Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1895-Accepted, 14th Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
I ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of 2 Great George Street, Westminster
London S.W. Civil and Electrical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The objects of my invention are to construct the elements of electric secondary
batteries so that they shall be lighter than at present, also so that they shall be
cheaply made, efficient in working and have a long life.
It is well known that batteries made of cells or elements after the Planté type
are heavy and costly to make ready for use and many schemes have been contrived
and many Patents taken out to use thin sheets of lead folded in various ways but
I believe that the following invention is new.
I take a sheet of lead of say 022 inch thickness and corrugate it in ridges of
say 125 inch pitch, I cut the lead sheet in strips of say 2-5 inch width.
The corrugations may be rolled, or made in the sheet after it, is cut into strips
and they are at an angle of, say 45 degrees to the side or length of the strip.
The above dimensions, and all those mentioned hereinafter may be varied as
desired. I give those I have worked to.
I then take one of these strips and bend or pleat it in layers of say. 3" in width.
The corrugations of the two surfaces that are opposite each other in all the layers
cross each other transversely. The corrugations serve to strengthen the strips and
the block in every direction, enormously, and also to allow the electrolyte to
permeate into and against all the surface of the lead strip, in other words when
the plates are formed every part of the material, or nearly so, becomes active
material and thus the maximum amount of storage is obtained for a given weight
of material together with great strength. Thus one strip forms one block or
section of a plate and any convenient number of sections and of any suitable size
may be formed with one plate.
These blocks are spaced a given distance apart. They are then joined by:
connecting pieces of lead burnt in by preference. A framework of lead or other
suitable material is joined top and bottom or otherwise with a lug to complete the
plate. The framework may be any convenient shape. All the plates for positives
and negatives are made similarly.
The sections or blocks are arranged when the plate is made with distances
between them to allow for expansion, and the connecting pieces being placed in the
middle of each section allow for a more or less perfect expansion.
The plates are formed in the usual way.
These plates after being formed and worked for a given time can be reversed
and the life of the cell proportionately increased.
By the above means,
"
1. The great evil of buckling is obviated, and enormous strength attained.
2. The expansion which takes place allows the active material, as it forms,
room to "6 grow," and remain in the grooves without a tendency to fall out.
3. The plates are capable of being formed cheaply and then being charged
and discharged very rapidly.

page_text: 4. The plates are reversible as the + plate can be reversed when getting
worn and the
plates made and thus the life of the cells enormously
increased.
-
5. The first cost of a battery of these plates is very small compared with that
of any other system.
Dated this 9th day of November 1894
improvements in Secondary Batteries:
I; ILLIUS AUGUSTUS TIMMIS of 2 Great George Street, Westminster
London S. W., Civil and 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:-
The objects of my invention are to construct the elements of secondary batteries
so that they shall be lighter than at present also that they shall be cheaply made,
efficient in working and have a long life.
It is well known that batteries made of cells or elements after the Plante type
are heavy and costly to make ready for use and many schemes have been contrived
and many Patents taken out to use thin sheets of lead folded in various ways, but
I believe that the following invention is new.
I take a sheet of lead of say 022 inch thickness and corrugate it in ridges of
say 125 inch pitch. I cut the lead sheet in strips of say 2.5 inches width.
The corrugations may be rolled or made in the sheet after it is cut into strips,
and they are at an angle of say 45 degrees to the side or length of the strip.
The above dimensions and all those mentioned hereinafter may be varied as
desired. I give those I have worked to.
I then take one of these strips and bend or pleat it in layers of say, 3" in width.
The corrugations of the two surfaces that are opposite each other in all the layers
cross each other transversely. The corrugations serve to strengthen the strips and
the block in every direction enormously and also to allow the electrolyte to
permeate into and against all the surface of the lead strip, in other words when
the plates are formed every part of the material, or nearly so, becomes active
material and thus the maximum amount of storage is obtained for a given weight
of material together with great strength. Thus one strip forms one block or
section of a plate and any convenient number of sections and of any suitable size
may be formed with one plate.
These blocks are spaced a given distance apart. They are joined by connecting
pieces of lead burnt in by preference. A framework of lead or other suitable
material is joined top and bottom or otherwise with a lug to complete the plate.
The framework may be any convenient shape. All the plates for positives and
negatives are made similarly.
The sections or blocks are arranged when the plate is made with distances
between them to allow for expansion, and the connecting pieces being placed in
the middle or other part of each section allow for a more or less perfect expansion.
The plates are formed in the usual way.
These plates after being formed and worked for a given time can be reversed
and the life of the cell proportionately increased.
By the above means,
1. The great evil of buckling is obviated, and enormous strength attained.
2. The expansion which takes place allows the active material, as it forms,
room to grow," and remain in the grooves without a tendency to fall out.
66

page_text: 3. The plates are capable of being formed cheaply and then being charged
and discharged very rapidly.
4. The plates are reversible as the + plate can be reversed when getting worn
and the plates made + and thus the life of the cells enormously
increased.
-
5. The first cost of a battery of these plates is very small compared with that
of any other system.
The accompanying drawings explain together with the above description the
objects of the invention.
Fig. 1 shews one method of corrugating or indenting the thin sheets or strips, of
lead the lines shew the corrugations.
Fig. 2 shews the strip after it is plaited in cross section.
Fig. 3 shews it in front view.
The corrugations stiffen the strip or plate and they cross each other in each
plait, thus increasing the surface to be acted upon.
The distance between the plaits is regulated to allow for the formation of active
material and for any expansion and thus buckling is obviated and the Ampere
capacity increased to a maximum.
Fig. 4 shews one way of making a plate. A. A. are the blocks shewn in Figs. 2
and 3, B. B. are the lead conductors and stiffeners, C. C. are the framework and
E. the tang or conductor from the plate.
Instead of four blocks as shewn there may be two or more or only one.
Spaces are shewn between the blocks-these may be any suitable size.
Fig. 5 shews a top view of a complete cell or element, O positive and Othe
negative plates, E. E. the tangs or conductors and B' the box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
(1.) In the construction of plates for electric secondary cells, the plaiting of
corrugated or indented strips of sheet lead so as to form blocks which present a
very large amount of surface and room between the plaits for the formation of
active material, as and for the purposes herein before described.
(2.) In the construction of plates for electric secondary cells, the plaiting of
strips of sheet lead so as to leave room for the formation of active material and
give strength to the block and at the same time lessen any liability to buckling as
and for the purposes herein before described.
Dated this 9th der of A na 100
I. A. TIMMIS.