to be operated electrically or by the pressure of gas passing into

page_text: the chamber or by the products of decomposition of the gas passing off from the
chamber for the operation of the mechanical appliances for which I can employ a
suitable motor in accordance with the means employed for driving the motor
I combine with the shaft or mechanism upon which the fabrics to be treated is
supported and when the fabric is mounted upon a reel or shaft which is adapted to
be revolved I pass the fabric under or between rollers or guides between two or
more sets of rolls which provide an equivalent arrangement otherwise and I provide
a series of such guides for the fabric these guides are mounted upon suitable
supports by or through which the series are electrically insulated from each other
and the guide plates or rollers are preferably so arranged as to provide for pressing
the fabric in closer contact with the roller support or guides which extend across
the width of the fabric and which are electrically connected with the source of
electric power outside of the chamber preferably a simple or compound electric
accumulator which can be charged from any suitable source dynamic electric gas
batteries or otherwise.
(d) In such operations I sometimes employ pressure regulators variable resistance
or resistances automatically or manually operative or both which are so constructed
and adapted to operate (and preferably automatically) so as to vary the resistance
in the circuit from the accumulator or source of electric power in accordance with
the variation of resistance in the portion of the circuit formed through the fabric
under treatment and when the resistance in such portion of the circuit shall have
reached some predetermined limit the supply of current will be cut out or instead
of regulating the resistance in this manner the deposition of carbon can be carried
on until the conductivity is such as to prevent the heating necessary for deposition.
(e) In order to provide for a more even deposition of carbon and the treatment
of long pieces of fabric I arrange for the fabric as payed out from a roll being
coated with carbon as described and taken up and coiled upon another roll through
the medium of a motor as described the appliances for regulating the speed and
controlling the operation of such mechanism can be varied but I preferably provide
means for governing the speed in accordance with the work of deposition to be
done or being done and in some cases I arrange for the reversal of the mechanism so
as to cause the fabric to be passed backwards over the contact plates one or more
times or until the necessary depósit of carbon and reduction of electrical resistance
is secured. I also in some cases arrange for maintaining the fabric stretched in order
to prevent warping or unevenness the gas pipe from the gas supply is preferably
provided with a check valve to prevent the backward flow of gas.
(f) In some cases I provide a pressure regulator. or reducer so as to regulate the
quantity of gas in accordance with the amount of gas decomposed and the carbon
deposit upon the fabric this can be accomplished in various ways for instance by a
mechanical governor combined with the motor for passing the fabric over the
terminal plates or rolls of the electric accumulator or electric source or by a pressure
gauge for indicating the pressure of the gas in. decomposing and carbon depositing
chamber or in some cases I force the gas into the chamber with a pump (or pumps
into a gas reservoir) the pressure regulators or controlling or work indicating
devices can be combined with the cut offs for electric or other power for driving
the motors for pumping in the gas or with the cut offs or check valve or valves
(which are preferably arranged to prevent the backward flow of the gas or the
admission of air into the chamber adapted to operate in the flue or discharge pipe
from the chamber the chamber for decomposing the gas is preferably gas tight.
(g) In some cases I employ a vacuum or exhaust pump for drawing off the air
and to render the process perfectly safe and free from accident I in some cases
arrange a test automatically or otherwise operative for testing the pressure of air
this device can be adapted to operate upon an electric circuit the closing of the
circuit of which can be made necessary before it is possible to turn the circuit maker
for completing the electrical circuit through the fabric or gas chamber this can be
accomplished by the following means a small balloon carrying a plunger fitting in
guides and into a socket containing mercury will cause the rise and fall of the

page_text: mercury in accordance with the variation 'in the rarification of the gas in the
chamber and when the chamber contains air this plunger will be raised or operated
so that an electric circuit in a receiver outside of the gas chamber but connected
with the chamber inside will be opereted upon (preferably) in such a manner as to
cease to energize an electric translating device electro magnetic or otherwise
operative which has some part combined with or adapted to operate upon the
circuit closer for closing the circuit through the chamber in such a manner as to
interrupt the circuit until the air is pumped out.
