Improvements in Electric Secondary or Storage Batteries
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 18th Jan., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 18th Feb., 1887.
WILLIAM TAYLOR 11 Jenner Road Evering Road Stoke Newington N. Electrician
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in Electric Secondary or Storage Batteries, whereby the Electrodes
can be constructed having considerable less weight than hitherto, thereby making
them more suitable to use for Tramcars, Ship's, and all vehicles intended to be moved
or lighted by Electricity.
The method of carrying this invention into effect, is to make a number of lengths
of metal proportional to the size of the Electrode required, said metal I prefer to be
nonoxydable, these lengths of metal I call conductors, by a suitable method the
required number of the said conductors are placed at proper distances apart and one
or both ends of each conductor is then connected to a leading bar or principle
conductor.
The whole is then laid in a suitable mould and a thick paste of a salts of lead cast in
it, when hard it is removed from the mould and a light frame of Ebonite or other
suitable material fixed round it, forming when thus constructed a flat slab of salts of
lead with conductors cast in same at suitable places. It is then formed (Electrically)
by the usual method.

page_text: WILLIAM TAYLOR 11 Jenner Road Stoke Newington, N. 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 Improvements in Electric Secondary, or Storage Batteries
whereby the Electrodes can be constructed having considerable less weight than
hitherto, thereby making them more suitable to use for Tram Car's, Ship's, and all
vehicles intended to be moved, or lighted by Electricity.
Part of the invention further relates to a light and convenient mode of connecting
the Electrodes to their suitable mains when said Electrodes are fitted in a suitable
Battery Box.
The method of carrying this invention into effect is as follows-The Electrodes are
constructed by soldering together a suitable number of lengths of Lead Band, said
Lead Band being made by an Hydraulic Press, as Lead Pipe, Wire &c. are manu-
factured. Lead Band made by this method is entirely free from blow holes, said blow
holes often occuring in the case where Electrodes are cast, the result being, that said
Electrodes after being in use for a short time fall to pieces.
Electrodes constructed as herein described can be made very light in weight, and the
form given to the Electrodes allow the said Electrodes to expand-It is generally
known that what is termed sulphating goes on to a considerable extent at various
times, and is a source of great trouble in the working of Secondary Batteries-the said
sulphate occupying two or three times its original bulk i.e. as peroxide, or, lead.
In the case of cast Electrodes (where all the parts of said Electrodes are rigid) the
sulphating is the cause of the said Electrodes buckling, the said buckling causing
endless trouble, such as short circuiting of the cell, and the packing (salt of lead)
very often crack and fall in pieces out of said Electrodes also after considerable
sulphating has taken place and the Electrodes are again fully charged and the said
sulphate is reduced to its original volume, the reduced sulphate will not fit the holes,
or cavities in the Electrodes, said Electrodes having been buckled or strained during
the said sulphating, the consequence being that in all probability a great portion of
the packing (salt of lead) will fall out of said Electrodes, or if by chance the said
packing remains in the Electrodes, bad contact of the said packing with said Electrodes
will be the result-In the improved form of Electrode the weight of the packing (salt
of lead, or lead foil) keeps the said packing in good contact with the metal conductors,
and the buckling of the Electrodes is prevented by the method adopted to allow for
the expansion.
The required number of lengths of Lead Band having been cut (the number,
size &c. varying with the capacity of the Electrode required) the whole of the said
lengths of Lead Band are laid in a suitably constructed frame, or mould, said frame,
or mould being the shape and size of the Electrode required, said frame, or mould
being arranged with pins, or blocks in such a manner that the Lead Bands are all
held in contact and in proper position during the time that the whole of the joints are
being soldered-The frame, or mould herein described is a well known device, and is

page_text: a method used by all mechanics to solder junctions of work together, said work being
of such a nature that the said work cannot be bound together by binding wire, or
otherwise When all the joints of the Lead Band have been soldered, the Electrode
(thus constructed) is then removed from the frame, or mould and is then packed with
a suitable salt of lead, or lead foil-after which said Electrode is what is termed formed
by the current from a Dynamo, or other suitable source-when the said formation is
completed, holes are punched through the packing (salt of lead or lead foil)-said
holes being punched by a suitable set of punches worked by a hand screw press, or
other suitable means-The advantages gained by punching the holes through the
packing (salt of lead or lead foil) are, the weight of the Electrode is reduced-and a
free circulation of the Electrolyte is obtained, the latter giving better results in the
working of the Battery, as in cases where the salt of lead packing is very thick, there
is a great portion of the said salt of lead inactive owing to the Electrolyte not having
access to the same.
A short copper bar is soldered to the top bar of the Electrode, said copper bar being
used as a connection in mounting up the Battery-The copper band and soldered
junction are well covered with a suitable substance (Chattertons Compound may be
used) to protect them from the action of the Electrolyte-In mounting up a Battery,
the main leads are made of a suitable size copper rod (square preferred) and said main
leads are let in flush with the top edge of the Battery Box, a suitable length of the
said copper rods are arranged to project beyond the box, and are screwed, or suitably
arranged for connecting cells together-When the Electrodes are fitted into the box,
the copper bands attached to said Electrodes is soldered to the suitable mains, thus
making a light and convenient method of connecting, and an easy means to remove
an Electrode should it be required, without in any way interfering with the other
Electrodes in the box.
The annexed drawing will serve to illustrate the mode of carrying out the invention―
Fig. 1 represents an Electrode constructed as herein described. A. B. C. represent
three modes of packing said Electrodes-The dotted curves D. D. D. D are intended
to represent the form taken by the packing during the sulphating, a suitable space
being left between the top bar of the Electrode and the first row of packing to allow
for the expansion as herein described, all the other portion of the Electrode is filled
with packing (salt of lead or lead foil)-E represents the copper bar, or band for
connecting the Electrode to the main lead as herein described-Fig. 2 represents the
corrugated Lead Band, & Fig. 3 a cross section of the same The Lead Band
represented at Fig. 2 is corrugated by passing said band between a pair of suitably
made wheels. The corrugation of the cross section Fig. 3 is done in the manufacturing
of the Lead Band-Fig. 4 represents a Battery Box, F. F. show the copper leads,
& G. G. G. represent three Electrodes connected to main leads as herein described.
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. The formation of Electrodes for Electric Secondary or Storage Batteries
substantially as illustrated and described.
2. The use in combination with my improved Electrode of the mode of connecting
said Electrode to its suitable main substantially as illustrated & described.
WILLIAM TAYLOR.