Improvements in Primary and Secondary Battery Plates, and in Moulds for Producing the same
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 4th Feb, 1896-Accepted, 25th Apr, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Battery Plates, and in
Moulds for Producing the same
I, CARL LUDWIG RUDOI PH ERNEST MENGES of 82/84 Balistraat, The
Hague, in the Kingdom of Holland, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
-
"
This invention relate to certain inipiovements in the mode of employment or of
insertion of the exciting agent or "active substance in gids such as are
described in the Specification of Letters Patent No 11923 of 1887 and to the
modifications in the hape of the gud for receiving the active substance, involved
in such altered mode of insertion
In the abovementioned Spec fication will be found a statement as to how the
mould my be lifted off, or removed from, the grids cast therein By reversing
the operation therein described, the openings which the cast grids present, may
(as will be readily understood) be all filled up or closed again by the mould
similar manner, the openings in the grid may be filled with suitably shaped solid
pieces or blocls of 'active material '( ee Figure 1).
,
In a
Now, although by this method of insertion of solid blocks of "active material,"
such blocks are secured to the grids fiom without, yet, in view of the peculiar
shape of the grids the bittery plates thus constructed retain their main property
or feature, which is this, that the filling or "active material cannot drop off the
grids, masmuch as this feature (as was already pointed out in the Specification
above referred to) bears no el ition to, or is in no way dependent on, the inner
structure or cohesiveness of the active material
In
This method of filling presents the following advantages The nature of the
filling medium or material employed is immaterial, as it need not necessarily be
such as can be embedded in the openings by being spread (like semi liquid cement
01 mortar) by hand The prope shape in which the "active material" is to be
employed may without difficulty be imparted to it by moulding or pressing
addition to which, by high pressure, very solid and dense blocks of such material,
may be obtained And the whole may be rendered still more cohesive by the
admixture of fine lead-we, asbestos, hair or other fibrous substances, all of which
are scarcely fit to be used, where "active material' in the condition of cem nt or
paste is employed, as the filling in of such semi-liquid material would be very much
interfered with by the wiry or fibrou bodies referred to Furthermore, in moulding
the active material into solid blocks, sub tances may be used (such as shellac,
caoutchouc, or the like) which will only soften or liquefy under the action of heat,
so that the hot-pressed blocks, when cold and placed in contact with diluted acid,
will remain solid Adhesive substances may be dissolved, moreover, in solvents
other than water, when it is desired to connect the pulverulent particles of the
material into solid pieces, which, in those cases where the material is to be spread
or inserted in the grid in a plastic state may not, for various reasons, be formed
beforchand one of which ieasons generally is the too rapid evaporation of the
solvent Again, the firmness or density of the blocks may be enhanced by suitably
heating the same, which will cause the material to run together is it were, into a
slag-like mass while excessive density may be avoided by the addition of porous
substances, such as pumice stone

page_text: Although, by reason of the peculiar shape of the grid no large pieces of the
filling material can drop out of it, yet it is just possible that, after protracted use,
small pieces may crumble or scale off the free surfaces To avoid this, the open
surface should (as illustrated at ab and cd in Figure 2 of the accompanying
drawings) be inwardly inclined, thus substantially following the natural slope of
the material employed This form of "active material" may also, of course,
be
used in connection with plates in which the filling material is to be spread, eithe
by first filling interstices of a grid, so that the filled-in material forms a smooth
surface, and then pressing the whole into the required shape in suitable moulds
or by making use of a guide or template, which is moved across the grid, previously
filled with semi-liquid mass In adopting the latter method, the vertical rod
of the grid should preferably assume the shape indicated along the line a bed,
Figure 2
It will be understood that these inwardly sloping surfaces of "active material'
may be used also for plates of any shape, other than that which is here referred to,
whenever it is desired to obviate the crumbling off of any part of the exposed
surface It is obvious that the grid for supporting the "active material," shown
in Figure 2, may be obtained by means of a mould similar to that used for the
arrangement shown in Figure 1, the relative position of both parts being only
somewhat altered
Figures and 4 of the drawings are sections of modified casting-mould- wherein
the lines of division between the two parts of the mould are broken as indicated
at abcd, whereas such lines are strught in the examples shown in the Specification
above referred to If desired these lines of division may also be of a wavy or
undulating shape Grids cast in such moulds as these will offer the material
advantage of facilitating the filling-in of the active material in a solid form In
the moulds previously described, there was formed in the centre of the guid a
small swelling or seam This is pot the case in grids moulded in accordance with
Figures 3 and 4 accompanying the present Specification, it being feasible to insert
the pieces of active material, from either side alternately, so that they extend
beyond the central line of the grid The pieces of such material may therefore be
made larger, so that the grid will be completely filled in less time, in addition to
which, whenever the outer surface of the active material is sloping, the pieces will
present a symmetrical shape, so that, in introducing them, a nice adjustment of
their position is unnecessary
Dated this 3rd day of May 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, WC, Agents for the Applicant
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Battery Plates, and in
Moulds for Producing the same
I, CARL LUDWIG RUDOLPH ERNEST MENGES, of 82/84 Balistraat, The
Hague, in the Kingdom of Holland, Electrical 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 primary and secondary battery plates and comprises
certain improvements in the manner of applying the "active material' to galvanic
battery grids such as those described in the Specification of Letters Patent
No 11923 of 1887 the invention also has reference to improvements in the
shape of the grids and to moulds for use in producing such grids
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now descube the

