Improvements in the Production of Lead Plates or Electrodes for Secondary Batteries, and the Connections, Straps, or Lugs to the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Lead Plates or Electrodes for
Secondary Batteries, and the Connections, Straps, or Lugs to the
same.
PHILIP JOHN DAVIES of 78 Earls Court Road Kensington in the County of
Middlesex Hydraulic Engineer & Professional Lead Burner & Caster do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The first part of this invention relates to the production of lead plates preferably
of a gridiron or herring bone shape riz. a plate having on the surface a number of
stand up ribs feathers or bars which I produce by pressing the lead plate through
a suitable die by the well known hydraulic lead press or other suitable worked press
which will be readily understood.
The second part of this invention refers to casting such gridiron plates in a
suitable mould having steel or other laths fitted together on or in the mould or
otherwise formed in the mould so as to form the necessary ribs or feathers. This
mould may be made in various ways and is to be worked hot.
The third part of this invention refers to making such plates from preferably a
solid plate of lead by pressing or ploughing up grooves with a tool or tools (which
tool is not a saw) which will preferably cut and bur over the top edges of the ribs
or feathers in such a manner that it forms a kind of key to hold on the "forming
material of the plate and also to increase the surface of the plate.
"
The fourth part of this invention relates to passing lead plates for electrodes
between a roller or rollers having suitable cutters, wheels or "millers" to form the
grooves so as to make the before mentioned gridiron plate.
The fifth part of this invention relates to making such gridiron plates by
connecting a quantity of strips of lead together preferably by the use of the
blow pipe.
The sixth part of this invention relates to making of electrodes by first making
two pieces of perforated lead which will form a box & filling the same with spongy
or granulated lead after which I prefer to burn the sides or edges together.
The seventh part of this invention refers to the casting of the lugs or straps of
lead or the lug connections to electrodes in general. This lug I make in a suitable
mould by placing the end or edge of the lead plate or electrode partially in or
against the mould, so that the edge of the lead plate forms a kind of stop, edge or
wall of the said mould. I then pour the lead and apply the blow pipe to cause the
lead plate and the lug connection or strap to flow together and thus make the lugs
and connections at a greater speed than heretofore. Sometimes I press the plates
and then roll or groove them as before referred to when necessary.
04h de Dreamho 1000
P. J. DAVIES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Production of Lead-Plates or Electrodes for
Secondary Batteries, and the Connections, Straps, or Lugs to the
same.
1 PHILIP JOHN DAVIES 78 Earls Court Road Kensington in the County of
Middlesex Professional Lead Burner and Caster 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 and the nine sheets of
drawings attached :-
The object of this invention is to manufacture a simple durable and lasting

page_text: mould, die, or rollers which will enable me to produce or make a kind of multi
grooved or gridiron plate with large surfaces and with web in the centre and to be
"formed" without "paste" also that known as the "Epestein" lead plates, chemical—
electrically formed or electrodes for secondary batteries described and shown in
the English Patent No. 350 granted to Ludwig Epstein in 1890 and shown in.
Figures 4 and 4" of the drawings of said Specification, which plates or electrodes
have been heretofore extremely difficult and costly to produce owing to the
narrowness and the depth of the grooves.
17
22
Such plates are usually made in sizes of 41" x 18"; 8" x 9", also 12" x 13" and
about to thick. The 12" x 13" plates, for example, have about 83 grooves
on each side of the plate which may extend horizontally or diagonally or cross
each other across the same and are usually one millimetre wide and 4 to 6 millimetres
deep and generally crossways of the plate with a corresponding number of ribs
which are usually three times the thickness of these grooves; the consequence is
that the grooves are very narrow and deep, and owing to this the difficulty arises
in making the mould, press, die, or rollers, especially as the depth of these narrow
grooves is usually about six times that of the width, that is to say supposing the
groove to be wide, the depth of the groove will be say or thereabouts.
