Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 29th June, 1888
A communication from abroad by CHARLES DAVID PAIGE GIBSON, of the City, County,
and State of New York, United States of America, Electrician.
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 :-
The invention relates to storage batteries or accumulators, and it consists in a novel
form of supporting plate or electrode, which permits of the application of the active
material thereto in such a manner that it is reliably retained within the body of the
plate and yet is adequately exposed to the action of the electrolytic fluid.
The efficiency and durability of service of storage batteries depend greatly upon
the secure manner in which the active material is attached to, and held in contact
with, the supporting plates. When simply placed in contact with the surface of the
plate it is caused to be separated by the continued charging and discharging of the
battery, by reason of which the battery loses its capacity for storage and eventually
becomes useless. By the present invention the plate and active material are firmly
bound together and held in close contact; at the same time free access to the active
material is given to the electrolytic fluid.
The invention consists, in general terms, in uniting two separate plates or sheets
of lead, each of which has inclined openings or perforations formed within it, and in
making these, the metal of the plate is pressed inward immediately above each
opening and outward below the opening. The two plates thus formed are then placed
against each other with the inward projections in contact with each other, either
touching each other at the extremities or locking into each other. Usually the plates
are placed so that the edges of the openings touch each other and the openings are
directed upward so that the completed plate has the appearance on each of its sides
of being made up of. vertically inclined cells. The edges of the plates are then
secured together by sweating or in any other suitable manner. The completed plate
may then be filled with active material by brushing the latter over its surface, and it

page_text: is in this way readily forced into the openings or receptacles, entering also the open
spaces between the two plates in such manner that a suitable quantity is securely
locked within the plate, without however being secluded from contact with the
electrolytic fluid.
In the accompanying drawing, figure 1 is a side elevation of the plate embodying
the features of the invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section of a portion
of the same. Figure 3 is a similar view of a modified form of plate.
Referring to the figures, B1 and B2 represent two separate sheets of metal designed
to constitute the conducting support of the plate, which is preferably of metallic
lend. Through the entire surface of each plate there are formed openings 6 closely
adjacent to each other. These may with advantage be formed in regular series, that
is to say, in vertical and horizontal lines. In making these, the metal is necessarily
pressed outward from the body of the plate in one direction, as shown at c, at one
side of the opening, and in the other direction, as shown at c¹, at the other side, thus
giving the opening the appearance of an inclined cell. The plates are placed against
each other so that the inner projections c thus formed touch each other, and thus the
two sheets of metal are brought into close metallic connection with each other
throughout their surfaces. The edges e of the plates are preferably left solid, as
shown, and they are sweated or otherwise fastened together so as to form a singlo
battery plate.
The openings being arranged systematically, the projections c will fall opposite
each other as indicated in figure. 3, and thus afford a plate which, while very light in
weight will be capable of receiving a large amount of active material F and holding
it securely in place. The active material may be conveniently applied by throwing it
upon the plate and brushing it with the hand, or otherwise, over the outer projec-
tions c¹, so that it will fall into the openings each side being treated in the same
manner. This not only fills the cells, but the whole of the space between the plates.
By this method, the whole body of active material becomes single and continuous, and
the metallic body of both parts or sides becomes also single and continuous.
Electrical connection may be made with the plate through an extension D, leading
from the plate in any convenient manner.
Some of the advantages of this form are:-the plates are very light, while pre-
senting a large surface of both the metal and the active material to the action of the
electrolyte. They have great strength, and hold the proper shape after long use.
The active material is held securely in place, and still is open to the action of the
electrolyte.
In practice it is not always certain or necessary that all the projections of the two
plates should be in contact; a large proportion of them, however, will usually touch
each other, so that metallic contact throughout the general surfaces of the plates is
secured. And even if the projections are not brought into actual contact, the opera-
tion of the plate is substantially the same.
In some instances it may be desirable to have the openings in the two sheets B¹
and B2 extended in opposite directions, as shown in figure 3, so that the projections c
will lock into each other.
It will be understood that the invention pertains only to the construction of the
plates or electrodes of storage batteries, and that the nature of the material used and
: the methods of charging and use do not form a part of this invention. In the present
state of the art metallic lead is understood to be the most effective material for the
supporting plates and the peroxide of lead is generally supposed to be the most
useful active material, but the present invention is applicable to other materials and
is not confined to any.
11 Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of the said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my Foreign Correspondent, I wish it to be understood that what I desire to obtain
by letters patent is:-
1. A storage battery plate consisting of two sheets of metal, each formed with

page_text: openings as described, the metal around said openings being forced outwards on each
side of the plate, so as to form projections, and placed together with the projections on
one plate touching the projections on the other plate.
2. A storage battery plate consisting of two sheets of metal, each having inclined
perforations or openings for receiving the active material, the metal at the base of
each opening in each plate being in metallic contact with the metal of the other
plate.
3. A storage battery plate consisting of two sheets of metal, each having per-
forations throughout its surface, projections of metal being thrown out from both
sides of the plate, the projections upon the contiguous surfaces of the respective
plates being in contact, and active material in said openings and in the space between.
the plates.
4. A storage battery plate consisting of the two sheets B1 and B2, each having
openings or perforations b, and projections thrown out in opposite directions from
the general surface of the sheets, said sheets being secured together substantially as
described.
5. A storage battery plate consisting of the two sheets B1, B3, each having openings
or perforations and projections thrown out in opposite directions from the general
surface of the sheets, said sheets being secured together, and active material contained
within the openings.
1000