MENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES "IMPROVE-
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Blanch Brain at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th March 1882.
WILLIAM BLANCH BRAIN of Cinderford in the County of Gloucester
MENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
"IMPROVE-
Heretofore in secondary batteries such as the so called "Faure" battery the lead
plates have been covered on the outside with the oxydizing and deoxydizing
material the peroxide of lead or red lead. Now the object of my invention is to
extend the capacity for storing the electric energy without increasing the electrical
resistance; also to simplify the construction and to render such batteries more con-
venient in use and less liable to get out of order, and doing away partly or wholly
with the diaphragms of felt, flannel, parchment and the like.
For this purpose I form chambers, bags or closed envelopes of thin sheet lead
and enclose the oxydizing and deoxydizing agent such as red lead therein, and I
form holes through these envelopes, one set of holes being forced through from one
side and another set of holes forced through from the other side, and these holes
are depressed or bulged all round and have more or less burred edges, by this
means I retain the red lead in the envelopes while at the same time keeping it in
metallic contact and rendering the thin walls of the envelope stiffer.
I have above described what I consider the best mode of carrying my invention
into effect but I may also by using finer holes without bulge or burr accomplish
my object though not so effectually; or I may have some of the holes burred and
some of them as plain perforations; or one side or part of the envelope may be
perforated with burred or plain holes and the other not. Or I may insert one or
more unperforated or perforated plates in the middle of the envelope.
The sides or walls of the envelopes may be flat or more or less corrugated or
otherwise enlarged in surface in any convenient manner.
The envelopes constructed as described may be slid down in small grooves in the
leaden box but without touching the bottom of the box, and if any of the red lead
should escape from the envelopes it will together with the bottom of the box form
an acting surface. Each box may contain two or any number of these envelopes,
so that they are alternately insulated from each other."
Instead of the oxydizing agent I may use a chloridizing agent or any other
acting agent.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Blauch Brain in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th September 1882.
WILLIAM BLANCH BRAIN of Cinderford in the County of Gloucester "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES."
Heretofore in Secondary batteries such as the so called "Faure" battery the
lead plates have been covered on the outside with the oxidising and deoxydising
material, the peroxide of lead or red lead.
Now the main object of my Invention is to extend the capacity for storing and
recovering the electric energy without increasing the electric resistance another
object of my Invention is to simplify the construction and to render such batteries
more convenient in use and less liable to get out of order another object is to do
away with the diaphragms of felt, flannel parchment and the like in the manner in
which they are now applied in secondary batteries in which such diaphragms serve
only to retain the red lead in place.
For the purposes of my invention I form chambers bags or closed or partly closed
envelopes of thin sheet lead or other suitable metal or alloy and enclose the
oxydising and deoxydising agent such as red lead therein, and I combine with such
chambers bags or envelopes pieces or wicks of asbestos, felt spongy india rubber
flannel or other neutral non metallic porous and by preference elastic material or
fabric of such a nature that the liquid can flow or act freely through it and not
being metallic there is no tendency for oxide or peroxide to form upon it either in
charging or discharging, at the same time that part of the porous material which
is coated with the red lead or other agent touches the sides or walls of the chamber
bag or envelope and holds the oxide formed in contact with the metal while the
interior and the uncoated parts of the porous material are in full contact with the
liquid. Although I prefer an elastic porous material I may in some forms of my
Invention use wicks of porous earthenware or other non flexible material I some-
times form holes through these envelopes, one set of holes being forced through
from one side and another set of holes forced through from the other side, and
these holes are depressed or bulged all round and have more or less burred edges,
by this means I accomplish the same objects as that of the wicks viz I facilitate
the access to and action of the liquid on the oxide or other material and I also
retain the red lead in the envelopes while at the same time keeping it in metallic
contact and rendering the thin walls of the envelope stiffer the liquid during
charging and recharging having free access to the red lead through the porous
material. Or I may have some of the holes burred and some of them as plain
perforations or one side or part of the envelope may be perforated with burred
or plain holes and the other not. I may insert one or more unperforated or per-
forated plates bars or pieces in the inside of the envelope bag or chamber for the
purpose of retaining thercon wicks of flannel felt or other material containing the
red lead and thus extending the acting area.
The sides or walls of the envelopes bags or chambers may be flat or more or less
corrugated or otherwise enlarged in surface in any convenient manner. The
envelopes constructed as described may be slid down in small grooves in the
leaden box but without touching the bottom of the box, and if any of the red lead
should escape from the envelopes it will together with the bottom of the box form
an acting surface,

