The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-25


invention of machinery that would give
him what he wanted. He made re-
markable hydraulic press that in 1t
self is wonder and rolling machine
that will render nickel-steel so thin
that any one seeing and holding it for
the first time might declare 1t piece
of thin aluminium or perhaps form
of stiffened tinfoil. Doubtless the pub
lie VIII never see these machines for
with many others which Edison has
invented for similar preparatory Of
fees, they viii be held from view as
trade secrets. After all, however, the
public cares in this case only for the
completed cell and what it will do.
OF course, cells may be made of any
thickness according to the number of
plate put in each, but those to be used
for automobiles, which is the kind made
so far by Edison, appear externally to
be about the size of those fiat tin boxes
into which brokers thrust stock GER
tihcates, and which can be slipped into
the outside coat pocket. Nevertheless,
this fiat box is made of thin sheet steel.
The plates that are contained in the
box are the essential elements of the
battery. They also are steel, and when
first made resemble small window
frames in which oblong Sits have been
cut to receive the panes. Into each of
te Sits, in lieu of window glass, go
little fiat perforated steel boxes, which
contain the active material in which
the electricity is stored. The boxes in
the positive plate contain a finely di-
vided compound of iron mixed with
thin flakes of graphite. The boxes in
the negative plate contain finely Gi-
vided compound of nickel mixed also
with graphite. A little fiat perforated
box or the material is placed in each
window of the plate, and then the
whole plate, boxes and all, is placed
in a hydraulic press and subjected to
pressure of 100 tons, which so thor
oughly amalgamates the combination
into one solid plate that only the most
ingenuity could separate
the various parts. The plates, positives
and negatives alternated, and separat-
ed by perforated rubber plates, are
then placed in the steel box cell which
contains solution of potash. The cell
is then ready to be stored full OF cur
rent. In order words, If the current
from a dynamo is sent into it for
of hours, a like quantity or
may be drawn off from 1t
again at any time.
Now the inventor reached this stage
of his work nearly a year ago. In
other words, he perfected the battery
VI
,ious lest some unnoticed weakness
might develop after adj, he made
number of personal tests, at the end
of which he seemed worried. why"
he said, II can not break it down. 1t
is too good to be true" Then
he followed Darwin in the manner or
treating his discovery. When Darwin
evolved his system of evolution ms
natural scientific caution prevented
him publishing it. He was afraid his
brother scientists might see in 1T some
flaw which had escaped his own obser-
walton. He thereupon set to work to
find arguments against it. He waited
a number of years before he dared an
noul.Ce. il to the world and he did so
then only after he had successfully an
swered every objection that could be
raised Edison in the same way has
always. followed this rule, although, of
course, the time limit for inventions is
naturally shorter. When he perfected
the photograph he made a test of It's
endurance. He handed a cylinder to
one of his men with the laconic direc-
ton: Work this until it wears out!"
The man set to work counting the
number of times he used the cylinder.
Several days later, when it had talk
ed" for the ten thouSandth time, he
told Edison that, far from wearing
out, it's voice" sounded clearer than
ever Edison told him he might dis
continue the test. And in the same
way the inventor handed his storage
battery to workman with directions
to use every legitimate means to wear
it out. So, reckoning from his knowl-
edge of lead batteries, the workman
overcharged it. 1t remained intact He
discharged it many times faster than
the normal rate. Still no harm. He
allowed the solution to become low.
He subjected it to quick and violent
changes of temperature. He moved it
about more as he might have an old
coal scuttle than a storage battery. In
short, he used against it every me-
chanical argument he could think of.
He placed it in a shocking condition,
as batteries go, and left the result to
time. A lead battery would have gone
to the scrap heap long ere that. Yet,
after months had passed, the battery,
like the photograph cylinder, was in
as good voice" as ever. Then Mr.. Edi-
son, without flourish of trumpet, an
nounced the result to the world.
And what a result this really is can
scarcely be realized. The old lead bat
terry, such as is now used in automo-
biles. and street cars, varies in weight