This depth and narrowness of the groove render it next to impossible to form such
a mould out of a solid casting or piece of metal though I have made such a
mould out of solid metal at unnecessary cost and claim to do so for the "Epstein
lead plate casting this not having been before accomplished for this particular fine
grooved plate. This is partially owing to the fact that the tool required to make
such groove must be smaller than the groove itself; the consequence therefore is
that the tool is very weak and gives way; and also that the material required to
form such a fine mould out of the solid, breaks up, gets undercut, ragged, or
otherwise out of shape, and the casting then becomes difficult to draw from the
mould, but in this part of my invention all this is avoided, as I construct my mould
with a number of suitable inetal laths or plates, by preference of rolled steel, so
fitted, arranged, or placed together, preferentially on a plate, or in an outside plate,
frame, mould, or portion, so as to form the necessary ribs, grooves or feathers, and
which laths or plates will give way with a certain amount of spring or elasticity,
but will not break away nor get out of shape as an ordinary mould would be so
likely to do if cut out of the.solid.
I may sometimes form or arrange the beforenamed projecting steel or other laths
or plates, to draw out of the grooves in the lead plate from the back of the mould
and in such a manner that the projecting ribs of the mould will not hold the lead
plate in the mould, as in reality the mould or ribs or say the core part will be
withdrawn before the plate of lead is begun to be removed from the mould. The
plate and laths may also be removed from the outer or bed part of the mould and
the laths afterwards removed from the lead plates when cold or nearly so or the
mould may be made wholly of laths or plates if so required.
I sometimes by preference for certain sized plate and under certain circumstances
place my lath mould in another mould or casing partially made of porcelain or other
suitable or non-heat conducting material or materials for the purpose of retaining
the heat in the inner mould or laths or plates but this is not always required as the
mould proper may be heated by gas or in any other well known convenient or
suitable manner. By the use of these fine ribbed moulds for manufacturing these
multigrooved or multiribbed lead plates I am enabled to further increase the
surface of these plates by what I call "blubs" or "bubble holes" or air holes and
which partially effect by not having the ordinary blow off holes or ventilating
"gats" and also partially owing to the fineness of the ribs or grooves or laths
which forms my mould viz. in my mould the air cannot get away so readily as in
ordinary lead casting moulds consequently I am enabled to accomplish the-
production of a plate with the fine multigrooves & ribs and which plate is more or
less porous which consequently gives increased surface which is sought for in all
lead electrodes and which I wholly attribute to the above points viz. making the

page_text: mould with steel or other laths which will stand better than any other material and
to the fact that in such fine moulds the air is difficult to get away which in all other
lead casting moulds would be a decided evil but in this a desideratum. I may
add that it is best to pour the lead into these fine ribbed & grooved moulds as
quickly as possible which greatly assists in producing lead plates with a numberless
amount of air holes.
The die, for pressing or forming by pressure the 'beforementioned lead plates,
is preferably made in the same manner as the mould, that is to say, built up with
or of steel plates or laths, which can be now carried out by any intelligent
mechanic or fitter accustomed to die making for lead work.
The rollers are made in the same manner, except that they of course are
cylindrical or more like a number of round or circular flat washers strung on a pair
of rollers, rods or spindles with a flat circular distance piece or washer of less or
suitable diameter placed between each two. These rollers are arranged to work
one above the other similarly to the well known lead roller mill, or in any other
suitable or convenient position, the difference being that in place of being cylindrical
smooth surfaced rollers, my rollers for these lead plates have the addition of the
washers, millers, or pressers, and smaller distance washers, parts or pieces added on
to the rollers, and by means of which I am enabled to produce the before mentioned
lead plates; such plates, pressed or rolled, 1 by preference anneal in an annealing
oven similar to those used for annealing copper, in order that the pores may be
opened to become easily "formed."
