Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Secondary Battery Elements.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Secondary
Battery Elements.
1. JAMES SHANNON STEVENSON, of the Jarrow Chemical Works, South
Shields, in the County of Durham, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
In the Specification of a Patent No. 11390 of 20th August 1887 granted to me
there is described the making of an element wherein plates or small pieces of
active material are placed in a mould and lead or alloy is poured round them.
The production of these pellets or small pieces is troublesome owing to the nature
of the material operated upon and the object of this invention is to provide means
for effecting the desired object with facility. According to this invention the
active material is pressed between surfaces or devices which are so formed or
arranged as to include recessed parts corresponding to the size and shape of the
pellets or pieces to be formed and projecting or marginal portions which make
grooves or weakened parts in the active material when it is pressed between the
surfaces or devices. When the material so treated is removed from between the
surfaces or devices and sufficiently dried it can be easily broken or severed at
the weakest parts and so be reduced to the required pellets or pieces of the
required size.
Dated this 13th day of March 1890.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Manufacture of Secondary
Battery Elements.
JAMES SHANNON STEVENSON of the Jarrow Chemical Works South
Shields in the County of Durham Electrical 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 :-
In the Specification of a Patent No. 11390 of 20th August 1887 granted to me
there is described the making of an element wherein plates or small pieces of
active material are placed in a mould and lead or alloy is poured round them.
The production of these pellets or small pieces is troublesome owing to the nature
of the material operated upon and the object of this invention is to provide means
for effecting the desired object with facility.
According to this invention the active material is pressed between surfaces or
devices which are so formed or arranged as to include recessed parts corresponding
to the size and shape of the pellets or pieces to be formed and projecting or
marginal portions which make grooves or weakened parts in the active material
when it is pressed between the surfaces or devices. When the material so treated
is removed from between the surfaces or devices and sufficiently dried it can be
easily broken or severed at the weakest parts and so be reduced to the required
pellets or pieces of the required size.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing shews in plan with a part of the top
portion removed and Figures 2 and 3 are sections on the line 1. 2 and 3. 4 respec-
tively of a mould adapted for the production of pellets or pieces of active material
in the manner described. The mould consists of two similar halves A. B. with

page_text: corresponding hollows a band projections a² 1. When the two parts A and B are
placed together as shewn they come in contact with each other only at the two
ends, but not quite in contact between the corresponding projections a³ and b². It
is thus evident that if any plastic material be tightly squeezed between the parts A
and B it will be formed into a cake consisting of pellets or pieces of the size of the
spaces a and b together connected by a thin piece of material corresponding to the
space between the projections a² which pellets or pieces when the cake is removed
from the mould can be readily broken away from each other.
For bringing the two sides of the mould together I may use any suitable means
but I prefer to use an ordinary hydraulic press to the fixed upper face of which
the upper half B of the mould is attached stout pins (say four) fitted into the
upper face of the press pass through corresponding holes in the upper half of the
mould and project below it into corresponding holes a in the lower part A to a
distance say a little short of the thickness of the said lower half.
Having prepared the composition to the required consistency, I place on the
lower half A of the mould a piece of thin cloth or other suitable material of such
a width as to be clear of the holes a³ and of such a length as to fall some distance
clear of each side of the mould. On this cloth is spread a sufficient quantity of
the composition to fill the mould when the two parts A and B are brought together.
This amount is readily determined by a moveable gauge or frame which forms a
temporary wall to the lower part of the mould while the composition is being
spread over it. The composition may be levelled by a roller inade to run on the
top edges of the gauge or frame a piece of cloth being first placed on the upper
surface of the composition to prevent it from adhering to the roller.
The gauge is now removed and a second piece of cloth is placed on the surface
of the composition. The lower half A of the mould is now placed on the moving
face of the press and forced up to meet the upper half B of the mould attached to
the fixed upper face of the hydraulic press the herein before mentioned pins acting
as guides to ensure the due correspondence of the two halves A and B. The
operation is continued till the superfluous composition is squeezed out at the sides,
the stubborn nature of the composition necessitating a considerable pressure to
effect this. The pressure is now released and the cake of composition separates
from the upper half B and comes away with the lower half A which lower half
is now removed from the press and by cautiously inverting the mould the moulded
cake of composition may be removed. When the composition has become suffi-
ciently dry the cloths may be stripped off and the cake is easily broken up at the
thin portions into the pieces required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
In or for the manufacture of secondary battery elements the method of moulding
and forming the cake and pellets or pieces of active material substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Date
Ր
1.
1000
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.