Battery Patents

This page was started when I noticed that a 4 pack of Energizer Alkaline "D" cell batteries has a large number of patent numbers.  After reading them it was clear that when Mercury was banned from batteries sold in the U.S. it not only effected "Mercury" batteries but also Alkaline batteries since at that time they used Mercury.  In order to eliminate the Mercury in Alkaline batteries a lot of inovation was required.  Today's Alkaline batteries have better performance than the older ones that contain Mercury.

55441 Electric Battery June 5, 1866 429/105 429/188

64113 Electrical Battery with Primary and Secondary Piles Combined April 23, 1867 429/224
165452 Galvanic-Battery July 13, 1875 429/164
234413 Galvanic Battery November 16, 1880 429/163 429/224

Class Numbers:

29 Metal Working
144 Woodworking and Feeder or Presser
198 Conveyors, Power Driven
425 Plastic Article or Earthenware Shaping or Trating: Apparatus
429 Chemistry: Electrical Current Producing Apparatus, Product, and Process
    /82  HAVING SPECIFIED VENTING, FEEDING OR CIRCULATION STRUCTURE (OTHER THAN FEEDING OR FILLING FOR ACTIVATING DEFERRED ACTION-TYPE BATTERY) .Venting structure ..Separate ventilating inlet and exhaust openings
    130 CURRENT PRODUCING CELL, ELEMENTS, SUBCOMBINATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR USE THEREWITH AND ADJUNCTS . Separator, retainer or spacer insulating structure (other than a single porous flat sheet, or either an impregnated or coated sheet not having distinct layers) ..Insulator structure is only spacer of the rod, button, strip, or frame type
    /134 CURRENT PRODUCING CELL, ELEMENTS, SUBCOMBINATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR USE THEREWITH AND ADJUNCTS . Separator, retainer or spacer insulating structure (other than a single porous flat sheet, or either an impregnated or coated sheet not having distinct layers) .Having electrode enclosing feature ...Cylindrical unit cell type, flat unit cell type or porous cup type ....Paste or gel
    /172  CURRENT PRODUCING CELL, ELEMENTS, SUBCOMBINATIONS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR USE THEREWITH AND ADJUNCTS .Cell enclosure structure, e.g., housing, casing, container, cover, etc. ..Cylindrical unit cell type, e.g., cup container electrode, tubular electrode, casing, etc. ...Reactive metallic can, cup or tubular electrode ....Having seal .....Mechanical clamping pressure seal

Dry Cell Patents

364369 Galvanic Battery, V. Francken (Leclanché Battery Co), Jun 14 1867 - method of making the carbons using either a process similar to that used for making carbons for arc lights or a simpler low temperature process that ends with high temperature firing in an oven.
,
1246876 Battery Capping Machine, Conrad Hubert, Nov 20, 1917, 29/623.1 ; 144/245.1; 144/250.24; 29/730; 29/790 - replaced hand operation.  Used to apply the small brass cap to the carbon rod. 
1388990 Dry Cell, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Aug 30, 1921, 429/134 ; 429/172
1398366 Dry Cell, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Nov 29, 1921, 429/82 ; 429/130; 429/172
1430727 Manufacture of Dry Cells, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Oct 3, 1922, 29/623.1
1510835 Machine for Tamping Dry-Cell Cartridges and the Like, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Oct 7, 1924, 425/128 ; 141/80
1564951 Manufacture of Dry Cells, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Dec 8, 1925, 29/623.2
658428 Carbon Pencil Feeding Mechanism, Winchester Repeating Arms Co., Feb 7, 1928, 198/400 ; 193/47

1205629 Circuit Controller for Portable Lights, G.F. Hitzelberger, Nov 21 1916, - a two position flash light switch
1216450 Deplolalrizer for Midget Batteries, Major E. Holmes (National Carbon Co), Feb 20, 1917, 429/224 ; 423/582 -
1264520 Flashlight Battery, Major E. Holmes (National Carbon Co), Apr 1918, 362/206 ; 200/60; 338/101; 338/71; 429/97 - carbon pile adjustable resistor allows controling brightness on cylindrical and tab type battery flashlights

2773926 Dry Cell, R.L. Glover (Union Carbide), Dec 11 1956, 429/167 ; 429/170; 429/173- sheet metal case all around with plastic to make leak proof

