Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries.
We WILLIAM WALKER, the younger, of No. 103 Bristol Street Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Electrician and FRANK RICHARD WILKINS of
Selborne Road Handsworth in the County of Stafford Chemical Merchant do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has reference to single liquid primary voltaic batteries and has for
its object to prevent wholly or in great part the condition in the said batteries
called by electricians polarization a condition by which the electro-motive-force of
the said batteries is much reduced. The said polarization is produced by the
evolution of hydrogen at the negative element of the battery and in double liquid
batteries such for example as Grove's battery and Daniel's battery is suppressed in
the former by nitric acid and in the latter by a solution of sulphate of copper, the
nascent hydrogen combining in the former case with the oxygen of the nitric acid
and in the latter case replacing the copper of the sulphate of copper.
In constructing a single liquid battery according to our invention we employ
amalgamated zinc as the positive element and carbon as the negative element the
electrolyte or exciting liquid being preferably a strong solution of caustic soda
or potash. We do not however limit ourselves to the use of any particular exciting
liquid..
We arrange the parts of the battery preferably in the following manner. The
amalgamated zinc either in the form of a solid or a hollow cylinder is placed in a
porous cylindrical cell. The porous cell is situated concentrically in a casing of
We fill the annular
wire gauze of about double the diameter of the porous cell.
space between the wire gauze casing and the porous cell with carbon, that portion of
the carbon in contact with the porous cell being in fine powder while that portion of
the carbon in contact with the wire gauze casing is in the form of coarse powder or
grains larger than the meshes of the wire gauze. The oxygen of the atmospheric
air contained in the pores of the carbon combines with the nascent hydrogen
and prevents polarization. The wire gauze is preferably made of copper and
the carbon is preferably gas retort carbon or carbon of the kind used for making
the rods of electric arc lamps. The conducting wires are connected to the zinc
and wire gauze respectively. The battery as described is placed in a hollow
cylinder or case of sheet iron or tin plate supported in a trough by which any
liquid oozing through the carbon is collected. Provision may also be made for
changing the exciting liquid when it is exhausted by withdrawing it from the bottom
of the porous cell through a pipe and stopcock.
The voltaic battery described has an electro motive force somewhat higher than
one volt and the electro motive force or potential is maintained uniform or nearly
uniform until the exciting liquid is nearly exhausted.
Dated this 5th day of June 1893.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries.
We WILLIAM WALKER, the younger of No. 103 Bristol Street, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick, Electrician, and FRANK RICHARD WILKINS, of
Selborne Road, Handsworth, in the County of Stafford Chemical Merchant, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Our invention has reference to single liquid primary voltaic batteries and has
for its object to prevent wholly or in great part the condition in the said batteries
called by electricians polarization a condition by which the electro-motive-force of
the said batteries is much reduced. The said polarization is produced by the
evolution of hydrogen at the negative element of the battery and in double liquid
batteries such for example as Grove's battery and Daniel's battery is suppressed in
the former by nitric acid and in the latter by a solution of sulphate of copper, the
nascent hydrogen combining in the former case with the oxygen of the nitric
acid and the latter case replacing the copper of the sulphate of copper.
In constructing a single liquid battery according to our invention we employ
amalgamated zinc as the positive element and carbon as the negative element, the
electrolyte or exciting liquid being preferably a strong solution of cautic soda or
potash.
The
We do not however limit ourselves to the use of any particular exciting liquid.
We arrange the parts of the battery preferably in the following manner.
amalgamated zinc, either in the form of a solid or a hollow cylinder, is placed in
a porous cylindrical cell. The porous cell is situated concentrically in a casing of
wire gauze of about double the diameter of the porous cell. We fill the annular
space between the wire gauze casing and the porous cell with carbon, that portion
of the carbon in contact with the porous cell being in fine powder while that
portion of the carbon in contact with the wire gauze casing is in the form of a coarse
powder or grains larger than the meshes of the wire gauze. The oxygen of the
atmospheric air contained in the pores of the carbon combines with the nascent
hydrogen and prevents polarization. The wire gauze is preferably made of copper
and the carbon is preferably gas retort carbon or carbon of the kind used for
making the rods of electric are lamps. The conducting wires are connected to
the zinc and wire gauze respectively. The battery as described is placed in a
hollow cylinder or case of sheet iron or tin plate supported in a trough by which
any liquid oozing through the carbon is collected. Provision may also be made
for changing the exciting liquid when it is exhausted by withdrawing it from the
bottom of the porous cell through a pipe and stopcock.
