US289631A

US289631A - Thermo-electric battery

Info

Publication number: US289631A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1883-12-04
Anticipated expiration: 1900-12-04

Description

(NoModel.)

A. K. BATON.

ITHERMO ELECTRIC BATTERY.

No; 28,631. Patented o o. 4, 1883.

EEEEEEEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ASAHEL K. EATON, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

THERMO-ELECTRIC BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,631, dated December 4, 1883.

Application tiled January 6, 1853. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, AsiHE. K. EATON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, vin the county of Kings and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ThermoElectric Batteries, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same.

It is well known that when the junctions of a circuit made of two metals are at different temperatures a current of electricity generally flows through the circuit. It is also a recognized fact that a current may flow even when one metal only is used, provided it appeal' under different molecular conditions.

The main object oi' my invention is to' produce a practicable and durable thermal pile in which this property may be utilized, and for this purpose l forni a series ci' elements of the same metal, but alternately hard and soft, by using for said elements chilled land unchilled metal. in this my invention chiefly consists, though it involves additional features of novelty and .importance-wiz., a thermal pile with elements of chilled and unchilled iron, and a series of elements consisting of molded or cast sections or blocks, and composed of alternate sections of hard or chilled and soft or unchilled metal.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention embodied in a practicable and eiiicientv form.

Figure l is a vertical central section of a battery of elements 5 Fig. 2, a plan view of one of the groups composing` said battery; and Fig. 3, a detached portion of Fig. l, showing the connection from one group of elements to another.

The elements are formed in circular groups,

they'are much harder than the .elements A. The strips of sheet-iron should be inserted in the molds in such positions. that they will occupy the center of the' chilled elements, as indicated in Fig. 2, where the dark line b indicates the iron strip in the completed element. The arrangement of the elements, it will be understood, is purely arbitrary, though, for sonic reasons, the specified shape of the casting is the best, the Amolding being rendered quite easy, andthe junctions of the elements being brought into the most favorable positions for the application of heat to one set and of cool air to the other. If the first and last elements of a group such as just described be provided with binding-posts and connected by a wire, or otherwise, and heat applied to the junctions at the center, a current will be developed which flows in the elements from the'seftiron or electro-positive elements to the hard-iron or electro negative elements through the heated joints. The electrdniotive force producing the current in this or similar piles being comparatively low, it is usually necessary to employ a considerable number of elements in series. For this purpose I construct a battery consisting ot a number of the groups described, placed one above the other, and connected up by joints formed in any suitable Way between the ends of the last soft-iron element vof' one group and the rst hard-iron element of the group next above or below. I also employ means of insulating the groups and of increasing the differences in, temperature between the inner and outer junctions, the nature of which will be described by reference to Fig. 1.- On a suitable stand or base any desired number of the circular groups (desi gnated F G H, Sie.) is placed. f The groups or plates are separated a shortdistance by rings of infusiblc insulating material N, which may be composed of asbestus-paper caused to adhere by a paste of silicate of soda. The interior spaces between the soft and hard elements of each group are filled in with an infusible insulating substance, (designated by the letter M.) A good material for this purposc'isl a mixtureef ground quartz or asbestus with silicate of soda. The last hard element of each group has an ear or lug, f, projecting from its end, which is bolted to the soft element, which forms the terminal of the group next above IOO or below, as the case may be. Allthe groups are connected up in series in this manner. This method of connection, however, is an arbitrary one, as other means maybe empl eyedas, for instance, binding-posts may be jo-ined to the terminal elements of each group, so that the whole may be coupled in series or for quantity by separate-connections or'wires. In the per, or brass-and in place of forming the series or groups in the manner set forth Il may' out each'1 section separately and unite them in any proper manner.

z 5 I am aware that heretofore a metallic wire hardened by drawing andthen softened at intervals by the application of heat has been employed in demonstrations of the; property or principle upon which this invention is based; 3o .but in such cases it .is evident -'that the require` ments of a practicable battery are not fulfilled, inasmuch as the cross-section of the elements is necessarily very small, while the metal is in condition, and thus destroys iron, I may useother metals-such as steel, cop* such condition that the application of heat` brings bothelcments to the same molecular 35 their capability of generating current. By my invention, however, blocks or sections of large size and convenient shape may be produced, -whichare ilot injuriously affected by the application of 4Q eat.

The' methods of producing the batteries dcscribedare -not .claimed herein, as I intend niakingthe same thesubject of other applications.

1. thermal pile the elements of which ar: composed of. chil ledand ,unchilled metal, as herein setforth.

2. A. thermal pile the elements of which are composed of alternate blocks of chilled and unchil-led metal, as described. '13. thermal pile the 'elements of which are ,composed of chilled and unchilled iron, respectively, as set forth. l v 4'.v A series orgroup-of electro-thermal ele- -ments cast in one piece and composed of alter nate sections of chilled and soft iron, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I -have hereunto set 6o my hand this 2d day of January, 1883.

A. K. Enron.

Witnesses L. GAYLORD, W. L RIANHARD.