An Improved Electric Battery and Process for Constructing the Electrodes for the same.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Electric Battery and Process for Constructing the
Electrodes for the same.
I, ALBERTO TRIBELHORN, of Casilla de Correo 1010, Buenos Ayres, in the
Republic of Argentine, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement: -
This invention relates to an improved galvanic battery, having superposed
trough shaped double electrodes receiving the liquid or electrolyte, and is for
stationary or transportable purposes and to the process of manufacturing these
electrodes the most essential advantages of the new battery are that it allows of a
specially favourable use of the active material, especially with regard to good
contact of the same with the electrodes and that the manner of producing the
electrodes is mechanical and very simple. The general use of double electrodes
could not hitherto be attained as their size was too great or the active surfaces
were insufficient when of smaller size; further the production of such being made
almost exclusively by hand was too expensive.
By the present invention all these disadvantages are avoided. The positive
active mass of each double clectrode forms an uninterrupted whole being bedded
in a conical spiral shaped groove arranged in the bottom of the trough shaped
or conical receiver thus giving the best possible contact of the mass itself and
also by means of some essential improvements with the metal carriers. A great
capacity is obtained by the spiral formed conical formation of the bottom of the
double electrode with little weight and thickness of the vessel and the gradual
spiral like course of the active mass from the outside toward the centre gives
an equal action of the current.
The process of producing such trough-like double electrodes is such that zigzag
or smooth plates are cast provided with suitable ribs, which are then pressed into
the desired conical form. The finishing of such cast and pressed electrodes for
instance the bending of the edges for preventing the active mass from dropping
off, the roughening of the groove-spaces for augmenting the metallic contact and
the introduction of the active mass is effected by means of a tool on a turning
disk on each side of the electrode in one operation so that a simple, equal and
almost mechanical production of the plates is possible.
The annexed drawing represents some practical forms of construction of the
invention in which
Fig. 1 is a section through two double electrodes with zigzag bottoms
Fig. 2 & 2 two forms of construction of a double electrode in plan view
Fig. 3 a construction of double electrode in plan view
Figs. 4 to 6 show details.
i
Fig. 7 shows a partial section of an electrode with ribs cast
bottom.
on a smooth
Fig. 8 a partial section through two double electrodes for transportable
purposes.
Fig. 9 shows a rectangular double electrode from. below.

page_text: On the trough like plates shown in Figs. 1, 2, 2, and 3 the spiral shaped
grooves 6 are formed by the zigzag formation of the bottom. The borders a of
the grooves have first the form shown in Fig. 4 and the edges are bent over on
a turning disk by one operation of the tool so that they receive the form suitable
for retaining the active mass (Figs. 1, 5, 7 and 8). Each double electrode has a
head piece or rim r which serves for receiving a sufficient quantity of the liquid
to allow for evaporation and on the top edge of this head piece or rim a collar
or flange is arranged which serves for the easy handling of the electrodes, when
mounting and dismounting, by means of a suitable gripping tool. The insula-
tion of the electrodes from one another is done by the glass balls c which have
great pressure resisting effect; these glass balls lie in hollows of the strengthened
supports. For smaller types four of such insulations are sufficient whilst for
larer types six, eight, and more are necessary. The radial ribs f on the
negative sides (Fig. 3) run through the grooves 6 and divide the active mass into
a number of small portions. They also prevent a bending of the electrodes which
the expanding of the active mass might cause, by making them stiffer.
The space in the centre is for the collection of deposit and the falling particles
of the mass.
Between this space and the bearings c strengthening ribs » can
be provided on the negative side and also radial grooves w for facilitating the gas
exit can be arranged. In order to augment the metallic surface, shoulders e
(Fig. 2) may be arranged in the positive side being arranged alternately on the
edges of the grooves and reaching half into the grooves b.
