Improvements relating to Electric Accumulators or Storage Batteries, and to the Manufacture of Plates or Electrodes therefor.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th June, 1996
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
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Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Electric Accumulators or Storage
Batteries, and to the Manufacture of Plates or Electrodes
therefor.
We, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of Upton Villa, Penge, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, and WILLIAM WILLIS, of The Platinotype Company, 22 Bloomsbury
Street, in the County of London, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
Our invention relates to electric accumulators or storage batteries and to the
manufacture of plates or electrodes therefor, and is chiefly designed to simplify the
construction and increase the durability and efficiency of such accumulators or batteries,
and to obviate or diminish the tendency to buckling of the plates.
According to one part of our said invention, we make the supports for the active
material of sheet-metal or other suitable material bent or folded into corrugations or
pleats so as to form on either side of the support, within or between the corrugations
or pleats, channels or spaces to be filled with the active material, for example, the
usual paste consisting of suitable oxides or salts of lead, which channels or spaces
have contracted mouths or apertures so that the active material will be very securely
retained therein in intimate contact with its support, whilst the usual expansion and
contraction can take place without liability to buckling or distortion of the plate or
electrode or dislodgment of the active material.
We sometimes make the supports of the positive plates or electrodes in the manner
above described of sheet-lead or other suitable sheet-metal, which is perforated if
desired. The supports of the negative plates or electrodes are or may be made in
the same manner, either of the same material, or, if preferred, of copper or other
wire-gauze.
-
In other instances, we make our corrugated or pleated supports of celluloid or
other suitable non-conducting material, preferably perforated, and in such case we
arrange metallic conductors in contact with the active material, the said conductors
lying in the bottom of the channels or corrugations, or extending transversely
through them, or being otherwise suitably arranged. By making the supports of
celluloid or the like, we considerably reduce the weight of the plates whilst increasing
their durability and elasticity.
We also provide improved means for suspending the plates or electrodes within
the box or cell containing the electrolyte, so as to permit the free expansion and
contraction of the said plates and so that any active material that may happen to be
dislodged, or other debris may fall below the lower end of the plates or electrodes,
thus lessening the liability to short-circuiting of the cell.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter
mentioned.
In making our improved plates or electrodes, we find it advantageous to proceed
as follows, viz. We form the supports, whether of lead or other sheet-metal or of
copper or other wire-gauze or of celluloid or other suitable material, by bending or
folding the same alternately in either direction over steel or other rods placed
successively one above another in a zig-zag series of holes formed in suitable plates
or frames supported in any convenient manner, the sheet-metal or wire-gauze or

page_text: other material being folded over one rod and then another rod being inserted over
which the said sheet-metal or wire-gauze or other material is folded in the reverse
direction, and so on. We can, however, make the said supports in any other
convenient manner, either by hand or by means of suitable machinery; for instance
by stamping them and then forcing the corrugations towards each other by end wise
pressure to contract the mouths or apertures of the channels.
The said corrugated sheets or supports are built up to form plates by uniting them,
by "burning" or soldering or in any other convenient manner, to conducting strips
of lead or other suitable metal along their edges and also, if desired, along the middle,
so that the corrugations and channels extend transversely to the said strips; plates
of any desired size may be made in this manner. The channels or spaces between
the corrugations or pleats in the said supports are then filled with suitable active
material or "paste," such, for example, as the usual peroxide of lead.
It is obvious that the shape in transverse section of the corrugations or pleats
may be varied as desired, provided that the channels or spaces between them are
contracted at or near the exterior so as to effectually ensure the retention of the
active material in the said channels.
The electrodes produced as above mentioned can be conveniently arrange to form
an accumulator by joining the free ends of the said conducting strips so as to form
loops, which are passed over a cover of paraffined teak or other suitable insulating
material resting on the top of the box or cell, the strips attached to the positive and
negative plates being connected by "burning" or in any other suitable manner to
common conducting bars of lead or the like, forming the positive and negative
terminals respectively. The plates or electrodes are suspended by the said strips
from the cover above mentioned, so that their lower ends are free to move towards
or away from the bottom of the cell during expansion or contraction.
arrangement has, moreover, the advantage that no special means are necessary for
catching or arresting the spray produced by the bursting of bubbles of gas evolved
during the working of the battery, since such spray will be caught by the underside
of the said cover and will run back into the cell."
