Improvements in Electrical Storage Accumulators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896
17th Fab 126 Accented 21st Mar
1896
Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Feb, 12:6 Accepted 21st Mar
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Storage Accumulators.
I, CHARLES NIGEL STEWART, of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in electrical storage accumulators, and it
has for its objects to increase the mechanical strength of the cell so as to render it
able to withstand vibration; to decrease the weight of the cell per ampère hour of
capacity and discharge; to diminish the cubical capacity; to obtain a high rate of
discharge without injury to the battery; to prevent the shedding of the active
material; to obtain such a large surface of contact as to allow a high rate of
charge; and to protect the conductor or collector from being acted on by the
electrolyte.
These results are obtained by constructional modifications which have for effect
to increase the mechanical strength and electrical efficiency of the accumulator to
such an extent that the life of the accumulator will be greatly lengthened.
Each element is encased in a perforated tube or cell of celluloid, vulcanite, or
other suitable insulating material, moulded of tubular form or made by folding the
material in the sheet to a cylindrical or prismatic form, and closed at bottom by
a cap.
Within this tube or cell is placed a conductor of lead or an alloy of lead and
antimony or other suitable material cast or otherwise made in the form of a grid,
lattice, or other open work, which is coiled or rolled upon itself to an open spiral or
approximately circular or other form adapted to suit the form of the cell so that a
space is left all round between the conductor and the sides of the cell and within
or between the coils of the conductor which spaces are then filled with the active
material. This may be ordinary lead oxide and sulphuric acid or litharge and
caustic potash or any other suitable mixture and it may either be put in dry and
be then saturated or it may have previously been mixed. In either case the
material is packed tightly and the cell is filled up to the top which may be closed
by a cap. The grid or frame is provided with a conductive tang which stands up
vertically from the innermost edge of the frame or conductor when rolled as above
described or otherwise produced and this tang is sheathed in a tube of glass,
celluloid, porcelain, or other insulating and protective material in order to prevent
it being acted on by the electrolyte. This tang is shouldered near the top and the
projecting end passed through a hole in a lead cross bar and is "burnt
top of the bar, thus making a solid joint.
over on
The cells may be of circular, square, diamond, or other section and in mounting
the battery they may be arranged in rows running longitudinally and transversely
diagonally or in quincunx order, the rows of positive and negative elements being
in alternate order, all the elements of each row being coupled to the same cross
bar and the rows of elements of like polarities coupled in parallel to the respective
terminals.
The positive cells are preferably a little larger than the negatives but there are
a greater number of negative elements and of rows of negative elements than of
positive elements, the total number depending on the capacity required. The
elements are placed as close together as possible in the outer box, leaving sufficient
room for the passage of the electrolyte between them and they are held in position

page_text: by fitting into corresponding apertures in a wooden or other tray placed in the
bottom of the box and by a similarly apertured plate embracing the tops of the
cells and resting on supports within the box, this top piece being also apertured to
allow of the escape of the gases evolved. By making the cells of square, and
particularly of diamond, section the area of the surface presented to the electrolyte
is very large compared to the volume of the cells and consequently a very high
rate of discharge may be obtained.
Dated January 7th 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
I, CHARLES NIGEL STEWART of 39, Victoria Street, in the City of
Westminster, 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 improvements in electrical storage accumulators and it
has for its objects to increase the mechanical strength of the cell so as to render it
able to withstand vibration, to decrease the weight of the cell per ampère hour of
capacity and discharge, to diminish the cubical capacity, to obtain a high rate of
discharge without injury to the battery, to prevent the shedding or falling away
of the active material, to obtain such a large surface of contact as to allow a high
rate of charge, and to protect the conductor or collector from being acted on by
the electrolyte. These results are obtained by constructional modifications which
have for effect to increase the mechanical strength and electrical efficiency of the
accumulator to such an extent that the life of the accumulator will be greatly
lengthened.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
wherein
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an element.
Figure 2 shews a grid contact or collector before bending.
Figures 3 and 4 are respectively sectional plan and elevation of a single
element.
Figure 5 is a vertical section of a complete cell or battery.
Figures 6 to 9 are diagrammatic plan views shewing forms and modes of
arranging and coupling elements to form a cell or battery.
Each element is encased in a perforated tube or container A of celluloid,
vulcanite, or other suitable insulating material moulded of tubular form or made
by folding the material in the sheet to a cylindrical, square, diamond, or other
prismatic form and closed at bottom by a cap a.
Within this tube is placed a conductor or collector B of lead or an alloy of lead
and antimony or other suitable material cast or otherwise made in the form of a
grid, lattice, or other open work, for example as shewn in Figure 2 which is coiled
or rolled to a form such as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 or other analogous form
approximating to the form of the container so that a space is left all round between
the conductor and the sides of the tubular container and within or between the
coils of the conductor.
The whole tube is theu filled with the active material which may be ordinary
lead oxide and sulphuric acid, or litharge and caustic potash, or any other suitable
mixture, and it may either be put in dry and be then saturated or it may have
previously been mixed. In either case the material is packed tightly and the
container is filled up to the top which may be closed by a cap a as shewn in

page_text: Figure 1 but this is not necessary. The conductor or collector B is provided with
a projecting tang b which stands up vertically from the innermost edge of the frame
or conductor when rolled as above described so as to project about centrally through
the top of the element and this tang is sheathed in a tube D of glass, celluloid,
porcelain, or other insulating and protective material as shewn in section in
Figure 4 in order to prevent the tang being acted on by the electrolyte. This tang
is shouldered near the top as at b' and the projecting end passed through a hole in
a lead cross bar E and is "burnt" over on top of the bar, thus making a solid
conductive joint.
The elements are placed as close together as possible in an outer box F as shewn
in sectional elevation in Figure 5 leaving sufficient room for the passage of the
electrolyte between them and they are held in position by fitting into corresponding
apertures in a wooden or other tray G placed in the bottom of the box. There
may or may not be a similarly apertured plate G embracing the tops of the tubular
containers and resting on supports within the box, this top piece being also
apertured to allow of the escape of the gases evolved.
The elements may be arranged in rows as shewn in Figures 6 and 9 for round
elements, or as shewn in Figures 7 and 8 for square and diamond-shaped elements,
the rows of positive and negative elements being in alternate order, all the elements
of the same row being coupled to the same cross bar E, the bars corresponding to
rows of positive elements being connected to a bar El and those corresponding to
rows of negative elements being connected to a bar E2 as indicated in Figures 5, 6,
7, 8, 9.
The positive elements are preferably a little larger than the negative elements
but there is always a greater number of negative elements and of rows of negative
elements than of positive elements as shewn in the various examples Figures 5 to 9
the total number depending on the capacity required.
By making the containers of square and particularly of diamond section the area
of the surface presented to the electrolyte is very large compared to the volume of
the element and consequently a very high rate of discharge may be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
An electrical accumulator element formed of a grid or other open form of
contact or collector of conductive material rolled openly as described embedded in
active material packed into and around it and contained in a perforated receptacle
of insulating material and of tubular form closed at bottom, the elements of the
cell or battery being mounted or combined as described.
Dated this 17th day of February 1896
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
53 Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.