page_text: same with reference to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification
in which
Figure 1 is a vertical section through a grid such as that described in the
Specification of Letters Patent 1192387 showing my new method of filling it
with blocks of "active material," one of the blocks being shown detached from
the grid
Figure 2 is a similar section of a modified form of grid for holding blocks of
active material of a modified shape
Figures 3 and 4 are sections of moulds for use in casting grids which are more
suitable than those shewn in Figures 1 and 2 for carrying out my present
invention
In the prior Specification hereinabove referied to will be found a statement
as to how he mould may be lifted off or removed from, the grids in an inclined
direction after the latter have been cast in them By reversing the operation
therein described, the opening in the cast grids may (as will be readily understood)
be all filled up again by the mould In a similar manner, the openings in the grid
may be filled with suitably shaped solid pieces or blocks of active material as
indicated by Figure 1 introduced in an inclined direction either singly or in
company
Now, although according to this invention the blocks are put in the grids
from the outside and are thus not fixed by internal cohesion, vet, by the
peculiar shape of the guide, the battery plates thus constructed retain their
main property or feature viz that the filling or active material cannot drop off
the grids, inasmuch as the hold afforded by the grids (as was already pointed out
in the prior Specification above referred to) is in no way dependent on the internal
structure or cohesiveness of the active material
This method of filling the grids presents the following advantages The filling
medium or material emploved need not necessarily be such as can be embedded
in the openings by being spread (like semi-liquid cement or mortar) by hand
The proper shape in which the active material is to be employed may without
difficulty be imparted to it by moulding or pressing, and if high pressure be
employed very solid and dense blocks of such material may be obtained The
substance may be rendered still more cohesive by the admixture of fine lead-wire,
asbestos, hair or other fibrous substances, all of which are scarcely fit to be used,
where active material in the condition of cement or paste is employed, as the
filling-in of such semi-liquid material would be very much interfered with by the
wiry or fibrous bodies referred to Furthermore, in moulding the active material
into solid blocks, substances may be used (such as shellac, caoutchouc, or the like)
which wul only soften or liquefy under the action of heat, so that the hot-pressed
blocks, when cold and placed in contact with diluted acid, will remain solid
Adhesive substances may be dissolved, moreover, in solvents other than water,
when it is desired to bind the pulverulent particles of the material into solid
pieces, which, in those cases where the material is to be spread over or inserted
in the guid in a plastic state may not, for various reasons, be formned before-
hand, one of which reasons generally 19, the too rapid evaporation of the solvent
Again, the firmness or density of the blocks may be enhanced by suitably heating
the same, which will cause the material to run together, as it were, into a slag-like
mass, while excessive density may be avoided by the addition thereto of porous
substances, such as pumice stone
Although, by reason of the peculiar shape of the grid no large pieces of the
active material can drop out of it, yet it is just possible that, when used for a long
time small pieces may crumble or scale off the fiee surfaces of the active material
To prevent these pieces from falling off the plate, the open surface should (as
illustrated at ab and c d in Figure 2) be inwardly inclined at a suitably low angle
substantially the same as or smaller than the angle of the natural slope of the
material This construction may also, of course, be used in connection with plates
in which the filling material is to be spread, either by first filling the interstices of

page_text: a grid so that the filled-in material forms a smooth surface, and then pressing the
whole into the required shape in suitable moulds, or by making use of a guide or
template, which is moved across the grid, previously filled with a semi liquid mass
In adopting the latter method, the cross rods of the grid should preferably have
the shape indicated by the lines a bed, Figure 2, so as to fit the template
It is obvious that the grid for supporting the active material, shown in Figure 2,
may be obtained by means similar to that used for the arrangement shown in Figure 1,
the relative position of the parts being some what altered
Further reserve to myself the right to use my method of filling with active
material for all other modified shapes of battery plates with upwardly incline]
receptacles which in respect to this metho! are equivalent to the plates described
in the Specification of Letters Patent No 11923 of 1887, such as for instance
plate having a continuous central core obtained for example by leaving a little
distance between the two halves of the mould described in the said Specification
of pio Letters Patent
Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings accompanying the present application are sections
of casting-moulds, wherein the lines of division between the two parts of the mould
are broken or niculu o zigzag as indicated at a bed, where is such lines e
straight in the examples shown in the Specification above referied to If desired
these lines of division may also be of a wavy or undulating shape
Gids cast in
such moulds as these will offer the important advantage of facilitating the filling-in
of the active material in a solid form I be moulds described in the above named
prior Specification were so shaped as to form in the centre of the grid a small
swelling or seam This is not the case with guds formed in the moulds shewn in
Figures 3 and 4 it being feasible in these grids to insert the pieces of active material,
from either side alternately so that they extend beyond the central line of the grid
The pieces of such material may therefore be made laiger than in the grids
described in the said Specification of prior Letters Patent so that the grid will be
completely filled in less time, in addition to which, whenever the outer surface of
the active material is sloping, the pieces will present a symmetrical shape, so that,
in introducing them, a nice adjustment of then position is unnecessary
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what mannei the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1 A galvanic battery plate produced by filling a gud, having upwardly inclined
receptacles, with solid blocks of active material, substantially as described
2 A mould for use in casting a galvanic battery grid with upwardly inclined
receptacles for receiving blocks of active material, each of the two halves of which
has a broken or undulating surface, substantially as described
3 A grid having upwardly inclined receptacles for supporting the active material
substantially as described and for the purpose specified
4 A galvanic battery plate having a stepped or broken or undulating surface
formed by the supporting grid and by the active material, substantially as and for
the purpose specified
6 A galvanic battery plate constructed substantially as described with reference
to the drawings
Dated then 1th 1... 1
1000
Dated the 4th day
1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, WC, Agents for the Applicant.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, WC, Agents for the Applicant.