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing represent respectively in elevation
and plan a voltaic battery constructed according to our invention; Figure 3
represents a vertical section of the same and Figure 4 represents a horizontal
section of the same taken on the line A, A Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
a is the porous cell containing the exciting liquid of the battery preferably a
strong solution of caustic soda or caustic potash. The said porous cell a is supported
on and fixed to the raised bottom of a sheet metal pan or vessel b supported in the
open sheet metal cylinder c as best seen in Figure 3. The porous cell a and metal
pan have holes in their bottoms the said holes coinciding with one another. The
porous cell a is secured to the pan 6 by the metal pipe d, having the form of an
elbow the screwed end of which has the nut e metal washer and india rubber
washer f. The said pipe d is passed through the holes in the bottom of the pan b
and bottom of the porous cell a and is fixed in position by the india rubber
b

page_text: washer, metal washer g³ and nut e³ (see Figures 3 and 4). The fixing of the
pipe d in position also secures the porous cell to the raised portion of the bottom of
the pan b. The amalgamated zinc cylinder / constituting the positive element of
the battery is suspended in the exciting liquid by means of zinc strips made in
one piece with the zinc cylinder the turned out ends of which strips (* rest on the
top of the porous cell a.
Arranged concentrically around the porous cell a is the wire gauze casing m the
The space
lower end of which casing fits tightly within the pan or vessel b.
between the wire gauze casing m and porous cell a is filled or nearly filled with
powdered and coarse carbon which forms the negative element of the battery.
The powdered carbon n is arranged adjacent to the porous cell a and, the coarse
carbon p which is in the form of grains larger than the meshes of the wire gauze is
arranged adjacent to the wire gauze casing m. When the space between the wire
gauze casing m and porous cell a has been nearly filled the open mouth of the wire
gauze casing is sealed or closed with shellac or cement r (see Figures 2 and 3).
One of the conducting wires or metal bands is connected to the zinc cylinder
ats and the other metal band or conductor marked t is connected to the wire gauze
casing m.
The bottom of the porous cell a and that portion of the top of the said cell a
standing above the wire gauze casing m are glazed. The glazing of the top of the
porous cell prevents the creeping of the exciting liquid in the said cell over the
glazed upper part.
When the porous cell a is filled with the exciting liquid the said liquid oozes very
slowly through the unglazed portion of the side of the porous cell a and percolates
through the carbon n, p collecting in the annular trough & formed by the raising
of the middle portion of the bottom of the pan b. The said trough 62 is provided
with a pipe u by which the liquid which slowly collects in the trough 62 may run
off to a vessel placed for its reception. When the exciting power of the liquid is
nearly exhausted the porous cell a may be emptied by the pipe w connected to the
elbow d the said pipe w being provided with a stopcock not shown in the drawing.
By almost closing the stop cock referred to the partially exhausted exciting liquid
may slowly pass from the porous cell, fresh exciting liquid being supplied at a
similar rate to the said porous cell at its open top.
The metal band or conductor t and a similar metal baud or conductor fixed at s,
by the screw and screw nuts, constitute the terminals of the battery.
By the action of the battery nascent hydrogen occurs on the surface of the
carbon constituting the negative element of the battery and meeting with the
condensed atmospheric air in the pores of the carbon combines with the oxygen of
The hydrogen thus never assumes a gaseous form and polarization is
wholly or in great part prevented.
the same.
The voltaic battery described has an electromotive force somewhat higher than
one volt and the electro motive force or potential is maintained uniform or nearly
uniform until the exciting liquid is nearly exhausted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we
claim as our invention of "Improvements in Primary Voltaic Batteries " ;-
A single liquid battery consisting of a porous cell containing the exciting liquid
in which the zinc or positive element of the battery is suspended the other or negative
element, carbon in the form of powder and coarse grains, being retained in position
around the outside of the porous cell by means of a wire gauze casing the whole
being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Twente fourth day of Januar 1804