Improvements in or relating to Cases for Electrical Batteries or Cells.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Sept, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 19th June. 1889-Accepted. 20th July. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cases for Electrical Batteries
or Cells.
I, GEORGE BOWEN SATTERLEE, of 42 Broadway, New York, United States of
America, President of the American Electric Arms and Ammunition Company
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention has reference to cases for electrical batteries or cells, which have to
be hermetically sealed, and are required to be of small size and to be strong
and of simple construction. My improved cases have been specially invented and
designed for use in the stock of a gun though they may be used for other purposes.
For use in a gun a battery must stand somewhat rough handling, and the jarring
of gun recoil, and it is required to be used intermittently, maintaining its hermetical
seal in varying temperatures and under the pressure of internal gases disengaged
during the action of the battery until these gases are reabsorbed or recombined
within the case. The case must also prevent the escape of the exciting fluids
of the battery which are generally active and powerful in the destruction of lutings.
Furthermore, cases made to resist the action of the exciting fluids such as cases made
of hard rubber or its compounds, have a high co-efficient of expansion with heat,
and the joint between the cases and covers, has been found, from unequal expansions
to be uncertain in the preservation of a constantly tight joint. The ordinary lutings
yield after a time to the fluid within, or to the unequal expansion and contraction of
the case and its cover, or to both combined.
I employ such elements as are suitable to create the current in a primary battery,
and which with the proper excitant solutions produce the lowest evolution of gases.
I prefer an element of chloride of silver and one of zinc, but do not limit myself to
these among other well known pairs of elements.
I construct the case in the form of a cylindrical tube preferably of hard rubber or
ebonite of proper thickness in proportion to its diameter and I make the bottom
thick enough to hold well and firmly the terminal of one of the elements which is
inserted tightly through the bottom, to give an exterior connection to that element,
while the element is firmly held and supported by said terminal and the bottom of the
case. I construct a circular cover or head of the same material, the top of which is
of a diameter a little less than that of the outer periphery of the case, but the
lower part is cut away sufficiently to fit tightly in the mouth of the case, leaving a
shoulder on the cover, and thus forming a flat circular stopper which fits into the
mouth of the case. This cover is sufficiently thick to receive and hold, fitted tightly
through it, the terminal of the other element, thus supporting that element and giving
an exterior connection to the terminal.
The provision to fill the battery with fluid when it is closed for work, and for
emptying and refilling the same, is made by two holes, either through the bottom of
the case or through the head, which holes have screw threads, and well fitting screw
plugs, preferably of metal, and which may be luted with paraffin or beeswax.
The elements being constructed of an appropriate relative size and shape to work as
a battery when the head with one element is inserted in the case holding the other, it
remains to hermetically and permanently close the joint.
To effect this I use principally soft india rubber, which must not be allowed to
'creep" from any rotary motion of the head, as if the latter were screwed on or in.
Therefore, having constructed the cover or head to be pushed or thrust in as described,
I provide a channel or channels in the face of the shoulder or in the plug portion of
the cover to hold one or more rings or annular washers of pure soft india rubber and
I prefer to slightly chamfer the edge of the case so that it may the better seat itself
in the soft rubber and press the latter upward and inward.

page_text: I form a screw thread on the case below the cover, for say half an inch more or
less, to give good holding ground, and I construct a ferrule of metal to fit over the
cover and over a sufficient space of the case below it, the said ferrule having a
corresponding thread to enable it to be screwed tightly over the cover and a proper
distance down on the exterior of the case. This ferrule is open at the top, but has a
small inward "return" of its metal over the top edge of the cover sufficient to hold
the same firmly down in place.
To close the battery I apply the ring or rings or washer or washers of pure soft
india rubber around the cover or bead against and in the channel or channels. The
head is then thrust in and pressure applied to compress the rubber in the channel,
and bring the edges of the case and head together. The ferrule is then screwed on,
without revolving the head relatively to the case; the head and case are thus firmly
held together and the rubber remains compressed in place to effectually cover the
joint. To further guard the joint I can put paraffin or beeswax on the part of the
head which enters the case to lute that portion of the joint'and I can also use paraffin or
cement of india rubber or gutta percha in the screw threads covered by the metal
ferrule but these are merely additions to my method of applying the rubber washer
and ferrule, which can be effectively constructed without them.
