Improvements in Secondary or Storage Batteries.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 29th Aor., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary or Storage Batteries.
I, HENRY HERBERT LLOYD, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing
at 312 South Tenth Street, in the City and County of Philadelphia, and State of
Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature and objects of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR
STORAGE BATTERIES, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statements:-
My invention in general relates to secondary or storage batteries, but more
particularly to certain improvements in the arrangement of the plates or electrodes
and in the construction of the accessories thereof.
The principal objects of my present invention are first, to provide a secondary
or storage battery, which is not apt to become short circuited and which is
especially adapted for use under the conditions which frequently occur in traction
work and the like, and which involve considerable jarring or vibrating and heavy
and sudden discharging; and second, to provide a comparatively inexpensive
battery plate or electrode of great mechanical strength, of low internal resistance
and of high conductivity, and in which the active material is effectually protected
from disintegration, scaling and local influences ordinarily calculated to deteriorate
the efficiency of the battery.
"
My improved battery plate or electrode comprises a perforated conducting
support having pieces of active material or material adapted to become active,
as cast chloride of lead with or without an admixture of chloride of zinc
supported in perforations thereof. It is of course important that these pieces of
active material or pieces of material adapted to become active should adhere
firmly to the support, and I attain this result by forming a "rabbet or matched
joint between the adjacent portions of each of the pieces of active material or
pieces of material adapted to become active and the support. These rabbet or
matched joints not only impart great mechanical strength to the plate, but also
reduce the internal resistance thereof, by reason of the close proximity of the
conducting support to all parts of the active material or to those adapted to
become active. Moreover, in producing my improved plate or electrode I cast
the supporting material around the pieces of active material or material adapted
to become active under heavy pressure, so that a very perfect contact is obtained
between the two, and this contact is, of course improved by the expansion of
the active material or material adapted to become active, that occurs during the
operations of forming and charging the plate. However, in the use of such a
plate or electrode in which the active material is to a certain extent enveloped
in the support, a comparatively large surface of supporting material would be
exposed to the action of the current, thus causing either serious corrosion of
the support or waste of energy. due to the fact that gas would be given off at
the support instead of doing useful chemical work upon the active material or
material adapted to become active. To obviate this defect I protect the support
from the action of the current by means of an acid proof insulating separator
or distance-piece and I design this insulating acid proof distance-piece or separator
in such manner that while the supports of two adjacent plates, for example, a
positive and a negative are practically covered the active material is uncovered
and is exposed to the action of the electrolyte. This result is important and is
accomplished by providing the separator or distance-piece with transversely
ranging apertures that register with the pieces of active material or pieces of
material adapted to become active and with the -longitudinally ranging channels.

page_text: .
that serve to conduct the electrolyte to the respective apertures of the separator
or distance-pieces. The transversely ranging, apertures of the distance-pieces or
separators correspond in number as well as in position with the pieces of active
material or material adapted to become active, and consequently are very numerous,
so that the webs surrounding the apertures are comparatively small and slender,
hence it is important that the strength of the webs should be reduced as little
as possible by the cutting away thereof, incident to the formation of the longi-
tudinally ranging channels that serve to convey the electrolyte.' I attain this
result by making these channels of V-shape in cross section, and by disposing
the channels upon one side or face of the separators or distance-pieces intermediate
of the channels upon the other side or face thereof. Even when constructed
in the manner hereinabove explained the active material or material adapted.
to become active of the positive electrodes or plates when subjected to a
sudden and rapid forming and discharging as in traction work, is exceedingly
apt to disintegrate and fall to the bottom of the vase or cell, in which
position it would tend to contact with and bridge across two plates or
electrodes of opposite polarity and thus short circuit the battery. I avoid this
objectionable feature by interposing a textile fabric that is not injuriously
affected by the electrolyte as woven asbestos cloth between the positive plate
and its complemental separators or distance-pieces in such manner that it extends
across the active material and is folded around the lower portion of the plate or
electrode into position for securing and retaining any particles that may scale off
or drop from the active material. This peculiar construction is productive of
many beneficial results, of which the following may be particularly mentioned;
first, the current following the path of least resistance, that is, the shortest path,
attacks the active material only. It being understood that the solid portions of
the separators or distance-pieces set up sufficient additional resistance to protect
the support; second, the textile woven or other similar fabric forms a sort of net
work overlying the active material or material adapted to become active and this
net work forms a mechanical support for the face of the active material or material
adapted to become active, and thus prevents scaling or rapid disintegration of the
same, or any impairing of the efficiency of the battery; and third, the textile
fabric retains any portion of the active material or material adapted to become
active that may be detached, and thus prevents accidental short circuiting of the
battery. In some instances additional perforations are provided, extending through
the active material or material adapted to become active, in order to afford the
electrolyte access to the internal portions of the active material or material adapted
to become active.
The nature, objects and scope of my invention will be more fully understood
from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings
forming part hereof; and in which
Figure 1, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of my invention,
showing a positive plate or electrode, a woven or textile fabric folded around the
same and covering the respective faces thereof, a negative plate or electrode
located on each side of the positive plate or electrode and separators or distance-
pieces between the negative plates or electrodes and the positive plate surrounded
with a textile or woven fabric cover or protector..
Fig. 2, is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2, of Fig. 1, showing portions of
an electrolytic vase or cell; and
Fig. 3, is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.
In the drawings a, is a conducting support provided with perforations a¹, and
with a lug or terminal a². b, are pieces of active material or material conditioned
to become active, as cast chloride of lead with or without an admixture of chloride
of zinc, supported in the respective perforations a', and having their extremities or
exposed portions substantially flush with the respective faces of the support a.
These pieces b, of active material or material adapted to become active are
. prevented from falling out. of the perforations a³, by means of well known

