Improvements in and relating to Secondary Batteries or Accumulators.
Year: 1892

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM SLEICHER, Jr., of 190, First Street,
Manufacturer, and GEORGE ABIJA MOSHER, of 17, First Street, Attorney,
both of Troy, New York, United States of America.]
Improvements in and relating to Secondary Batteries or
Accumulators.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, 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 :--
Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of an improved secondary battery. electrode or
plate.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of same.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the conductor forming a part of the electrode.
Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of a secondary battery cell composed
of a series of plates of modified form, the conductors and active material. being
removed.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one of such plates taken transversely of a. series of
troughs.
Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the conductor forming a part of such modified
plate.
Referring to the drawings, A represents a frame of hard rubber, celluloid,. fiber
or other suitable insulating material. The frame is of general rectangular shape,
and supports a series of troughs, A', arranged one above another and formed of
insulating material similar to that of the frame. The conducting portion of the
plate consists of a series of conducting wires or rods, B, of lead or other suitable
material, arranged parallel to each other in a vertical plane, and connected
together at one end by a rod, B', of similar conducting material. The space
between the parallel rods, B, is approximately equal to the distance between the
troughs. One of the side walls of the frame, A, is provided with a series of per-
forations opposite the respective troughs, through which the rods, B, pass, one of
such rods being located in and extending longitudinally along the bottom portion of
each trough.
The vertical rod, B', which remains outside the frame,, is connected with each
horizontal rod and has a projecting end, 132, which forms the conducting lug of the
electrode.
After the conducting portion is adjusted to the plate with a conducting rod in
each trough, the troughs are filled with the active material, C, entirely burying the
conductors therein. The active material may be heaped up, as shown, but I desire
to leave sufficient space between the upper surface of the active material and the
bottom of the trough next above to permit the circulation of the acid solution or
electrolyte.
The troughs are preferably V-shaped. in cross-section as shown, whereby a large
proportion of the active material is exposed to the action of the solution; and rising
bubbles of gas will not be held against the sides of the troughs but will be allowed
to come to the surface. The conductors may be triangular in cross-section, to fit the
bottom of the troughs when desired.
The invention is not limited to any particular form of trough or conductor, nor
to any particular manner of constructing the plate; but consists, broadly. of a
supporting element of insulating material which carries the active material and, also
the electrical conductor in contact with the active material.

page_text: In the modification shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the plate is rectangular and occupies
a horizontal position when in the cell, and the troughs of each plate are arranged
in two series, D, D', the troughs of one series being placed end to end with the
troughs of the other series.
The two series are separated by the central trough, D', extending transversely of
the plate at right angles to the troughs of the series.
Notches or slots, D³, are formed in the sides of the central trough, one opposite
the adjacent end of each trough in the two series, connecting the central trough with
all the other troughs of the plate. The side-walls, A2, of the plate which form
end walls of the central trough, are set in at their point of connection with such
trough to form notches or recesses, A³, in the side of the plate; and a perforation, A',
is formed in such set-in portion of the plate-wall, leading from the central trough
exteriorly of the plate.
Each plate may have feet, A', adapted to rest upon the plate next below when
arranged in a cell, and serve as spacing devices to hold the plates apart to permit
the free circulation of the electrolyte; and between the adjacent troughs of each
plate spaces, D4, are left to aid such circulation. The surface of active material
exposed to the action of the electrolyte may be increased by forming small holes
in the bottom or side-walls of the troughs, to permit the entrance of the solution
but without allowing the escape of the active material.
When arranged in a cell, the individual electrodes or plates may be secured
together in position by means of bolts inserted through holes, A, in the plates.
The conductor which forms a part of this modified plate comprises a central
wire or backbone, B³, and a series of wires, B', branching from each side of the
same at right angles thereto, all of the wires being in the same plane.
The central wire is adapted to rest in the central trough of the plate with its
branching wires extending through the respective slots, D, into the several troughs
of the series, D, D'. The slots, D³, allow the wires to lie upon the bottoms of
the troughs, in a position to be entirely covered by the active material when
applied.
The central wire is slightly extended at one end so as to pass through the
aperture, A, in the side wall of the plate into the notch or recess, A³, therein.
When arranged in a cell, the plates are superimposed one upon another, the
positive and negative plates alternating. The central conductors of all the positive
plates project into the recesses, A³, on one side of the cell and are soldered to a
conducting strip, B, resting in such recesses, and forming a connecting lug for the
several positive plates. The central conductors of all the negative plates are in
the same way joined to a connecting lug in the recesses on the opposite side of the
cell. The frames and troughs of the electrodes are preferably inade of celluloid
because it is light in weight and is slow to disintegrate when exposed to the
acid.
In
The active material may be applied to the plates in any known manner.
applying mechanically, the active material, (consisting preferably of the red oxide
of lead for the positive and of litharge for the negative plates) is reduced with
water to such a consistency that it will flow easily. The plate having been
thoroughly cleansed by the use of some caustic solution, and provided with a
conducting rod in each trough, is dipped in the thick solution of lead and removed
with its troughs filled with the solution. The plate is then set aside until the lead
in suspension settles to the bottom of the troughs when the free water may.be
poured off leaving a layer of active material in the troughs covering the
conductors.
The dipping operation may be repeated until the troughs are filled. After
standing a short time the active material becomes dry and hard.
The active material may also be applied by electrolysis in which case, the inner
surface of each trough is first washed with collodion or ether until the celluloid
begins to dissolve and form a sticky mass. Black lead is then applied to form a