page_text: Each box may contain two or any number of these piles of envelopes and so that
they (the piles) are alternately insulated from each other. Instead of the
oxydising agent I may use a chlorodising Agent or any other acting agent
In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated to an enlarged scale some
modes in which this invention may be carried into effect Figure 1 is an end view
and figure 2 a plan of a simple form of chamber A which is made of lead or other
suitable metal or alloy and is filled with a wick C of porous material that on its
outside surfaces where in contact with the interior of the chamber is coated with
red lead but the ends and the interior contain no red lead in order that the liquid
may have free access and action
Figure 3 is an end view and figure 4 a plan of another form of chamber A
provided or not with bulged perforation a on opposite sides. Inside of the
chambers is placed a plate B which may be solid or perforated and which placed
between two wicks of felt flannel or spongy indiarubber or other porous material C
suitable for retaining the red lead on those sides only which are in contact with
the plate B and with the inner walls of the chambers A while the interior and the
ends of the wick are freely exposed to the action of the liquid The porous
material touches the inside of the chambers Care wicks of porous material placed
in the hollows between the chambers. In this and the following arrangements I
thus utilize the whole of the peroxide formed in charging and I prevent retardation
while discharging.
Figure 5 is an end view of another arrangement in which square chambers are
used having wicks C of porous material placed in them and wicks C¹ placed in the
intermediate spaces outside as in Figure 3.
Figure 6 shows another form in which the chambers are circular and have inner
wicks C and outer wicks C¹ Figure 7 illustrates the mode in which the chambers A
(figures 1 and 2) are placed on each other in a frame and in metallic contact there-
with and with intervening wick pieces C' The other forms of chambers described
may be combined similarly piled on each other with their intervening wick pieces C₁
Figure 8 illustrates a mode in which I may construct a kind of envelope or bag viz.
by lapping or folding transversely over each other alternately pieces or strips of
lead A and pieces or strips C of flannel or other suitable porous material containing
the red lead on its outer faces.
In Figure 9 I have shown envelopes or bags formed in this manner of the pieces A
and C in the act of formation or construction.
Instead of strips of lead I may as shown at Figure 10 use wires of lead, or vice
versa I may use strips of lead alternately with cords of yarn or india rubber, the
red lead being retained in the spaces between them
Figure 11 is side elevation and figure 12 plan of a frame E containing a number
of pile envelopes of the forms just described, figure 13 is a plan (or end view of a
similar frame containing such envelopes placed differently, or figure 11 may be
considered the plan and figure 12 the end view. Two such frames would form
the positive and negative elements of the battery or a cell may consist of any
required number of such frames arranged alternately as negative and positive
elements or plates.
Figure; 14 shows a lead envelope or chamber A containing three lead plates B
and four sheets or wicks C. of flannel or felt or other equivalent material coated
with red lead on both sides.
Figure 15 is an end view (or plan) and figure 16 a sectional view of an annular
chamber A filled with red lead and containing a tubular felt or other wick G
Figure 17 illustrates a mode of wrapping a band of lead and a band of porous
material coated with red lead on both sides so as to form a series of continuous
chambers Figure 18 illustrates another form of this kind of chambers The
parts A and B, may in all the forms above described be provided more or less with

page_text: bulged perforations or not. To distinguish the construction and action of my
batteries from others I would in conclusion add the following.
When a battery as heretofore constructed is discharging or begins to discharge,
or parts or points become first reduced from the peroxide to a lower oxide this
latter will offer higher resistance and the internal resistance of the battery will
begin to increase in proportion as this reduced oxide covers and thickens over the
peroxide which is behind and underneath it for instance in case of a plate with a
hole filled with per oxide covered over at the face of the hole with a lower oxide
of higher resistance, the peroxide behind this face is retarded or prevented from
further reduction. Such secondary batteries are those formed of plates of metal
either perforated or cast with square or round recesses filled with oxides such as
oxide of lead or metal in a finely divided form upon which per oxide is afterwards
deposited or the batteries consist of corrugated plates or the batteries have plates
in the form of a honey combe filled as mentioned above, and peroxide is deposited
upon or in such filling material the parts, nearest to the opposing plate vis; the
parts between which there is the least internal resistance being reduced to a lower
oxide first and this latter being of higher resistance will retard the reduction of the
peroxide which lies behind it?
The object of my invention is however to utilize the whole of the peroxide
formed in charging my batteries and I prevent the discharge being retarded (by
reason of the resistance being increased as it is in forms above mentioned).
The method by which I construct my chambers bags or envelopes with openings
at the ends and also the means by which these chambers bags or envelopes are
kept from being filled with oxide and so that free access of the liquid during
charging and discharging from time to time may always be maintained is by filling
the cavity chamber envelope or bag with a kind of wick by preference of a
material such as woollen yarn flannel felt asbestos or spongy indiarubber or tubes
made of any of the above through which wicks the liquid can pass freely and not
being of a metallic nature there is no tendency for oxide or peroxide to form either
in charging or discharging at the same time the elastic material of the wick presses
against the sides or walls of the chambers bags or envelopes holding the oxide
formed in contact with the metal when the oxide is formed whether simply in the
same manner as in a Planté cell or otherwise; and the wicks also have the same
effect if the walls or sides of the chambers are covered with an oxide. before
charging or if the exterior of the wick which is put into the chamber is covered
first with oxide or finely divided metal to be oxydised and I wish to remark that
it must be put on the exterior only or in such a manner that the liquid can freely
percolate into or through the wick.
One great advantage that I gain is that chambers can be securely built or con-
structed in this way with very light or thin sheets of metal and at the same time
the liquid has easy access to the whole of the surfaces of the metal even when the
chambers are of a considerable length or depth Another advantage is that the
film or deposit of peroxide can be maintained of very little thickness and having
at the same time a large area of it in a small space and free access is given and
maintained for converting it alternately from the metallic to the oxide state by the
processes of charging and discharging.
I do not broadly or separately claim the use in secondary batteries of plain or
perforated or corrugated chambers bags or envelopes made of lead or other suitable
metal or alloy nor do I claim the use separately of felt, flannel asbestos spongy
indiarubber or other suitable porous material for containing the oxydising and
deoxydizing agent but I claim for secondary batteries.
The use of chambers bags or envelopes of lead or other suitable metal or alloy
in combination with pieces or wicks of asbestos felt flannel spongy indiarubber or
other suitable porous and preferably elastic material or fabric coated or not with
the oxide or other salt or finely divided metal or other medium and placed in or

page_text: between the said bags chambers or envelopes all in the manner and for the purpose
of maintaining free access of the liquid to the internal and other surfaces of the
said chambers bags or envelopes substantially as set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said William Blanch Brain have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Thirtieth day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two
W. BLANCH BRAIN (L.S.)