(h) In order to provide for the manufacture of carbon fabrics in this manner In
some cases I employ a commutating or switching device which is adapted to provide
for varying the internal resistance of the accumulator generator or developing
source through the medium of a multiple of circuits or otherwise, as will be under-
stood can be provided by throwing the elements into a series or parallel circuit or
by varying the number in the circuit or in the parallel circuit - or the length in
series or I employ a variable resistance in the circuit or in some cases I employ
simple or compound induction or condensing devices adapted to be charged from
the reserve or developing source or both and be discharged through independent or
separate connections or extensions with which the sheets sheet or fabric in the
carbonizing chambers are connected in series or multiple through the medium of a
switching commutator (or grouping box or not) and I provide an automatic or hand
controlling device or circuit maker or closer. or variable resistance adapted to
operate upon the charging circuit in such a manner as to vary the resistance in
accordance with the variation of resistance through the carbonized or carbonizing
sheets or fabrics and in some cases I employ a circuit maker or breaker which is
combined with or adapted to be brought in action through the medium of time
mechanism or a motor device in such a manner as to provide for the circuit through
one or more sets of the carbonized sheets or fabrics when they are properly
carbonized or in other words when its resistance is reduced to some predetermined
limit with or without shunting or directing the current through one or more other
sheets or sets of them adapted to be operated upon.
(i) In combination with such or independently thereof I employ automatic
pressure regulators and cut off devices and hand controlling devices in these circuits
charging or discharging or both, and other safety appliances as herein described I
can employ a conical spherical or other equivalent form of pressure regulators for
preventing undue pressure or for reducing or increasing varying or regulating the
force of the current in my electric circuits as described in my former applications
for Patent.
(k) I sometimes employ turnings of wood or sawdust or wood in a more fibrous
condition or seaweed jute or the stalks of various vegetable growth as such
materials are well adapted (both in view of economy and efficiency) to be employed
in the manufacture of flexible carbon sheets or fabrics of considerable size adapted
for various purposes and especially for electric accumulators batteries depositing
cells and other uses such as herein mentioned. In the preparation of such
material the fibre is acted upon by suitable chemical agents and reagents which
are removed by distillation or washing and the pulp mixed or not with some
neutral fibrous material say asbestos slag wool or pulverized carbon or bydrocarbon
or gum or oxidized oil or a combination of them and the material is rolled or
compressed into sheets of the desired length or width which are properly dried and
carbonized as herein described or I may employ woven or corded fabrics of such
material either as the base or alone and carbonize the material by an electric
current or by the application of heat or by the use of chemical agents with or
without the employment of the hydro-carbon vapors or gas or oils resins or gums
as herein described.
(1) In some cases instead of employing a cloth or base composed of fibre or
material which is carbonizable I employ a net-work gauze cloth base or fabric for
instance cloth paper sheets ribbons strands or fibre composed partly or entirely of
asbestos or other indestructible material (with or without employing wood pulp or

page_text: vegetable fibre cellulose dextrine pulverized carbon gums resins or other carbonizable
material or compound as described with reference to the fabric in which the base
or support is composed of a carbonizable material or I can employ collodion for
impregnating or saturating such non carbonizable base or the carbonizable bases as
herein mentioned or described.
(m) I can employ metallic sheets strands or gauzo as the base for the
carbonizable material or instead of employing a base or support as stated (or in
combination with such base or support) in the construction of such flexible sheets
ribbons layers or stranded fabrics partly or entirely composed of carbonized or
carbonizable material I decompose ligneous fibre fabric or material by a chemical
agent reagent or element so as to impregnate or prepare the base support or fabric
coated or covered or not with gum oil turpentine starch dextrine ligneous pulp or
other hydrocarbon or carbonizable material and in some cases I operate in such
manner upon the material supported by an indestructible base.
