IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY DATEDING BAT
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Thomas Kingzett of 17 Lansdowne Road
Tottenham in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry
and Fellow of the Chemical Society for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECONDARY DATEDING"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Thomas Kingzett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1882.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT of 17 Lansdowne Road Tottenham in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and Fellow of the Chemical
Society. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
"
My Invention relates to secondary batteries or so called magazines of electricity
and has reference to novel means for effecting the storage of energy developed by
the agency of primary batteries or dynamo machines or otherwise.
Instead of employing dilute sulphuric acid as the electrolyte as is generally done,
I employ solutions of salts of the earths or alkalies such for example as the
sulphate of sodium, and by this proceeding I am enabled to use, partially or
entirely, the metal iron in the construction of the electrodes or terminal plates or
supports or retainers or frames upon, against or in which the active material or
materials employed is or are deposited placed or fixed. Such iron as I may employ
in part or entirely, is that which has been previously coated with magnetic oxide
of iron but I do not limit myself to the use of this particular form of iron or to
iron thus only protected. For instance, in certain cases I may employ ordinary
cast or wrought iron or galvanized iron or tinplate or other suitable metallic
compounds containing iron, in whole or in part for constructing the said parts of
my secondary batteries.
Or in place of iron I may employ lead or carbon and I may employ the mineral
known as magnetic oxide of iron or loadstone or any other suitable conducting
material which is not so chemically attacked as to introduce an antagonistic system
of chemical changes into the active field of the secondary batteries.
The electrodes or terminal plates or supports or retainers or frames may be
constructed of various shapes and forms but I prefer to employ them in the forms

page_text: either of chains or of brushes (the latter as described in a Provisional Specification
lodged by me on the 9th August last N° 3802) so that the greatest effective surface
is secured while also providing that all parts of such effective surfaces are in
contact with the least possible excess of material or materials which are destined
to undergo the chemical changes hereinafter referred to or which are understood to
take place.
This last named material or materials may consist of any oxide or oxides or
other suitable.compound or compounds of lead but for the reasons stated in the
above mentioned Specification N° 3802 I prefer to employ red lead or peroxide of
lead where and when either of these substances is used, exclusively at that pôle at
which oxygen is set free during the charging of the secondary batteries and
litharge or other proto-compound of lead at the other pole. But it will be under-
stood that I do not limit myself to this particular proceeding.
I base my proceedings herein before described upon the general view supported
by my experimental investigations that in charging such secondary batteries as I
have described, the charging current effects the decomposition of water or what is.
equivalent thereto, liberating oxygen and hydrogen from the electrolyte. Now
when sulphuric acid is employed as the electrolyte, iron cannot be profitably
employed for constructing the electrodes or terminals because it is attacked and
dissolved by the said acid. But by using solutions of salts of the earths or alkalies
in the place of dilute sulphuric acid, water is decomposed by secondary reactions
furnishing oxygen and hydrogen as products and in such cases I find as herein
before stated, iron may be employed in whole or in part construction of the said
'electrodes or terminals..
As compared with Lead which is employed in other batteries, iron presents some
considerable advantages being more readily obtainable, cheaper, and lighter and
having greater rigidity while admitting of being cast, wrought or worked into
various shapes and forms with facility. In this latter respect also iron offers
advantage as compared to carbon.
Again by using the solutions herein before named as electrolytes certain
advantages are gained since they do not present, the corrosive and destructive
properties of sulphuric acid so that certain difficulties ordinarily experienced in the
way of providing suitable containing cells or vessels, are obviated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Thomas Kingzett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th April 1883.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT of 17 Lansdowne Road Tottenham in the County
of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Chemistry and Fellow of the Chemical
Society "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
"
My Invention relates to secondary batteries or so.called magazines of electricity
and has reference to novel means for effecting the storage of energy developed by
the agency of primary batteries or dynamo-machines, or otherwise.
