Year: 1899

page_text: We, HAROLD STEUART GLADSTONE, of 34, Brechin Place, South Kensington,
London, S.W., Electrical Engineer, and EWART JOHN BECKETT, of 6, Northumber-
land Avenue, London, W.C., Electric Battery Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in secondary batteries and has for its
object to produce a battery having a low internal resistance and capable of a high
rate of discharge without liability of disentegration of the active material or exces-
sive buckling of the electrodes.
According to one arrangement the electrodes are made in the form of a grid-
like structure composed of parallel members separated by narrow intervals and
united at the ends to cross bars, or the members may be used separately as
independent electrodes. Each such member is formed of a flattened tubular
envelope of perforated sheet lead enclosing the active material in which is embedded
a central core strip also of perforated sheet lead provided with means of attachment
to the top and bottom cross bars as hereafter described.
The envelope is made of sheet lead which has been perforated by punching
rows of small holes in it as close together as is consistent with structural strength
and is formed by lapping the perforated sheet metal about a mandrel and made into
a complete tube of the required flattened sectional form by burning together the
abutting edges of the strip by autogenous soldering. The central core strip of
the same material has cast upon its ends lugs of lead adapted to fit in the tubular
perforated envelope flush with the ends thereof. Upon both sides of the core strip
the active material is applied in the form of paste and pressed in a mould so as
by completely filling up the perforations of the core strip to make good conductive
contact therewith over the entire surface of the strip including the lateral surfaces
of the perforations by which the area of contact surface is greatly increased. The
layers of active material after compression fill up the whole of the spaces between
the end lugs of the strips on both sides to a uniform thickness therewith. The
pasted or coated strip is then placed within the perforated envelope which is
subjected to pressure so as to bring its flattened sides into close contact with the
active material.
When a number of such members are to be united by cross bars to form a grid-
like structure the ends of the lugs and the ends of the envelope which are filled up
or closed by the lugs of the strip so as to prevent the active material falling
out, having been filed flush or smooth and of uniform length are assembled in
requisite number to form an electrode or plate. For this purpose they are placed
side by side at narrow intervals between top and bottom cross bars of lead and
their ends are united thereto by autogenous soldering or burning on, so as to make
a rigid structure of grid-like form and ensure good conductive union with the cross

page_text: bars of which the top one is provided with the usual lug for connection with the
terminal of the cell.
3711
March 1900
improvements in Secondary Datteries.
We, HAROLD STEUART GLADSTONE, of 34, Brechin Place, South Kensington,
London, S.W., Electrical Engineer, and EWART JOHN BECKETT, of 6, Northumber-
land Avenue, London, W.C., Electric Battery Manufacturer, 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 an improvement in secondary batteries and has for
its object to produce a battery having a low internal resistance and capable of a
high rate of discharge without liability of disintegration of the active material
or buckling of the electrodes.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 an end elevation of
a cell, the casing and portions of the electrodes. being broken away in both views
in order to better shew the construction. Figure 3 is a plan view (partly in
section) of the cell with the cover removed. Figure 4 is a sectional side.elevation
or a single member of an electrode and Figure 5 is a vertical section of the same.
The electrodes may be made in the form of a grid-like structure composed of
parallel members separated by narrow intervals and united at the ends to connect-
ing bars, or the members may be used separately as independent electrodes. Each
such member A is formed of a flattened tubular envelope a of perforated sheet
lead enclosing the active material bin which is embedded a central core strip e.also
of perforated sheet lead provided with means of attachment to the top and bottom
connecting bars das hereafter described.
The envelope is made of sheet lead which has been perforated by punching
rows of small holes e (say from 3/16ths to 3/8ths of an inch in diameter) in it as
close together as is consistent with structural strength, and is formed by lapping
the nerforated sheet metal about a mandrel and made into a complete tube of the
required flattened sectional form by burning together the abutting edges of the
strip by autogenous soldering. The central core strip is also of sheet lead per-
forated as before and has cast upon its ends lugs f of lead which project from both
sides of the strip so as to fit in the tubular perforated envelope a and thus maintain
the space required for the active material between the core and envelope; the ends
of the core and lugs f being flush with the ends of the envelope. Upon both
sides of the core stripe the active material 6 is applied in the form of paste, the
paste being packed on to the strip in a mould so as, by completely filling up the
perforations g of the core strip, to make good conductive contact therewith over the
entire surface of the strip including the lateral surfaces of the perfora
tions by which the area of contact surfaces is greatly increased. The
lavers of active material fill up the whole of the spaces between the end lugs f
of the strip c on both sides to a thickness uniform with that of such lugs. The
pasted or coated strip is then placed within the perforated envelope a, and when a
member thus constituted is to be used separately as an independent electrode, the

