Improvements in and relating to Storage Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug.,
1899
Improvements in and relating to Storage Batteries.
I, SAMUEL YOKE HEEBNER, Banker, residing at Highland Avenue, in the City
and County of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
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:-
Figure 1 is a side view of a series of cells.
Figure 2 is a plan view.
Figures 3 and 4 are sections on lines - and y-y, Figure, 2.
Figures 5 to 9 illustrate steps in forming the active material from lead tape.
Figure 10 shows a part of the electrode frame, and
Figure 11 one of the electrodes.
Figures 12 and 13 illustrate a modified electrode.
The cells, trays or cups are indicated at A, A1, A2, A3. Each resembles the
others, and has an upper, flaring, thin insulating portion B, and also the in-
sulating bottom portion B.
One object is to provide for nesting cells of minimum weight and maximum
power constructed to allow the bottom of one to rest upon the bottom of another,
the upper parts being thin and light and out of contact with each other.
The bottom portion B1 is preferably shallow, with thicker and heavier walls,
and the sides vertical or so shaped as to permit snug fitting. This bottom part
has projections or thickened parts C, preferably one at each corner, and there
are passage ways at C. Lugs can be employed for several purposes.
Upon the inside there is a series of lugs or thickened parts C³, preferably ex-
tending to the top of the base B'.
Such cells can be readily superposed and nested one within another, that at
A', for instance, within that at A, and having its outside thick parts Cresting
on the inner lug or shoulder (3 of cell A. These thickened parts also lock the
cells against lateral displacement, and space the upper parts B to hold them out
of contact.
I also employ electrodes novelly constructed and arranged. Each has a cross
plate or bar in a series of fingers or projections. The positive electrode has
bar E and the fingers E2; and the negative has bar F and the bars or fingers F³.
They are arranged in couples, a positive and a negative being placed in each
cell or tray. The fingers or bars 2 F2 interlap. All are horizontally arranged
and can readily be submerged in a shallow mass of electrolyte.
The electrode fingers or bars F2 each has a top bar and a bottom bar f and a
series of vertical bars f¹ together with a lug f for attachment.
The negative of one cell is connected with the positive of the cell above by a
conductor G. In the openings between the bars f, f', I place the active
material. Lead tape H, Fig. 5, is indented or corrugated by rollers I with
emery surfaces, or otherwise. Lead is then by devices I¹ 12, or otherwise, cut
Di Q77

page_text: into lengths J, Fig. 8, which are slotted or grooved as at .
inserted into the frame pieces F2, its slots i receiving bars f,
sections being placed together to form an active mass G¹.
aperture to permit expansion, see dotted lines Fig. 13.
The sections J are
f¹ and a number of
Space is left in each
The solid supporting metal f, f' is greatly reduced relative to the mass of
active material supported by it.
The two electrodes occupy but little room vertically; hence the mass and
weight of the series of electrodes is central and substantially continuous. The
thin flaring walls at B can be extended up without increasing weight to serve
as a guard against spilling. Hence the battery is superior to those having
rubber or insulating walls, which are thick throughout so as to be strong, each
capable of supporting another at its upper edge.
In the bottom of each cell there are depressions or cavities K to receive the
sediment resulting from the electrolytic action and allow it to escape from
contact of the electrodes.
The positive arms E3 and negative arms F2 are spaced by insulating devices L,
preferably sinuous rubber strips, perforated at 7 to permit circulation.
M are reinforcing angle pieces of rubber integrally secured to the cells at the
corners.
In Figs. 12 and 13 are shown a vertical electrode and its frame, the latter
being divided by bars n, n into compartments wherein are placed masses of the
above described sections of lead tape.
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-
1. In a storage battery a series of hard rubber, or non-conducting trays each
having an upper flaring portion and an approximately vertical base portion, the
base portion of one having its outer surface fitted and bearing horizontally
against the inner wall of the one below, and bearing directly downward upon the
base portion of the one below, substantially as set forth.
2. În a storage battery, a series of two or more hard rubber or non-conducting
cells, each having upward and outward flaring walls, and a horizontal bottom
wall, in combination with electrodes arranged in couples, the electrodes of each
couple lying in the same horizontal planes, and situated between the bottom walls
of one cell and the bottom wall of the cell below, substantially as set forth.
3. In a storage battery a series of superposed, nested, hard rubber, or non-
conducting cells, each having an upper flared portion and a lower substantially
vertical base portion, the base portion of one cell resting upon the base portion
of the one below and receiving the base portion of the one above, and having, in
the interior of its base, lugs or supports to receive the vertical thrust of the one
above and exterior lugs or projections with passage ways between them for fitting
laterally against the base portion of the cell below, substantially as described.
4. A storage battery having a series of superposed and nested, upward and
outward flaring, hard rubber, or non-conducting cells, each cell having a hori-
zontal bottom wall, in combination with electrodes arranged in couples, the
electrodes of each couple lying between the bottom wall of one cell and the
bottom wall of the cell below, and both resting upon the upper side of the bottom
wall of the lower cell, substantially as set forth.
5. The herein described battery electrode consisting of a number of strips of
lead tape bound together face to face and having the faces of the tape sections
corrugated or indented in the manner described, substantially as set forth.
6. A storage battery having a series of superposed nested upward and outward
flaring, hard rubber, or non-conducting cells, each cell having a horizontal
bottom wall, in combination with a negative electrode having a series of hori-
zontally projecting arms and a positive electrode having a series of horizontally
projecting arms, said positive arms and negative arms being disposed in the same

page_text: horizontal planes, and lying between the bottom wall of one cell and the bottom
wall of the cell below, substantially as set forth.
7. In a storage battery, a cell having a negative electrode with a series of
laterally projecting fingers or arms and a positive electrode having a series of
alternating fingers or arms, each lying between two of the negative arms, and a
spacing and bracing device formed of perforated hard rubber or equivalent
material, corrugated or bent into sinuous form, substantially as set forth.
Datad this hightaanth day of T 1800
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.