The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-29
EDIEON'S LATEST BATTERY
DESIGN NE CONSIDERS WORTH
WHILE, AFTER TgST.


Thew has bean great deal written
and said about the Edison storage hat
teFy. tho invention that promises 10 mai .
over the commercial automobile situn-
ton. A few yc7s ago. when Mr. Edison
first put out his battery. all sorts of things
were claimed for II. by those too who
hardly knew anything abOut Il. OF late
I thers has not been % much discussion
Of Il. but AZ this time these who are IN
terusted in it contend Il 10 really accom-
pIiahing what was hoped for 4. A man
connected with an automobile company
that usos the Edison battery only has
this TO say about IL;
The perfection oE the Edison storage
| battery has brought about conditions
which should 60 a great distance toward
solving tho problem Il commercial trans
poetatiOn. When Thomas A. Edison
launched this invention six years ago
it was the best storage battery which
up to that time had been produced. Il
eliminated the drawbacks that interfered
with the successful operation Of the lead
battery. tho only type then In popular
Use.
T. In his first invention Of a storage
battery Mr. Edison made a radical de-
parflifs from the working principles
Of all former batteries He started fresh.
forgetting everything that had hitherto
/ been done. He decided that batteries
in which lead was the active material
had too many inherent defects ever TO
rsakne the full promise Of electricity
a. motive power for vehicles.
Mr. Edison's first battery was a sue
otts Il wns tried out and tested by
dainterested persons. Il was lighter.
cleaner and cheaper. The greater initial
cost was more than Offset by a lower
cost II upkoep and operation. Il gave
Rroqter output for tho same weight.
did not deteriorate when left unchanged
and was not injured by overcharging.
Those who tired IL were delighted with
the results. Over 80 automobiles
equipped with this type q Edison bat
terry are now being used for delivery
purposes by some q the largest firms
in New York and vicinity.
so much for the first Edinon battery
The results would have satisfied almost
any one else. but AlE. Edison sAw a great
future in the application 81 the storage
battery to the problem Of transportation
Ne also saw that his battery could be
improved and that it must BE- improved
70 solve that problem. SO he sst himself
20 work 10 improve IL
Right here he did another chaFaosoF-
istic Edison thing He ordered his hfst
type u battery withdrawn from tho
market Hs, closed the big factoFy.
scrApped the machinery and started after
that perfect storage battery hs Jaw ahsad
% him. u was useless 20 point Out %
him. that the then present battery was q
commercial success. that ths'profits from
it, sale would pay for all the costly ex-
perimsnts required and that when the
new. battery was ready would he time
. nough 20 withdraw the old Mr. Edison
said No confined himself 20 his labo-
fatOrv and after SIX years q persistent
toll. IN the course 81 which a.0OO expert
mentt we're made. he brought forth the
nsW storage battery
The perfected Edison storage battery
involves the uee 81 an entirely nsW vol
taic combination In an alkaline electro
tyts in place Of the lead -neroxide COM
bination and acid electrolytic charac-
teristic oR all other commercial storage
batteries. This not only secures dura-
bility and greater output by the given
weight Of battery but eliminates q long
In the lead acid combinations.
ia fha ENtaar, bafmaev fka anffssa raa.
terials arr oxides u nickel and Of iron
respectively in the positive and negative
electrodes. the eleCtrOlyts being a sOlu-
ton Of calstic potash in water.
The retaining cans arr made 81 sheet
sfeel. This can IL welded ~ the seams
by the autogenOus method. making Leak
are or bFeakaee from severe vibration
impossible. The walls OF the can are
coffaeated 80 a. N give the greatest
smoupt Of strength with q minimum
weight The can IN eleUtroplated with
nickel ann a Close union 81 the nickel and
steel = attained by fllsing them together
No that they are practically one metal.
The coating Of nickel protects the steel
from rust.
The arguments presented by tho Rd-
herents % the Edison battery are these:
Every port Of the Edison cell h manu-
factured by specially designed machinery
All the parts are strong and durable. Al
active material manufactures both nickel
and iron is tested before bei.lg used IN
commercial CELLS and frequent tests are
also made ~ tho internal contacts in tubes
The pockets and tubes are securely
fastened and the plates thus formed are
practically integral.
The battery requires little attention and
care and therefore lessons the expense
for labor in a garage. In a solution u
camgtic potash and water only water need
be added 10 keep the eIsctrolYts N the
right condition. Caustic potash solution
does not affect iron In any way. bat
rather prevents oorrQsign.
The battery weighs about half ~ much |
A. a lead battery Tor the same output |
but in addition 20 this Il sayea about 50
per cent Of IL weight IN the oOnstr1ic- |
ton Of the truck itself. That IL. q truck |
built N carry an Edison sixty osll battery !
would save not only 800 pounds IN battery |
weight but about 80 pounds In the weight |
Of the truck over the same truck built |
20 carry lead cells.
Electric wagons equipped with the |
Edis0n battery have been successfully /
marketed for the last aix years. during !
which time several hundred have been /
IN operation to-day and still owned by |
the original purchasers.
These electric wagons have made good 4
records for eOOnOmy, durability. low cost |
Of upkeep and general all around efficiency. /
10 the delivery saTvice OF Leading depart |
ment stores. dry goods stores and empress \
companies theae electric wagons are |
extensively used
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