Improvements in Secondary Voltate Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application; 19th Dec.; 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 12th' ‘Oct., 1895
· PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Voltate Batteries.
İ, LUDWIG EPSTEIN, of Rosebank, Park Road, East Twickenham, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
...My invention relates to a construction of secondary voltaic battery in which o
employed negative plates having an extended zinc surface, and means are provided
for ensuing uniform action over the whole surface of the plates, notwithstanding
difference of density of the liquid electrolyte at different levels; l'am thrus enabled
to render the battery more effective and effective for a longer period after being
charged.
In a cell I place positive plates of any known kind parallel, at suitable intervals
apart. In constructing the negative plates I use a sheet of wire gauze, preferably
copper, amalgamated and electrolytically conted with zinc. Each negative plate
may be a separate sheet; I prefer however to take a sheet of considerable length
and bend it to and fro in zigzag form, so as to present a utmber of parallel Hat
parts connected together by bends at the alternate ends, each of the flat patts
forming a negative plate. Midway between each pair of these flat parts or of the
negative plates, when they are separate, place a positive plate and on each side.
of the positive plate I mount a revolving agitator. This may be a wheel with
openings between its spokes; or a disc with holes through it and sometimes with
vanes projecting from its faces, or it may consist merely of a number of arms
projecting from a central boss.
Through holes about the middle of the positive and negative plates & pass a
spindle which is mounted in bearings provided on the end walls of the cell and on
this spindle I fix all the agitators in their proper positions one between each positive
and the adjacent negative plate. At one end of the spindle there is a pulley connected
by a chain or belt with a pulley mounted at the upper part of the cell above the
level of the electrolyte.
The upper pulleys of a number of cells may be on one spindle of have their
spindles mechanically connected, so that on turning them either continuously or at
intervals, the agitators are caused to revolve thus agitating the electrolyte liqu̸n'
in the cells. The agitators are made of non-conducting material such as cannot
be acted on by the electrolyte, ebonite, for instance, and the holes of the plates
through which the spindle passes are sufficiently large to prevent contact of the
plates with the spindle.
Dated this 19th day of December 1894.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Voltaic-Batteries.
I, LUDWIG EPSTEIN, of Rosebank, Park Road, East Twickenham, in the
County of Middlesex, Electrical 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 :-
My invention relates to a construction of secondary voltaic battery in which are

page_text: employed negative plates having an extended zinc surface and means are provided
for ensuring uniform action over the whole surface of the plates, notwithstanding
difference of density of the liquid electrolyte at different levels. I am thus enabled
to render the battery more effective, and effective for a longer period after being
charged.
I shall describe a cell of a secondary battery according to my invention,
referring to the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1 and 2 are vertical sections on planes at right angles to each other, and
Fig. 3 is a plan of a cell of a secondary battery arranged according to my
invention.
A indicate negative plates which may be separate sheets, but are preferably
parts of a single sheet which is bent to and fro in zig zags, a flat portion
coming between each pair of parallel positive plates B. These positive plates
are separated from the negative plates by spaces in each of which there is an
agitator C in the form of a wheel having its boss fixed on a spindle D which
is journalled in bearings E on the ends of the cell. A pulley F on the spindle
is connected by a chain or band with a pulley. G on a spindle H mounted on
the upper part of the cell wall above the level of the electrolyte. The
spindle H may be mechanically connected to corresponding spindles on other cells,
on turning which, either continuously or at intervals, the pulleys F and the
agitators are caused to revolve, the liquid electrolyte being thus stirred so that
its density is rendered uniform throughout its depth. The agitators C may be
wheels, as shewn, with openings between their spokes, or they might be discs with
holes through them and blades on their sides or they might be mere spokes pro-
jecting from bosses fixed on the spindle D. Their form may obviously be varied
in many ways provided that in revolving they act as agitators. In any case they
are made of non-conducting material which is not acted on by the electrolyte, such
for instance as ebonite, and the spindle passes through holes of the plates so large
that there is no contact of the spindle with the plates.
The positive plates B may be of any known kind employed in secondary batteries.
The negative plates A, or the bent sheet of which they form portions, is of wire
gauze, preferably copper, which has been amalgamated and electrolytically coated
with zinc.
Although I have shewn only 4 negative and 3 positive plates in the cell, there
may obviously be a greater or less number.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a secondary voltaic battery cell a spindle mounted in bearings on the ends
of the cell, passing clear through the plates, and having fixed on it revolving
agitators, one between each negative plate and the next positive plate, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. A negative plate for a secondary voltaic battery consisting of a sheet or a
portion of a sheet of wire gauze amalgamated and electrolytically coated with
ziuc.
Dated this 11th day of September 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.