Improvements in Electric Secondary or Storage Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in Electric Secondary or Storage Batteries.
I, THOMAS HAMMILL HICKS, of Detroit State of Michigan, United States of
America, Physician, 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 secondary or storage batteries hereinafter described, and
shown in the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved battery.
Figure 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is a detached perspective view of one of the elements.
Figure 5 is a cross-section of Figure 4, and
Figure 6 is a detached perspective view of the cell frame.
A A represent the elements of the battery which are preferably formed of lead
plates cast with a series of shelves B upon each face, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.
These shelves are cast or moulded at right angles to the plate, and are bent upwardly
to form retaining troughs (into which the active material, or material adapted to
become active, is filled. For this purpose I prefer to use oxide of lead on one side
and peroxide of lead on the other side of the plate.
The outer faces of the first and last elements are unprovided with the retaining
troughs, but have a pole plate of copper or other good conductor of electricity secured
to it, and to these the binding posts D and E are secured.
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The plates form the division walls of a series of tight cells, the sides and bottom of
which are formed of an insulating material adapted to hold a suitable electrolyte
and insulate the plates from each other. To this end I preferably construct three-
sided frames G of fibre, rubber, wood, or other suitable insulating material, which
frames I insert between the elements, and by placing suitable iron frames or plates H
against the outer elements and connecting them by bolts I. I clamp the whole so
firmly together as to form water-tight compartments; if necessary gaskets or a
coating of varnish or other insulating material may be used in connection to render
the cells tight and insulate the elements from each other.

page_text: By making the frames G larger than the plates, the bolts are prevented from
possible contact with the elements. If desired, the whole battery may be placed in
an outer box and the cells may also be closed on top by a strip of the same material
as the frames, removably secured or provided with an opening for pouring the
electrolyte into the cells.
The battery being thus constructed as shown and described, it will be seen that, if
it is connected with a charging circuit J from a generator K the current entering at
one end, traverses the battery transversely, that is, in the direction of the thickness of
each plate, rendering one side of the plate positive and the other side negative,
except the end plates, which form positive and negative poles respectively. The
result is that the internal resistance is thereby reduced to a minimum and the
battery consequently gives a large per centage of effective work, in its working
circuit L which contains the translating devices and acts as a very efficient converter.
A further advantage is that the plates, being of opposite polarity on their opposite
faces, are not liable to buckle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
First. A secondary or storage battery consisting of a series of elements having
tight cells containing the electrolyte formed between them, by means of insulating
material forming the bottom and sides of the cells, and insulating the plates from each
other, substantially as described.
Second. A secondary or storage battery consisting of elements or plates insulated
from each other by insulating frames, clamped between the outer edges of the plates,
and forming tight cells containing the electrolyte, substantially as described.
Third. In a secondary battery, a series of elements insulated from each other and
dividing the battery into tight cells, each element between two adjoining cells forming
a positive pole in one cell and a negative pole in the adjoining cell, substantially as
described.
Fourth. A secondary or storage battery consisting of the elements or plates A, the
pole plates secured to the outer plates and carrying the binding posts, the frames G
of insulating material, forming the sides and bottom of the cells between the plates,
and the iron frames H and clamping bolts I, all arranged substantially as described.
Fifth. The herein described method of constructing secondary batteries, consisting
of clamping frames of insulating material between the outer edges of the elements or
plates, to form tight cells for containing an electrolyte and insulating the elements
from each other, substantailly as described.
Sixth. In a secondary battery, an element or plate provided upon its faces with
troughs, filled on one side of the plate with oxide of lead and on the other with
peroxide of lead substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of April 1889.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.