Improvements in Electric Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Electric Batteries.
We, THOMAS MACHIN, of 239, Great Colmore Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, and EDWIN CAKE, of 38, Cregoe Street, Birming-
ham, aforesaid, Baker and Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in electric batteries and has
special reference to the construction of the positive and negative plates and to
the means for supporting such plates in the cell by which we are enabled to
obtain greater power.
In carrying our invention into practice we construct our positive battery
plates from sheets of copper of any desirable size and thickness and these sheets
of copper are bent into a number of folds so as to fit or nearly fit the width
of the cell, care being taken so as to ensure a sufficient space being left between
each fold so that they do not touch. The negative battery plates are constructed
in a similar manner of sheets of zinc of a similar size and guage or thickness.
Each fold of the positive plate is preferably pierced with a number of holes
arranged in pairs and the folds of the negative plate are also pierced with a number
of holes formed in single rows of the folds of the negative and positive plates may
be left without being pierced. In order to support the negative and positive
plates in the cell which may be made of metal or glass preferably glass I fix or
attach shoulder pieces to each of the outer folds of the negative and positive
plates which hold them in an upright position. These shoulder pieces are
formed with an enlarged end or head of the same metal as their respective plates
and rest upon sheets of glass which fit loosely on either side of the cell, the
upper edges of these supports being formed with a number of grooves or slots
into which the shoulder pieces fit. The sides and lower edges of these glass
supports are preferably formed with a number of arches or slots so as to allow
the acid in the cell to freely flow all around them and also for reducing their
weight. These supports may also be pierced with a number of holes so as to
still further reduce their weight. The lower portions of the positive and negative
plates are supported in slots formed in bars placed in the bottom of the cell at
right angles or thereabouts to the plates.
The folds of the positive and negative plates are each covered or wrapped
with a piece or strip of flannel or other wollen substance or other suitable material
so as to prevent contact between each fold and these strips of flannel are
wrapped around the folds so as to cover their upper and lower edges, the loose
ends of the flannel being secured to the outer folds by small hooks or their
equivalents.
Placed in the cell between each positive and negative plate is a fluted wood
partition and on the upper edge of this partition we form two or more projecting
lugs for holding or supporting it in case the rubber bands which are usually
employed for holding the plates together should in any way get loose. The lower
edge of the partition rests in the same slots in the bars at the bottom of the

page_text: cell in which the positive and negative plates rest. In order to allow these
partitions to come flush with or flat against the plates we form a recess at the
side or sides for the shoulder pieces on the plates to fit into.
Instead of forming the positive plate of copper and the negative plate of zine
they may be formed of other suitable metal if desired.
We form the small poles which are attached to the plates with a slot in the
base for the end of the fold of each plate to fit into and we provide each end
of the folds of the positive and negative plates with one of these poles. The
pole on the one end of the positive plate is connected to the pole on the end of
the next positive plate and the pole on the one end of negative plate is connected
to the pole on the end of the next negative plate. Each pole on the ends of the
plates being connected in a like manner but the poles on the ends of the plates
nearest to the ends of the cell may be left free.
The large poles which are fixed in the centre of the cell are formed with
two slots in their base which embrace or fit onto the two centre folds of the
centre positive and negative plates.
Dated this 16th day of
1000
THOMAS MACHIN.
EDWIN CAKE.
By George Barker,
Fellow of The Chartered Inst. of Patent Agents,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.
Improvements in Electric Batteries,
We, THOMAS MACHIN, of 239, Great Colmore Street, Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Engineer, and EDWIN CAKE, 38, Cregoe Street, Birming-
ham aforesaid, Baker and Confectioner, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention has for its object improvements in electric batteries and has
special reference to the construction of the positive and negative plates and to
the means for supporting such plates in the cell by which we are enabled to
obtain greater power.
In carrying our invention into practice we construct our positive battery
plates from sheets of copper of any desirable size and thickness and these sheets
of copper are bent into a number of folds so as to fit or nearly fit the width
of the cell, care being taken so as to ensure a sufficient space being left between
each fold. The negative battery plates are constructed of sheets of zinc of a
similar size and gauge or thickness so as to fit between the folds of the positive
plate. Each fold of the positive plate is preferably pierced with a number of
holes arranged in pairs and the negative plates are also pierced with a number
of holes formed in single rows or the negative plates and the positive plates may
be left without being pierced. In order to support the positive and negative
plates we place into the cell sheets of glass which fit on either side of the cell
and thus support the plates. The sides and lower edges of these glass supports
are preferably formed with a number of arches or slots so as to allow the acid in
the cell to freely flow all round them and also for reducing their weight. The lower
portions of the positive and negative plates are supported in slots formed in
bars placed in the bottom of the cell at right angles or thereabouts to the plates.