(n) I decompose solid or liquid hydrocarbons for instance petroleum turpentine
gums oils or the refuse products arising from their distillation or their production
by the application of heat to or within the tubes chambers or retorts from which
the air is excluded and when such chambers become sufficiently heated or when an
electric arc is formed with the same I introduce (preferably) the hydro carbon or
material to be treated in a spray or finely divided state under which process I
obtain a thorough decomposition and product of such process is thrown down in
the retorts or condensers connected therewith which I subject to treatment with or
without mixing the same with other ingredients for instance pulverized carbon or
a fibrous material, carbonizable (parchmentized or not) or uncarbonizable and I
subject such material to pressure by passing same through rolls or other suitable
distributing and compressing and forming devices so as to provide for the formation
of flexible sheets ribbons or other suitably formed fabric which in some cases I
subsequently in the same operation caused to be dried in drying rooms or by
causing the same to be subjected to heating rollers or surfaces or in some cases I
mount or support such material upon a base or support of cloth paper or other
material as herein described or instead of operating upon and with the hydro
carbons in this manner in the construction of flexible sheets I can employ oxidized
oil or gums resins glue and starch cellulose dextrine or a combination mixed or not
with a ligneous or fibrous material or pulp (parchmentized or not) the oxidized oil
or such materials or gums can be oxidized through the medium of an electric
current such oxidized oil or carbonizable gums or resins mixed or not supported or
unsupported by fibrous carbonizable or noncarbonizable material can be distributed
by suitable machinery in thin sheets layers or ribbons of any length of uniform
or varying section and of the desired width with or without being supported by
or upon or in the interstices of a woven or matted carded or otherwise formed
fabric.
(o) In some cases I impregnate saturate load or charge a fabric or cloth base or
support with pulverized carbonized as seizing or charging or mix with wood
pulp wood or paper wood pulp vegetable fibre or an indestructible fibre or
combination of them as herein described plumbago black lead or other form of
solid carbon in a finely divided state and preferably mixed with some hydrocarbon
or other liquid or some cement say dextrine cellulose starch glue resin or other
suitable material as a compound and by suitable machinery as herein described I
provide for the construction of cloths or sheets thoroughly impregnated or loaded
with carbon or carbonizable material.
(p) In the construction or formation of. flexible carbon sheets ribbons or fabrics
of or impregnated or loaded with carbon I sometimes employ a muffling furnace or
a chamber or retort into which the material is placed for carbonization such
chamber or retort being constructed of some highly refractory substance or
compound which will stand a high degree of temperature and in order to make
such chamber or retort air tight I preferably employ such refractory material as
the lining of a metallic casing and I also provide ineans for the extraction of the air

page_text: I provide an opening or door also lined with some refractory material through the
medium of which the rolls or sheets of the material to be carbonized can be placed
in such chamber or retort and therein secured in position.
: (g) In some cases I arrange a series of sheets mounted upon or secured to
supports or a framing which acts as a stretcher the sheets can be and are preferably
a slight distance apart so as to admit of the free circulation of the gas, the pieces
or supports can be forced apart by springs or weights in such a manner as to
compensate for the variation in the fabric caused by expansion and contraction
I thereby provide for maintaining the sheets in proper relative positions to each
other while being operated upon suspended vertically or otherwise and maintained
in position by the stretchers or by plates under compression. I provide for passing
liquid hydro-carbons or gas or vapour into and through such chamber so as to give
the material being carbonized an increased charge in carbon.
(7) In some I introduce into these chambers (the material for carbonization for
use in secondary batteries or accumulators) in rolls which may be mounted upon
an axle which extends through the end of retort into a second chamber in which
the mechanical appliance or motor is combined with the shaft so as to communicate
motion to the roll of material in the carbonizing furnace or retort or I mount the
sheets of the size desired upon a frame work or stretcher as described in multiple
and when I heat by the electric current I flash through them connected in the
circuit in multiple or in series as may be desired I may extend the terminal
connections to a grouping box outside the chamber so as to provide for arranging
at will or automatically or both the resistance in the circuit from the receiver or
generative source of electric power or both.
