Improvements in Electrical Accumulators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 9th July, 1897
Improvements in Electrical Accumulators.
I, XAVIER MARIE ROUX of 158 Rue Saint Jacques, Paris, in the Republic of France
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The accumulator forming the subject of this invention is made of lead. In a
vessel of any material resistant to the electrolyte but of regular internal forin I place
opposite to and nearly touching each other plates to respectively receive the oxides
and suitable to take preserve and give off the energy of the current as is done in
all similar apparatus incorporating or otherwise according to the necessity of the
case some inert inatter to increase their strength or their porosity to allow the
rapid equilibrium of the acidity of the electrolyte.
The negative plate is of lead alloyed with a certain quantity of antimony.
The positive collector is prepared in the same manner but receives in addition at
all portions immersed in the exciting liquid by electrolysis or otherwise a thin
coating of an inoxydizable metal or other non metallic conducting body such as carbon,
siliciuin or the like and rendered adherent either by the wet method or by
burning.
The plate is then placed in a thin sheath of large mesh. This sheath having
been previously treated to render it unattackable by dilute sulphuric acid.
This sheath prevents any contact between the positive and the negative plates.
In effect it forms at each mesh a protective armour which allows of the application
to it of a coating of marine glue or other insulating material.
The sheath thus serves :-
1. As an insulating material to prevent short circuiting.
2. It protects the metal from direct injury from the charging current.
3. It allows the electrodes to be placed as near together as possible so as to form
only one block plunged in the quantity of liquid rigorously necessary for the
action.
The positive grating being therefore completely insulated from the negative, the
peroxide and the spongy lead are not in contact.
In order to prevent local circuits, as soon as the positive grating has received its
sheath it is spread in the ordinary manner with paste which if necessary includes
in the cake the fabric itself covering the cells so as to obtain great adhesence.
A certain quantity of pure sulphate of manganese free especially from iron is added
to the electrolyte. When the battery is charged this manganese is reduced to the
state of peroxide and if the current. is accidentally reversed, the manganese being
never reduced to the metallic state will never form a conducting bridge.
The elements are connected as follows:-
I form by casting a thickness of metal wide enough for every tail of a same sign
to touch. Previously I form in them a U shaped cavity and I then place at the
bottom of the cavity a solid or hollow cylinder of well timed red copper and this
orifice is filled with a fusible metal or alloy or with a suitable mastic for protecting
the solder from outside influence.

page_text: The following is a description of a modification in which I indicate the principle
without discussing the several forms it may take. It consists of a thin strip of glass
or porcelain or of other similar and suitable material. Upon this support I wind
like cotton upon a card in parallel spirals a thread of lead of suitable form, hollow
or solid and pierced with holes or otherwise.
This lead thus placed is soldered to the terminal by a transverse bar which unites
the ends of the spirals both at the top and bottom in order to distribute uniformly
the current in the active mass.
In this second form of element I do away with casting the gratings and I make
the element of any size.
The vertical lead conductors are fixed upon the support of glass, porcelain, or the
like, by the aid of a conducting varnish and are then stoved.
The mass of lead no longer having a sustaining frame round its periphery and
being of small weight, no longer warps. The lead only plays here a portion of the
rôle it fulfils in other accumulators. In the latter rigidity is obtained by the
strength of the alloy and the thickness of the frame.
To prevent the fall of the scale, the electrodes are before use, covered with thread
or suitable fabric.
The plates are spread leaving the threads or fabric bare upon the ribs of lead
wound upon the glass porcelain or the like in order to protect the metal from
metallic contact with the plate or electrode opposite it.
This arrangement of insulation allows the plates to be placed near together
which greatly diminishes the mass of the liquid and lessens the internal
resistance.
Dated this 9th day of June 1896.
I, XAVIER MARIE ROUX, of 158 Rue Saint Jacques, Paris, in the Republic of
France, 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 accumulator plates forming the subject of this invention are made of lead. In
a vessel of any material not attacked by the electrolyte, and of regular internal form
I place opposite to and nearly touching each other plates provided with oxides,
suitable to take up, accumulate and give off the energy of the current as is done in
all similar apparatus. I also introduce into the active inaterial some inert material
such as asbestos or the like, chiefly to absorb or retain in the interior of the active
material of say, minium and litharge, the electrolyte of desired density. The
asbestos is placed in contact with the plate, the paste is then spread over the
asbestos so as to surround and adhere to the threads of asbestos.
The negative plate is of lead alloyed with a sufficient quantity of antimony to
obtain rigidity and receives the paste and asbestos as above described.
The positive collector is prepared in the same manner but the asbestos receives in
addition, at all parts to be immersed in the exciting liquid, by electrolysis, or
otherwise, a thin coating of an unoxidizable metal or of any non-metallic conducting
body, such as carbon, silica or the like, and rendered adherent either by electrolysis
or by fusion. The plate is then placed in a thin perforated openwork sheath of, say
asbestos, of large mesh, this sheath having been previously suitably treated to render
it unattackable by dilute sulphuric acid.

