Improvements in Accumulator Electrodes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Accumulator Electrodes.
I, Dr. RICHARD ALEXANDER KATZ, of Kleiststrasse 8, Berlin, W., Germany,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to the manufacture of a durable accumulator plate
which is very much lighter than those obtained by the hitherto used methods for
the same efficiency.
It is known that the great weight of lead accumulators and the frequent absence
of durability are important disadvantages which hinder their general use especially
for transportation purposes and many trials have been made for reducing the
weight of their contents of lead but as the lead conductor is made thinner, its
destruction by the working of the electrical power grows quicker in proportion,
so that besides the stability, wherefor the thickness of the lead conductor was
always an important factor, also the durability of the accumulator necessitated a
considerable thickness for the lead plates used therein.
The known Faure accumulator is based upon a lead plate covered with an active
composition as conducting support of the element, which naturally requires a
great thickness and weight of the lead plate. To obviate the bending of these
supporting plates by mechanical influences, stiffening by means of small strips
of wood, caoutchouc, or by means of rails or plates of wood running along the
upper or lower borders of the supporting plates have been recommended whereby
the use of thin lead sheets was to be made possible. But the diminution of weight
which can be obtained by use of these means is not great.
In other constructions the leaden support plates are trellised or form pans with
bent up borders and the active material is put therein. But the stability of such
leaden supports, and the durability of the plates under the electro-chemical
influences require a certain thickness so that the desired lightness by these means
is not obtained and even the limited diminishing of the weight of lead has an
unfavourable influence on the solidity.
The present invention is based on the use of a frame of non-conducting and
therefor lighter material which carries the active material and the conducting
lead strips whilst the thin lead conductors are arranged exchangeably.
The carrying part of the accumulator plate consists of a frame of caoutchouc
or acid-proof impregnated wood or any other stiff, non-conducting material, being
closed on both sides by a wide meshed trellis of the same material. Into this
frame upon one of the two trelisses a thin lead sheet is put, provided with narrow
perforations close together like a grater. A layer of the active material is rolled
into the frame upon the leaden sheet. The borders of the narrow perforations
form excellent holders for the active material. A second similarly perforated
leaden sheet is put there and the accumulator plate is closed by means of second
wide meshed trellis similar to the first one and both trellises are pressed and
fastened together. Lugs may suitable be arranged on the frame which engage
into recesses on the trellis borders or vice versa in order to prevent displacement.
In consequence of the arrangement of non-conducting and light supporting
gratings or trellises the lead conductors can be very thin but when in use they

page_text: will be proportionally sooner consumed than the cast leaden plates or gratings
hitherto used, but it is an essential feature of the present invention that it allows
the regular exhange of the worn out lead sheets before the accumulator is
destroyed and its function limited. If the accumulator is regularly used with
regular strain one can easily find by calculation or experience how often the lead
sheets must be renewed to enable the accumulator to remain efficient for a nearly
unlimited space of time.
For pressing and holding together the parts constituting the accumulator plate,
bands of india-rubber, clamps of caoutchouc or any other means may be used.
The perforations let the acid penetrate from both sides into the interior of
the active material as only a few of the perforations are covered by the trellis.
One form of construction of the same invention differing a little from that
previously described consists in each of the two wide meshed trellises having an
elevated border, for example, of half the height of the intended thickness of the
laver of the active material. In this case first a sheet of closely perforated
celluloid or any other acid proof material of sufficient stiffness is put into each
of the two trellises, and thereupon the active material is rolled in. Then the
thin perforated lead sheet is put between both of the thus prepared trellises and
the latter are then joined together as mentioned before. Also here the thin
lead sheet can be periodically exchanged without otherwise deranging the accumu-
lator plate.
By this invention the lead sheets can be made as thin as desired even as thin
as card-board, which renders the accumulator plate exceedingly light without
influencing its durability, like-wise the thickness of the layer of active material
can be so chosen that it is fully employed without encumbering the accumulator
uselessly with a superabundance of such material into whose depth the electric
current is unable to penetrate.
Dated this 15th day of August 1899
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
I, Dr. RICHARD ALEXANDER KATZ, of Kleiststrasse 8, Berlin, W., in the Empire
of Germany, 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:―
The present invention relates to the manufacture of a durable accumulator plate
which is very much lighter than those obtained by the hitherto used methods for
the same efficiency.
It is known that the great weight of lead accumulators and the frequent absence
of durability are important disadvantages which hinder their general use especially
for transportation purposes and many trials have been made for reducing the
weight of their contents of lead, but as the lead conductor is made thinner, its
destruction by the working of the electrical power grows quicker in proportion,
so that besides the stability for which the thickness of the lead conductor was
always an important factor, also the durability of the accumulator necessitated a
considerable thickness for the lead plates used therein.
