Improvements in the Construction of Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Secondary Batteries.
I GUSTAVE PHILIPPART of 181 Rue de Pompe, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Accumulators or secondary batteries, as at present constructed, that is to say,
in which the active materials are applied to the electrodes in the form of a paste,
are subject to the inconvenience that these materials always have a tendency to
become detached from their supports, and to fall to the bottom of the apparatus in
the form of powder.
Now the object of the present invention is to ensure the absolute adhesion of
the active material to its support, and this object I effect in the following manner :-
The electrodes I form of homogeneous plates of lead, or of an alloy of lead, and
for the purpose of ensuring as perfect homogeneity as possible, they are strongly
compressed by suitable means, or they are obtained by casting the metal under
pressure. These plates serve as supports for the active materials, such as sulphate
of lead, the oxides of lead, or finely-divided lead.
The active materials are mixed either with glycerine, glucose, or some other
suitable liquid, so as to constitute a thin paste, which paste is spread upon a piece
of fabric, such as felt, flannel, asbestos, cloth, or india rubber tissue, and the
whole is compressed under heavy pressure, the effect of which is to force the paste
completely into the meshes of the fabric or tissue, incorporating itself therewith
completely and inseparably. The tissue thus prepared is applied to the supporting
plate, and the whole is passed under a press, or between rollers, so that after the
operation, the fabric cannot be detached. Finally, in order to ensure more completely
the adhesion of the fabric impregnated with the active material, it may, if thought
desirable, be covered with a third layer of inert material, such as celluloid. This
layer is pierced with a number of holes; the liquid of the accumulator can thus
penetrate to the fabric, and thereby come in contact with the active material.
The celluloid layer is to be compressed at the same time as the plate of lead or lead
alloy and layer of fabric, so that the electrode thus composed presents the form of a
single slab of three layers.
In practice I may give various forms to the accumulators of which the electrodes
are constructed, as above described. Thus, the accumulators may be composed of
hollow cones of lead or alloy, piled one upon the other, and separated from each other
y insulating wedges or rods.
As I have stated above, the electrodes are composed of a foundation of lead, or
lead alloy, compressed, or cast under pressure, in order to obtain homogeneous metal.
This mode of manufacture is of great importance, for if foundations of lead or alloy
obtained simply by ordinary casting are employed, they rapidly become perforated
and useless. The cones are obtained either by stamping or by casting under pressure,
by which I avoid all danger of the perforation to which the cones would otherwise be
specially liable.
In the next place, for the application of the active materials upon the supporting
plates, I form cones of suitable fabric, which I impregnate by pressure, as above
described, with the active materials, these materials being suitably diluted with
glycerine or analogous liquid. The cones of fabric are then applied to the exterior
surfaces of the lead cones, which they cover almost entirely, and I thus obtain
conical electrodes, positive on one side and negative on the other. If thought
desirable, these cones may be covered by a third cone of perforated celluloid, as
before described, and the three cones may be compressed together, so as to ensure
their perfect adherence.

page_text: The conical electrodes are piled one upon the other, but separated from each other
by insulating wedges or rods, the lowermost cone serving as the negative pole, being
placed in a conically hollowed block which serves a base for the whole pile. The
uppermost cone contains no liquid, but receives a cone of lead provided with a
terminal strip, and forms the other or positive pole of the accumulator.
The above described forms are suitable for installation at fixed stations, and in
order to diminish the loss of the exciting liquid by evaporation, the electrodes may
be placed in a closed metallic case, which may be supplied from time to time
with compressed air, or reservoirs filled with the exciting liquid may be placed
above the accumulators, communicating therewith by suitable pipes, so that cach
compartment of the accumulators may be supplied with liquid from time to time,
to compensate for the loss by evaporation.
Dated this 30th day of January 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Secondary Batteries.
1 GUSTAVE PHILIPPART of 181 Rue de Pompe, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Chemist, 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 :-
Accumulators or secondary batteries, as at present constructed, that is to say, in
which the active materials are applied to the electrodes in the form of a paste, are
subject to the inconvenience that these materials always have a tendency to become
detached from their supports, and to fall to the bottom of the apparatus in the form of
powder.
Now the object of the present invention is to ensure the absolute adhesion of the
active material to its support, and this object I effect in the following manner:
The electrodes I form of bomogeneous plates of lead, or of an alloy of lead, and
for the purpose of ensuring as perfect homogeneity as possible, they are strongly
compressed by suitable means, or they are obtained by casting the metal under
pressure. These plates serve as supports for the active materials, such as sulphate of
lead, the oxides of lead, or finely divided lead.
The active materials are mixed either with glycerine, glucose, or some other suitable
liquid, so as to constitute a thin paste, which paste is spread upon a piece of fabric
such as felt, flannel, asbestos cloth, or india rubber tissue, and the whole is subjected
to heavy pressure, the effect of which is to force the paste completely into the fabric
or tissue, incorporating itself therewith completely and inseparably. The tissue thus
prepared is applied to the supporting plate, and the whole is passed under a press, or
between rollers, so that after the operation, the fabric cannot be detached. Finally,
in order to ensure more completely the adhesion of the fabric impregnated with the
active material, it may, if thought desirable, be covered with a third layer of inert
material, such as celluloid. This layer is pierced with a number of holes; the liquid
of the accumulator can thus penetrate to the fabric, and thereby come in contact with
the active material.
The celluloid layer is to be compressed at the same time as the plate of lead or lead
alloy and layer of fabric, so that the electrode thus composed presents the form of a
single slab of three layers.
In practice, I may give various forms to the accumulators of which the electrodes
are constructed as above described. Thus, the accumulators may be composed of
hollow cones of lead or alloy, piled one upon the other, and separated from each other
by insulating wedges or rods, or spirally arranged plates may be employed.
In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated several forms.
Fig. 1 represents, in elevation and in section, a plate or electrode for an accumulator
composed of layers arranged as previously indicated.

page_text: Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a pile of inverted hollow cones forming an
accumulator.
Figs. 3 and 4 are an elevation and section, on a larger scale, of one of the hollow
cones forming the battery.
Fig. 5 represents an electrode in the form of a spirally coiled plate.
A is the foundation of lead or lead alloy compressed, or cast under pressure, in
order to obtain a homogeneous metal. This mode of manufacture is of great
importance, for if foundations of lead or alloy obtained simply by ordinary casting
are employed, they rapidly become perforated and useless. The cones are obtained
either by stamping or by casting under pressure, by which means I avoid all danger
of perforation to which the cones would otherwise be specially liable.
B are sheets or cones of suitable fabric, impregnated by pressure, as above
described, with the active materials, these materials being suitably diluted with
glycerine or analogous liquid.-The cones of fabric are then applied to the surfaces
of the lead cones A, which they cover almost entirely, and I thus obtain conical
electrodes, positive on one side and negative on the other.
C is a third cone or layer of perforated celluloid, as before described, and the three
layers may be compressed together, so as to ensure their perfect adherence.
The conical electrodes are piled one upon the other, but separated from each other
by insulating wedges or rods, the lowermost cone, serving as the negative pole,
being placed in a conically hollowed block D, which serves as a base for the whole
pile. The uppermost cone contains no liquid, but receives a cone of lead provided
with a terminal strip E, and forms the other or positive pole of the accumulator.
The above described forms, are suitable for installation at fixed stations, and in
order to diminish the loss of the exciting liquid by evaporation, the electrodes may be
placed in a closed metallic case, which may be supplied, from time to time, with
compressed air, or reservoirs filled with the exciting liquid may be placed above the
accumulators, communicating therewith by suitable pipes, so that each compartment
of the accumulators may be supplied with liquid from time to time to compensate
for the loss by evaporation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Electrodes for secondary batteries consisting of a support of lead, or lead
alloy, mechanically compressed, or cast under pressure, and a fabric impregnated
with active material adhering thereto, as hereinbefore described.
2. The application to electrodes for secondary batteries, of a neutral substance,
such as perforated celluloid, for the purpose of causing additional adhesion between
the lead support and the fabric impregnated with active material.
3. The construction and arrangement of electrodes for secondary batteries,
substantially as herein described and shewn in the drawing.
Dated this 30th day of October 1889.
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.