New-York tribune., 1902-12-21
a FRENCH STORAGE BATTERY.
Said to surpass Edison's in Capacity and
Efficiency.

A storage battery which invented by Paui
Schmtt is described by French newspapers IL lhe
current accounts correct, the device MARKS d
distinct advance upon all other lead batteries So
which class this Belongs and also upon tie
Edison nckel-and-iron accumulation.
The size of the electric charge which a secondary
battery is capable of holding depends upon tne
amount of surface which is exposed to chemical
action A spongy plate is superior to sohd one
in this respect. Much ingenuity has been devoted
to inventing methods of preparing lead plates SO
as to secure maximum of surface for a minimum
of weight. Even when fairly satisfactory way
of attaining result is found 1t Is posslOe 10
form the coating of oxide in such a manner thaI
the fluid in the cell does not have free access 10
all of the microscopic particles constituting Iiie
layer. Mr.. Schmtt declares that the active nia-
teriaT' may be compact that some of the grams
particles Of oxide are practically lnaccesSlD4e
and that the capacity of the accUmuator is reduced
accordingly. That is to say, it will not give Dach
as large d proportion of the electric energy put
into il it should Perhaps one-third OF INC
active material is useless. One of the claims
made the Schnitt battery is that each PdFtlcie
of oxide-minfum on the positive plate, ana hlh-
arge on the negative-is completely oatheo III '0
fluid and consequently performs its full outy.
Another way In which a better ratio between
weight and surface has been sought by the Frehcn-
man Is by modifying the architectural pattern Oh
the plate Although the published descriptions
a little obscure when they touch TINS Ieature'
1t appears that each plate is made OF two rlelu'
perforated walls. between which the oXlue - Gun
fined. 1t is alleged that little metal is here useo
simply for purposes of support, most OF II SCI wing
the purpose of a conductor
That system of construction secures another I'M
portant advantage. 1t prevents the particles u
active material from becoming disiodseo' setlilHs
down in the cell. establishing short circuits pe-
tween plates of opposite polarity. and lesseniS the
capacity of the battery. The fault here H1eh'oieu
was formerly a common with lead batterles'
but il has been partially overcome in some OF the
modern forms If NJ Schmitt has MADE d Au1-
ther Improvement in this direction. ne Will pIo'oHe
the life of his cell, well as secure hShtheSs'
A comparison is made by La Rene" between the
Edison battery Gas described by DR.. A T. Ken
nelly) and the Schmitt cell Into khogram Oh
energy Into the same weight OF the latter one
may put AS watt hours half as much again.
that whereas the Edison battery calls Tor SZ4 hIIo
grams of weight in order TO store d SiEen 49,
terry needs only 21O5 Kilograms to perform the same
service Applying these revelations 10 a.tnai la baf
teres now in use France II would take 900 kilo-
CRANE G6O pounds for run OF ooS MES ssosi6ned
with 200 kilograms Gao pounds9 OF sGhnt accuia %
lators would hrve power Tor SoS n1tes VEIN as in
If Is asserted that even with excessive charges
there - no solid matter to escape. and for the
gaseous products which are liberated egress - A.
forded by the holes in the walls OF the plates Id
Goth the Edison and schmitt apparatus can be
cbsrped or discharge in three hours and half
o-3 or iI s one @ bo5r without deterioration The
Schnitt apparatus requires only TWO PIaees,
tive and a negative. Both have the same tnick-
space of mllmetres Ihe o9taI .!Iit TcAIesS r, ~
scbes it's width 10 centimetres a inches) and its
height IS centimetres GA inches); II weighs only
9G grams io Ps CAPACITY is thrtyto
for a period of three hours An apparatus win
compact active material would nave Twice tiiiS