The known Faure accumulator is based upon a lead plate covered with an active
composition as conducting support of the element, which naturally requires a
great thickness and weight of the lead plate. To obviate the bending of these

page_text: supporting plates by mechanical influences, stiffening by means of small strips
of wood, caoutchouc, or by means of bars or plates of wood running along the
upper or lower borders of the supporting plates have been recommended whereby
the use of thin lead sheets was to be made possible. But the diminution of weight
which can be obtained by use of these means is not great.
In other constructions the leaden support plates are trellised or form pans with
bent up borders and the active material is put therein. But the stability of such
leaden supports, and the durability of the plates under electro-chemical
influences require a certain thickness so that the desired lightness by these means
is not obtained and even the limited diminishing of the weight of lead has an
unfavorable influence on the solidity.
The present invention is based on the use of a frame of non-conducting and
therefore lighter material which carries the active material and the thin con-
ducting lead strips pressed firmly against the active material, whilst the thin lead
conductors are arranged exchangeably.
In the enclosed drawings the invention is represented in two forms of con-
struction which differ from each other chiefly in the fact that in the first form,
Figs. 1-5 the active material is covered on both sides by thin lead plates whilst
in the second form, Figs. 6-9, inversely the thin lead plate is covered on both
sides by active material.
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the oxide carrying frame.
Fig. 2 an elevation of the lead plate.
Fig. 3 an elevation of the acid carrying or spacing frame.
Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a set of plates in an accumulator cell.
Fig. 5 is an exterior elevation of such accumulator cell.
Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of two frames or gratings for use in a modified
construction of this invention.
Figs. 8 and 9 are sections through a positive and a negative plate respectively.
Fig. 1 is the carrying part of the accumulator plate consisting of a frame A of
caoutchouc, celluloid or other acid-proof, non-conducting material which can be
formed as a wide meshed grating a of the same material. It forms the supporter
of the active material and possesses that thickness in which the active material
is to be employed, as a rule not under 3 and not over 8 mm. Both side-bars
of the frame bb can extend below the lower border of the frame and by this
means form small feet ce¹ on which the frame stands in the accumulator cell.
Into the spaces w of this frame, the active material is rolled.
Fig. 2 represents the lead conductor consisting of the thin lead plate C which is
provided with small perforations ddd. The end of the lead plate is rolled up
at e and provided with a thick lead strip which forms the conductor of the
electric current. The frame A is covered on both sides by two such lead plates C
which cover in the active material and through their many narrow perforations
allow the access of the acid to the active material.
Fig. 3 represents the acid grating B which consists likewise of non-conducting,
acid-proof, stiff material. It serves at the same time to afford space for the
diluted acid, to support the positive and the negative accumulator plates against
each other, to press the lead conductor against the active material and to fully
support the lead conductor, and indirectly also to support the active material.
The grating B consists of a frame f and the two gratings g and placed
against each other, each of which is half as thick as the frame. This grating
presses the lead plates C against the active material in the supports A by means
of its grating-halves g and h and through the fact that a part of the frame at the
upper and lower end is open and that the grating halves g and h are displaced,
as regards their intersections, one against each other, a free passage is allowed for
the acid. the electric current and for the gas produced.
༡
The thickness of the whole grating B is in proportion to the distance at which
it is desired to place the positive plates from the negative plates; as a rule this
is not under 7 and not over 20 mm.

page_text: Fig. 4 represents a section of the accumulator cell and at the same time a section
of the supporting plate A, the lead plate C and the acid grating B, i.e., through
the line of the Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The spaces we of plates A are presumed to
be filled with the active material. The plates are alternately positive and negative
and the gratings B are placed between the positive plates, and the negative plates,
so that on each square of the gratings A there rests in intersection of the acid
grating B, e., a cross formed of the grating-bars of the grating-half g on each
square of the positive plates, and a cross formed of the grating bars of the
grating half on each square of the negative plates.
As may be seen the plates are inserted loosely in the box D in such a manner
that on a positive supporting plate A there always follows the covering lead-
plate C, then an acid-grating B, then a lead plate, then a negative supporting
plate A, then a lead plate C, then an acid-grating B again and so on. End-
plates FF or other means are finally inserted to firmly press all plates against
each other. All the lead plates C are thus firmly pressed against the active
material and put into conducting connection with it. As is customary, the
positive plates are conductively connected on the one side, the negative plates on
the other side, either inside the box or outside the box, (as in the example
shown in the drawings), for the positive plates in Fig. 5. E is the cover of the
box.
