Storage Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd May, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
Storage Batteries.
I, EDWIN LYMAN LOBDELL, Banker, Rookery Buildings, 226, Latalle Street,
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, 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:—
My invention relates to storage batteries, my object being to provide a storage
battery having first an improved form of battery plate, second, an improved form
of separator to insulate and maintain the battery plates apart, and, third to pro-
vide an improved connecting plate for joining the several battery plates of one
polarity together.
I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawing in which: —
Fig. 1 is a view of the battery plate.
Fig. 2 is a view of the sheet from which the grid of the battery plate is formed.
Fig. 3 is a view showing a portion of the active material removed from the
grid.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the grid.
Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the battery plates and the separators between
the same.
Fig. 7 is a view of the separator.
Fig. 8 is a sectional view thereof.
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the separator.
Fig. 10 is a sectional view of a modification.
Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a further modification.
Fig. 12 is a plan view of the battery plates and separators in position.
Fig. 13 is a view illustrating the connecting plates for joining the battery
plates together.
Fig. 14 is a view illustrating the manner in which the edge of the battery plate
is formed.
Fig. 15 is a view of the connecting plate.
Fig. 16 is a view of a modification thereof.
The grid of the battery plate is formed from a sheet of rolled lead which as
shown in Fig. 2 has perforations a' formed at intervals with incisions a² extending
therefrom to thus leave small sections of the plate severed except at opposite ends
where they are joined together by narrow necks c c. These sections are bent into
transverse position as illustrated in Fig. 5 to form perpendicular side walls of
adjacent transverse pockets. represents the side walls constituting the pockets
running longitudinally and the walls running transversely. The active
material is placed in these transverse pockets as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. By
this construction practically all of the surface of the plate on both sides thereof
s brought into contact with the active material; and, furthermore, the walls of
he pockets being perpendicular, any expansion and contraction in the plane
of the battery plate is perpendicular to the side walls and, therefore, the pellets of
etive material are not in danger of becoming loosened and falling out. It is not
Price 81

page_text: essential, however, that the side walls should be perpendicular. The battery
plate may be made of any desired thickness by proportioning the width of the
sections which are twisted into transverse position. The edges of the plates are
bent at right angles to form flanges or side walls d, d.
Between the battery plates separators 66 66 are placed which consist of a sheet
of non-conducting material having a series of channels 7 upon one face and a
series of channels 62 upon the opposite face extending at an angle thereto, where-
by openings 63 are formed at the intersections of the channels. The channels
afford passages for the circulation of the electrolytic material while the trans-
verse openings materially decrease the internal resistance of the cell, and more-
over, the channels lend flexibility to the structure. In Fig. 10, the channels
are illustrated as of such a depth that thin films are left at intervals instead of
openings, through which film the electrolyte may readily pass by absorption.
The edges of the projections 6 forming the channels 2, and b, are of rectangular
configuration as seen in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, in the modification Fig. 11 they are
represented round or of semicircular formation. The separators are preferably
made of wood and the grain of the wood is arranged to extend at an angle, usually
diagonal to the two series of channels. By this arrangement the separator may
be readily bent in any direction without breaking.
Ledges may be provided along the edge of the separator to overlap the edge
of the battery plate, and by placing the ledges alternately at opposite edges of
the battery plates the edges of the plates of one polarity may be left exposed at
one side while the edges of plates of the other polarity may be left exposed upon
the other side.
As illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14 each of the battery plates is provided upon
the edge with a plurality of tongues or projections ³ ³ which extend through
openings provided through the connecting plate ; the ends of the tongues
are bent over and are soldered or burned to secure the same in position. The
plate is cut away at intervals to leave openings 12 12 to decrease the weight of
the plate. The current is thus supplied to the plurality of battery plates through
a single connecting plate and the current passes to each battery plate through
a plurality of paths, whereby the current is evenly distributed over the plates
and whereby the charge and discharge is uniform over the surface of the plate,
thereby preventing the overworking of one portion of the plate as has been the
practice heretofore due to the placing of terminals at one corner of the battery
plate. Instead of providing a single plate for all of the battery plates of one
polarity a connecting plate may be provided for each of the battery plates as
shown in Fig. 16. I prefer, however, the single connecting plate, since the wiring
of the several battery plates together is thereby dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what
I claim is
1. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of
sections thereof severed except at opposite ends and bent or twisted into position
perpendicular to the plane of the plate to form the perpendicular sidewalls of
adjacent transverse pockets, whereby the falling out of the pellets of active
material is effectively prevented, substantially as described.
2. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of
sections thereof partially severed and bent or twisted about a medial axis into
transverse positions to form the symmetrical side walls of transverse pockets, sub-
stantially as described.
3. An accumulator plate, formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of
sections thereof severed except at opposite ends and bent or twisted into trans-
verse positions to form the side walls of transverse pockets for the reception of
active material, substantially as described.
4. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of