(3) In some cases in operating upon rolls or on long sheets or fabrics in the gas
decomposing chamber I provide for passing the fabric from or through the chamber
by means of a trough or series of them in one or both sides of the chamber this
trough is adapted to hold a liquid (but in some cases such liquid can be composed
of a carbonizable matter as herein described so as to form a seal against the
adinission of air or the escape of gas the cloth being arranged to pass over a roller
or ledge projecting into the liquid and towards the bottom of the trough and from
thence upwards into the supports rollers or guides in the decomposing chamber
and out again after being properly treated in a similar manner the machinery for
moving and treating the fabric under carbonization being already described In
some cases I volatilize by an electric arc a solid or liquid containing carbon in the
chamber for carbonization or in one communicating therewith for such purposes
I extend the electrical connection preferably from circuits having devices and
means adapted to operate as herein described and in order to provide for main-
taining a proper resistance in that portion of the circuit where the heat is required
1 employ a regulator of any suitable type. Such process can be employed in
combination with the chemical process of deposition.
(t) I sometimes employ in the construction of the fabrics (such as herein provided
for) the process for the deposition of carbon upon or in the interstices of the fabrics
or material as herein provided for or the process described in Patent No 2848
of 1881.
Flexible or thin sheets of or fabrics composed partly or entirely of carbon
made as herein described can be employed with great advantage in electric
accumulators or in electrical gas batteries, filters electrical depositing or metal
extracting cells purifying separating and disinfecting apparatus or in some cases
in primary batteries where rapid discharge is needed without regard to further
use of the battery and for other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The method of manufacturing carbonized fabrics or carbon plates or sheets
by the employment of a flexible or fibrous base or support saturated or impregnated

page_text: with a carbonizable material forced into the pores or interstices of the support
which is subsequently carbonized substantially as and for the purposes set forth in
paragraph a.
2. The method of or apparatus for manufacturing carbon fabrics substantially as
set forth in paragraph b.
3. The method of or apparatus for producing carbon plates sheets or fabrics
substantially as set forth in paragraph c.
4. In the manufacture of carbon sheets plates or fabrics the employment of pressure
regulators or variable resistances or both substantially as set forth in paragraph d.
5. The method of or apparatus for producing carbon sheets or plates or fabrics
substantially as set forth in paragraph c.
6. The method of and apparatus for carbonizing fabrics or sheets and means for
regulating the supply of gas in such processes or for indicating the conditions
present in the carbonizing chamber with or without such being combined with
devices or means as set forth in paragraph f.
7. The method of or apparatus for conducting the manufacture of carbon fabrics
or sheets by the employment of means to indicate and safeguard the operations
substantially as set forth in paragraph g.
8. The method or apparatus for producing carbon fabrics or sheets substantially
as set forth in paragraph h.
9. Independently of or in combination with the subject matter of the preceeding
claim the employment of devices or means for regulating or controlling the operations
such as set forth in paragraph i.
10. The method of manufacturing carbon fabrics or sheets substantially as set
forth in paragraph k.
11. The method of manufacturing carbon fabrics or sheets substantially as set
forth in paragraphs or m.
l
12. The method of or apparatus for manufacturing carbon fabrics or sheets
substantially as set forth in paragraphs n or o.
13. The method of or apparatus for carbonizing or producing carbonized fabrics
or sheets provided with an opening or door for the introduction of the material to
be treated and means for exhausting or drawing out the gaseous contents of the
carbonizing chamber.
14. The method of or apparatus for treating and carbonizing fabrics substantially
as set forth in the respective paragraphs p q r 8.
15. The employment in the construction or working of electrical accumulators
or batteries or depositing or filtering or purifying apparatus of carbon fabrics
plates or sheets produced as described in the respective paragraphs indicated by
letters of reference.
D