page_text: thin layer of conducting material upon the inside of the troughs, the partially
dissolved celluloid acting as an adhesive to hold the black lead.
The plate is then provided with conductors and placed in the bath where the
active material is electrodeposited in the troughs, burying the conductors. The
active material thus deposited is in a finely divided state, very loose and porous ;
and the plate is ready for forming by the usual Plante process.
The usual form of acid solution or electrolyte may be employed in this form of
battery; but to render it more portable and to prevent its contents from spilling
when subjected to shocks or rough usage, it is preferred to gelatinize the solution
to a greater or less extent according to the conditions under which it is to
be used.
This may be accomplished by mixing with the solution of sulphuric acid, a
quantity of silicate of soda.
Generally the best proportions of these materials is about three parts of the acid
solution to one part of silicate of soda, when the former is reduced to a specific
gravity of 1.250, and the latter 1.180.
These two elements are mixed together and put in the cells containing the
electrodes or plates. The substance remains in its liquid form several hours after
the combination is formed, so that it permeates all of the interstices of the cells or
plates. After a few hours, however, it congeals or gelatinizes, in which condition
it not only prevents spilling of the solution, but serves the purpose of sealing the
active material within the troughs and prevents its becoming loosened and dropping
out. The consistency of this electrolytic jelly may be varied when desired by
varying the proportions of the ingredients. It is found in practice that the silicate
of soda slightly increases the resistance of the battery. This result may be over-
come by the use of a limited quantity of a non-oxidizable sulphate, such for
example, as the sulphate of ammonia, which will be found to augment considerably
the charge and discharge of the battery. Where non-oxidizable sulphates have
been heretofore used, the result has been that the active material has been torn or
forced out of its seat in the electrodes, but where the jelly is used in combination
with the support for the active material, this action is prevented entirely. This
electrolytic jelly may be substituted for the electrolyte in other forms of secondary
battery, its use not being limited to the material and form of plate for supporting
the active material shown and described herein.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondents, 1 declare that what I claim is :
1. A secondary battery electrode consisting of a series of troughs made of
insulating material, in combination with electrical conductors and active material
located in said troughs.
2. A secondary battery electrode consisting of a series of troughs made of
insulating material in combination with active material contained in said troughs
and conductors of electricity buried in said active material.
3. A secondary battery electrode consisting of a series of troughs made of
insulating material in combination with active material contained in said troughs
and conductors of electricity buried in said active material, all of said conductors
being connected together to form a connecting lug of the electrode.
4. A secondary battery electrode consisting of a rectangular frame supporting
a series of troughs, said frame and troughs being made of insulating material, in
combination with a series of rods of conducting material extending through the
side of said frame and lying in the respective troughs, the ends of the rods being
connected together by a single rod of conducting material, and active material also
located in said troughs, substantially as described.
5. In a secondary battery, a horizontal supporting plate made of insulating
material and provided with a central trough and a series of branch troughs there-

page_text: from, in combination with an electrical conductor having a central wire or backbone
and branches therefrom, the backbone being located in the central trough and the
branch conductors in the branch troughs of the plate, and active material deposited
in the troughs and surrounding the conductor, substantially as described.
6. In the manufacture of storage batteries, the process herein described of
making the electrodes which consists in electrodepositing upon a support of insulating
material a quantity of black lead, and finally forming in the usual manner.
7. In a secondary battery, the combination with plates containing active
material and an acid solution in the form of a jelly serving to hold the active.
material in place, of a non-oxidizable sulphate, such as the sulphate of ammonia,
contained in the solution for the purpose set forth.
8.-The herein described method of applying the active material to secondary
battery electrodes consisting in first mixing the active material with a liquid in such
proportion that the mixture will be in a liquid state, then dipping the plates into the
liquid and thereby filling the pockets or chambers in the plates, then allowing the
plates to stand until the active material settles in the pockets, then pouring off
the free liquid and repeating this operation until the pockets are full.
Dated this 29th day of March 1909
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.