836480 Dry Battery Cell, (National Carbon Co), Nov 20, 1906, 429/133 ; 429/178 - tapered for improved performance
838165 Battery Cell (National Carbon Co), Dec 11, 1906, 429/229 -
921186 Dry Battery Posting Machine, (National Carbon Co) May 11, 1909, 228/49.2- for soldering the binding post to the zinc can
1033228 Dry Battery Cell, (National Carbon Co), Jul 23, 1912, 429/165 ; 429/133; 429/166; 429/178
1027088 Waterproof Battery and Method of Making, May 21, 1912, 429/185 - combines No. 6 cells into a battery
1210577 Apparatus for Lining Dry Cells, (National Carbon Co), Jan 2, 1917 -
1292254 Electric Battery, N.K. Chaney, (National Carbon Co), Jan 21 1919, 429/199- preventing zinc corrosion reducing impurities
1369894 Nut Equipmeting Machine, (National Carbon Co), Mar 1, 1921 ,470/49 ; 470/46; 81/125 - for putting on the thumb nuts
1773310 Dry Cell Terminal, H.W. Jones (National Carbon Co),  Aug 19, 1930, 439/809 ; 429/121 - will not loosen if wire is moved

369769 Galvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer, September 13, 1887, 429/133 - depolarizer is bag around carbon electrode
380084 Galvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer, March 27, 1888, 429/164 - porous-cup and carbon electrode
432973 Galvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer,
441130 Electric Battery Connection, H.J. Brewer,
451364 Electric Connection
557048 Zinc Support for Batteries
576720 Galvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer, New York, February 9, 1897, 429/164 ; 429/175; 429/186; 439/817 - Zinc bracket
579916 Battery Cover, H.J. Brewer, March 30, 1897, 429/175 - holds rectangular removable carbon

653763 Electrogalvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer, July 17, 1900, 429/178 ; 204/196.18; 204/196.19; 429/186
653764     "                        "                "                    ",          429/209 ; 429/239 -    "
653765     "                        "                "                    ",          429/81 ; 429/209 -      "
660836 Electrogalvanic Battery, H.J. Brewer, October 30, 1900, 429/209 ; 429/239 - simpler way of mounting depolarizer on carbon
677633 Zinc Element for Galvanic Batteries,
694089 Zinc Element for Primary Batteries,
814825 Battery Zinc
900476   Cover for Electric Batteries, H.J. Brewer, October 6, 1908, 429/164 ; 429/186 - cover slotted to accept different types of carbons
1026847 Cover for Electric Batteries, H.J. Brewer, May 21, 1912, 429/186 - molded rubber cover has stiffeners so that in summer the cover will not sag

715654 Gravity Electric Battery, A.M. Friend, Dec 9, 1902, 429/106 -  Isolates solid particles from moving between electrodes to improve shelf life
712668 Gravity Battery, W.N. Gove, Nov 4, 1902, 429/106 - replaces copper with Babbitt metal for much longer life.
393203 Gravity Battery, L. C. Bartley, Nov 20, 1888, 429/106 - Crow's foot electrodes and getter to keep Zinc away from copper extending life maybe 10 times.
183201 Gravity Battery, M.W. Parrish, Oct 10, 1876, 429/208 ; 429/106; 429/229 - Mentions Gravity Battery as prior art, but this may be the first time the term is used in a patent?
142999 Galvanic Batteries, T.A. Edison, Sep 23, 1873, 429/106
39571 Improvement in Galvanic Batteries, Edward Hill, August 18, 1863, 429/106
RE2502 Improvement in Galvanic Batteries, Edward Hill, Re-Issued March 12, 1867, 429/220 ; 429/229

The method of testing needs to take into account a number of factors:

• Battery Chemistry
• Capacity of battery under test (Amp hours, Watt hours)
• Temperature of the battery while being tested (effects voltage & indicates problems)
• Load properties, i.e. resistor, constant current, switching mode power supply (current increases as batt V. goes down)

Class Numbers:
320 - Electricity: Battery or Capacitor Charging or Discharging
324 - Electricity: Measuring or Testing
702 - Data Processing: Measuring, Claibrating or Testing

Carbon Zinc and Alkaline

TS-183 - This is a first generation tester that applies a resistive load and measures the battery voltage while loaded.
6823274 Apparatus and method for testing remaining capacity of a battery, Nov 23, 2004, ZTS, 702/63 ; 320/125; 320/136; 702/64; 702/65; 702/79

Magnesium & some Military Carbon Zinc

LiSO₄ (BA-5590/U, BA-5598/U, BA-5588/U)

TS-4403 - Specifically made to test Batteries for: Modern radios like the PRC-104, RT-1439 (SINCGAARS), PRC-25 and PRC-77, PRC-68 Family.
4725784  Method and apparatus for determining the state-of-charge of batteries particulary Lithium batteries, Feb 16, 1988, 324/427 ; 320/149; 320/150; 320/162; 340/636.15

Uses pulse loading and voltages measured at various times in relation to the load pulse as well as temperature correction.  Capacity depends on manfuacturer as well as model.