For batteries of great capacity that is of large size with especially deep grooves,
elastic metal bands h (Fig. 6) can be arranged instead of the shoulders e; they
may be ribbed, perforated or be provided with deviations at certain distances;
they can be put into the grooves before the active mass is inserted so that under-
neath these ribbons spaces are formed. If the active mass in the projecting
parts of Fig. 2 are formed by a slight blow with a hammer into eyes (Fig. 2)
the liquid passes freely by means of the spaces i over the active mass. By means
of the metal bands the active mass is not only brought freely in contact with the
liquid but has a greater metallic contact and is better connected. Electrodes
provided with metal bands can be of stronger construction which allows them
to be easily cast.
In Fig. 7 a form of construction of a double electrode is shown wherein spiral
shaped ribs t are cast on the bottom before being pressed into the trough form.
These ribs form the grooves 6 for the mass, otherwise these double electrodes
are constructed as those already described.
In Fig. 8 two double trough electrodes are represented for transportable pur-
poses where the liquid may be given motion and might be spilled for instance on
boats. The head pieces r of the double electrodes are inside at s formed hollow
so that the space for the liquid is enlarged and the battery when unsteady throws
back the liquid from the projecting border to the centre. The strong edges of
the head pieces r are above and below provided with suitable grooves and between
two superposed electrodes a caoutchouc ring k is laid which is seated partly in the
upper groove of the lower electrode and partly in the under groove of the upper
one, thus making the lower electrode water tight and insulating the electrodes
from each other. On the outside of the head-pieces r shoulders are arranged
provided with channels running from top to bottom the top ends lying outside
whilst their lower ends communicate with the liquid chamber and allow the
outlet of the gas. This arrangement prevents the liquid being spilt even if the
battery is very unsteady.
All the double electrodes can also be rectangular as represented in Fig. 9.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
--
1. An improved battery for stationary or transportable purposes having trough

page_text: shaped double electrodes put one upon the other, for receiving the liquid, in
which the zigzag like formation of the bottoms of the electrodes or ribs t cast
thereon form grooves 6 of spiral form which receive the active mass.
2. In a battery as in Claim 1, the arrangement of head-pieces r on the double
electrodes.
3. In a battery as in Claims 1 and 2 the arrangement of collars g on the head
pieces of the double electrodes.
4. In a battery as in Claims 1-3 the insulation of the double electrodes by
means of glass balls c which are laid in the supports arranged on the borders of
the electrode.
5. In a battery as in Claims 1 to 4 the arrangement of shoulders e on the
zigzag or rib edges on the positive side of the electrodes for enlarging the
metallic surface.
6. In a battery as in Claims 1 to 5 the arrangement of the bent over edges a.
7. In a battery as in Claims 1 to 6 the arrangement of radial cross ribs f
passing through the grooves b on the negative side of the electrodes.
8. In a battery as in Claims 1 to 7 the arrangement of radial grooves 10 on
the negative side of the double electrode for facilitating the outlet of the gas.
9. A form of construction of the battery described in Claims 1 to 8 in which
the head pieces r of the double electrodes for enlarging the space for the, liquid
are hollows inside and the insulation of the respective double electrodes is made
by means of caoutchouc rings which lay in grooves arranged in the upper and
lower borders of the electrodes and make the liquid chamber tight toward the
outside.
10. In a battery as Claims 1 to 9 the arrangement of shoulders provided with
channels on the head pieces r for the exit of the gas; these channels ending at
the top toward the outside and below in the liquid chamber of the next electrode
underneath.
11. A process for producing the troughlike double electrodes described in
Claims 1 to 10 in which ribbed or zigzag flat plates are cast and are thereupon
pressed in to the desired trough form.
12. In a battery as in Claims 1 to 10 the arrangement of elastic metal bands
put into the channels on the positive side of the double electrodes; these metal
channels being ribbed. perforated or undulating, the parts projecting through
the active mass being formed in to eyes in order to allow the electrolyte a better
entrance to the active mass and thus allowing a better action of the latter.
Dated this 27th day of July 1899.