Improvements in Electric Accumulators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Accumulators.
I, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY, of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In accumulators as usually made, the active material (especially of the peroxide
element) is liable to become detached from its support and fall to the bottom
of the cell. This defect it is the object of this invention to prevent, and I
accomplish this result by constructing and mounting the element in the manner
hereinafter described.
The conductive grid-like supporting frame for the active material is constructed
of two identical frames juxtaposed face to face and united at the edges so as to
form a single frame of which the bars have such a sectional form that the active
material with which the apertures of the frame are filled is firmly interlocked with
the bars of the grid-like frame.
The apertures of the frame may be of rectangular or any other form, the
essential part of the construction being that the bars or solid portions of the two
semi-frames are of such angular section that the sides of the apertures present
oppositely bevelled surfaces to the active material filled into said apertures, so that
by the juxtaposition of two such frames a re-entering angle is formed at the four
sides of each aperture whereby the retention of the mass of active material is
ensured. This chambered form of aperture is obtained by the juxtaposition of
the two similar frames which are united to form one structure by "burning
together their marginal portions or bars, each frame being cast separately and
made of lead or a lead-antimony alloy.
The frame thus constructed is then "pasted" or filled with active material
which when set cannot possibly fall out, owing to the way in which it interlocks
with the sides of the apertures.
The active material with which the apertures of the frame are filled is preferably
one which sets hard after exposure to the air for a length of time and is not liable
to be washed away by the acid. A good mixture for the purpose is litharge and
caustic potash, but any other suitable mixture may be used.
The plate may further be cased in either a detachable perforated envelope or a
fixed perforated all-round covering of some insulating material such as celluloid or
vulcanite. The plates are mounted in guide carriers of wood or other material
contained in a box which in turn rests upou pneumatic cushions formed of india-
rubber tubes extending across the bottom and up the sides of an outer box or casing
which tubes may be closed at the ends and inflated with air.
The electrolyte is contained in the outer box the function of the outer box and
pneumatic cushions being merely to protect the accumulator from injury by
rough usage and jolting.
The plates are coupled in the ordinary way by bars "burnt" to the tops of the
lugs of the plates.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Electric Accumulators.
I, WALTER CHARLES BERSEY, of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, 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. :-
In accumulators as usually made, the active material (especially of the peroxide
element) is liable to become detached from its support and fall to the bottom of
the cell. This defect it is the object of this invention to prevent, and I
accomplish this result by constructing and mounting the element in the manner
hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings forming part
of this Specification.
The conductive grid-like supporting frame for the active material is constructed
of two identical frames juxtaposed face to face and united at the edges so as to
form a single frame of which the bars have such a sectional form that the active
material with which the apertures of the frame are filled is firmly interlocked with
the bars of the grid-like frame.
A portion of such a frame is illustrated in face view in Figure 1 and in
horizontal section in Figure 2, it being however, understood that the apertures of
the frame may be of rectangular or any other form, the essential part of the
construction being that the bars or solid portions of the two semi-frames A A are
of such angular section that the sides of the apertures present oppositely bevelled
surfaces to the active material filled into said apertures, so that by the juxtaposition
of two such frames a re-entering angle is formed as at a along all the four sides of
each aperture whereby the retention of the mass of active material is ensured.
This chambered forni of aperture is obtained by the juxtaposition of the two
similar frames A A which are united to form one structure by "burning" together
their marginal portions or bars, as shewn in section at 6 in Figure 2, each
frame A being cast separately of the form shewn and made of lead or a lead
antimony alloy.
The frame thus constructed is then "pasted" or filled with active material which
when set cannot possibly fall out, owing to the way in which it interlocks with the
sides of the apertures.
The active material with which the apertures of the frame are filled is preferably
one which sets hard after exposure to the air for a length of time and is not
liable to be washed away by the acid. A good mixture for the purpose is litharge
and caustic potash but any other suitable mixture may be used.
The plate may further be cased in rither a detachable perforated envelope or a
fixed perforated all round covering of some insulating material such as celluloid
or vulcanite. The plates are mounted in grooved guide holders of wood or other
material as shewn in plan sectional elevation and transverse sectional views of a
cell in Figures 3, 4, and 5, wherein A is one of the plates c c the guide carriers
contained in a box d wherein they rest up on cushions formed of indiarubber
tubes e extending across the bottom and up the sides of the box or casing d
which tubes may be closed at the ends and inflated with air. The guide holders c
are grooved to receive the lower corners of the plates, the upper corners of which
are received in similarly grooved pieces that serve to keep the plates properly
spaced at the upper part. is the perforated casing of celluloid. g is the active
material.
The electrolyte is contained in the box d, the function of the pneumatic
cushions being to protect the accumulator from injury by rough usage and
ilting

page_text: The plates of corresponding polarity are coupled in the ordinary way by bars
"burnt" to the tops of the lugs of the plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In an electric accumulator constructing the conductive supports for the active
material each of a pair of similar grid-like or apertured frames presenting
oppositely bevelled surfaces around the apertures, said frames being juxtaposed
face to face and united around the margin so as to form a single frame with
apertures of the sectional form shewn and described.
2. In an electric accumulator supporting and cushioning the plates mounted in
or between holders or distance picces, by pneumatically inflated or other cushions
of indiarubber applied between the plates and the box, substantially as specified.
Dated this 7th day of February 1896.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.