page_text: egative prates,
and forms a protective casing to which a coating of marine glue or other insulating
material may be applied.
The sheath thus serves :-
1st. As an 'insulating material to prevent short circuiting.
2nd. It protects the metal from direct injury from the charging current.
3rd. It allows the electrodes to be placed as near together as possible so as to form a
single block which is immersed in the smallest quantity of liquid necessary for the
action.
The positive plates being therefore completely insulated from the negative, the
peroxide and the spongy lead are not in contact.
In order to prevent local circuits as soon as the positive grating has received its
inner sheath of asbestos it is spread in the ordinary manner with paste which, if
necessary includes in the cake the second fabric which itself covers the plates so as
to obtain great adherence between the various parts.
For the "forming" electrolyte a bath of oxalic acid is used mixed if desired with
sulphuric acid.
A quantity of pure sulphate of manganese free from iron, is added to the electrolyte,
to saturation, when used for the final "forming" operation. When the battery is
charged this manganese is reduced to the state of peroxide and if the current is
accidentally reversed the manganese being never reduced to the metallic state, will
never form a conducting bridge or medium.
The elements are connected as follows:-
I form by casting a bar long enough for a lug on each plate of the same sign to
touch it. I form in the bar a U or other suitably shaped cavity for the reception of
a solid or hollow cylinder of well tinned red copper to which the lugs are soldered,
the bar is placed over the rod as a covering and the whole cavity is then filled with a
fusible metal or alloy or with a suitable varnish to protect from outside influence the
solder used in connecting the copper rod to the lugs of the plates.
The following is a description of a modification in which I indicate the principle of
my invention without discussing the several forms in which it may be carried out.
It consists in the use of a thin strip of glass or porcelain or of other similar and
suitable material in place of the usual lead grid.
Upon this support I wind more or less horizontally in the same way as cotton is
wound upon a card, in parallel windings, lead strip or wire of suitable form,
either, tubular or solid, and which may be pierced with holes or otherwise.
This lead thus arranged is connected to the terminal by a transverse vertical
bar which unites the ends of the windings at each side of the plate in order to
distribute uniformly the current in the active mass.
In this second form of element I do away with casting the plates and I may make
the elements of any size.
These vertical lead conductors are secured upon the support of glass, porcelain
or the like by the aid of a conducting varnish and are then stoved and are finally
sweated to the tinned copper rod above referred to.
This mass of lead although it no longer has a supporting frame around it and
is of small weight, will not warp; the lead in this case only playing a portion of
the part it fulfils in other accumulators namely to conduct the current to and
from the active material. In ordinary accumulators rigidity is obtained by the
strength of the alloy and the thickness of the frame.
To prevent the scale from falling away from the plates the electrodes are
before use covered with thread or suitable fabric and the paste is spread in the
interstices so as to leave the threads of fabric bare upon the ribs of lead wound
upon the glass, porcelain, or the like, in order to protect the metal from metallic
contact with the plate or electrode opposite it.
This arrangement of insulation allows the plates to be placed near together
which greatly diminishes the amount of the liquid required and lessens the
internal resistance.

page_text: 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. In an accumulator the combination with the positive plates of a coating of
unoxidizable metal or non-metallic substance such as carbon, silica, or the like,
by means of electrolysis, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. An accumulator plate consisting of a support of glass, porcelain or other
inert material, in combination with windings of lead wire, strip, or tube,
perforated or not, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In an accumulator plate, pellets or fillings of minium and litharge, combined
with asbestos or other absorbent and inert material, for the purpose of absorbing
and retaining the electrolytic fluid, substantially as described.
4. An electrolyte consisting of oxalic acid with or without sulphuric acid when
used as the "formation" electrolyte, or with sulphate of manganese substantially
as described.
5. In an accumulator, sheaths of non-conducting absorbent asbestos for the
purpose of insulating the plates from each other and to enable the plates to be
packed closely together in the cell, the electrolyte being absorbed by the asbestos
and thus reaching the plates, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of March 1897.
BOULT & WADE,
Agent for the Applicant.