Instead of employing dilute sulphuric acid as the electrolyte as is generally done,
I employ solutions of salts of the alkaline earths or alkalies such for example as
caustic potash or soda or the sulphate of sodium, and by this proceeding I am
enabled to use, partially or entirely, the metal iron in the construction of the
electrodes or terminal plates or supports or retainers or frames upon, against or in
which the active material or materials employed is or are deposited placed or fixed.
Such iron as I may employ, in part or entirely, is that which has been previously
coated with magnetic oxide of iron but I do not limit myself to the use of this
particular form of iron or to iron thus only protected. For instance, in certain
cases I may employ ordinary cast or wrought iron or galvanized iron or tin plate
or other suitable metallic compounds containing iron, in whole or in part for
constructing the said parts of my secondary batteries. Or, in the place of iron
I may employ lead, or carbon, and I may employ the mineral known as magnetic
oxide of iron or loadstone, or any other suitable conducting material which is not
so chemically attacked as to introduce an antagonistic system of chemical changes
into the active field of the secondary batteries.
The electrodes or terminal plates or supports or retainers or frames, may be
constructed of various shapes and forms but I prefer to employ them in the forms
either of chains or of brushes (the latter as described in a Provisional Specification
lodged by me on the 9th August last N° 3802) so that the greatest effective surface
is secured while also providing that all parts of such effective surfaces are in
contact with the least possible excess of material or materials which are destined
to undergo the chemical changes hereinafter referred to or which are understood
to take place.
This last named material or materials may consist of any oxide or oxides or
other suitable compound or compounds of lead but for the reasons stated in the
above mentioned Specification N° 3802 I prefer to employ red lead or peroxide
of lead where and when either of these substances is used, exclusively at that
pole at which oxygen is set free during the charging of the secondary batteries,
and litharge or other proto-compound of lead at the other pole. But it will be
understood that I do not limit myself to this particular proceeding.
I base my proceedings herein before described upon the general view supported
by my experimental investigations that in charging such secondary batteries as
I have described, the charging current effects the decomposition of water or what
is equivalent thereto, liberating oxygen and hydrogen from the electrolyte. Now,
when sulphuric acid is employed as the electrolyte, iron cannot be profitably
employed for constructing the electrodes or terminals because it is attacked and
dissolved by the said acid. But by using solutions of salts of the alkaline earths
or alkalies in the place of dilute sulphuric acid, water is decomposed by secondary
reactions furnishing oxygen and hydrogen as products and in such cases I find
as herein before stated, iron may be employed in whole or in part construction of
the said electrodes or terminals.
:

page_text: As compared with lead which is employed in other batteries, iron presents some
considerable advantages being more readily obtainable, cheaper, and lighter and
having greater rigidity while admitting of being cast, wrought or worked into
various shapes and forms with facility. In this latter respect also iron offers
advantages is compared to carbon.
+
Again, by using the solutions hereinbefore named as electrolytes certain
advantages are, gained since they do not present the corrosive and destructive
properties of sulphuric acid so that certain difficulties ordinarily experienced in the
way of providing suitable containing cells or vessels, are obviated.
In order that my Invention may be clearly understood I now proceed to more
fully state its objects and to illustrate the manner in which they are or may be
carried into effect.
The Invention is designed to provide secondary batteries or accumulators of
comparatively small weight and cost and which are simple in construction and
free from the objections which are urged against certain other forms of secondary
batteries such for example as the gradual destruction of the negative or oxygen-
bearing plate, loss of energy, in periods of rest owing to local action and the
corrosive nature of sulphuric acid with the evils consequent upon its employment.
By the use of solutions of salts of the alkaline earths or alkalies as for example
caustic potash or soda or sulphate of sodium or potassium, instead of dilute
gulphuric acid as the electrolyte I am enabled to use iron or steel, or tin plate,
or galvanised iron or zinc as the material constituting the positive or-
r-hydrogen
bearing support and such materials are both cheaper and lighter than lead. If it
be so preferred, the positive pole inay be made of lead or of carbon or of iron coated
with lead electrolytically or mechanically but I prefer to uso iron or one of the
compounds of iron previously mentioned."
