The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-06-25
EDISON,S new BATTERY
Inventor Reveals Secrets of His
Wonder Working Dynamo.
FRUIT OF FOUR YEARS. HARD WORK

Famous Electrician Claims Bis Lat
est Marvel Will Soon Furnish
y GOm emade Light end Heat and
Automobiles For All without the
Services of an Expert.
In an authorized interview--the first
one given out by Thomas A.. Edison in
explanation of his new storage battery
the great inventor tells just how ii
is made and what il will do, says the
New York World.
Yes, my new battery is finished,
said Mr.. Edison to the reporter.
cit is finished after four years OF
constant work.
''The new battery means that anOth-
er so called impossible thing has been
accomplished. It was believed that in
the present state of our knowledge of
chemistry no commercially successful
battery could be made without the use
of lead. My invention negatives this,
as have used no lead whatever-noth.
ing but iron, nickel and potash.
1.-The storage batteries that are al
present in use in automobiles were
originally designed for stationary pur-
poses, not for vehicles. The various
automobile companies have been doing
The best they could with them, but they
were entirely inadaptable to vehicle
traction.
''The acid or lead which is used in
these batteries gives complicated
chemical action. The batteries are
thus not perfectly reversible, or, in 9TH
er words, there is leakage-a gradual
loss of power. A true storage battery
is one that must be perfectly reversible
for all time.
IF man buys an electric automo
bile today, he is furnished with a book
of instructions about the battery, he
must hire an expert to teach him how
to run it, and if be does not follow the
instructions he inds himself in a short
while without any motive power.
"The life of an old fashioned battery
is in proportion to its weight. If it is
reduced in weight, its lifetime also is
inevitably cut down. The problem,
therefore, was to construct a battery
not for experts, but for general use, a
battery which man can forget and
neglect and which will plod along and
do its work just the same.
''The thing that was needed was
what I might call brutal practicability.
Every machine made for general use
must be made not only so that it will
work properly when properly treated,
but when it is abused as well. The
Sw 41attery fills the bill in this re-
gard. It has stood every possible test
successfully. For long time it has
been my habit to test the packing of
goods that were to be shipped. The
packages are taken to a third story
window and thrown to the ground. If
they are found to be unbroken when
they are picked up, the packing is said
10 be successfully done. The same
Kind of rigorous tests have been ap-
piled to Abe battery. On one occasion
the test automobile was turned up
side dowL with crash, but neither
operator no. battery was injured.
"There is no comparison between it
md the other batteries. The one on
exhibition in New York city weighs
$50 pounds and will drive a heavy
automobile, with two passengers, 100
niles without charging if the roads
re good. 1t has enormous charge
ate and is, in my opinion, the beau
1eal for vehicle traction. At any rate,
is absolutely the best that I can do
that line.
'tTo describe the new battery in a
opular way is not easy, though the
aachine is very simple. 1t may be
allied an internal combustion appa-
atus. Finely powdered iron forms one
ole, and an oxide Of nickel forms the
Their pole. These two have never been
.sed before for storage purposes. ]
lso use an alkah, which is more stable
IAN an acid.
'When you connect a number Of
leSe cells with an automobile motor,
ne iron rusts or becomes oXidized. II
lie iron were outdoors, this rusting
recess would produce heat. but in the
artery it produces electricity instead.
turns into heat finally, of course.
he oxygen necessary to burn the iron
stored up in the nickel, so we don't
ave to get it from the air. When all
iron is rusted or oXidized, then the
,ttery gives no more current and
uSt be recharged.
1.-THE battery was invented to solve
prearranged problem in vehicle trac
n. If it failed in any one of half
zen particulars, it would be a com
9te failure. When l began to work
It, four years ago, l labored for
yhteen months without getting any
ing tangible. At present nothing re-
Tins but for an automobile company
build an automobile around it,
Yes, the new battery will settle the
rse-not at once, but by degrees. The
ice of automobiles will be reduced
that almost every family may have
e and run it without the aid of an
pert. In fact, l hope that the time