From what has been herein before stated it will be seen that my invention can be
readily put into practice by any competent mechanic with the assistance of the
accompanying diagrams and description of the same with the aid of the letters of
reference marked thereon.
It will be readily understood from what has been hereinbefore stated, that my
invention includes four arrangements by which its application for the production of
the before mentioned gridiron or the "Epstein" multigrooved lead plates i.e. plates
having a number of very narrow deep grooves or stand-up ribs or feathers which
may cross each other on the surface, and a similar number of deep narrow grooves
extending horizontally or diagonally across the plate, connected by a centre web,
and which plate is formed" by chemico-electrical process, may be carried out
and which lead plates 1 produce by pressing the lead through a suitable die pre-
ferably made, as herein before described, by the aid of the well-known hydraulic
lead press, or other suitably worked press, as may be readily understood. Secondly,
by casting such plate in a suitable mould constructed in the manner and acting as
hereinbefore described. Thirdly in making such lead plate, preferably from a solid
plate of lead, by rolling, pressing, or ploughing up with rollers the grooves hori-
zontally or diagonally across the plate with a tool or tools, which tool or tools is
or are not a saw or saws, but a kind of roller which will perfectly roll, cut, press
and also when required, burr over the top edge of the ribs or feathers in such a
manner as to form a kind of key to hold the forming "material of the plate when
necessary and also to increase the surface laterally. Fourthly in rolling the plates
by means of my rib and groove roller or rollers having suitable projections to form
the grooves, which may be done on one side, or both sides at the same time and
thus produce the "gridiron or multigrooved plates herein before described.
When the plates are produced by casting, I by preference press them under or
by means of a suitable press to flatten them, and when necessary to render them
even, and the same course may be followed or adopted with all or any produced by
the other arrangements if desired.
The use and forming" of this class of lead accumulator plate is fully described
and explained by Planté and others, and in the Specification of Epstein's Patent
No. 350 of 1890, and improvements thereon since the above date described in the
various electrical publications.
In order that my invention may be more clearly understood and more readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the same by the aid of the

page_text: accompanying diagrams and letters of reference marked thereon, which are those
from which the apparatus has been constructed in various ways for experiments &c.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a representation in elevation of the multigroove or gridiron
plate herein before described, A B being the narrow ribs and grooves across the
plate. C is the lug having the solid part produced in the casting but which is pre-
ferably afterwards made-up in the rolled or pressed plates. GF are two plain outside
edges ungrooved as stiffeners but which are not always required, as for example,
in those shown in Figure 14, Sheet 7, as each cross rib in this arrangement answers
the same purpose, such may be in a diagonal direction. Figure 2 is a section of
the plate showing the ribs and grooves. Figure 3 is a section taken on the line a b
on Figure 1. Figure 4, Slicet 2, shows the plan of the face of one side of the
mould, with somewhat enlarged grooves A and ribs B. It will be readily seen
that the grooves A in the mould will produce the ribs in the casting or lead plate.
L is the part of the mould which forms or makes the lug. The lead may be poured
from any part of the mould, sideways, perpendicularly, or horizontally.
A careful examination of this Figure 4 Sheet 2 and Figures 214 will show that
the grooves in the mould are or may be cut with a saw, or a series of saws, planed
or ploughed out of the solid metal, with the two sides CD which act as stops, also
as at e Figs. 5 & 6, which gives the thickness of metal for forming the centre web
on the plate.
Having explained a nould made by cutting or sawing it out of the solid, it will
be easy to understand one made with laths or plates fitted together.
Figure 7, Sheet 2, shows one method of fitting the laths as shown at GH. In
this case there is simply a number of laths A B, B being a front one, the dotted
line at B'showing the top of the shallow lath behind, and G H one way, out of several,
of fixing the said laths in position with the rods, when required. The laths here are
also shown fitted upon a ledge at G1 H', but the laths may be worked quite loose to
come away out of this or other kind of frame with the lead casting, such laths to
be called movable laths, or partially movable=then the tie rods GH are not
required.