page_text: end luga f of the core e are burned or united by autogenous soldering to the
envelope. When however, a number of members so constituted are to be united by
connecting bara to form a grid-like structure as shewn in the drawings, such burn-
ing or soldering of the lugs f to the envelope a is not required, but the ends of the
lugs and the ends of the envelope (which are filled up or closed by the lugs of the
strip so as to prevent the active material falling out) are in the case of each
member filed flush or smooth, and the series of members A which are made
of uniform length, are assembled in requisite number to form an electrode or plate.
For this purpose the members A are placed edge to edge at suitable intervals apart
and are connected at top and bottom by bars of lead (containing a small percen-
tage of antimony or other alloy) to which their smoothed ends are united by
autogenous soldering or burning on so as to make a rigid structure or plate of grid-
like form and ensure good conductive union with the connecting bars, of which
the top one is provided with the usual lugs h for connection with the terminal of
the cell.
A series of such grid-like plates may be combined to form an electrode, the
plates being arranged parallel to one another at suitable intervals apart and con-
nected together (as shewn in the drawings) by means of bridge pieces i burnt on
to the lugs h. In this case the plates forming respectively the positive and the
negative electrodes are disposed alternately so as to face one another, the bridge
pieces connecting respectively the positive and the negative elements, being pre-
ferably at opposite ends of the cell as shewn and having each a tang ; adapted to
pass through the cover k of the cell for attachment to the conducting wire. The
adjacent positive and negative elements are held apart preferably by means of
diaphragms formed of corrugated sheets of perforated vulcanite or other suitable
material, and the entire series of elements rests upon ribs or bars m of insulating
material so as to afford access of the electrolyte to all portions of the electrodes, the
arrangement as a whole being exceedingly compact and presenting a very large
active surface within a relatively small space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is: :-
1. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of a flattened envelope of
perforated sheet lead, a mass of active material enclosed by said envelope, and a
central core embedded in the active material and consisting of a strip of per-
forated sheet lead having end lugs of lead which serve as distance pieces to main-
tain the space for the active material between the core and the envelope, substan-
tially as specified.
2. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of a grid-like plate formed
of a series of flat bar-like members juxtaposed edgewise at suitable intervals apart
and connected together at top and bottom by bars of lead; each such bar-like
member consisting of a flattened envelope of perforated sheet lead, a mass of
active material enclosed by said envelope, and a core embedded in the active
material and consisting of a strip of perforated sheet lead of the same length as
the envelope and having end lugs of lead which serve as distance pieces to
maintain the space for the active material between the core and envelope sub-
stantially as specified.
3. An electrode for secondary batteries consisting of a series of grid-like plates
arranged parallel to and facing one another at suitable intervals apart and connected
together by means of bridge pieces of lead burnt on to the projecting lugs of the
plates, each such grid-like plate being composed of a series of flat bar-like members
juxtaposed edgewise at suitable intervals apart and connected together at top and
bottom by bars of lead: each such bar-like member consisting of a flattened
envelope of perforated sheet lead, a mass of active material enclosed by said
envelope, and a core embedded in the active material and consisting of a strip of
perforated sheet lead of the same length as the envelope and having end lugs of

page_text: lead which serve as distance pieces to maintain the space for the active material
between the core and envelope, substantially as. specified.
4. A secondary battery in which the positive and negative electrodes consist
each of a series of grid-like plates forming elements arranged parallel to one
another, the positive and negative elements being disposed alternately so as to face
one another at intervals apart maintained by means of perforated diaphragms
of insulating material as described; the elements of the positive end of the
negative electrodes being respectively connected by means of bridge pieces of lead
burnt on to the projecting lugs of the grid-like plates; each such grid-like plate
being composed of a series of flat bar-like members juxtaposed edgewise at suitable
intervals apart and connected together at top and bottom by bars of lead; each
such bar-like member consisting of a flattened envelope of perforated sheet lead, a
mass of active material enclosed by said envelope and a core embedded in the active
material and consisting of a strip of perforated sheet lead of the same length
as the envelope and having end lugs of lead which serve as distance pieces to
maintain the space for the active material between the core and envelope substan-
tially as specified.
ay of January 1900.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.
TMAT STIM na