page_text: Instead of forming the positive plate of copper and the negative plate of zinc they
may be formed of other suitable metal if desired.
In order that our invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried
into practical effect we have appended hereunto two double sized sheets of
drawings upon which we have illustrated our improved battery.
Figure 1 is a plan view of our battery with the lid or cover of the box
containing the battery open.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of Figure 1 taken on the line a-b.
Figure 3 is a part sectional side elevation of a modified form of our battery.
Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the negative plates of our battery.
Figure 5 is a similar view to Figure 4 shewing a modified form of negative
plate.
In carrying our invention into practice we construct the positive plates B of
our battery from a sheet of copper of any desirable size and thickness. This
sheet of copper is then folded or bent into a number of folds which folds fit or
nearly fit the width of the cell A a sufficient space being left between each fold.
The negative plates D) are formed of sheets of zinc and fit in the spaces 62 between
the folds of the positive plate these negative plates are constructed with the
neck or extending piece which may be formed with the plate as shown at
Figure 4 or attached to the plate as shown at Figure 5. The necks or extending
pieces of the negative plates are each fixed or attached to the cross piece E
which extends across the battery and is connected at one end to the terminal F
as clearly shown at Figures 1 & 2 by which means the negative plates are held
firmly in position, the terminal H being connected to the opposite end of the
positive plate. Fitted into the bottom of the cell A are the cross pieces J made of
wood and upon which the lower ends of the negative and positive plates rest
so as to allow the acid to flow all round the plates. In the method as shewn at
Figures 1 & 2 the positive plates B are supported in the cell by the end folds 1
exactly fitting against the angle corners of the cell but in the method as shown
at Figure 3 we form the corners of the cell square and support or prevent the
positive plates B from moving out of position by the glass supports K which fit
down the sides of the cell and against the ends of the folds of the positive
plates. The lower edges of these glass supports rest in grooves formed in the
strips or bars L placed at the bottom of the cell and the upper edges of the glass
supports fit in grooves formed in the strips or bars L¹ which stretch across the
plates as clearly shewn at Figure 3, by this means the positive plates are rigidly
held in position in the cell. The glass supports may be pierced with a number
of holes so as to reduce the weight and the glass supports may be formed at
their lower edges with a number of arches or slots so as to further reduce their
weight.
For the purpose of rigidly supporting the negative plates and preventing the
negative and positive plates coming in contact we fit the strips of vulcanite or
other suitable material between each as clearly shewn at Figures 1 and 2.
Instead of forming the positive plate of copper and the negative plates of
zinc they may be formed of other suitable metal such as platinum and iron
respectively, if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that wliat
we claim is:-
CLAIMS.
First: The improvements in electric batteries consisting essentially in form-
ing the positive plate out of one piece of metal bent into a number of folds such
as b sufficient space being left between each fold to enable the negative plates to
fit between in the manner substantially as herein set forth and as shewn upon
the accompanying sheets of drawings.
Second: In electric batteries the positive plate such as B bent or folded so as

page_text: to leave spaces such as 6 into which the negative plates such as D are placed
in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein set forth and as shewn
upon the accompanying sheets of drawings.
THIS
1053.
THOMAS MACHIN &
EDWIN CAKE,
By George Barker,
. Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Patent Agents,
Agent for Applicants. 77, Colmore Row, Birmingham.