Improvements in the Charging of Secondary Electric Batteries from Primary Batteries and Apparatus for that Purpose.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 18th July, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Charging of Secondary Electric Batteries
from Primary Batteries and Apparatus for that Purpose.
I, EDWARD TYER of Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, Electrical Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the charging of secondary or accumulator electric batteries
from primary batteries, by an intermittent action, such that the primary has con-
tinually recurring short periods of repose, and the secondary has likewise periods of
intermission. The primary during repose has its negative elements partially
depolarised, and consequently the electro-motive force is maintained for a longer
period than when the current is constantly circulating, and the intermission of the
current in the secondary gives time for the chemical action started by each closing of
the circuit with the primary.
For this purposo, I divide the cells of the secondary into two or more groups,
each group having contacts by which it can be connected to or disconnected from
the primary.
I connect the primary to a commutator driven by clockwork, or other suitable
motor at an approximately regular speed, this commutator being so arranged that as
it moves it closes at intervals the circuit of the primary with each of the secondary
groups in succession.
The interval between the opening of one of these circuits and the closing of the
other is a period of repose during which the primary becomes partially depolarised,
and the interval during which the circuit of each of the secondary groups is open,
gives time for the full operation of the electro-chemical actions on its plates, which
actions, are started each time the circuit with the primary is closed.
As a simple form of apparatus, I divide the secondary cells into two groups, and
I arrange a pendulum worked by a clockwork escapement to beat approximately in
seconds and to move alternately on each side of it a contact lever, by which the one
or the other of the two secondary groups is brought into circuit with the primary.
Thus, as the pendulum swings to and fro, during the middle part of its oscil-
lation, no contacts are made and the primary battery is then in repose, as the
pendulum approaches each extreme of its stroke contact is made for one of the
secondary groups, giving it an electric impulse which does not recur until the pen-
dulum returns after making a complete oscillation.
Dated thio 7th dow of Navambor 1888
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
"
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Charging of Secondary Electric Batteries
from Primary Batteries and Apparatus for that Purpose.
I, EDWARD TYER, of Ashwin Street, Dalston, London, Electrical 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:-
My invention relates to the charging of secondary or accumulator electric batteries
from primary batteries, by an intermittent action, such that the primary has con-
tinually recurring short periods of repose, and the secondary has likewise periods of
intermission.
The primary during repose has its negative elements partially

page_text: depolarised, and consequently the electro motive force is maintained for a longer
period than when the current is constantly circulating, and the intermission of the
current in the secondary gives time for the chemical action started by each closing
of the circuit with the primary.
For this purpose, I divide the cells of the secondary into two or more groups, each
group having contacts by which it can be connected to or disconnected from the
primary.
I connect the primary to a commutator driven by clockwork or other suitable
motor at an approximately regular speed, this commutator being so arranged that as
it moves it closes at intervals the circuit of the primary with each of the secondary
groups in succession.
The interval between the opening of one of those circuits and the closing of the
other is a period of repose during which the primary becomes partially depolarised,
and the interval, during which the circuit of each of the secondary groups is open,
gives time for the full operation of the electro chemical actions on its plates, which
actions are started each time the circuit with the primary is closed.
As a simple form of apparatus, I divide the secondary cells into two groups, and
I arrange a pendulum worked by a clockwork escapement to beat approximately in
seconds and to move alternately on each side of it a contact lever, by which the one
or the other of the two secondary groups is brought into circuit with the primary.
Thus, as the pendulum swings to and fro during the middle part of its oscillation
no contacts are made and the primary battery is then in repose, as the pendulum
approaches each extreme of its stroke contact is made for one of the secondary
groups, giving it an electric impulso which does not recur until the pendulum returns
after making a complete oscillation.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a side view and Fig. 2 is a plan of
apparatus according to my invention for intermitting the currents for charging two
groups of cells of a secondary battery. Fig. 3 is a side and Fig. 4 is a plan of a
duplicate arrangement by which four groups of cells may be intermittently charged.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the rod of a pendulum P, which is maintained in oscil-
lation by any suitable clockwork, and which may have a vibration period of about one
second more or less, has fixed on it a double arm A with projecting pins a a¹ which
act alternately on nearly balanced lovers L L'. These levers have forked conducting
points which are insulated from the levers themselves and are arranged to dip
into mercury contained in double cups M M' of insulating material.
When the pendulum swings in the one direction such as that indicated by the arrow
the forked points of the one lever L are raised out of the mercury and the points l¹
of the other lever L are allowed to dip into the mercury. The contact screws B B¹
being both connected to one pole of a primary battery and the contact screws S S¹
being respectively connected to each of the two groups of secondary cells, the one
group connected to S is switched out and the other group connected to S¹ is switched
in during the time occupied by the pendulum in making its vibration from the
middle position to the right extreme of its stroke and nearly back to the middle, and
then the group connected to S' is switched out and that connected to S is switched
in during the corresponding period occupied by the pendulum in oscillating from the
middle position to the left extreme of its stroke and nearly back to the middle.
According to the arrangement shewn in Figs. 3 and 4 there are two sets each of four
mercury cups and two levers L L having two forked contact points on the
opposite arms of the one and two forked contact points 13 on the opposite arms of
the other. One arm of each of the levers L L is loaded sufficiently to make it
descend when the pendulum releases it. The conductors B B lead from two primary
batteries to two of the mercury cups in each case. The other mercury cups are con-
nected respectively by conductors S1 S2 S3 S¹ to four groups of the secondary cells.
The pendulum P is shewn in Fig. 4 as being at the one side of the two sets of con-
tact cups. These might however be separated with a sufficient space for the
pendulum P to swing between them, in which case the arms A A' would be one on
each side of the pendulum.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. The herein described method of charging a secondary electric battery from a
primary, by dividing the cells of the secondary battery into two or more groups, and
causing them to be alternately switched into and out of contact with the primary at
successive intervals of time so as to give the primary short periods of repose, and to
give the charging of each group of the secondary cells short periods of intermission,
for the purpose set forth.
2. For charging a secondary battery in the manner above referred to, in com-
bination with a pendulum maintained in oscillation, two or more sets of contacts
acted on by the pendulum so that alternately during part of each oscillation of the
pendulum one group of secondary cells connected to one of the contacts is switched
into circuit with the primary battery while another group is switched out of circuit,
substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of July 1889
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.