Improvements in Electrical Batteries.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1897-Accepted, 1st Jan., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Batteries.
We WILLIAM WALLACE HANSCOм, of No. 612 O'Farrell Street, City and County
of San Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Electrical Engineer
and ARTHUR HOUGH of Nos. 217-219 Crocker Building, City and County of San
Francisco, aforesaid, Electro Chemist do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 Batteries and more par-
ticularly to Storage Batteries, and consists in the construction and composition of
the elements thereof.
Heretofore the elements of these batteries have been constructed perferably of
some form of lead, the lead on the one side of the charging current being con-
verted into spongy lead, and on the other side into per-oxide of lead. These two
plates have, in discharging, given off an electrical current or energy proportionate
to the bulk of the active material contained in them. This active material has
been used with various forms of supports. Those forms most favorably received
have been the grid. The grid has generally consisted of metallic lead plates or
frames having openings or perforations into which the active material has been
placed and held mechanically. The purpose of the grid has been twofold, to wit:
that of supporting the active material, and that of forming a contact for convey-
ing the current from the active material. In the elements so constructed there has
always existed one prominent objection,. the avoidance of which is the principal
object of this invention. This objection has been, and is, the formation of bodies,
or material, chemically or electro-chemically, between the active material and the
grid, which bodies. when forming the elements cause internal resistances detri-
mental to the batteries, as the quantity of the discharging current is greatly
affected thereby.
A further objection has existed with reference particularly to those elements
which have been constructed from some form of lead, which has been the over
production, within the active material, of sulphate of lead of a certain electro
resistance. This causes within the active material itself a diminution of the
discharging current and to overcome this latter objection forms the further object
of the present invention.
In the drawings.
Fig. 1, is the side view of a plate or element constructed in conformity with this
invention.
Fig. 2, is a cross section of the active material as it appears in its spongy state
prior to the ribs and the edges being pressed.
Fig. 3, is a cross section of the same after the ribs and edges have been pressed.
The heavier section lines indicating the greater density of the pressed parts.
To facilitate the description, with reference to the drawings, we will let the
letter A, indicate the active material'; the letter, B, the pressed strengthening ribs

page_text: or sections, and the letter, C, the strengthening contact strip. For the designation
of any particular features of the various parts as above set forth we will use the
letter of that part and raise its power by a numeral.
The active material used in this invention consists in the ad-mixture of the
litharge and cane sugar, the latter being used in a relative percentage of from one
to twenty per cent. according as the porousity of the plate is desired, the larger
per centage giving greater porousity. These two components are thoroughly
mixed and moistened with sulphate of ammonia solution forming the same into a
paste. The sulphuric acid contained in the sulphate of ammonia then enters
slowly into combination with the litharge. This action is slow transpiring only
as the ammonia and the sulphuric acid become separated. The sulphate of lead
thus produced forms a fine open net work which constitutes a firm and integral
support for the active material of the battery, but does not separate the particles
of active material. It makes a perfect bond throughout the plate or element and
aids substantially in the production of the pressed edges with which the plate is
provided. As the ammonia is liberated from the sulphuric acid it enters into
combination with the sugar and litharge to produce a chemical action between the
two, the result of which is to produce sucrate of lead which gives to the completed
plate a tough quality and permits the handling of them without danger of damage.
This also aids materially in the further step of pressing the edges and ribs by
rendering the material so ductile that it can stretch into proper shape instead
of cracking under the dies.
The electrolytic forming by which the plate is reduced to spongy lead is similar
to that in common use. During the process, and as the same is being electrolyti-
cally formed, the sugar is dissolved and renders the plate extremely porous, the
particles of the sugar having separated the particles or atoms of the litharge as
the same is formed into spongy lead. It is by means of the admixture of sugar
in the composition that the objection above noticed, of the production of sulphate
of lead, is overcome, there being no sulphuric acid in the sugar.
When the litharge and sugar are mixed and made into paste as before described,
the paste is placed in suitable moulds of a shape to produce the cross section shown
in Fig. 2, of drawing, having the enlargements, 13, from which the edges and
strengthening ribs, B, are subsequently formed. These ribs, B, are limited in
size and number, in order that the element may have as great a quantity of active
material exposed as possible.
"soft",
When now the composition has been electrolytically formed until the material
is in the proper condition of spongy lead, and while, as it is termed
meaning thereby that the particles are in a condition to adhere to each other
closely, the slabs or blocks are placed in suitable moulds or dies, and the enlarged
portions or ridges, B₁, are subjected to sufficient pressure to reduce them in cross
section to the surface of the plate to form compressed strengthening ribs, B, as
shown in Fig. 3, of the drawing.
Immediately these ribs are formed the plate is returned to its water bath, or it
may be carried forward to the next step in the production of the completed element
which is the affixing thereto the frame, C. By compressing the spongy lead to
produce the strengthening ribs, B, we have rendered the material in these strength-
ening ribs of a metallic nature, that will permit the welding on the contact frame, C.
This is done by casting ordinary metallic lead to the outside ribs, B, or by means of
melting the frame of the edges with hydrogen flame. The former method is that
which is preferred, and it is rendered possible by means of the prior pressing to
which the edges have been subjected. By thus welding the contact or frame to
the edge the plate is strengthening for its use in a commercial way, while, at the
same time, the contact between the active material and the contact frame, C, is
unimpaired by the reason that it is an integral contact, or weld, having no point
of separation where sulphate of lead could be produced between the active material
and the frame. This frame, C, is necessary to the production of the perfected plate
which would not, otherwise, be able to stand the rough usages to which these plates