My positive plate does not suffer change beyond that it may become conted with
metallic lead by reason of the reduction of the litharge or other proto-compound of
lead with which I prefer to place it in contact instead of red lead or peroxide of
lead and for the reasons which I have stated at length in my former patent
(3802 of 1882).
To unke my negative or oxygen-bearing plate iron may also be employed but I
have experimentally ascertained that this metal is attacked by the oxygen or the
oxygen and ozone gases which are set free during the charging process and
apparently also in preferonce to the compound of lead which is placed in contact
with the plate or support; zinc, tin, tin-plate, galvanized iron, and aluminium are
similarly attacked and suffer destruction by the oxidation of the metallic substance
which proceeds when these materials are employed. To some extent iron may be
protected against such oxidation by previously coating it with magnetic oxide of
iron by any of the processes well understood by chemists and I may therefore use
such prepared iron. It may also be protected to some extent by coating it with
metallic lead deposited upon its surface electrolytically or mechanically by any of
the processes which are well understood by chemists and I may therefore use such
prepared iron. It may also be protected to some extent by coating it with carbon
or blacklead or lamp black and I may therefore use such prepared iron. Or carbon
or lead, or platinum may be used to form the negative pole or support. I prefer to
use red lead or peroxide of lead in contact with iny negative support for the reasons
set out more fully in my former patent (3802 of 1882).
As regards the form of my supports I may construct them in the various ways
set out in my former patent (3802 of 1882) but I prefer to construct them upon
the general pattern of an ordinary brush, the bristles of which are part and
substance of the body thereof; each such bristle (or corresponding part in any other
form of support which I have described in my former patent previously referred
to) being in immediate contact with the lead compound employed as herein before
described. The lead compounds thus used may be placed in position by any of the
means described in my former patent (3802 of 1882) or they may be mixed with
glycerine or with plaster of Paris, so as to makes pastes which may be moulded in

page_text: contact with the plates or supports as required and when desirable also, iron filings
may be incorporated with the lead compound or paste to be used at the positive
plate and similarly, when desirable, carbon fragments may be incorporated with
the lead compound or paste to be used at the negative plate, the said iron filings
and carbon fragments being employed to ensure greater conductivity of the electric
current either into or out from the battery.
Having now described the nature of my Invention I claim :-
First, The use in secondary batteries of solutions of hydrates or salts of the
alkalies or alkaline earths as electrolytes in conjunction with negative and positive
supports of whatever suitable material they may be composed the one support
bearing or being in contact with red lead or peroxide of lead, and the other support
with litharge or other suitable proto-compound of lead.
Second. The use in secondary batteries of a positive support or plate of iron or
steel or tin plate or galvanised iron or zinc or iron coated with lead or with
magnetic oxide of iron in contact with a proto-compound of lead preferably litharge
and of a negative support or plate of carbon lead or platinum in contact with red
lead or peroxide of lead together with an electrolytic fluid containing in solution
a caustic alkali or the salt of an alkali or alkaline earth.
Third. The use in secondary batteries of a positive support or plate made of
iron or steel or tin plate or galvanized iron, or zinc, or iron coated with lead or with
magnetic oxide of iron, in combination with a proto-compound of lead, preferably
litharge using an electrolytic fluid containing in solution a caustic alkali or the salt
of an alkali or alkaline earth.
Fourth. The use in secondary batteries of a negative support or plate made of
iron or steel coated with magnetic oxide of iron or with lead or with carbon (black
lead or lamp black) in combination with a compound of lead preferably red lead
or peroxide of lead, using an electrolytic fluid containing in solution a caustic alkali
or the salt of an alkali or alkaline earth.
Fifth. The use of secondary batteries constructed substantially as herein before
described.
In witness whereof I the said Charles Thomas Kingzett have hereunto set
my hand and seal this Fourth day of April in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
CHARLES THOMAS KINGZETT (L.S.)