Dated this 20th day of September 1888.
J. C. MEWBURN,
169. Fleet Street, London, Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Cases for Electrical Batteries
or Cells.
I, GEORGE BOWEN SATTERLEE of 42 Broadway, New York, United States of
America, President of the American Electric Arms and Ammunition Company
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 has reference to cases for electrical batteries or cells which have to
be hermetically sealed, and are required to be of small size, and to be strong and of
simple construction, and the particular kind of battery or cell case to which my
improvements relate is that in which the case is formed of a cylindrical tube of hard
india rubber or other insulating material, and is permanently closed at one end and is
fitted at the other end with a plug or stopper likewise of insulating material, the two
battery elements being carried by the tube and the plug respectively, or both elements
being carried by either the tube or the plug, and the said elements having terminals
outside the case. My improved cases have been specially invented and designed for
use in the stock of a gun, though they may be used for other purposes.
For use in a gun a battery must stand somewhat rough handling, and the jarring
of gun recoil, and it is required to be used intermittently, maintaining its hermetical
seal in varying temperatures and under the pressure of internal gases disengaged
during the action of the battery until these gases are reabsorbed or recombined within
the case.
The case must also prevent the escape of the exciting fluids of the battery which
are generally active and powerful in the destruction of lutings. Furthermore, cases
made to resist the action of the exciting fluids, such as cases made of hard rubber or
its compounds have a high co-efficient of expansion with heat, and the joint between
the cases and covers has been found from unequal expansions to be uncertain in the
preservation of a constantly tight joint. The ordinary lutings yield, after a time, to
the fluid within, or to the unequal expansion and contraction of the case and its cover,
or to both combined.
My invention consists of means of forming and maintaining hermeticity in the
With this object I employ a plug or stopper which fits tightly in the mouth of
the case and has a head of a little less diameter than that of the outer periphery,
case.

page_text: the
of the case. Between the mouth of the case and the shoulder which the head forms on
the stopper I place one or more rings or washers of pure, soft india rubber. In
combination with the shoulder of the stopper and ring or rings of india rubber I
employ a metallic ferrule which screws upon the upper end of the case and has an
inturned flange at top which, when the ferrule has been screwed up, comes upo
head is
head of the stopper. It will be understood that as the diameter of the said
less than that of the case, the head is not caused to turn by the screwing up of the
ferrule, and therefore there is no liability of the india rubber rings "creeping" from
any rotary motion of the head, and the ferrule can be screwed up until the rings by
being forcibly compressed, make a hermetic joint between the shoulder and the mouth
of the case. By preference a channel or channels are formed in the face of the
shoulder or in the side of the stopper immediately below the shoulder, and the upper
edge or top of the case is slightly chamfered so that when the ferrule is screwed up the
rings are forced by the chamfered edge into the channel or channels, and the edge thus
seats itself the better in the soft rubber which is compressed tightly in place. In
order to further guard the joint I can put paraffin or beeswax on the part of the
stopper which enters the case to lute that portion of the joint, and I can also use
paraffin or cement of india rubber or gutta perch in the screw threads covered by the
metal ferrule.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.
Figure 1 is an external view of the case. Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section
of the same showing a channel formed in the side of the stopper immediately below
the shoulder and the top of the case chamfered on its inner edge. Figure 3 is a
transverse section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a section of a stopper
having a channel of different form to that shown in Figure 2, being partly in the face
of the shoulder and partly in the side of the stopper; and Figure 5 is a section of the
upper end of a case, the top of which is chamfered on the outer edge, this being the
preferable form for use in combination with the stopper shown in Figure 4. Figure 6
is a vertical section showing a stopper with a plain or unchannelled shoulder and the
upper end of the case with an unchamfered end.
