Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1887
Complete Left, 6th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 16th Mar, 1888
We, ROOKES EVELYN BELL CROMPTON of Arc Works Chelmsford, Electrical
Engineer, & JOHN CHARLES HOWELL Electrical Engineer Carffair Llanelly do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the coupling up & separation of the lead or compound
plates used in electric accumulators, & includes insulating rods supported from below,
& grids or frames to carry the same; also U shaped continuous rod & perforated
corrugated sheet separators; also the various improved methods of connecting the
conductors to the plates themselves & to one another; also to the improved form of
the containing cells & providing covers for same.
Our invention relates more particularly to the arrangement of coupling up and
proper separation of the lead or compound plates used in secondary batteries or
electric accumulators. One part of our invention relates to separators for keeping
the plates at the proper distance apart and preventing contact between the positive
and negative plates, also for preventing buckling or distortion of plates under the
action of the electric current. One form of the separating arrangement consists of
rods of cylindrical, octagonal or other suitable section, formed of insulating material,
which also possesses sufficient mechanical strength for the purpose, and which will
resist the dilute sulphuric acid, of a strength which is found best suited to employ in
these accumulators. In order to maintain these rods in position, we place on the
bottom of the cells, in which the plates and electrolyte are contained, a frame work or
grid, which may be of lead, so formed and contrived that the lower ends of the
separator rods can enter into cells or grooves, so placed as to afford support to a
sufficient length of the bottom part of each rod, so that the rods are maintained in
a vertical or nearly vertical position at the proper distance apart, even when the
plates are removed from the cell. When this frame or grid is made of lead, we may
use it as the connecting piece on which the hydrogenized or spongy plates which we
hereafter call the grey plates, are electrically connected. We sometimes so connect
these plates that they stand on this lead grid and are burned on to them. We

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support the alternate or peroxide plates, which we hereafter call the brown plates, by
one or more stout cross bars, resting on the edges of the cell. We sometimes form
the bottom grid with ribs on which the grey plates can rest. The ribs may be solid
or hollow, or perforated with holes for the purpose of blowing air or electrolyte
through the ribs, by means of an air circulating arrangement. In some cases we
prefer to make the frame or grid of insulating material, in which case both the grey
and brown plates can rest on the ribs, and sometimes we dispense with the grid and
form the ribs on which the plates rest, as part of the containing cell itself. In
another form the supporting rods we employ are bent into a U or hair pin shape.
These hair pin separators are supported in the cells by being placed so as to hang a
stride of suitable bars fixed in the cells above the upper surface of the plates and at
right angles to the plates themselves. We sometimes make these hair pin separators
in a continuous form so that they form one piece and can either rest on the bottom of
the cell itself, or can be suspended from one pair only of supporting bars. This form
of separator has the advantage that it is elastic in a lateral direction, and by suitable
banging pieces it can be arranged so that it can expand or grow with the plates
themselves during the course of the formation of the latter. The materials we find
most useful for the separating rods or continuous hair pins are xylonite, celluloid or
cellulose, vulcanite, or hard rubber, glass, pitch pine or other wood treated with
paraffin, vitrite or vitrified porcelain. Another form or separator we sometimes
employ is of corrugated form, either of sheets of corrugated xylonite or cellulose, or
of vulcanite, in addition to the corrugation, they are pierced with a large number of
small holes.
We form these corrugated sheet separators considerably larger than the
plates they are intended to separate, in order to provide for the possible slight
displacement of the latter and for the increase in latteral dimensions due to growth.
Another part of our invention relates to the attachments or connecting wires from
the plates themselves. We prefer to make these connecting wires of lead & burn or
autogenously solder them onto the plates themselves. We prefer to burn the wire on
to the plates in more than one place so as to guard against the possibility of a plate
being disabled by being broken away from its conductor. We sometimes burn on
one wire to the side of the plate at two points near together about the centre of its
height and we sometimes burn on a second wire to the top of the plate, about the
centre of its width, at two points close together. We carry one or both of these wires
from each plate to a connecting bar in which taper holes have been punched for the
purpose of receiving these wires. We punch the holes in such fashion as to raise a
burr on the upper surface of the bar. The wires after being inserted are lightly
riveted over and the soldering flame is passed over the raised burr, making a sound
metallic connection which however can be easily disconnected for purposes of
examination or repair, by removing the raised lump or burr with a sharp chisel.
generally form the connection from cell to cell by an upright cylindrical lead pillar
fixed to each connecting bar about the centre of its length, although we do not
confine ourselves to this precise position. We prefer to make the connecting wires
of such length that the whole of the connecting bar itself is below the surface of the
electrolyte when the batteries are at work. We insulate each connecting pillar by
sliding on to it a sleeve of insulating material, preferably of vulcanised rubber and
although we can use glass or porcelain or even wooden tubes saturated with paraffin.
These tubes are of such length as to leave the upper end of the lead cylinder or pillar
bare. For the purpose of connecting from cell to cell we sometimes for the purposes
of security prefer to attach our lead_connecting wires to our plates, by more attach-
ments than those above described. In this case the lead wire may take a corrugated
wavy form and be attached to the upper or side of each plate or both of them,
throughout the entire length, being burnt on at each bend of the corrugations. We
make the lead wires of small cross section and of soft lead, so that as the plates grow
the lead corrugations can open out and the lead wire follow the plate without tearing
itself away.
ог
We
We prefer to fix covers to our cells, preferably formed of thin sheet lead, having
the edge turned over so as to fit neatly and closely over the edge of the cells. We

