IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
Year: 1885

page_text: We, WILLIAM HOPKIN AKESTER, and ROBERT MITCHELL, of 41, Reporton Road,
Walbam Green, Electricians, and RICHARD ROPER KELLY, of 1, Queen Victoria
Street, Chemical Agent, c/o, Day, Davies & Hunt, Patent Agents, of 321, High
Holborn, all in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in secondary batteries, the
especial object of the Invention being so to construct the cells of a lead secondary
battery as that the acting agents required for any given cap city of storage will
be concentrated in a considerably less space, and will be disposed in a far more
advantageous and effective manner than in any accumulator or secondary battery
as formerly constructed, and which will consequently permit of any given amount
of electric energy being stored in a battery occupying considerably less space and
weighing very much less than any existing secondary battery capable of storing
and effectually utilizing a like amount of electric energy.
In carrying the Invention into effect, we construct the battery by forming the
lead plates in the peculiar manner hereinafter described, and arranging them as
also hereinafter described and as thus formed alternately with sheets of porous
asbestos paper or cloth or with other suitable porous material, for insulating the
plates and preventing their short circuiting, and for absorbing a sufficient supply of
acid to effect the action.
In constructing the improved secondary battery, we take a sheet, and a separate
narrow strip, of thin rolled lead, and a sheet of the asbestos paper or cloth or other
suitable material of about the size of the sheet of lead; and about the opposite side
edges of the asbestos sheet we bend or fold the sheet and strip of lead, bending or
folding the strip of lead about the one side edge of the asbestos sheet, one half its
width on each side thereof, and bending or folding the sheet of lead about the
other and opposite side edge of the asbestos sheet, on the one side for about the
same width as the half width of the narrow strip, and on the other side of
the asbestos sheet for the whole of its remaining width excepting a narrow
insulating space which is left between its edge and the adjacent edge of the narrow
strip on the same side of the asbestos sheet, so that each asbestos sheet is covered
with a lead plate on its one side, excepting the said space adjacent to its one side

page_text: edge, and on its other side is exposed excepting at its opposite edges where it
is covered by the half width of the lead strip and by the like width of the
lead sheet.
The cell is constructed by arranging the required number of these elements, thus
formed and combined, in such a manner as that the covered or uncovered sides of
the asbestos sheets all lie in the same direction, so that the asbestos sheets and
the plates of lead alternate; and also so that the said narrow strips, and the said
narrow insulating spaces, are both situated alternately at the opposite side edges
of the adjacent asbestos sheets, in such a manner that each of the said strips thus
makes contact with the alternate lead plates, and each of the said insulating spaces
prevents short circuiting between the adjacent lead plates.
Perfect contact between both series of alternating lead strips and sheets, is
ensured, by sprinkling between them a small quantity of powdered chemical solder,
and by suitably heating the edges; and the necessary connections, preferably
consisting of strips of lead, are also soldered to the opposite edges of such connected
series of alternating lead plates.
The alternating asbestos sheets insulate the adjacent lead plates from each other,
and freely expose the whole surface thereof to the action of the acid absorbed by
them, and the improved arrangement and combination concentrates a large amount
of active material in a comparatively small space, and in such a manner that no
portion of the active agents will be liable to be rendered non-effective. The
containing vessel of the cell may be made of any suitable material, and a cell thus
formed will preserve a uniform thickness throughout its width.
A battery may be formed of any required number of cells thus composed, and in
a battery of this improved construction a greater amount of electric energy can be
stored in any given space in a manner capable of being effectively utilized than in
any existing modifications of lead secondary batteries, and thus such improved
accumulators are rendered especially applicable for use in the propulsion of
torpedoes, and for traction purposes generally or elsewhere where it is an especial
desideratum to store a considerable amount of electric energy in a small space,
and in a battery of comparatively very light weight.
Dated this 27th day of January 1885.
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We, WILLIAM HOPKIN AKESTER and ROBERT MITCHELL of 41 Reporton Road
Walham Green London in the County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineers, and
RICHARD ROPER KELLY of 26 Suffolk street S.W. London in the County of
Middlesex, Chemical Agent, do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES, 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 certain improvements in secondary batteries, the
especial object of the Invention being so to construct the cells of a lead secondary
battery, as that the acting agents required for any given capacity of storage, will
be concentrated in a considerably less space and will be disposed in a far more
advantageous and effective manner, than in any accumulator or secondary battery
as formerly constructed, and which will consequently permit of any given amount
of electric energy being stored in a battery occupying considerably less space and
weighing very much less, than any existing secondary battery capable of storing
and effectually utilizing a like amount of electric energy.
In carrying out the invention into effect, we construct the battery by forming
the lead plates in the peculiar manner herein-after described, and arranging them as
also herein-after described, and, as thus formed alternately with sheets of porous
asbestos paper or cloth or with other suitable porous material such as pure asbestos
cloth or fabric treated with a solution of gelatine and tannic acid or chrome alum
or other substances, or preferably horse or other hair, or silk, which also may be
chemically treated as above for insulating the plates and preventing their short-
circuiting, and for absorbing a sufficient supply of acid to effect the action.
In constructing the improved secondary battery, we take a sheet and a seperate
narrow strip of thin rolled lead, and a sheet of the pure asbestos paper, or cloth, or
fabric, hair, silk, or other suitable non conducting but absorbent material, of about
the size of the sheet of lead, and about the opposite side edges of the asbestos or
such other sheet, we bend or fold the sheet and strip of lead, bending or folding
the strip of lead about the one side edge of the asbestos, or such other sheet one
half its width ou each side thereof, and bending or folding the sheet of lead about
the other and opposite side edge of the asbestos or such other sheet on the one side
for about the same width as the half width of the narrow strip, and on the other
side of the asbestos or such other sheet for the whole of its remaining width
excepting a narrow insulating space which is left between its edge and the adjacent
edge of the narrow strip on the same side of the asbestos or such other sheet, so
that each asbestos or such other sheet is covered with a lead plate on its one side,
excepting the said space adjacent to its one side edge, and on its other side is
exposed excepting at its opposite edges where it is covered by the half width of
the lead strip and by the like width of the lead sheet.
The cell is constructed by arranging the required number of these elements thus
formed and combined, in such a manner as that the covered or uncovered sides of
the asbestos or other as before named sheets, all lie in the same direction, so that