Figure 8, Sheet 2, shows the laths fixed against a ledge II and kept in position
with a fillet, ring, or frame J J. The face of these laths are as Fig. 7.
Figure 9, Sheet 2, shows another way of fitting the before-mentioned laths at II
and JJ by preference in a kind of frame ZZ as in Fig. 7. The laths in Fig. 9
being fixed with fillets J, J. It will be understood that these laths may be fitted
in various ways and in various kinds of frames three being here shown at
Figs. 7, 8, 9.
Figure 10, Sheet 3, shows a face or front view of the lath or plate mould for
casting large sized plates and also shows how I, at times, form the, runners at BC.
Sometimes I form runners at the sides and cause the metal to flow upwards, shown
by the dotted lines rrrr. This mould will be readily understood on referring to
Figures 11, 12 and 13, Sheets 4, 5, and 6. The runners are afterwards cut off.
Figure 11, Sheet 4, illustrates in section by the unsectioned or light part S the
plate SS in the mould, and the mould for large sized plates fixed or mounted
upon a frame KL. This frame 1, at times, prefer to work on slides M M M and is
worked by means of linked levers or a lever, as shown at N L, or with screws or
their equivalents, or by the combination of screws and levers as shown at NOLL,
and also shown in the elevation, Figure 12, Sheet 5, and the plan-Figure 13,
Sheet 6. The screws work through the lugs R R and press against the opposite
lugs QQfor pressing the mould open just sufficient to overcome the resistance of
the plate in the mould when it is required to open it. The "lumps" TT are for
the purpose of keeping the mould closed and are steadied by the bar STE.
Suppose K, Figure 12, Sheet 5, to be a fixed part of the mould, and L allowed to
slide on the frame M, and the lead casting to be in the mould as at Figure 11, it
would require a considerable amount of power to open the mould for the first
quarter of an inch or so, and hence the reason for the use of the screws, which on
being turned, give great power against the lugs QQ Figure 12, The heavy work

page_text: of starting the mould being thus easily accomplished, the part L of the mould may
be pulled further lack with the linked or other lever N, and opened wide enough
to take the lead casting or plate out of the mould. This being done, by reversing
the motion of the linked lever the mould is closed and is fastened by the link U, S,
but by preference with a pin at S as shown in plan; Figure 13, Sheet 6, which
shows what is meant and which is done by turning the screw the reverse way.
After the pins S S are in the position shown, the lug T presses against the
washer and pin d which keeps the mould closed.
B, C, Figure 13, Sheet 6, show the position in which by preference I place the
runners for large castings, and V, V, V, the vent holes. W, W, W, W, are the gas
pipes for heating the mould. XX bolt for holding the laths in position, preferably
made of steel. In Figure 11, Sheet 4, at Y will be seen how I sometimes stay the
laths, but this must not be done too rigidly, as a little spring will be found of
advantage. Z shows the outer casing hereinbefore referred to, which may be used
when required, and be made of any suitable shape..
"
Figure 14, Sheet 7, shows one method of making the mould for casting gridiron
or multigrooved lead plates with the beforementioned stand up ribs and grooves in
the lead plate A, B, formed with the beforementioned moulds made with laths or
plates, but which here in the mould have a quantity of notches extending to a
given depth, formed thereon the laths like small saw cents, which when the laths are
fitted together, resemble that at 7 and which will give a greater surface to the
multigrooved, or than the "Epstein" plate, at the same time making it much
stronger and safer as regards the action of buckling which is an evil in nearly all
the present forms of the lead plates but less in the multigrooved or Epstein
plate. B. B. may be the runners. This kind of lath or mould may, if desired, be
fitted to any of the frames shown, and may be used in combination with the before*
described multigrooved plates viz. single grooven on one side, and double on the
other or the opposite side. Figure 15, Sheet 7, shows at B the lath having the
notches or saw cuts to form the cross ribs in the "Epstein" lead plates as herein-
before described. It also shows the china, clay, or plates, or other non-conducting
material at C, L, A, Y, to keep the heat in the mould when required, as herein-
before described.
