IMPROVE- MENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Guillaume André
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th June 1883.
George GuillaUME ANDRE of Dorking in the County of Surrey " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES
"
According to this invention I employ a soluble carbonate such as carbonate of
soda in combination with a sulphate such as sulphate of copper in one and the same
cell which contains the copper or other negative electrode. The zinc or other
positive electrode is contained in a saline, or it might be an acid or a saline and
acid solution. I find a saline solution consisting of sulphate of zinc and sulphate of
soda suitable for the purpose. The negative electrode with its combined solution
is contained in a porous cell or cells which may be placed in the container for the
solution surrounding the positive electrode. The porous cell may advantageously
be made of brown paper between an outer and inner layer of parchment paper on
a wooden or other suitable framework.
In this construction of battery the sulphate of copper will as it dissolves be
thrown down as an insoluble carbonate of copper by the carbonate of soda which
latter will become a sulphate of soda. As however the proportions of the sulphate
of copper and carbonate of soda employed are made such as to leave some of the
former in solution this remainder will act as a depolarizing agent.
In the working of this cell the copper is thrown down and sulphuric acid thereby
liberated, which latter attacks the carbonate of copper producing more sulphate of
copper which in its turn is thrown down in like manner.
This action goes on as long as there is any carbonate of copper left. Thus only
a small and definite proportion of the copper salt is in solution at any one time
and the loss by exmose action through the porous cell is thus reduced to a
minimum, at the same time the strength of the solution is maintained constant and
equal throughout thus also ensuring uniformity of action.

page_text: The sulphate of soda derived from the carbonate and contained in solution in the
porous cell also serves to increase the conductivity of the liquid.
If the proportions are made such that the whole of the sulphate of copper is
converted into the carbonate I add to the liquid a salt of ammonia, such as the
chloride of ammonia the decomposition of which by the current causes solution of
the carbonate of copper to take place producing chloride of copper which then acts
as the depolarizing agent. In this case there is no loss by exinose through the
porous cell.
Or I may instead of the carbonate of soda employ a cheap nitrate such as
nitrate of soda in combination with the sulphate of copper. The sulphuric acid
liberated by the deposition of the copper will then displace the nitric acid from
the nitrate and this nitric acid then acts as a depolarizing agent also, thus effecting
a great saving in the use of sulphate of copper. In this case I employ an
earthenware porous cell.
In order to prevent the sulphate of copper from depositing copper on the zinc
electrode I interpose an isolated shield between the porous cell and the zinc
electrode. This shield may be made of perforated or open worked zine or iron.
The copper will then deposit on the shield without interfering with the electric
action of the zinc electrode

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Guillaume André in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th December 1883.
GEORGE GUILLAUME ANDRÉ of Dorking in the County of Surrey
MENTS IN PRIMARY VOLTAIC BATTERIES
"
" IMPROVE-
According to this invention I employ a soluble carbonate such as carbonate of
soda in combination with a sulphate such as sulphate of copper in one and the
same cell which contains the copper or other negative electrode. The zinc or other
positive electrode is contained in a saline or it might be an acid or a saline and
acid solution. I find a saline solution consisting of sulphate of zinc and sulphate
of soda suitable for the purpose. The negative electrode with its combined
solution is contained in a porous cell or cells which may be placed in the container
for the solution surrounding the positive electrode. The porous cell may
advantageously be made of brown paper between an outer and inner layer of
parchment paper on a wooden or other suitable frame work.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a longitudinal section. Figure 2
sectional end view and Figure 3 a plan of one form of cell. The wood frame
consists of a bottom piece A, two end pieces A' and two side pieces A² On this
frame is mounted a covering B consisting of two layers of parchment paper with
an intervening layer of common stout brown paper. C is a bent copper plate
electrode.
In this construction of battery the sulphate of copper will as it dissolves be
thrown down as an insoluble carbonate of copper by the carbonate of soda which
latter will become a sulphate of soda. As however the proportions of the sulphate
of copper and carbonate of soda employed are made such as to leave some of the
former in solution this remainder will act as a depolarizing agent. In the working
of this cell the copper is thrown down and sulphuric acid thereby liberated, which
latter attacks the carbonate of copper producing more sulphate of copper which in
its turn is thrown down in like manner. This action goes on as long as there is
any carbonate of copper left. Thus only a small and definite proportion of the
copper salt is in solution at any one time and the loss by exmose action through
the porous cell is thus reduced to a minimum, at the same time the strength of the
solution is maintained constant and equal throughout thus also ensuring uniformity
of action. The sulphate of soda derived from the carbonate and contained in
solution in the porous cell also serves to increase the conductivity of the liquid.
Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section through a battery cell showing one mode
or forin (out of a great many) in which this part of my invention may be carried
into effect. In the outer wooden or earthenware or other suitable container D
are placed two porous cells A of the construction already described with reference
to Figures 1, 2 and 3 and containing each a copper electrode C. E, E, E, are the
zinc electrodes.
The depolarizing solution is in the porous cells A and the exciting liquid in the
container D. Or the position of the electrodes with their corresponding liquids
may be reversed.
If the proportions are made such that the whole of the sulphate of copper is
converted into the carbonate, I add to the liquid a salt of ammonia such as the
chloride (or sulphate) of ammonia the decomposition of which by the current
causes solution of the carbonate of copper to take place which then acts as the
depolarizing agent. In this case there is no loss by exmose through the porous
cells and I may therefore omit the latter thus simplifying the construction and
reducing the internal resistance.

page_text: Or I may instead of the carbonate of soda employ a cheap nitrate such as nitrate
of soda in combination with the sulphate of copper. The sulphuric acid liberated
by the deposition of the copper will then displace the nitric acid from the nitrate
and this nitric acid then acts as a depolarizing agent also, thus effecting a
great saving in the use of sulphate of copper. In this case I employ an earthen-
ware porous cell.
In order to prevent the sulphate of copper from depositing copper on the zinc
electrode I may interpose an isolated shield between the porous cell and the zine
electrode. Such shields are shown at F, F, F, F, Figure 4. These shields may be
made of perforated or openworked zinc or iron. The copper will then deposit on
the shields F without interfering with the electric action of the zinc electrodes E.
I am aware that native carbonate of copper has heretofore been proposed to be
employed in combination with chloride of ammonia as a depolarizing agent but
this is not suitable for the production of powerful currents.
Having now described the nature of the said invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect I declare that I claim :-
First The employment in primary batteries of a solution of carbonate of soda
or of potash in combination with a sulphate of copper in one and the same cell
which contains the negative electrode for the purpose of converting the soluble
copper salt into an insoluble salt and so that an excess portion of the soluble
salt remains in solution for the purpose of acting as a depolarizer substantially as
set forth.
Second-The employment in primary batteries of carbonate of copper in a finely
divided state and obtained by the conversion of sulphate of copper in solution by
means of carbonate of soda or potash, in combination with a solution of a salt of
ammonia as the exciting liquid substantially as set forth.
Third The combination of parts forming the battery cell described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
In witness whereof I the said George Guillaume André have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Fifth day of December in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three