The supporting plates A together with the acid space grating B form the firm
frame of the cell which gives the latter its great stability in spite of the very
thin lead-conductor employed and in consequence of the facility with which they
at any time can be taken to pieces and again inserted in the box and pressed
together, they facilitate the exchange of the lead conductors in case of destruction.
A somewhat different form of construction of the same invention is repre-
sented in Figs. 6-9.
Here, so to say, one half of the supporting plate is made together with one half
of the acid space grating, and two such half plates. between which is inserted a
lead plate, form a positive or a negative plate. At the place where the supporting
plate is made together with the half acid space grating there is placed a thin
fine-meshed sieve of the same non-conducting material which on the one hand
allows the access of the acid and the escape of the gases, on the other hand
prevents the active material from falling out.
Fig. 6 shows the frame of a positive, Fig. 7 of a negative half-plate which
differ from each other in the fact that their grating bars are displaced with
regard to each other. But a half-plate according to Fig. 6 and a half-plate
according to Fig. 7 can be placed together in forming either a positive or negative
plate, in which case the positive and the negative plates would be exactly alike.
In both figures w is the active material. In Fig. 6 the first square, in Fig. 7
some of the first squares are shown free from active material and exhibit the fine
meshed sieve which with the half plate can be made out of one piece..
Fig. 8 shows a section through a positive, Fig. 9 a section through a negative
plate and at the same time sections through the line Z-Z of the Figs. 6 and 7.
In Fig. 6, A is the frame which serves to contain the active material w; a are
the grating bars of this frame, G is the fine meshed separating sieve of non-con-
ducting material. B is the frame of the acid trellis, are the trellis bars of this
trellis. C is the lead plate, e is the reinforcement of the lead plate which serves
as conductor: which reinforcement can be formed through rolling up a part of the
lead plate. The same letters show in Fig. 9 the same parts, however, the half
frame of the acid-trellis is here absent at the upper and lower end in order to allow
the access and escape of the acid and the escape of the gases.
The appearance in plan of a positive plate resting upon a negative plate can be
seen in Fig. 3, as it is like that in appearance.
The depth of the grating bars is to be chosen so that it is in proportion to the
intended thickness of the active material. It can be very trifling as a second
similarly thick layer is connected with it and the lead plate placed between to

page_text: form a plate. The depth of the grating bars g and h of the acid grating will be
half as great as the distance at which the positive and the negative plates are
to be placed from each other.
The pressing together of the plates in the accumulator cell is done in the same
way as in the first form. The circulation of the acid and the gases is the same
in both forms.
The advantages of the present invention are the following:-
-
In consequence of the arrangement of a frame of non-conducting and therefore
light material which holds the lead plate over its whole extent very thin lead
plates can be employed without being exposed to the danger of bending. By
this the accumulator becomes exceedingly light.
Through the combination of the isolated parts of the frame, especially of the
active material supports with their protecting gratings and the acid space gratings
there results a compact body which can endure the greatest shocks without damage
and consequently is more particularly suitable for traction purposes, for example
for automobiles and electric railways.
When the lead plate is damaged so that it is no longer serviceable, it can easily
be exchanged. By this means the accumulator can be given greater durability
although the lead plate is exposed to a quicker destruction on account of its thin-
ness. If the accumulator is regularly used with regular out-put it can easily
be found by calculation or experience how often the lead sheets must be renewed
to enable the accumulator to remain efficient for an indefinite space of time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;
1. An accumulator electrode consisting of wide meshed gratings of non-con-
ducting light and acid proof material which partly carry the active material,
partly serve for the circulation of the acid and for filling out the intermediate
spaces in combination with exchangeable thin lead sheets.
2. An accumulator clectrode of the kind described in Claim 1 in which the
exchangeable lead sheets are finely perforated and close the wide meshed gratings
which carry the active material, so that they at the same time prevent a dropping
out of the active material whilst they are supported on their whole extent and
pressed against the active material by a separating grating filled with the acid
or electrolyte.
3. An accumulator electrode of the kind described in Claim 1 the gratings of
which consist of two grating halves of non-conducting material between which
the exchangeable lead sheets are inserted and of which grating halves one holds
the active material, a finely perforated plate closing this material against the
acid and the other half of the intermediate grating containing the acid or electro-
lyte.
4. An acid-space grating for accumulator electrodes of acid proof non-con-
ducting material which consists of two grating halves with bars displaced against
each other so that it fills the intermediate space between two plates and allows
the circulation of the electric current, the acid and the gases.
5. A grating for accumulator electrodes consisting of non-conducting, acid-
proof material which is composed of two halves each of which contains a wide
meshed grating for the active material, a sieve shaped perforated separating
plate and a grating filling out the intermediate space between two plates for
receiving the acid or electrolyte.
Dated this 15th day of May 1900.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C.. London.