Figure 16, Sheet 7, shows another sectional view of Figure 14.
Figure 17, Sheet 8, shows one mode of forming the plate mould with movable or
draw laths g, 9, 9, 9, and by which the laths may be drawn out of the casting, S, being
the space wherein the casting is to be formed. The laths,,g, g, laths correctly
speaking, form the core for producing the multigrooves in the lead plates. It will
-be seen that the wide laths K K, are the fixed ones, and those marked, Y, !:
movable ones; the line mmmm being the butting or stop line of the laths:
0, 0, are the wheels for actuating the screws n, n. These movable laths or plates
may be actuated in various ways, but in the present case I have shown them as
moved by screws n, n, m, n. The runners I place by preference at the ends, but
they may be in any part, or as at A. B. By means of the diagrams, Figures 10,
11, 12, 13, & what has been before stated, the peculiarities of this mold Fig. 17
will be more readily understood & if read in conjunction with Fig. 18 & Fig. 19.
Figure 18, Sheet 8, illustrates the mould lath mould for casting the multigrooved
or "Epstein" plates with the movable laths or cores 1, j, and one mode of fastening
the fixed laths with the rods, h; it also illustrates the laths to be actuated with
or by the lever or levers k, shown in dotted lines, or it may be done in any other
way by a suitable equivalent known means, especially with screws », n, as in
Fig. 17.
Figure 19, Sheet 8, shows a form of mould made with the movable laths or
plates to draw out-shear fashion-from the casting or lead plate, which will be
readily understood from the drawing when read in connection with what has been
already described in reference to the other modes of actuating the movable laths.
Figure 20 Sheet 1 is a sectional view of Figure 21, shewing a movable lath C
hinged at E. F is one mode of keeping the laths fastened from the back with a

page_text: bar (but this is not required to be shown in the plan Fig. 21) and which object
may be accomplished in various ways which are so evident as not to need any
further description. The dotted lines I show the lath C carried over or beyond
the frame when it is not required to be hinged.
"
Figure 21, Sheet 1, is a plan of my mould made with movable laths or
plates C, C, C, which I work hinged as at E, and may be drawn out of the
lead plate from the back and before the lead plate is taken out of the skeleton or
frame part A. B. of the mould; or the laths may be so arranged as to be taken
out of the plate after the plate is taken out of the skeleton or frame part of the
mould. H, is the pin which holds the shallow fixed or other lathes in position.
Fig. 21 Sheet 1 is a mould made partially of laths E & of a clay or metal base D.
E, E, the lathe let into the clay or metal D preferably by saw cuts as shown at R
and which laths may be brased in or otherwise attached to the solid metal or clay
base D. D is the end stop which goes round the frame.
Fig. 21 A shows the laths let end ways into the frame & Fig. 21" frame with
back I.
Fig. 22 Sheet 7 shows the before mentioned steel laths or plates in the shape of
washers cutters or millers A, B, fitted upon a roller or rollers C, D, which will
now be readily understood as almost any pair of rolls with these appendages may
be adapted for making the before mentioned plates.
Fig. 23 Sheet 7 is an end elevation of Fig. 22.
Fig. 24 Sheet 9 shows my laths at G G fitted together & placed in the bottom
of a preferably square or oblong container of which BB, GG, Fig. 25 is a plan of
the bottom of the container. These laths are made to form a kind of die for
pressing the multigrooved plates. This die is preferably built up by a series of
long and short laths so fastened with rods or otherwise together as to form the
die as shown plan at A & K the ends of the longest laths protru.le slightly
over the walls of the aperture in the bottom or other part of the container and in
such a manner so as to form the grooves in the pressed plate.
