Improvements in or appertaining to Accumulators for the Storage of Electric Currents.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Sept., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 6th Oct., 189!-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in or appertaining to Accumulators for the Storage
of Electric Currents.
A communication from abroad by ERICH CORRENS, of 104 and 105, Alt Moabit,
Berlin, in the Empire cf Germany, Engineer.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the production of electrode plates for electric accumulators
or secondary batteries, and consists in mixing with the substances employed for the
storage of the current, the silicate of a metallic earth in order to cause the whole
to harden to a stone hard mass.
The hardening of the active mass of an accumulator, brought about in this
manner, has for its object to effectively prevent the crumbling and breaking off of
the electrode plates.
In order to form the above named mass, the metals or metallic salts, suitable for
the storage of current, are combined with a silicate of barium, strontium, calcium,
magnesium, aluminium, etcetera, in such a way that a cement like mass results which
thus contains the substances suitable for the accumulation of current. When the
mass formed in this manner has become dry, it is entirely insoluble in acidified
water.
In the above named mass, there are also formed hard silicates of the oxides of
the heavy metals, such as, for instance, chrome, manganese, lead, quicksilver and
the like, which impart a still greater solidity to the cement-like metallic-earth-
silicates.
The firmly adherent mass is preferably loosened by adding thereto the same
substances as are dissolved in the electrolyte, either directly or under the action of
the current.
The above described substance may be employed simply in the form of compressed
plates, or it may be surrounded with a basketwork for giving a better hold, or
compressed in a cage.
Dated this 23rd day of September 1891.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Accumulators for the Storage
of Electric Currents.
5 A communication from ERICH CORRENS, of 104 and 105, Alt Moabit, Berlin, in
the Empire of Germany, Engineer..
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster and 323, High Holborn, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil 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:-
This invention relates to the production of electrode plates for electric accumulators
Paine 27

page_text: or secondary batteries, and consists in mixing, with the substances employed for the
storage of the current, the silicate of a metallic earth in order to cause the whole
to harden to a stone hard mass.
The hardening of the active mass of an accumulator, brought about in this manner,
has for its object to effectively prevent the crumbling and breaking off of the electrode 5
plates.
In order to form the abovenamed mass, the metals or metallic salts, suitable for
the storage of current, are combined with a silicate of barium, strontium, calcium,
magnesium, aluminium, etcetera, in such a way that a cement-like mass results,
which thus contains the substances suitable for the accumulation of current. When
the mass formed in this manner has become dry, it is entirely insoluble in acidified
water.
In the abovenamed mass, the so formed hard silicates of the oxides of the heavy
metals, such as, for instance, chrome, manganese, lead, quicksilver and the like, impart
a still greater solidity to the cement-like metallic-earth-silicates.
Such formation may be performed as follows-
When an oxide, a hydroxide, or a soluble salt of an alkaline earth or of an earth, is
mixed with a similar combination of one or more heavy metals, and a soluble silicate,
or free, preferably hydrated (gelatinous) silicic acid, there is then formed an
insoluble silicate of the said metals, which sets as a stone hard mass, whilst the.
soluble combinations, otherwise formed, pass into solution or can be fished out.
The proportions of the mixture can easily be reckoned by the proportions with
which the metallic oxides, in question, unite with silicic acid as silicates, for instance,
for one molecule of the oxides of the alkaline earths or the oxides of the heavy metals
(oxide of calcium, oxide of lead) there are usually two molecules of silicic acid or
the corresponding quantity of soluble (alkali) silicate; to one molecule of oxide of
aluminium about three molecules of silicic acid.
In order to make the adherent mass porous, and also to afford access for the
current even to the substances in the interior which serve to store it up, there is
added to the substances which form the cement-like mass such substances which
subsequently dissolve either direct in the electrolytic liquid or by co-operation of
the current. For instance, if zinc be added to the substances in question, there will
be formed in the electrolyte (that is, in the sulphuric acid) sulphate of zinc, which
dissolves without further aid. In case zinc is present in the cement-like mass, a
cavity is created, so that, in this manner, the mass becomes porous and yet
remains quite hard. Further suitable substances which dissolve with the
assistance of the charging or discharging current, such as antimony and tin, may
be employed.
The above described substance may be employed simply in the form of compressed
plates, or it may be surrounded with a basket-work for giving a better hold, or
compressed in a cage.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
The improvements in or appertaining to accumulators for the storage of electric
currents, consisting in forming their electrode plates by mixing, with the substances
employed for the storage of the current, the silicate of a metallic earth so as to
cause the whole to set in a hard mass, and then adding, for the loosening of the
same, suitable substances which dissolve in the electrolyte either directly or by means
of the current.
ALKAL dow of October 1891.