Improvements in Secondary or Storage Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary or Storage Batteries.
I, CHARLES RIORDON, residing at the corner of King and Bay Streets, in the
City of Toronto, in the County of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada,
Esquire, 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 improvements in storage batteries and the object of the
invention is-first-to provide a light, simply and cheaply constructed and durable
electrode for storage batteries, which will afford the greatest practical surface
exposure and the freest circulation of the current consistent with the durability of
the element and efficiency of the service-secondly-to so construct the electrodes
that they are insulated from one another and-thirdly-to provide means whereby
the expansion and contraction of the active material or oxide may be compensated
for without detrimentally affecting the electrodes by buckling or bursting the plates
or loosening the active material and it consists essentially-first-of constructing
each electrode of a plurality of plates of lead, aluminium or other suitable material
arranged horizontally with alternate layers of oxide between them and connected
together at the end by a suitable saddle attached to or forming part of the binding
post-secondly-of providing a top and bottom plate of rubber for each electrode
with suitable laterally extending lugs through which extend hard rubber bolts,
which bind the electrode together and-thirdly-of providing springs preferably
of rubber beneath the tightening nuts on the top of the bolts of each electrode,
the electrodes being otherwise constructed in detail as hereinafter more particularly
explained.
Fig. 1, is a sectional perspective view of a cell comprised of three electrodes.
Fig. 2, is a side perspective view of an electrode.
Fig. 3, is a detail of one of the plates of the electrode.
Fig. 4, is a view of an alternate form of plate.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each
figure.
A, is the cell, and, B, the positive electrode, and, B', the negative electrode,
which are situated at each side of the positive electrode and are narrower than
such electrode. Each electrode is comprised of a series of flat plates, C, which
have preferably turned up or burred edges and ends forming lips, c.
The oxide is
placed in layers of suitable thickness between the plates.
D, and, E, are the top and bottom plates of the electrodes, which are made
preferably of hard rubber wider than the plates, C. d, and, e, are laterally
extending lugs, which have holes, d', and, e¹, respectively, through which extend
the clamping bolts, F, which are also preferably made of hard rubber. f, are the
nuts, which are screwed on to the threaded upper ends of the bolts and have
situated between them and the lugs the rubber springs, G. The springs, G, are
used to provide for the expansion and contraction of the oxide during the charging
and discharging of the cells.
The ends, C, of each plate, C, extend outwardly beyond the end of the oxide
in the electrode and are turned upwardly and joined together and soldered to a
saddle, H, upon which is secured the binding post, 1. It will be seen that the
uppermost plates are necessarily shorter than those beneath them in order to bring
the ends, C, of the conducting plates, C, into the position shown in the drawing.
In Fig. 4, it will be seen that I form the plates C, with the lips at the side
turned partially upwardly and partially downwardly.

page_text: From the construction of my electrode it will be seen that the sulphuric acid in
the cell will permeate through the oxide between the plates, C, and that such oxide
will be of a much greater quantity in proportion to the size of the electrode which
is acted upon than any other electrode of which I am aware.
It will also be seen that the conducting plates are thoroughly insulated from
each other and that the expansion or contraction of the active material or oxide is
thoroughly compensated for by the rubber springs, G, the strength of which may
be adjusted to suit the expansion by means of the nuts, f. Again on account of
the lips formed on each plate the oxide is retained in position and there is no
danger of buckling or bursting of the plates as is incident to most storage batteries
now in use. By the form adapted it will be understood that it can be manufactured
very cheaply and made very light, which is very essential where storage batteries
are to be used for power purposes.
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. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having the oxide arranged in alternate
layers between the plates as and for the purpose specified.
2. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having the oxide arranged in alternate
layers between the plates and flexible means whereby the plates are bound together
so as to permit of expansion and contraction of the oxide as and for the purpose
specified."
3. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow in
width and horizontally arranged and having the oxide arranged in alternate layers
between the plates and the retaining insulating top and bottom plates and clamping
means for holding the electrode together as and for the purpose specified.
4. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having oxide arranged in alternate layers
between the plates and the retaining insulating top and bottom plates having
lateral projections and hard rubber bolts extending through the projections, so as to
bind the electrode together as and for the purpose specified.
5. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having the oxide arranged in alternate
layers between the plates and the retaining insulating top and bottom plates having
lateral projections and hard rubber bolts extending through the projections, the
upper ends of the bolts being provided with springs interposed between the nuts
and the plates as and for the purpose specified.
6. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having the ends of each plate of unequal
length extending out beyond the oxide curved upwardly and secured together by
means of a saddle as and for the purpose specified.
7. In a storage battery an electrode comprised of a plurality of plates narrow
in width and horizontally arranged and having the oxide arranged in alternate
layers between the plates and lips formed on sides and ends of the plates as and
for the purpose specified.
Dated the 26th de... 20
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.