page_text: the asbestos or such other sheets and the plates of lead alternate, and also so that
the said narrow strips and the said narrow insulating spaces are both situated
alternately at the opposite side edges of the adjacent asbestos or such other sheets
in such a manner that each of the said strips thus makes contact with the alternate
lead plates, and each of the said insulating spaces prevents short-circuiting between
the adjacent lead plates.
Perfect contact between both series of alternating lead strips and sheets is
ensured, by sprinkling between them a small quantity of powdered chemical solder.
The series of plates are then placed in a suitable screw press, and after the desired
compression has been attained, the whole is subjected to the requisite degree of
heat to melt the solder and solder the plates and strips together, and the necessary
connections preferably consisting of strips of lead are also soldered to the opposite
edges of such connected series of alternating lead plates either by soldering or
burning.
The alternating asbestos or such other as aforesaid sheets insulate the adjacent
lead plates from each other and freely expose the whole surface thereof to the
action of the acid absorbed by them, and the improved arrangement and
combination concentrates a large amount of active material in a comparatively
small space and in such a manner that no portion of the active agents will be liable
to be rendered non-effective.
The containing vessel of the cells may be made of any suitable material, and the
cell thus formed will preserve a uniform thickness throughout its width.
A battery may be formed of any required number of cells thus composed, and
in a battery of this improved construction a greater amount of electric energy can
be stored in any given space in a manner capable of being effectively utilized, than
in any existing modification of lead secondary batteries, and thus such improved
accumulators are rendered especially applicable for use in the propulsion of
torpedoes, and for traction purposes generally, or elsewhere where it is an especial
desideratum to store a considerable amount of electric energy in a small space and
in a battery of comparatively very light weight.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
First. The method of combining the insulating material with the acting material
as herein-before particularly described.
Second. The method of alternating the sheets in connection with the side strips
as herein-before described.
Third. The method of soldering the whole as also herein-before described.
Dated this 9th day of September 1885.
R. R. KELLY,
26, Suffolk Street, London, S.W.
W. H. AKESTER,
41, Reporton Road, Walham Green, S.W.
R. MITCHELL,
41, Reporton Road,
Walham Green, London, S.W.
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