page_text: are subjected when in use, for the reason that the ribs, B, are not of sufficient
strength to maintain the plates unimpaired unless handled wih great care...
The frame, C, is provided with the lug, C', and the two tapered extensions, C³,
which extend down either side of the element, it being desired to use as small a
quantity of this metallic lead as will readily convey the maximum discharge
current from the element and support the plate.
The plate produced by this invention we have found to be of very high efficiency,
the reason of which we are of the opinion is that we have avoided in the con-
struction, as far as it was possible, the production of sulphate of lead, between the
plate and contacts or frame and have consequently avoided the resistance which
the presence of that material in the active material itself has generally caused. A
battery so produced we have discovered has a useful life of greater duration than
those heretofore used, for it has been rendered by the construction absolutely
impossible for any sulphate to be formed between the contact or frame and the grid
of supporting ribs, or between the supporting ribs and the active material as the
whole has been constructed into a homogeneous mass.
While in this specification there has been only described one element, it will be
naturally understood that both elements are intended to be produced by the same
process except as to the step wherein the active material in one is reduced wholly
to spongy lead and in the other the edges only are reduced to spongy lead while
the body is made per-oxide of lead, but the strengthening ribs and the contact
frame in both plates we find it best to construct identically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. The method of constructing elements for storage batteries consisting in
electrolytically producing slabs of spongy lead from litharge and sulphate of
ammonia then, compressing parts thereof to a denser mass to form supports for
the said elements, substantially as described.
2. The method of constructing elements for storage batteries consisting in
mixing litharge and sugar, setting the same by adding sulphate of ammonia,
dissolving out part of the sugar and electrolytically reducing to spongy lead
substantially as described.
3. The method of constructing elements for storage batteries consisting in
mixing litharge and sugar, then moistening the mixture with sulphate of ammonia
to form the same into a paste, then moulding the paste into a desired form, then
reducing the same to spongy lead by electrolytically charging, and discharging it
until formed, substantially as described.
4. The method of constructing elements for a storage battery, consisting in
mixing litharge and sugar, then moistening the mixture with sulphate of ammonia
to form the same to a paste, then moulding the paste to form slabs having ridges
of greater thickness than the body of the said slabs, then reducing the same to
spongy lead by electrolytically charging and discharging it in a suitable electrolyte,
then compressing the said ridges to a dense mass to form supports for the
said elements, substantially as described.
5. The method of constructing elements for a storage battery consisting in
mixing litharge and sugar then moistening the mixture with sulphate of ammonia
to form the same into a paste, then mould the paste into a slab having ridges of
greater thickness than the body of the slab, then reducing the same to spongy
ead by electrolytically charging and discharging the same in a suitable electrolyte,
then compressing the said ridges to the flush surface of the said slabs to
form them into a denser mass to form supports for the said elements, substantially
as described.
6. The method of constructing elements for a storage battery consisting in form-
ng slabs of spongy lead, then compressing the edges to a dense mass to form
supports for the said elements, and then casting upon the said edges a suitable

page_text: frame of metallic lead heated sufficiently to cause a weld, substantially as
described.
7. The method of constructing elements for storage batteries consisting in elec-
trolytically producing slabs of spongy lead having ridges of greater thickness than
the body of the slab, then compressing the said ridges to a dense mass to form
supports, and welding a frame of metallic lead upon said supports, substantially as
described.
8. The method of constructing elements for storage batteries consisting in elec-
trolytically producing slabs of spongy lead, then compressing the same about the
edge to a dense mass, and welding metallic lead upon said compressed edge to form
a frame, substantially as described.
Dated this 4th dow of Naxamber 1907
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicants.