Improvements in Electrodes for Voltaic Accumulators.
Year: 1891

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrodes for Voltaic Accumulators.
A communication from abroad by THE HESS ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY
COMPANY, of the City of Des Moines, in the County of Polk and State of
Iowa, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, & 6, Bank Street, Manchester,
both in the County of Lancaster, & 323, High Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Civil 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 :-
Heretofore in the operation of the plates within the cells of a secondary battery,
difficulties have been encountered by reason of the breaking away of the oxides or
other materials used in the composition of said plates, which materials, passing into
the solution, are precipitated upon the insulating strips or the bottom of the cell,
forming a conductor between the plates, thus short circuiting and setting up local
action.
The object is to overcome these difficulties and to provide means by which the
materials composing the plates shall be confined and held from passing into the
solution and yet at the same time to permit the free circulation of the gases or
solution into and from the plates in the operative action of the battery either in
charging or discharging the same, and also in such construction and arrangement as
to permit the ready escape of the hydrogen.
The object further is to accomplish the foregoing results by the use of a material
which shall be practically indestructible, not being subject to the attacks of the
acids.
.
The invention consists in a covering, strata or layer of the material known to the
trade as glass wool, which is made up of finely divided fibres of glass, or glass in a
fibrous state, which is therefore highly porous, said glass wool being placed or
spread over the face of the active material, or material to become active, and held
thereon by a perforated plate of rubber or any other material not subject to the
action of the electricity or solution or by an insulating strip or strips of a like
material, so that, when joined with other plates, a free space between the plates is
provided for the circulation of the hydrogen.
The glass wool is practically indestructible, not being subject to the action of the
acids, holding the active material, or material to become active, from entering the
solution, and yet of such porosity as to freely permit the circulation of the gases
and the solution.
The invention consists further in the construction of the plate shown and described
in detail in the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side view of the complete plate.
Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line x-x, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of one side of a plate, broken away to show the
materials.
A, designates a grid or outer confining plate of rubber or other suitable material
which, as shown, has a multiplicity of perforations therein designated by a, and also
insulating ridges a².
The said confining plate A also has upturned flanges or edges all of the same
material as the body of the plate which extend about the edges thereof, being cut
to permit the terminal of the conducting plate, hereinafter to be described, to pass
through to the exterior.
In carrying out the invention and constructing a complete electrode, the glass

page_text: •
wool is spread over the confining plate or grid A within the flanges or edges a",
being designated by B, a layer or strata of active material or material to become
active is then spread over the glass wool B, being indicated by the letter C, and a
conducting plate D having an integral terminal Ď then placed upon the said active
material, or material to become active.
The other side of the completed electrode is formed in the same manner with the
-exception of the conducting plate D, and thus another confining plate A with its
contents, glass wool and active material or material to become active, is formed, this
latter portion is then conjoined with the former part, producing a complete electrode
which may be bound together in any suitable manner or placed in a cell and bound
by a number of electrodes.
An electrode is therefore produced which has a central conducting plate to which
the leads are connected and a layer of active material or material to become active
on each side of the conducting plate, and layers or strata of glass wool interposed
between the outer confining plates and the active material or material to become
active, the wool and said material being held within the interior of the said confining
plates on each side.
It is now obvious that the whole of the active material is practically exposed to
the action of the solution, since the latter passes through the perforations of the
confining plates, and, by means of the extreme porosity of the glass wool, is enabled
to enter into and upon the material, no part of which latter is therefore inactive
when the electrode is within the battery.
At the same time the glass wool being finely divided, its pores or openings are so
small that the active material is confined and held from passing out into the solution
to set up local action, and yet there is a perfectly free circulation of the gases and
⚫solution.
It is further obvious that the materials composing the plates are enclosed within
a perforated confining box which entirely surrounds and encloses the said materials,
Baid box having an opening to permit the passage of the terminal shown more
clearly in Figure 2; Figure 3 disclosing but one part or side of a complete
plate.
It is also apparent that, when this plate is joined with another plate in a cell,
a free space is provided between them for the circulation of the hydrogen of the
Bolution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of a strata or body portion of
active material or material to become active and a layer, coating, or covering of
fibrous glass wool interspersed between the faces or sides of the body portion
of active material, and perforated confining plates of a material not subject to the
action of the electricity or solution holding said glass wool upon the face of material
to become active.
2. An electrode for storage batteries consisting of a strata layer or body portion
of active material or material to become active and layers, coverings or coatings of
glass wool disposed upon the faces of the said material, and perforated covering
confining plates having an insulating strip or strips which, when in couple, maintain
a free space for the circulation of the liquid.
3. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of outer confining perforated
plates having ridges or upturned edges, a central conducting plate and layers or a
body portion of active material or material to become active, together with layer or
covering of fibrous glass wool interposed between the faces of the active material
and the outer confining plates, as and for the purposes set forth. .
4. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of outer confining perforated
plates having ridges or upturned edges which, when joined, form an enclosing box, a
body portion of active material or material to become active, and coverings, coatings

page_text: or layers of glass wool interposed between the body of active material and the outer
perforated plates, said confining plates serving as a box entirely surrounding the
said active material, glass wool and conducting plate.
1
1001
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.