page_text: do not find it necessary to make these covers air-tight. At the point where the
upright lead cylinders from the coupling bars pass through the covers, we prefer in
addition to the insulating sleeve above mentioned to insert a collar between the
insulating sleeve and the lead cover, this collar being made of paraffin wax, tempered
with other oils so as to make it more plastic at ordinary temperatures. This collar is
made into a ring form and we sometimes work lamp cotton in with the wax to prevent
the latter breaking away. We find these soft wax collars useful to prevent leakage
across the surface of the lead cover.

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries or Electrical Accumulators.
We ROOKES EVELYN BELL CROMPTON of Mansion House Buildings Queen Victoria
Street, in the City of London Electrical Engineer, and JOHN CHARLES HOWELL of
Carrfair Llanelly Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates more particularly to the arrangement of coupling up and
proper separation of the lead or compound plates used in secondary batteries or
electrical accumulators. One part of our invention relates to separators for keeping
the plates at the proper distance apart and preventing contact between the positive
and negative plates, also buckling or distortion of the plates under the action of the
electrical current. One form of separating arrangement consists of rods of cylindrical
octagonal or other suitable section formed of insulating material fixed in a vertical
or nearly vertical position at proper distances apart. Figure 1 & 2 shew the end
view, Fig. 3 a side view, of one form of arrangement of these rods a a, are the rods
in this case of cylindrical form supported at their lower extremities by being dropped
into the holes b formed in the framework or grid shewn in section at cc; Fig. 4
shews the holes bb in the framework in plan. These holes may be cylindrical or
taper or whatever form is found best suited to hold the rods in a vertical or other
position. We sometimes drill these holes somewhat inclined at an angle so that the
upper ends of the rods have a tendency to press towards one another & thus spring
against the plate which is placed between them so that when every alternate plate is
moved these rods maintain the plates left behind duly in a vertical position. Instead
of the holos bb we sometimes have continuous grooves to answer the same purpose.
We make the frames c c of porcelain ebonite or other insulating material or some-
times we make them of lead & place them in metallic connection with the gray
plates, or brown plates as the case may be, & these can be connected to them at the
points where they rest upon them by burning or by rivetting or other suitable means.
In this case we support the alternate plates by one or more stout cross bars resting on
the edge of the containing cell. We sometimes form the bottom grid with ribs on
which the grey plate can rest; these ribs may be solid or hollow or perforated with
holes for the purpose of blowing air or electrolyte through the ribs by means of an
air or electrolyte circulating arrangement. Figures 5 & 6 show in section and plan
one of these ribs drawn to approximately to full size, Figures 7 & 8 shew the same
ribs without perforations formed of the outer material of the cell itself; in this case
as is shown the interior surface of the rib may be open to the air. Where these ribs
are made of insulating material both brown & grey plates can rest upon them.
Another form of separator we employ are of hair pin form; these may be made
either detached as in figures 9 & 10 or continuous as in figures 11 & 12,. detached
ones may be supported by resting on the bottom of the cell, or they may drop into
holes in the frames as shown in Figs. 1. 2, 3 or 4 or they may be supported as shewn

