US1578891A - Dry cell - Google Patents

Description

March 30 1926.

w. F. HENDRY DRY CELL Filed Dec. 27, 1923 IIIWENTOR my v 1170mm Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

1,578,891 PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I. EENDRY, 0F OSSINING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MANI HAT'IAN ELEC- TBICAL SUPPLY COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A.CORPORA- mom or MASSACHUSETTS.

DRY CELL.

Application filed December 27, 1923. Serial No. 682,930.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM F. HENDRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ossining, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, United States of America, having invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry Cells (Case #8), do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates todry cells and more particularly to an improved dry cell structure for facilitating the distribution of liquid therethrough.

It is the object of the present invention to increase the eiiiciency of a dry cell by decreasing its internal resistance and also by providing means for freer circulation of gas generated by the reactionstaking place in the cell.

In accordance with the main feature of the present invention, grooves are provided around the depolarizing mix surrounding a centrally located carbon electrode for affording passage of liquid around the mass of depolarizing mix and to the bibulous container surrounding the latter and separating it from the zinc electrode, and also free circulation of gas.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical crosssection of a portion of a dry cell embodying various features of the present invention,

' and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a washer or tablet, a plurality of which serve to make up a cell.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 1 is a zinc container electrode, 2 a paper or other bibulous or cellulose lining inside of this electrode, 3are tablets or washers compacted of a suitable depolarizing mixture, 4 is a carbon electrode projecting through the tablets 3. Each tablet 3 (Fig. 2) is provided with grooves 5 radiating from the center towards its periphery. These grooves are preferably continued down the sides of the tablets as indicated at 6. Furthermore, the outside periphery of each washer 3 is bevelled, whereby when two washers are laid one on top of the other, the bevelled surfaces will form a triangular trou h 7 all around the tablets and therefore t e depolarizing mix.

. of the cell, due to the difficulty of circulation of gas and moisture to facilitate electrolytic conduction and necessary chemical reactions.

I am aware that this impervious layer is attributed to various causes such, for example, as the formation of insoluble double salts of zinc and ammonium, and numerous remedies have been proposed to dissolve, neutralize or counteract the formation of such salts. It is not at this time necessary to consider the causes of the phenomenon, but merely to point out that whatever the cause, my proposed improvement provides means whereby the gas and moisture can escape from the body of the mix into the radial grooves, through them to the circumferential grooves and thus reach the active zone much more readily than in any previous construction of dry cell. l

In order thoroughly to moisten the paper lining, it was the practice first to moisten the paper provided within the zinc can and then to introduce the mass of depolarizing mixture. The moistened paper tore easily during successive handling and this caused a relatively high percentage of damaged batteries. The provision of the troughs 7 and also grooves 6 eliminates the necessity of first humidifying the paper 2. Liquid (with or without suitable chemicals) may be poured in the cell after the tablets 3 and the carbon 1 are in place, and the grooves 5, 6 and 7 will insure the proper distribution of the liquid throughout the cell.

The invention is in many respects an improvement on the structure disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 673,538, filed November 8, 1923, andthe ann'ularly grooved tablets disclosed herein may be used in the combinations illustrated in my said application. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the number and direction of the corrugations 5 may be varied, that the corrugations 6 may be eliminated to decrease the cost of manufacturing and that the invention is not necessarily limited to dry cells composed of washers or tablets sageways around said mix into which said first mentioned passageways. open.

2. In a dry cell, two electrodes, tablets compacted of depolarizing mix separating said electrodes, grooves in the upper and lower faces of said tablets, and grooves around said tablets. v

3; In a dry cell, a container electrode, a

second electrode centrally located therein, a

plurality of tablets compacted of depolariztuted by bevelled edges of adjacent tablets,

and grooves in the upper and lower'faces of said tablets radiating towards said annular grooves.

4. Ina dry cell, a zinc container electrode, a carbon electrode within said zinc electrode, depolarizing mix surrounding said carbon electrode, a lining of paper separating said mix from the zinc electrode, grooves around said mix, and passageways radiating through said mix leading towards and opening into said grooves.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of December, 1923.'

WILLIAM F. HENDRY.

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