Improvements in or relating to Electric Accumulators.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Electric Accumulators.
I, Dr. ERNST ANDREAS, of 105-107, Rosen Strasse, Dresden, in the Empire
of Germany, Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improvement in accumulators, more particularly
for such as are employed for street railways, autocars and the like.
It consists essentially in a new and improved arrangement of the terminals
or poles of the accumulator cells. As is well known the terminals or poles of
accumulators have hitherto been made by one of the ends of the strips of lead
soldered over the separate plates and connecting the same, being carried upwards
and soldered above to the supply wire. This primitive arrangement has various
drawbacks. Among these is the difficulty that the soldering places undergo
structural modifications or alterations and consequently resistances result which
finally produce a melting of the lead and even in some cases a danger of fire.
Further in such an arrangement of the poles or terminals, the cells are only
kept tight with great difficulty against an overflowing or spurting out of the acid
which in turn produces other self-evident drawbacks. Finally it must also
be mentioned that in such a method of connecting the terminals the changing
of the cells is attended with much loss of time and many inconveniences.
All these drawbacks and difficulties are removed by the arrangement which
forms the object of the present invention.
The connection of the positive and negative plates of the accumulator cells
with one another is as usual effected by means of lead strips soldered on projec-
tions of the positive plates and negative plates respectively. The terminal
sockets which more particularly form the object of the present invention are
preferably soldered in the centre of these lead strips, and consists of a tubular
lead piece or socket preferably widened out and closed at its lower end, said
socket being connected by soldering or in any other suitable manner with the
aforesaid lead strips. This lead piece which forms the actual terminal socket is
carried to the outside through a suitable opening in the cover of the cell and a
piece of indiarubber pipe is fitted thereto, said pipe also serves as a washer joint
for the opening in the cover.
The indiarubber pipe also projects to a certain length beyond said terminal
sockets. The upper end of said terminal socket is turned down, tapered or
reduced in shape to such an extent that a free annular space is formed between
that part of the terminal and the indiarubber pipe mounted thereon, said space
being filled with oil. By means of this arrangement any penetration of acid
from the cell through the lower part of the terminal and the indiarubber pipe,
and also of the acid from the cell into the hollow part or bore of the terminal is
entirely prevented. The hollow part or bore serves for receiving a contact stopper
or plug to the upper end of which the wire or conductor is connected.
stopper or plug is inserted into a handle of wood or other suitable insulating
material
The

page_text: In order to connect the cells one with another the stopper attached to the
end of the conducting wire is inserted in said bore of the terminal by holding
the said stopper on the handle, the upper end of the indiarubber pipe being
passed over the lower end of said handle. By this means a completely tight
washer joint which can be easily removed at any time is formed.
It need not be particularly mentioned that many forms of construction of
the arrangement hereinbefore described differing somewhat therefrom may be
adopted without in any way departing from the scope of the invention. Thus
for instance instead of the annular space a groove might be formed on the
terminal on which a washer ring of oakum saturated with ei! or the like may
be inserted.
1
1000
Improvements in or relating to Electric Accumulators.
I, Dr. ERNST ANDREAS, of 105-107, Rosenstrasse, Dresden, in the Empire
of Germany, Electrician, 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:-
This invention relates to an improvement in accumulators, more particularly
such as are employed for street railways, autocars and the like.
It consists essentially in a new and improved arrangement of the terminals
or poles of the accumulator cells. As is well known the terminals or poles of
accumulators have hitherto been made by one of the ends of the strips of lead
soldered over the separate plates and connecting the same, being carried upwards
and soldered above to the supply wire. This primitive arrangement has various
drawbacks. Among these is the difficulty that the soldering places undergo
structural modifications or alterations and consequently resistances result which
finally produce a melting of the lead and even in some cases a danger of fire.
Further in such an arrangement of the poles or terminals, the cells are only
kept tight with great difficulty against an overflowing or spurting out of the acid
which in turn produces other self-evident drawbacks. Finally it must also
be mentioned that in such a method of connecting the terminals the changing
of the cells is attended with much loss of time and many inconveniences.
All these drawbacks and difficulties are removed by the arrangement which
forms the object of the present invention, and which is shown in the accompanying
drawings, in connection with an accumulator cell.
Figure 1 being a vertical section of an accumulator cell provided with the
improved arrangement.
Figure 2 a plan view;
Figure 3 a vertical section on an enlarged scale of a terminal socket itself
which is the part in particular which forms the object of the invention.
The connection of the positive and negative plates c of the accumulator cells
with one another is as usual effected by means of lead strips d soldered on
projections of the positive plates and negative plates respectively.
terminal
The
sockets which more particularly form the object of the present
invention are preferably soldered in the centre of these lead strips, and consist
of a tubular lead piece or socket f preferably widened out and closed at its lower
end, said socket being connected by soldering or in any other suitable manner

page_text: with the aforesaid lead strips. This lead piece which forms the actual terminal
socket is carried to the outside through a suitable opening in the cover of the
cell and a piece of indiarubber pipe K is fitted thereto at f¹; said pipe also
serves as a washer joint for the opening in the cover.
The indiarubber pipe K as shown in the drawings also projects to a certain
length beyond said terminal sockets ff. The upper end of said terminal
socket is as shown turned down, tapered or reduced in shape to such an extent
that a free annular space his formed between that part of the terminal and
the indiarubber pipe mounted thereon, said space being filled with oil. By
means of this arrangement any penetration of acid from the cell through the
lower part of the terminal and the indiarubber pipe K, and also of the
acid from the cell into the hollow part or bore g of the terminal is entirely
prevented. The hollow part or bore serves for receiving a contact stopper or
plug m to the upper end of which the wire or conductor is connected. The
stopper or plug m is inserted into a handle of wood or other suitable insulating
material.
In order to connect the cells one with another the stopper m attached to the
end of the conducting wire is inserted in said bore g of the terminal by holding
the said stopper on the handle p, the upper end of the indiarubber pipe being
passed over the lower end of said handle p. By this means a completely tight
washer joint which can be easily removed at any time is formed.
It need not be particularly mentioned that many forms of construction of
the arrangement hereinbefore described differing somewhat therefrom may be
adopted without in any way departing from the scope of the invention. Thus
for instance instead of the annular space h, a groove might be formed on the
terminal on which a washer ring of oakum saturated with oil or the like may
be inserted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :-
1. A terminal connection for accumulator cells characterised by a terminal
socket (ff) being placed on the cross connecting strips of the plates, said
socket being tubular or otherwise in shape at its upper part, to receive a contact
plug or stopper (m) attached to the conducting wire or cable, whilst the
connection is made tight against air and acid by means of a tube (4) of india-
rubber, caoutchouc or the like placed over the terminal socket and the plug
substantially as herein before set forth.
2. The peculiar form of construction of the terminal connection for accumu-
lator cells herein before described, characterised by an annular groove (h) being
formed between the terminal socket and the indiarubber tube or sleeve (k)
placed thereon, which groove is filled with oil or the like, substantially as
described.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 0, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.