Improvements in Lead Accumulators
Year: 1896

page_text: ARCHELAUS DODD No. 135 Coleman Street Whitmore Reans Wolverhampton
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Improvements in Lead Accumulators, with Plates made up of thin Lead strips
roughed or corrugated & placed together in such a manner as to have interstices
between. The strip after roughing & corrugating is conveniently folded on a frame
or mold in the form of a zigzag so that when closed it will resemble the uncut
leaves of a book. After folding the one complete set of ends is soldered to a suitable
suspender which also acts as conductor, the other complete set of ends is left to hang
free & may be held from straggling by an india rubber band & vulcanite strips.
The acumulators may be made up of any determined number of these plates as
above described.
My Invention Consists of taking Lead strips & roughing or corrugating same in
such manner, that when two such thin strips are laid togather it will leave interstices
betwen. Such thin strips which may be of suitable thickness from to parts
of an Inch and of suitable width from to of an Inch varing for varing sizes of
Plates. This strip I fold up as the leaves of a Book either in a Mould or on a
suitable frame, when the strips are taken from the Mould or frame they will be a zig
zag, and when closed up they will lie as the leaves in an uncut Book, but will leave
interstices formed by the corrugations or projections above mentioned. I then take
the folded strips and melt or solder the whole of the one set of ends of the strips so
folded to a cast suspender, or the strips may be cut in lengths & laid togather then
the one set of ends soldered or melted to supender as above. The suspender also
being the conductor, and would be comparable to the binding of a Book. This
suspender may be cast of Lead or Lead Antimony alloy. And its form is also of
Importance it may be cast with lugs to project at each end so that when attached to
the strips as explained it will form a Plate and the lugs may rest on the side of the
vessel or cell and so suspend the strips, then forming a Plate or the lugs may rest on
any suitable frame placed in the vessel or cell, the lower end of the strips forming
Plates may be left free. Or a rubber band & vulcanite strips sprung over them to
keep the ends from straggling, any suitable seperator may be used to keep the Plates
from coming in contact. A cell is made up of any determined number of such
Plates as they are Identical in form and Materiel both Positive & negative sides of
the cell they may vary in thicknes.
T
11:04 dawn Desomban 1906.
ARCHELAUS DODD,
135 Coleman Street Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton.

page_text: I, ARCHELAUS DODD, of 135 Coleman Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton in
the County of Stafford, 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 :---
This invention has for its object an improved construction of plate for use in
accumulators, or storage electric batteries.
An accumulator plate constructed according to this invention is made up of lead
strip or ribbon which has, preferably, corrugated surfaces or surfaces of like character
mechanically produced, and is folded together vertically, or short lengths thereof
placed face towards face vertically, and the upper ends of the folds or lengths joined
to a lead or lead-antimony alloy bar or suspender by soldering or burning, or by
casting the bar thereto. The bar or suspender is formed with projecting ends to rest
upon the sides of the vessel or cell or upon a suitable frame placed within such vessel
or cell, and such bar or suspender of course acts also as a conductor.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe a
convenient practical application thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings, of
which
Figure 1 shews an edge view, and Figure 2 a broadways view, of a portion
of a length of lead strip or ribbon, partially formed to the shape of an intended
plate.
Figure 3 shews a front or flatways view of a complete plate formed chiefly from a length
of strip of which a portion is shewn by Figures 1 and 2, the upper folds of the strip
being joined with a bar or suspender by soldering or burning or by casting the bar
thereto. The bar and upper ends of the folded strip are shewn in this view as if the
bar were placed against such ends preparatory to soldering or burning thereto; and
the middle portion of this view is shewn as broken away, for convenience of
illustration.
Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line xx of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an edgeway view, to an exaggerated scale, of a short length of the strip
or ribbon when the same has been corrugated.
The strip a is first bent, upon a frame, or in a mould, or in any convenient manner,
to the zig-zag shape shewn by Figures 1 and 2. It is then closed up concertina-
fashion to the shape shewn by Figure 3, and then the upper folds are soldered or
burnt to the bar or suspender b, which is formed with projecting ends or lugs b, as
shewn, to rest upon the sides of the vessel or cell within which the plate is to be
placed or on a suitable frame placed within such vessel or cell; or the bar b may he
joined to the upper folds by casting it thereto in a mould. The bar b is, as before
explained, utilized as a conductor. The lower ends of the folds may be left to hang
down free within the cell, or they may be held together, to prevent them straggling, by
means of an indiarubber band c between which and the edges of the strip is placed
on each side a strip of vulcanite d. The lower ends of the folds may be cut off, if
desired.
When, as is preferred, the lead strip or ribbon is corrugated, interstices are left
between the opposing faces thereof which readily allow of expansion caused by
oxidation, and allow also free passage of the electrolyte. The strip or ribbon has the
surfaces thereof preferably milled, previously to being corrugated or otherwise
roughened to produce a surface of like character, so as to form a number of small or
minute indentations and projections to increase the area as much as is conveniently
possible. The milling is effected by passing the strip or ribbon between a pair of
milled rolls.

page_text: The bar b is shewn as rectangular in section, but it may be of any suitable section,
such as T or H section which combines lightness with strength.
The strip a is conveniently from 10, to of an inch in thickness, and from to
I
of an inch in width, according to the size of plates required; but the thickness and
width of the strip may, of course, be varied considerably, as will be understood.
Any desired number of plates constructed according to this invention may, of
course, be used to make up a cell. Any suitable separator may be used to prevent
the plates coming in contact.
Figure 5, above described, is given as an example of a roughened surface of the
strip or ribbon; but the method of roughening may be varied considerably, as will
be obvious.
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. A plate for an accumulator, or storage electric battery, composed of lead strip
or ribbon, having, preferably, corrugated surfaces or surfaces of like character
mechanically produced, with several thicknesses of the strip or ribbon placed
vertically together face towards face and their upper ends joined with a bar or
suspender by soldering or burning or by casting the bar or suspender thereto,
substantially as described.
2. A plate for an accumulator, or storage electric battery, composed of lead strip
or ribbon, having, preferably, corrugated surfaces or surfaces of like character
mechanically produced, folded vertically with the lengths of the folds face towards
face and with the upper ends of the folds joined with a bar or suspender by
soldering or burning or by casting the bar or suspender thereto, and whether the
lower ends of the folls are cut off or not, substantially as described.
3. A surrounding belt of material which is impervious, or substantially so, to
the electric action, in combination with a number of folds or lengths of lead strip
or ribbon used in the construction of a plate for an accumulator or storage electric
battery, and of which strip or ribbon several thicknesses are placed together face
towards face, and are joined at their upper ends with a bar or suspender by
soldering or burning or by casting the bar or suspender thereto, the purpose of such
surrounding belt being to prevent the straggling of the lower ends of such folds or
lengths, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of September 1897.
STEPHEN WATKINS,
Wolverhampton, Agent for the Applicant.