page_text: sections joined to the body of the plate by narrow necks at opposite ends of the
sections and bent or twisted into transverse positions to form the side walls of
transverse pockets, substantially as described.
5. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal having pieces thereof
removed at intervals to leave a series of openings bounded by strips of metal
severed except at opposite ends, said strips being bent into transverse positions
to form the side walls of adjacent pockets, substantially as described.
6. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal having a series of openings
therein and incisions extending therefrom, and having the sections or strips of
metal between the same bent or twisted into transverse positions, substantially
as described.
7. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of
sections thereof partially severed and bent or twisted about a medial axis into
transverse positions to form the symmetrical side walls of transverse pockets and
active material in said pockets, substantially as described.
8. An accumulator plate formed of a sheet of metal and having a series of
sections thereof severed except at opposite ends and bent or twisted into trans-
verse positions to form the side walls of transverse pockets and active material
in said pockets, substantially as described.
9. The grid of a battery plate substantially as illustrated in Figure 5.
10. A battery plate substantially as illustrated in Figure 3.
11. A separator for accumulator plates formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having upon one face a series of channels, and upon the other
face a series of channels angularly arranged relatively thereto to leave at intervals
transverse fluid paths through the plate, substantially as described.
12. A separator for accumulator plates formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having upon one face a series of channels and upon the other
face a series of channels extending at an angle thereto, the channels being of
sufficient depth to leave at the intersections transverse openings through the
plate, substantially as described.
13. A separator for accumulator plates formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having a grain, as wood, and having upon one face a series of
channels and upon the other face a series of channels extending at an angle
thereto to leave at the inter-sections transverse fluid passages through the plate,
the channels on each face being arranged to extend at an angle to the grain of
the material, substantially as described.
14. A separator for accumulator plates, formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having a grain, as wood, and having upon one face a series of
channels and upon the other face a series of channels extending at right angles
thereto, said channels being arranged to extend at an angle of about 45 degrees
to the grain of the material, substantially as described.
15. A separator for accumulator plates formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having a grain, as wood, said plates being substantially rect-
angular and having upon one side a series of channels parallel to one pair of
edges and upon the other side a series of channels parallel to the other pair of
edges, the grain of the material extending diagonally across the plate, sub-
stantially as described.
16. A separator for accumulator plates formed of a plate or sheet of non-con-
ducting material having upon one face a series of channels and upon the other
face a series of channels extending at an angle thereto, said plate carrying at the
edge a laterally extending ledge or flange adapted to overlap the end of the
adjacent accumulator plate, substantially as described.
17. In combination, a pair of accumulator plates, and a separator between the
same formed of a plate or sheet of non-conducting material having upon one
face a series of channels and upon the other face a series of channels angularly
arranged relatively thereto to leave at intervals transverse fluid paths through the
separator, substantially as described.

page_text: 18. In combination, a pair of accumulator plates, and a separator between the
same formed of a plate or sheet of non-conducting material having upon one face
a series of channels and upon the other face a series of channels intersecting
the same, the channels being of sufficient depth to leave at the intersections trans-
verse openings through the separator substantially as described.
19. A separator for storage battery plates, substantially as illustrated in
Figure 7.
20. A battery plate having upon the edge a plurality of tongues or projections
to afford a plurality of paths for the current, substantially as described.
21. In combination, a connecting plate and a battery plate joined thereto by
a plurality of tongues or necks arranged at intervals along the edge of the said
battery plate, substantially as described.
22. In combination, a connecting plate and a plurality of battery plates each
joined thereto by a plurality of tongues or necks arranged at intervals along the
edge of the battery plate, substantially as described.
23. In combination, a connecting plate provided with a series of openings, and
a battery plate having upon the edge a plurality of tongues or lugs, passing
through the respective openings and secured therein, substantially as described.
24. In combination, a connecting plate provided with a series of openings and
a plurality of battery plates, each having upon the edge a plurality of tongues
or lugs passing through the respective openings and secured therein, substantially
as described.
25. In a battery, the combination with a battery plate adapted to rest in an
upright position, and having a plurality of tongues on the vertical edge, of a con-
necting plate joined to said plurality of tongues, substantially as described.
26. In combination, a plurality of battery plates, and a connecting plate joined
to the edges thereof and having the upper portion extended to form the terminal
of the cell, substantially as described.
27. A connecting plate for storage batteries substantially as illustrated in
Figure 15.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.