It will be readily therefore seen that the ends of the laths actually form the die.
This die I usually hold in position as shown by two or more plates G, G, Fig. 24
& Fig. 25.
The ends of the dies at G, G, only requires to be held as they cannot move
when the pressure of the ram is upon the lead and is too simple to require further
comment..
Sometimes I form the die for pressing the multiply grooved plates with a rolling
action and similar to that shown at Figs. 22 & 23 and on again referring to Fig. 24
at the part of the container where the die is placed it will be seen by the dotted
lines that the dies may easily be made as roller dies so as to reduce friction, and
the bottom of the container made of a hopper shape as shown at e by the dotted
lines.
In some cases in place of using metal for making the laths or plates for the
moulds for casting the multigrooved plates, I can employ slips of glass, or other
suitable material, preferably in conjunction with asbestos, which may be fitted in
a similar manner to those already described and shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
of improvements in the production of lead plates or electrodes for secondary batteries
and the connection straps and lugs to the same and in what manner the same is to be
performed, I desire to state that I do not claim the production or manufacture of
grooved or multigrooved lead plates, or the " Epstein" lead plates for accumu-
lators, nor where the grooves are produced in such plates by the use of saws to
form them out of a plate of lead, as the same has been done before, but with great
difficulty and at a considerable cost over that at which they can be produced by
my invention, nor when the said grooves or ribs exceed one eighth of an inch in
width, nor where the grooves are produced in the lead casting or "blank" by
sawing, drawing, scratching or scraping the grooves in the metal, as such plates

page_text: and wide grooved plates for accumulators have been made and used before; being
easy to make the mould and cast such wide grooved plates, especially as has been
done by one C. F. Brush, of Cleveland, U.S.A., but what I do claim as my
invention is:-
First The production of moulds, dies, or roller cutters for producing accumu
lator lead plates having grooves or multigrooves of or below one eighth of an inch
in width, or stand-up ribs of or below that size in width, the grooves or multi-
grooves in the plates being from three to six times as deep as the groove or rib is
wide, which requires moulds, dies, rollers or cutters of delicate though of strong
construction, and especially I claim my mould as such for producing such plates,
the grooves or ribs of which are from one to two millimetres wide, to four or more
millimetres deep and increasing the surface of such plates by air bubbles or air
holes such being partially formed by retarding the escape of the air from the
mould, as hereinbefore described.
Second-The combination and arrangement of the parts for making the narrow
ribs and grooves in or on the moulds, and means for the casting, pressing and
making multigrooved lead plates to be "formed" by electro-chemical process,
and the arrangement and combination of the parts forming the die, and the rollers
for producing the plates as hereinbefore described, illustrated and specified; by
means of which I am enabled to readily, cheaply, quickly and easily manufacture
and improve the multigrooved lead plates hereinbefore described.
Third The use of laths, slips, plates, washers or their equivalents for
constructing the before mentioned moulds, dies or rollers for casting and manu-
facturing the hereinbefore described and specified multigrooved lead plates, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described and specified and as shown in the accompany-
ing diagrams.
Fourth-The use of the frames for carrying and opening or closing the moulds
or parts of the moulds substantially as hereinbefore described, and shown in
Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the drawings.
Fifth The use of laths or slips, plates or washers, for making moulds for
casting with or without the lug and pressing or rolling what is known as the
Epstein or multigrooved lead plate, with or without the lug, and which are
"formed" by electro-chemical process when made.
22
Sixth The general arrangement of the moulds for casting multigrooved lead
plates as shown in all the diagrams, and which may have all or any of the parts
used, applied or adapted to each mould as required.
Lastly-The manufacture and construction of the mould shown in Figure 14,
Sheet 7, for making what I term " honeycomb" multi-grooved lead plates with a
central web, in the manner and for the purposes hereinbefore described and shown,
or any mere modification of the same.
Dated this 24th day of September 1891