page_text: e,
are
"rabbet" or matched joints 6', in substantially the same manner as the glass plates
of windows are held to place in their supporting frame-work. In producing the
above described plate the support a, is preferably dense and may be cast around
the pieces b, of active material or material adapted to become active under heavy
pressure, so that very perfect contact is obtained between the two, and this contact
is of course improved by the expansion of the pieces b, that always occurs during
the operation of forming and charging the plate. The faces of the support a, are
protected by insulating distance-pieces or separators c, made of hard rubber,
_celluloid, wood or other preferred material and provided with rows of transversely
ranging apertures c', that correspond in number and are disposed in alignment with
the pieces b, of active material or material adapted to become active.
longitudinally ranging Vor other shape channels that communicate with apertures c¹,
and afford means for permitting of the free circulation of the electrolyte. The
channels ², upon one side or face of the separator or distance-picee c, are located
intermediate of the channels c², upon the other side or face thereof, Fig. 3.
By this disposition and arrangement of the channels the cross sectional area of the
separator or distance-piece c, is not materially reduced, so that the strength and
rigidity thereof, are not materially diminished. d, are channels that may extend
through the pieces b, of active material in order to afford the electrolyte access to
the internal portions thereof. is a piece of acid proof woven cloth or textile
fabric as asbestos or other preferred material, folded around the positive plate or
electrode and the respective faces thereof and the separators or distance-pieces c, as
shown in Fig. 2, so that the textile or woven fabric extends across the pieces b, of
active material or material adapted to become active and constitutes a sort of over-
lying net work as shown in Fig. 1. In practice the hereinabove described plates
or electrodes may be prepared for use in a secondary battery or accumulator
by constituting them the positive plates or electrodes in an electrolytic cell or
vase, in which the negative plates may be of lead or other preferred material,
as heretofore, and permitting then the ensuing electrolysis to effect the con-
version of the pieces b, into active material in the ordinary and well understood
manner. Two series of such plates may then be constituted the positive and
negative electrodes in the vase or cell f, of a secondary battery or accumulator
as illustrated in Fig. 2. It being understood that the faces of the positive electroles
are covered by the textile or woven asbestos fabric e, and that the distance-pieces
or separators c, are interposed between the positive and negative plates in such
manner that the apertures c¹, are in alignment with the pieces b, of active material.
Under these circumstances the distance-pieces or separators c, serve to keep the
plates apart without interfering with or otherwise impeding the free access of the
electrolyte to the active material, so that the plates may be charged and discharged
in any preferred manner. Moreover, these distance-pieces or separators c, protect
the supports a, from the action of the electric current or currents, so that the same
are protected from corrosion, and therefore, all of the available current is utilized
for oxydizing or otherwise chemically affecting the active material. The textile or
woven fabric e, that overlies the faces of the pieces b, of active material of the
positive plates or electrodes forms a mechanical support for the face of the active
material, thereby preventing scaling or rapid disintegration of the active material,
and permitting the plates to be advantageously used under conditions which
involve heavy and sudden discharging and rough handling such as occur in traction
work.
Having now ascertained the nature and objects of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :—
1. A battery plate or electrode comprising a conducting support and its com-
plemental active material or material adapted to become active, distance-pieces or
separators disposed adjacent to the support and provided with transversely ranging
apertures opposite the active material or material adapted to become active and
with longitudinally ranging and staggered channels, and a textile or woven fabric

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disposed intermediate of the distance-pieces or separators and the faces of the
positive plate or electrode, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A battery plate or electrode comprising a conducting support and its com-
plemental active material or material adapted to become active, distance-pieces or
separators covering the support and provided with longitudinally ranging and
staggered channels and with transversely ranging apertures disposed opposite the
active material or material adapted to become active and a textile or woven fabric
folded around the positive plate or electrode and overlying the active material or
material adapted to become active thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
3. In a secondary or storage battery, an acid proof separator or distance-piece
, adapted to cover a support and provided with transversely ranging apertures for
exposing the active material or material adapted to become active and with longi-
tudinally ranging channels communicating with said apertures and located upon
the respective faces of the separator or distance-piece, and the channels upon one
face of the separator being disposed intermediate of the channels on the other face
thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. A battery, plate or electrode, comprising a conducting support and com-
plemental active material or material adapted to become active, and distance-pieces
or separators covering the support and provided with transversely ranging apertures
.disposed opposite the active material or material adapted to become active and with
longitudinally ranging and staggered channels, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
5. In a secondary or storage battery, positive and negative plates or electrodes
comprising respectively a support and complemental active material or material
adapted to become active, separators or distance-pieces interposed between said
plates or electrodes and provided respectively with transversely ranging apertures
in alignment with the active material of said plates and with longitudinally ranging
and staggered channels, and a textile or woven fabric interposed between the
respective faces of the positive plates or electrodes and the distance-pieces or
separators, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. A secondary or storage battery comprising a vase or cell, an electrolyte, two
series of plates composed respectively of supports and complemental active material
or material adapted to become active, separators or distance-pieces interposed
between said plates and provided with longitudinally ranging staggered channels
and with transversely ranging apertures disposed opposite the active material or
material adapted to become active and a textile or woven fabric covering medium
intermediate of the positive plates and separators or distance-pieces and overlying
the active material or material adapted to become active, substantially as and for
the purposes set forth.