IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES OR ELECTRIC ACCU- MULATORS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th March 1882. A communi-
cation from abroad by Auguste de Méritens of Paris in the Republic of France
Civil Engineer.
"
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES OR ELECTRIC ACCU-
MULATORS A communication from abroad by Auguste de Méritens of Paris in
the Republic of France Civil Engineer.
"
This Invention consists in certain improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the secondary batteries or electrical accumulators whereby they are
rendered more durable and efficient. Secondary batteries or electrical accumulators
when each element is taken separately supply electricity which is essentially
deficient in tension. It is necessary in all the instances in which they are
employed such as lighting motive power and the like to group together a certain
number of elements in tension.
In all forms of secondary batteries or electrical accumulators the elements are
connected or coupled together by means of clamps, binding screws and the like.
Now as these accessories are necessarily composed of some other metal than lead
after a very short time oxidation takes place with imperfect contact resulting
sometimes in sparking and frequently in undue heating at the points of contact.
These defects produce injurious resistance, waste of electricity and the apparatus
consequently ceases to work properly. According to this invention all these
disadvantages are obviated by constructing and arranging the apparatus as
hereinafter described.
In carrying out this invention the apparatus is constructed with a series of lead
plates of suitable thickness and superficial area which form the elements of the
battery.
These lead plates are separated from one another by frames of wood or other
insulating material preferably covered with india rubber and formed by three bars
of say about three-eighths of an inch in width and thickness extending along the
bottom edge and up the two side edges of the said plates the outer edges of these
frames being coincident with the outer edges of the bottom and sides of the lead
plates.

page_text: In order to construct a battery the lead plates are arranged side by side in any
desired number with the insulating frames interposed between them so as to leave
a space say about three eighths of an inch wide on both sides of each plate. The
first and last plates of the series are covered by slabs or plates of wood or hardened
india rubber or equivalent material of such a size as to project beyond the edges
of the lead plates and frames and through these projecting parts bolts are passed
from slab to slab in order to enable all the said plates with the insulating frames
to be pinched together by means of nuts screwed on the ends of the bolts which
project from the slabs or from one of them.
The lead plates thus arranged form watertight partitions containing spaces
between them which are filled with water acidulated with sulphuric acid. The
first and last or two end lead plates of the battery are then connected by means
of binding screws with wires from any source of electricity giving a continuous
current of sufficient tension to charge this secondary battery or accumulator.
In this improved apparatus each lead plate constitutes an element presenting
one pole on one side and another or opposite pole on the other side.
This arrangement prevents oxidation and defective contacts and renders it
unnecessary to employ a separate case for each element and also presents the
advantages amongst others of being lighter and cheaper than secondary batteries
or accumulators heretofore constructed.