Year: 1896

page_text: I, WILLIAM TURNER of back of 101 Nottingham Street, Sheffield, in the
County of York, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to approximately "constant" current batteries for electric
lighting and other purposes, to obtain which I place two or more cisterns and
batteries above one another. The cisterns have suitable valves, taps or the like
for regulating the flow of the contents thereof. The upper cisterns contain
bichromate of potash, sulphate of copper, sulphuric acid or water or any other
excitants or agents suitable for my requirements and the contents are regulated in
their flow by measuring chambers or suitable vessels emptied at intervals upon the
operation of valve-operating mechanism or otherwise so as to allow any certain
quantity to flow from them into a supply tank. After receiving the measured
solution the supply-tank valves or the like are operated to allow the solution to
flow through a perforated tube or pipe and drop into a funnel or funnel shaped
vessels or receptacles which empty themselves into one or more cells or batteries;
by the constant dropping of the solution it overflows from these cells or batteries
and is received into a tank. The cells which form the battery are connected
together in any suitable manner and the electric current is either conducted to one
or more accumulators as may be desired, or used directly. From the receiving
tank which receives the overflow I pump the liquid into a cistern above the battery
by any suitable pump preferably operated by an electric motor receiving its power
or electricity from the same battery so that the liquid that comes from the over-
flow battery is pumped up and passed through the battery again to aid in the
production of further energy. I may also operate all valves or regulators of the
device by the aforesaid electric motor, thus I may have a self-acting constant
current battery. With a self-acting switch worked from the motor I can switch
one set of batteries into circuit, while the other remains dormant or vice versa,
where a greater number of batteries are required to keep up the constancy of
current as in the case of a double set or more batteries. I do not limit myself to
particular combination and arrangement of parts hereinbefore described by way of
example, which may be varied without departure from this invention.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: .
Improvements in or relating to Electric Batteries.
I, WILLIAM TURNER of back of 101 Nottingham Street, Sheffield in the
County of York, Mechanic, 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 relates to electric batteries which may be employed for lighting
or other purposes, the batteries being so arranged as to give out an approximately
constant current.
In the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation,
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation at right angles to Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of an electric battery cell,
Fig. 4 is a plan of the same.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In constructing my apparatus I make a frame or casing A having a chamber B,
in which is arranged a mixing tank C, beneath this chamber is another chamber D
containing a receiving tank E, and again beneath this chamber D is another
chamber F arranged to receive boxes G G', containing cells H H¹ forming two
separate sets of batteries. At the bottom of the receptacle A and beneath the
chamber F containing the batteries is arranged yet another tank J.
Within the receptacle A I arrange a vertical partition A¹ which forms the end
wall of the chambers B, D and F, and in the space between the partition A' and
the wall of the casing A, I arrange an electric motor K which may be attached as
desired to a mahogany or other suitable frame L either to the side of the casing A
or to the partition A
In the tank C I place my mixing solution; this tank is provided with a suitable
valve C¹ connected to the end of a lever C². This lever is fixed to a spindle C³,
which rests in bearings C and is attached to one end of another lever C, so that
by the movement of this latter lever C the valve C¹ may be opened, admitting a
certain portion of the mixing solution into the measured receptacle Ce. From this
receptacle C the mixing solution fails past the valve D' into the tank E, which is
provided with a valve E' connected to a lever E2 on a spindle E resting in
bearings E, and having attached to the end another lever E, the arrangement
being similar to that in the tank C. By opening the valve E the solution
contained in the tark E is allowed to pass into a receptacle F1, preferably
perforated, beneath, and thence it can drop slowly into the funnels H2 (Fig. 3)
suitably arranged in the cells H H. These funnels are provided at their points
with india-rubber, vulcanite or other suitable tubes H³ for conveying the liquid:
dropping into them to the bottom of the cells, the liquid slowly circulating around
the porcelain pots H and overflowing through a small hole H in the wall of the
cells whence it falls into the tank J (Fig. 2). The outer casing or cell proper of
each battery is preferably formed with a taper curvature or groove H in order to
receive the funnels H2. In order to raise the solution from the tank J into the
supply tank E again I arrange a pump. R which is suitably connected to and
operated by a motor K. The liquid is thus constantly passing through the
batteries and causes an approximately constant electric current to be maintained.
The motor K has a worm engaging with a worm wheel fixed on a shaft which
carries a pinion K', this pinion gears with another wheel K provided with a
crank R', the crank being connected by a rod with the pump R. This wheel
carrying the crank R' is connected by suitable gearing with a cam K², which
operates a lever C and consequently the valve C. Another train of gear wheels
: 3)

page_text: suitably arranged in the casing and driven from the pinion K' operates a cam N
which moves the lever E and consequently the valve El. The gearing operating.
each of these cams K' and N is so constructed with teeth, catches or tongues and
wheels that the rotation of these cams bears a definite relation to each other aud
that the valves C¹ and E¹ may be operated at suitable times. The above forms a
suitable motor mechanism, but any other suitable gearing for operating the levers.
may be employed.
Thus it will be seen that I have an approximately constant currènt battery
which itself drives a motor which causes the approximately constant current to be
maintained. The usual terminals are employed for connecting up electric wires.
and an ordinary switch M may be used.
I preferably employ ordinary bichromate or Leclanché batteries containing carbon
in porous pots and zinc plates, but I may if desired employ some other form of
battery. The wires for delivering the current may be arranged as desired, and
the details of the construction of the apparatus may of course be modified to suit
requirements without departing from the spirit of the invention, thus the number
of tanks may be increased or it may be found desirable to place them otherwise
than directly over one another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In a receptacle for electric batteries the combination with suitably arranged.
cells of one or more tanks provided with valves and passages communicating with
the cells and a pump substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a receptacle for electric batteries the combination with cells H of tanks C
and E provided with valves C¹ D' and El tank J and pump such as R substantially
as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the:
accompanying drawings.
3. In an electric battery the combination with carbon and zinc or other elements-
with or without a porous pot of an outer case such as H having a groove H and
perforation H a funnel H' and tube H³ substantially as and for the purpose-
described and illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The combination with one or more electric batteries such as H of a device
for causing a continual or intermittent flow of the exciting liquid through the
battery substantially as described.
5. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete electric
generating apparatus substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated.
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of October 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.