Mercury

TS-23 - Tests the BA-1574/U Mercury battery used in the SDU-5/E Emergency Survival Strobe Light and the flash rate of the strobe.
BT-2 - Tests BA-1568/U as used in the PRC-90 Survival Beacon Radio and others, BA-1113/U used on the URC-64 Survival Radio, the K308A battery  used on the RT-10 Survival Radio, and the  BA-1574/U used on the SDU-5/E Emergency Survival Strobe Light.

Battery

393123 Galvanic Battery, F.H. Root Nov. 20 1888, (Root Electric Gas Lighting Co), 429/89 ; 429/164
431742 Galvanic Battery, C.R. Goodwin (Electric Gas Lighting Co), July 8 1890, 429/149 ; 429/163 - Sampson No 2
431968 Process of Forming Porous Pots for Voltaic Batteries, C.R. Goodwin (Electric Gas Lighting Co), July 8 1890, 264/29.1 ; 106/122; 201/21; 264/29.4; 429/176
568007 Electric Battery, H.C. Thompson (Electric Gas Lighting Co), Sep 22, 1896, 429/164 -
866748 Battery Zinc, H.C. Thompson (Electric Gas Lighting Co), Sep 24, 1907, 429/229 - cylinder shaped zinc sheets - Sampson No 2 (The EGM Co Boston)

Annunciator

389423 Electro-Mechanical Gong - combines electromagnet & clock mainspring
435440 Automatic Electric Annunciator - not EGL Co - each new call resets prior indication
463001 Electric Annunciator - movement of poison bottles
473121 Electric Annunciator - setback base is Wood NOT iron, why?
513956 Annunciator - single coil electromagnets ?magnetic circuit?
521046 Electric Annunciator - coil spring a plunger in EM
525874 Electric Annunciator - reset buttom at bottom
529144 Automatic Set-Back Annunciator - extra electromagnets used to reset pointers
542664 Electric Annunciator - basic single coil solenoid ?magnetic path?
545069 Electric Annunciator - hinged drop down flag goog looking magnetic path
573723 Electric Floor-Push - used under dining table to trip Annunciator in kitchen

Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus

260804 Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus
260805 Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus
375118 Electric Gas-Lighting Apparatus
400795 Spark-Coil
444896 Automatic Electric Igniting Device
644143 Electric Gas-Lighting Candle Burner

49824 Improvement in Galvanic Batteries, J. Blackie, Sep 5, 1865, 429/164
113864 Improved Thermo Electric Pair Moses G. Farmer, Apr 18, 1871, 136/200 ; 136/225 - German Silver and Antiminy-Zinc
300176 Galvanic Element, W. Wenzel, Jun 10, 1884,
304764 Dry Pile September 9, 1884 J. A. Thiébaut 429/166; 429/224
315937 Electric Battery, A. Haid (Excelsior Batt Co), Apr 14, 1885, 429/149 - pocket sized
346207 Galvanic Battery, W.W. Le Grande, Jul 27, 1886, 429/219 ; 429/230
364639 Galvanic Battery April 7, 1887 V. Francken & E. Bender assigned to the Leclanché Battery Co. of N.Y.
373064 Galvanic Battery May 20, 1887 C. Gassner Jr.   429/201; 429/134

38146 Carbon Plate for Galvanic Batteries, C Chester, April 14, 1863, 439/887 ; 429/164
34656 Improvement in Liquids for Exciting Galvanic Batteries, M Vergenes, March 11, 1862, 429/109 - Mangnese peroxide is used
353757 Voltaic Battery, F Partz, Dec 7, 1886, 429/106 ; 429/109 - mentions porous pot
400235 Galvanic Battery, E. Liebert & A. Rosenthal, Mar 26, 1889, 429/199 - cuts small capsule w/terminals on ends
425959 Galvanic Battery, L.M.J.C.C. Renard, Apr 15, 1890, 429/200 ; 429/202
567959 - Fuel to Electricity?