Improvements in Secondary Batteries
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 12th Sept., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries
I PEARSON GOWARD of 25 King Edward Road, South Hackney, London N.E.,
Electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of the present invention is to so construct secondary batteries, that
they may be more efficient and more durable than heretofore, and at the same time
more economical in the cost of construction.
In carrying out my invention, I first form a cylinder or similar vessel of lead,
open at both ends. Inside the lead cylinder I place a smaller cylindrical vessel
with a closed bottom. This vessel may be of porous earthenware or other non-
metallic material, and it is pierced at the sides with a number of holes. I next
pack the space between the two cylinders with finely divided or spongy lead, or with
a peroxide of lead obtained by electrolysis. The outer lead cylinder has a number
of inverted V or U shaped incisions made in its sides, and the flaps formed by
these incisions I bend over inwards, forcing them into the spongy material between
the two divisions, thereby consolidating and retaining it in place. The cylinder
thus arranged and packed forms the positive electrode. A strip of lead is attached
by "burning" to the outer cylinder, for the purpose of connection with an adjacent
element, or with an outside circuit.
I next place at the bottom of the earthenware cylinder a shallow vessel formed
of some non-conducting material, such as celluloid, containing a small quantity of
mercury, and I then place within the earthenware vessel, and with its lower edge
dipping into the mercury, a sheet of zinc formed into a cylinder, and extending
from the bottom to the top of the vessel. This forms the negative electrode, and
it is provided with a strip of lead for connection either with an adjacent element or
with an outside circuit.
6
In order to prevent the lead strip being broken off from the zinc electrode, I may
rivet strips on opposite sides of the zinc cylinder, bend them over, and rivet them
together at the top in the form of a bail," one of the strips being prolonged to
form a conductor; the strips may be further strengthened by forming them of gutter
shape in section.
The apparatus constructed as above described is placed in dilute sulphuric acid,
and charged, and any number of these apparatus may be combined.
The positive element may, in the first instance,.be "formed "by a sheet of lead
(in the form of a cylinder) being introduced in place of the zinc element, and a
current of electricity passed through the apparatus, after which the lead plate may
be withdrawn, the zinc introduced, and the cell discharged and recharged in the
usual way.
If thought desirable, the arrangement may be inverted, that is to say, the lead
cylinder and peroxide of lead may be placed inside, and the zinc and mercury
outside, the earthenware cylinder, without departing from the principle of my
invention.
The parts of the apparatus may be bolted together by bolts and nuts made of
some suitable insulating material, and the bolts may be prolonged so as to touch
the walls of the containing vessel, and thus serve to keep the apparatus steady, and
prevent oscillation under certain circumstances of use.
Dated this 8th day of Nov 1801
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
I, PEARSON GOWARD of 25 King Edward Road, South Hackney, London, E.,
Electrician, 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 :-
The object of the present invention is to so construct secondary batteries, that
they may be more efficient in their action, more durable, and at the same time less
costly in their construction.
In the accompanying drawing,
Fig. 1 shews in transverse vertical section, one form in which my invention may
be carried out, Figure 2 being a plan view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 shew some of the parts on an enlarged scale.
A A is a hollow cylinder, or its equivalent, of rolled or cast lead, in which may
be formed a number of inverted V or Ụ shaped incisions, as shewn at a in Figs. 3
and 4. Inside the lead cylinder is placed a cylindrical vessel B B of porous
earthenware, or other suitable non-metallic material, with a closed bottom, and
perforated sides. The space between the two cylinders I fill either with finely
divided lead, obtained by pouring red hot lead into cold water, or with a peroxide
of lead obtained by electrolysis.
When filling up this space (an incised outer cylinder being used), I first pack a
layer of finely divided lead at the bottom of the space as high as the first row of
incisions, pressing it firmly into place; I then turn down inwards the first row
of the U or V shaped tongues or flaps, as shewn at Fig. 1, and at 6 in Figs. 3
and 4.
I next proceed to pack a second layer of the lead up to the second row of
incisions, pressing it down, and turning in the second row of tongues or flaps, as
before, and so on with layer after layer, until the space is quite full of finely divided
lead.
In this way, the divided lead or peroxide is more or less consolidated, and is held
in place between the two cylinders.
To ensure a free circulation of the electrolyte through the electrode thus
formed, a number of holes may be drilled through the lead cylinder, the finely
divided lead, and the porous earthenware cylinder, as indicated at c c in
Figure 1.
""
The cylinder thus arranged and packed forms a positive electrode for a
secondary battery. A strip of lead is attached by "burning to the outer lead
case, for the purpose of connecting it with an adjacent element, or with an outside
circuit. The electrode is placed in an outer cell C C, filled with dilute sulphuric
acid.
The battery is "formed" in the usual manner, a thin sheet of lead being placed
in the porous cylinder to form a temporary negative electrode.
I next float on the top of the liquid in the earthenware cylinder, a shallow vessel D,
formed of some non-conducting material, such as celluloid, and containing a small
quantity of mercury. I then form a sheet of zinc into a cylinder E E, and
amalgamate it with mercury in the usual manner in a pickle of dilute sulphuric
acid. This cylinder E E I place in the vessel D, its lower end dipping into the
mercury, and force it down with the mercury vessel D to the bottom of the porous
cylinder B B.
As the zinc, when placed in the electrolyte, will take up an additional quantity
of mercury, I pour mercury onto the top edge of the zinc cylinder E, and allow it
to flow down into the vessel D at the bottom. I thus ensure a perfect saturation
of the zinc, which should take up from 10 to 16 ounces of mercury to the pound,
according to the quality of the zinc.

page_text: The zinc cylinder E is provided with strips of lead, ee, for the purpose of
connection with an adjacent element or with an outside circuit, and in order to
prevent the possibility of these strips being broken off from the zinc electrode, I
rivet them one on each side of the cylinder, bend them over, and rivet them
together at the top in the form of a "bail," one of the strips being prolonged to
serve as a conductor. The strips may be further strengthened by making them
gutter-shaped in cross section.
Bolts and nuts g g, made of some insulating material, are used, as shewn, to keep
the several parts of the apparatus together, and also in position in the enclosing
vessel or cell C, and to prevent oscillation and displacement under certain circum-
stances.
The apparatus may be charged and discharged in the usual way, and any number
of such apparatus may be combined.
If thought desirable, the positive element formed by the lead cylinder and
peroxide may be placed inside, and the zinc and mercury outside the earthenware
cylinder, or I may place a negative electrode between two positive electrodes
formed in a manner similar to that above described.
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 is :-
1. A positive electrode for a storage battery consisting of a cylinder of lead,
a perforated porous earthenware vessel, and finely divided lead or peroxide of
lead packed between the lead cylinder and the earthenware vessel, as herein shewn
and described.
2. The use, in an electrode for a storage battery, of tongues or flaps formed by
incisions in a metal cylinder, for the purpose of consolidating and holding or
securing finely divided lead or other active material in position between the incised
cylinder and a porous earthenware vessel.
3. The mode as herein shewn and described of forming the conductor for the
negative electrode of a storage battery.
4. A. storage battery constructed and arranged as herein shewn and described.
Dated this 7th day of August 1891.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.