IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR ACCUMULATOR VOLTAIC BATTERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Achilles Khotinsky at present residing at Cannon Street
. Hotel in the City of London for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
SECONDARY OR ACCUMULATOR VOLTAIC BATTERIES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Achilles Khotinsky at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th September 1882.
ACHILLES KHOTINSKY at present residing at Cannon Street Hotel in the City of
London IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR ACCUMULATOR VOLTAIC BATTERIES"
"
;
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of secondary or
accumulator voltaic batteries in such a manner as to obtain a large storage of
electrical energy with comparatively small weight and bulk of battery.
1
1
The battery which I am about to describe consists of alternate plates or layers of
two materials, the one material being either of a carbonaceous character or perforated
sheet lead or network of lead, and the other material being spongy lead or in cases
where great energy is required in small compass, spongy platinum or palladium. I
prepare the carbonaceous layer when such is employed, by pressing together several
thicknesses of canvas or other vegetable fabric and carbonising them by exposure
to a red heat in a close vessel. I prepare the spongy lead in the following manner.
I cover one side of a plate of zinc with an insulating coating which may be a
mixture of wax and resin with a little lamp black and I immerse this plate at an
angle of about 30° with its insulated side downwards in a pure solution of acetate
of lead. In a short time, spongy lead is deposited on the plate, and this forms a
cake which can be removed. I now place a number of the layers of either the
carbon or of the perforated or network lead alternating with cakes of the spongy
lead and I subject the whole to pressure so as to formn a solid body which I surround
with two or more bands of lead to which I connect the conducting wire. When
spongy platinum or palladium is required it may be deposited. from a solution, and
employed in the same way as the spongy lead.
In preparing the carbonaceous layers as above described, it is of advantage before
carbonising to perforate the canvas or fabric by punching numerous holes through
it so as to give free passage for the gases liberated during the action of the battery.
The perforated carbonaceous plates may be used alone as negative plates of the
battery alternating with plates consisting of spongy lead on a base of carbon or of
perforated lead or lead network.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Achilles Khotinsky in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th March 1883.
ACHILLES KHOTINSKY at present residing at Cannon Street Hotel in the city of
London. IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY OR ACCUMULATOR VOLTAIC BATTERIES
-
My invention relates to the construction and arrangement of secondary or
accumulator voltaic batteries in such a manner as to obtain a large storage of
electrical energy with comparatively small weight and bulk of battery.
The battery which I am about to describe consists of alternate plates or layers of
two materials, the one material being either of a carbonaceous character, or
perforated sheet lead or network of lead, and the other material being spongy lead,
or, in cases where great energy is required in comparatively small compass, spongy
platinum or palladium. I prepare the carbonaceous layer, when such is employed,
by pressing together several thicknesses of canvas or other vegetable fabric, and
carbonising them by exposure to red heat in a close vessel. For batteries of small
size, a single thickness of canvas carbonised suffices, but for batteries of large size,
five or six thicknesses may be employed; and in order that they may the better
cobere, I soak them, before pressing them together, in starch water containing a
small per-centage of borax or silicate of soda. For carbonising the canvas plates, I
pile them alternately with plates of porous carbon (which may be plates of the same
kind previously carbonised) in a box of fire-clay, and cover the last carbon plate-
with pulverised fire-clay. I place the charged box in a muffle or furnace, and heat
gradually to redness, taking care, during the operation, to prevent access of oxygen
to the contents of the box. This is conveniently done by causing a small stream of
combustible gas to enter at the bottom of the box by an inlet specially provided:
The gas passes through the pores of the materials, in the box, and burns as it issues
I cover one side
at the top. I prepare the spongy lead in the following manner.
of a plate of zinc with an insulating coating, which may be a mixture of wax and
resin, with a little lamp black, and I immerse this plate at an angle of about 30°
with its insulated side downwards in a pure solution of acetate of lead-Instead of
the acetate, the nitrate of lead may be employed in a similar manner. In a short
time, spongy lead is deposited on the plate, and this forms a cake which can be
removed. In order to render the cake of spongy lead less fragile and more
conductive, I subject it to pressure between surfaces made with projecting ribs, so
as not to press uniformly all over the cake, but only in lines which may cross each
other, forming, as it were, a framework of lead almost solidified, with the spaces
between occupied by the more porous spongy material. I now place a number of
the layers of either the carbon, or of the perforated or network lead, alternating
with cakes of the spongy lead, and I subject the whole to pressure, so as to form a
solid body which I surround with two or more bands of lead, to which I connect
the conducting wire. When spongy platinum or palladium is required, it may be
deposited froin a solution, and employed in the same way as the spongy lead.
In preparing the carbonaceous layers as above described, it is of advantage, before
carbonising, to perforate the canvas or fabric by punching numerous holes through
it, so as to give free passage for the gases liberated during the action of the battery.
The perforated carbonaceous plates may be used alone as negative plates of the
battery, alternating with plates consisting of spongy lead on a base of carbon, or of
perforated lead or lead network.
Having thus described the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim, in respect of plates for Secondary or accumulator
batteries.

page_text: First: Constructing a compound plate by pressing together and surrounding with
leaden bands a number of plates of lead alternating with layers of spongy
lead, as herein described.
Second: Constructing a compound plate by pressing together and surrounding with
leaden bands a number of plates of carbonised fabric, alternating with
layers of spongy lead, as herein described.
In Witness whereof, I the said Achilles Khotinsky have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of March, in the year of our Lord, one thousand,
eight hundred and eighty three.
ACHILLES KHOTINSKY (L.S.)