a is the cylindrical case made of hard rubber or other insulating material of proper
thickness in proportion to its diameter; its bottom is thick enough to hold well
and firmly the terminal of one of the elements. c is the stopper which likewise
receives and holds the terminal of the other element. The elements employed are
such as are suitable to create the current in a primary battery, and which, with the
proper excitant solutions, produce the least evolution of gases. I prefer an element of
chloride of silver and one of zinc, but I do not limit myself to these among other well
known pairs of elements. The chloride of silver element is shown as attached to the
stopper and the zinc element as attached to the bottom of the cover, but the positions
of the two elements may be the reverse of that shown, or if desired both elements may
be attached either to the bottom bor to the stopper c. d is the zinc element; it is
secured to the bottom by means of a screw e which projects through the bottom
and has screwed upon it a cap f, which constitutes the terminal of this element. The
inner edge of this cap is made somewhat sharp, so as to enable it to cut its way a
little into the substance of the bottom of the case. Between the cap f and the screw e
a little luting should be employed to ensure a tight joint. is the chloride of silver
element; it is cast upon a silver wire h which passes through the stopper c and has
screwed upon it a boss or button i which also secures the terminal k. The wire h is
formed with a cup l, which, by the screwing on of the button i is drawn tightly up
against the under face of the stopper, the cup 7 together with a little luting around
that portion of the wire that passes through the stopper ensures a tight joint. mis
an india rubber ring to steady the chloride of silver element and to insulato it from
the zinc element. nn are two holes made in the stopper for the purpose of enabling
the battery to be filled with fluid, or for allowing the fluid to be emptied out. These
holes are screw threaded, and are provided with well fitting screw plugs o o preferably
of metal which should be luted with paraffin or beeswax. e is the head of the stopper,.
its diameter being slightly less than that of the outer periphery of the case a. In the

page_text: side of the stopper immediately below the shoulder formed by this head is cut
a channel q as in Figure 2, or the channel may be partly in the face of the shoulder
as in Figure 4; in the channel are placed one or more rings or washers r of pure,
soft india rubber, two such rings being shown in Figure 2 and one in Figure 4.
The upper end of the case a is screw threaded as seen at s and the upper edge of the
case is chamfered as seen at t, either on the inside as in Figure 2 or on the
outside as in Figure 5, except when there is no channel in the face of the shoulder or
the stopper, in which case the upper edge of the case will be unchamfered as in
Figure 6. u is the iron ferrule which is screwed upon the upper part of the case a,
and is formed with an inturned flange v that bears upon the head of the stopper as seen
in Figure 2. The screw threaded portions of the case is preferably luted as has been
already mentioned.
The action of closing the battery is as follows:-The ring or rings r are placed
around the stopper c against and in the channel 9. The stopper is then thrust into
the case and pressure applied to compress the rubber in the channel or between the
edge of the case and the shoulder of the stopper; the ferrule u is then screwed on,
which is effected without revolving the stopper relatively to the case; the head and
case are thus firmly held together, the flange v bearing upon the top of the stopper,
and the rubber remains compressed in place to effectually cover the joint.
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
in respect of cases for electrical batteries or cells of the kind hereinbetore referred
to is: -
1. A stopper or plug having a shoulder or head of less diameter than the exterior
of the tube or body of the case in combination with a screw ferrule screwed upon
the upper part of the tube and with a packing of soft india rubber between the said
shoulder and the top of the tube, the said ferrule having an inturned flange at top to
bear upon the top of the stopper, whereby when the ferrule is screwed up the
stopper and tube are firmly pressed and held together and a tight joint made
by the compression of the india rubber between them substantially as hereinbefore
described.
2. In combination with a shouldered stopper and with a screw ferrule and soft india
rubber packing as described in Claim 1, a channel or channels in the face of the
shoulder or in the side of the stopper and a chamfered edge to the top or mouth of
the tube or case, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In combination with a shouldered stopper and with a screw ferrule and soft india
rubber packing as described in Claim 1, the use of luting between the ferrule and the
tube and between the tube and the stopper as herein before described.
4. The improved cases for electrical batteries or cells herein before described and
represented in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 10th day
1000
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agent.