US1117185A - Electrolytic cell. - Google Patents

Description

A. M. GRIFFIN.

"ELECTROLYTIC CELL. nimmumn FILED APLZY, 1914.

1 1 1 7, 1 85, Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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nnrrnn snares rnrnnr anion- -ALVAH M. GRIFFIN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-'HALF TO M. O.

HACKETT, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 171, TWA.

Application filed April 27, 1914. Serial No. 834,691.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be'it known that I, ALVAH M. GRIFFIN, a citizen of .the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oxygen and hydrogen generators and more especially to electrolytic cells, and my object is to produce an electrolytic cell whereby hydrogen as well as oxygen is produced by theelectrolysis of water and may be collected and stored, a further object being to produce an electrolytic cell of the character outlined which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had. to the accompanying drawing, in which Fi re 1, is a view of a pair of electro lytic cells embodying my invention, one being in elevation and the other in section on the line T-I of Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a plan view of one of the cells.

In the said drawing, 1 indicates the terminals of an electrical circuit of proper voltage and amperage for producing electrolysis of water in cells 2, of suitable conducting material, it l eing understood that in practical'use a largenumber of these cells are necessary to produce gas on a commercial scale.

3 is a plate of conducting material, depending-intothe water of each cell, whichwater is charged with a suitable chemical to reduce the internal resistance of each cell to the passage of electric current. The plate 3 is bent to form a link 4" which extends to an adjacent cell, and terminates in a depending portion 5, to be secured to said adjacent cell to" complete the electrical connection be t-Weensaid cells. All cells are connected together in like manner, so that the current supplied will circulate between the wall and i the plate 3 of each cell through the water thereof, and thus decompose the latter.

' 6 4 indicates an invertedtrough-s haped iron vessel'which is submerged at its open'end incthe water of each cell and incloses plate 3,;

,caping which divides the vessel into two chambers which communicate at their upper ends through one or more orifices 7 in the plate, and depending from the open end of the trough-shaped vessel is a sack 8, preferably of asbestos or any material which will permit water and the electric current to pass through it but which is of such weave that which project from the ends of said vessels 6, equipped with preferably grooved insulators 12 which rest upon the end walls'of the cells, as shown.

For collecting the hydrogen generated, a rectangular frame 13 is fitted within and secured to each cell and isinsulated there from as at 14:, and each frame embodies an inwardly converging or projecting portion 15 terminating in a portion 16 which depends into the water of the cell around vessel 6, and incloses the upper end of said sack 8, and attached to the latter at its lower end and at its upper end to said portion or flange 16, is what may be termed an inverted skirt 17, what little oxygen and hydrogen that is generated externally of the trough-shaped receptacle and within tlie frame 13 escaping from the open end of the cell. The hydrogen which is generated in the cell externally of the sack and of the skirt 17 passes up into the chamber formed by and; between the cell and the portions 15 and 16 of the frame 14, and passes thence through tubes 18 into a manifold tube 19 leading to a suitable storage tank.

In some cases it maybe necessary to guard against contact of the sacks with the plates 3 and to accomplish this, I preferably interpose one, or more pieces of insulation 20 between said plate and the sack so as-to hold the latter away from the plate and thus -i guard aigrainstany possibility of oxygen esv .omthe sack and mixing with the hydrogen generated externally thereto, or. an

rogcn passing into the sack and ing with the oxygen therein. As the course followed by the gases generated has been traced in connection with the description of the parts, a recapitulation is unnecessary.

From the above description it-will heapparent that I have produced an electrolytlc cell for use in oxygen and hydrogen generating apparatus embodying the features of advantage enumerated as desirable and l wish it to he understood that I reserve the right to make all changes fallin within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

ll claim: I

1. An electrolytic cell comprising a receptacle of conducting material, an inverted trough-shaped vessel supported within and insulated from the receptacle, with its loweror open end submerged in the liquid in saidreceptacle, a frame secured to and within the receptacle around said vessel and depending into and forming an annular chamber above the liquid, an anode extending from a point within the vessel downward in the liquid, a

sack attached at its upper end to the lower 1 end ofsaid vessel and inclosing the anode, and provided with an inverted skirt which flares outwardly and upwardly and is attached to said frame below the surface of the liquid, and separate means to conduct gas from the vessel and said annular chamer. 2. In an electrblytic cell, a receptacle of conducting material containing a liquid, a

iniaiee vided with an arm e extending downward a considerable distance, a sack inclosing and insulated from the anode and communicating at its upper end with said vessel and provided with an upwardly extending skirt attached to the inner edge of the said frame, separate means to conduct gas from the said vessel and the said annular chamber, and electric conductors connected to the anode and the cell.

3. The combination of a series of cells, an anode in each electrically connected to the adj aoent cell, an inverted vessel communicating with and inclosing a part of each anode, a frame secured within each cell around said vessel, a sack depending from each vessel around the adjacent portion of the anode, a skirt attached to eachvsack and extending upward and outward and attached to the surrounding frame, and pipes communicating with the interior of the vessel and the space between the cell and the frame thereof.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALVAH M. GRIFFIN,

Witnesses:

7 EC Jenn, Gr. Y. 'llnonrn.

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