page_text: in Figs. 9. 10. 11 & 12 by hanging on rods or bars placed transversely to the plates
themselves. Another form of separator we employ consists of corrugated sheet of
suitable insulating material pierced all over with small holes as shewn in plan & side
view Figs. 13 & 14 which show a portion of such sheet to approximately full size.
We form this corrugated sheet considerably larger than the plates they are intended
to support in order to provide for the possible displacement of the latter and for the
increase in the plate for lateral growth. The materials we find most suitable for
these various forms of separators, are, for the vertical straight rods teak, pitch pine,
celluloid, xylonite, vulcanite & glass. For the separating rods or continuous hair
pins, celluloid, xy lonite, and vulcanite & for the perforated sheets, celluloid or
vulcanite, but other materials may be employed. The corrugated separators should
be of such thickness that they will preserve their general form & yet possess
sufficient elasticity to yield to the plates as the latter grow or increase in dimensions
under the action of the electrical current. We are well aware that the use of
corrugated separators has been before proposed, but such separators have been
hitherto described as made of materials too unyielding for the purposes we aim at; as
our form of separator when made of vulcanite or xylonite or celluloid can be
compressed under the pressure due to the growth of the plates, so as to occupy less
room i.e. in thickness-at the same time expanding somewhat in their lateral dimen-
sions, also possessing the advantage that they can be bent through curves of
comparatively short radius. Another portion of our invention relates to various
methods of connecting the conducting attachment on to the plates themselves. Wo
prefer to make these conducting wires of lead or of any alloy of lead and antimony &
to burn or antogenously solder them on to the plates themselves. We prefer that
the attachment should take the form of wire of either rectangular or circular section
approximately of the same diameter as the thickness of the plates themselves & to
connect this wire or strip to the plates as shown in side view in Figure 15. In this
case, are the wires burned on the plates 9 9 9. In some cases we do not find it
necessary to burn on in so many places, but content ourselves with connecting at
2 sides of the plates at 2 points each, so that there are in all 4 connections on to the
plate itself.
We carry one or both of these wires from each plate to a connecting
bar hh as shewn in side view of Fig. 16, & attach them to this connecting bar by
passing them through holes punched taper from below. In punching these holes we
raise a burr on the upper surface of the bar as shewn in section at Fig. 17. In
connecting up the plates, the wires are passed through from below & slightly rivetted
over from the top & the soldering flame is passed over the raised burr making a
sound metallic connection as shown in Fig. 18. The object of this arrangement is to
facilitate disconnecting the plate for the purpose of examination or repair; to do this
we remove the raised lump or burr by a sharp chisel. The conducting wire from the
plate can then be drawn out & the joint can be made again by a second time raising
the burr from below with the punch. We generally prefer to make these connecting
wires of such length that the horizontal portion of the connecting bar itself is below
the surface of the electrolyte when the batteries are at work. We sometimes insulate
the vertical portion or connecting pillar of the bars by sliding on to them a sleeve of
insulating material preferably vulcanized rubber. Although we can use glass,
porcelain or thin wooden tubes saturated with paraffin. These sleeves or tubes are of
such length as to leave the upper end of the pillar or cylinder bare, on to which wo
clamp or solder the connecting pieces between cell & cell. Sometimes we fix a
screwed cylinder or stud of copper into the upper end of these pillars by casting the
lead round them as shewn in Fig. 19 at m. In this case we protect the copper after
forming a thread on it, by dipping it into an alloy of lead called Ajax metal; by
this means we obtain a more perfect union between the lead & copper pillar, at the
same time protect the exposed part from the action of the acid of the cells.
We sometimes fix covers to our cells preferably formed of thin sheet lead having
the edges turned so as to fit neatly & closely over the edge of the cells. We do not
think it necessary to make these covers air tight but leave sometimes annular spaces
round the coupling pillars at the points where they pass through the covers, but in

page_text: such situations where it is of great importance that no gases should pass off from the
electrolyte we fill theso annular spaces up by inserting a collar of rubber or of cotton
wick saturated with paraffin wax tempered with oil, so as to make the paraffin wax
plastic at ordinary temperatures. We find these soft wax collars prevent leakage or
creeping of the acid across the surface of the rubber collars.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tions & in what manner the same are to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that it has been proposed to use rod & corrugated rigid separators to separate the
plates of accumulators or secondary batteries. I therefore make no claim to these
arrangements but what we do claim in electrical accumulators is
1st. The combination of supporting rods supported by bottom frames or grids
substantially as & for the purposes herein described.
2. The combination of bottom frames or grids with plain ribs also of forming of
such ribs in the substance of the containing cell itself, substantially as & for the
purposes herein described.
3. The supporting ribs hollow & perforated for the purpose of inducing circulating
air or electrolyte herein described.
4. The detached & continuous form of hair pin separators as herein described.
5. The combination of detached or continuous hair pin separators with the various
supporting devices, substantially as & for the purpose herein described.
6. The corrugated & perforated elastic sheet separators as for the purpose herein
described.
7. The various methods of attaching the lead connections to the plates as for
the purpose herein described.
8. The method of attaching the lead connections to a connecting bar as herein
described.
The combination consisting of simple or compound lead plates coupled to connecting
bars strips or wires so made & attached to the plates or bars that the latter can follow
the growth or change of form of the plates with elastic separators of the hair pin form
or elastic separators of the corrugated & perforated sheet form substantially as & for
the purposes herein described.
Dated this Sixth day of February 1888