This
In other instances we make the cover in several pieces or strips and attach a plate
or electrode to each of the said sirips. This arrangement is advantageous, more
especially when the plates or electrodes are made with celluloid supports.
Our improved plates or electrodes may, however, be made up in any other suitable
manner to form an accumulator or storage battery.
In order to keep the said plates or electrodes at a proper distance apart; we employ
separating rods or tubes of glass or other suitable material which are passed down
through apertures in the said teak or other cover and between the plates; to prevent
falling of these rods or tubes through the holes in the cover and to provide for their
being removed together with the cover, we make the upper ends of the said rods or
tubes enlarged, so that such enlarged ends rest upon the said cover.
By making accumulators or storage batteries in the manner above mentioned, we
are enabled to increase the durability of the same and to augment their capacity in
.proportion to their weight and size as compared with those now in general use; and
we obtain the following further advantages, riz. -Our corrugated supports will not
only hold a larger quantity of active material in proportion to their weight than
the gratings usually employed, but will hold the active material more securely than
the ordinary supports or gratings; our corrugated supports, when made of lead or the
like, are not so liable as the ordinary gratings to rupture when peroxidized or
" bitten" the usual expansion and contraction can take place without buckling.or
distortion of the plates or eloctrodes; and the said plates or electrodes are stronger.
in proportion to their weight than those made with the ordinary supports or
⚫gratings.
In some instances we make the box or container of metal, such, for instance, as
sheet-lead or lead-coated copper, with its sides corrugated or pleated in the manner
above mentioned, so that active material or paste can be placed in the interior
channels, and the vessel or cell itself is thus made to serve as an electrode.

page_text: If desired, we can modify our mode of manufacturing the plates or electrodes by
making the corrugated supports with channels which are not contracted at the mouth
or aperture as above mentioned, the said channels being, however, made of such shape
that the active material will not be readily dislodged therefrom in the charging and
discharging of the cells.
Dated this 20th day of June 1806
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements relating to Electric Accumulators or Storage
Batteries, and to the Manufacture of Plates or Electrodes
therefor.
We, WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, of Upton Villa, Penge, in the County of Surrey,
Engineer, and WILLIAM WILLIS, of The Platinotype Company, 22 Bloomsbury Street,
in the County of London, 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 :-
Our invention relates to electric accumulators or storage batteries and to the
manufacture of plates or electrodes therefor, and is chiefly designed to simplify the
construction and increase the durability and efficiency of such accumulators or batteries,
and to obviate or diminish the tendency to buckling of the plates.
According to one part of our said invention, we make the supports for the active
material of sheet-metal or other suitable material bent or folded into corrugations
or pleats so as to form on either side of the support, within or between the
corrugations or pleats, suitable channels or spaces, and we fill the said channels or
spaces with the active material in a plastic condition, for example, with the usual
paste consisting of suitable oxides or salts of lead or other metal, the said channels
or spaces being formed with contracted mouths or apertures so that the active material
will be very securely retained therein in intimate contact with its support, whilst the
usual expansion and contraction can take place without liability to buckling or
distortion of the plate or electrode or dislodgment of the active material.
We sometimes make the supports of the positive plates or electrodes in the
manner above described of sheet-lead or other suitable sheet-metal, which is
preferably perforated. The supports of the negative plates or electrodes are or may
be made in the same manner, either of the same material, or, if preferred, of copper
or other wire-gauze.
In other instances, we make our corrugated or pleated supports of celluloid,
ebonite or other suitable non-conducting material, preferably perforated, and in
such case we arrange metallic conductors in contact with the active material, the
said conductors lying in the bottom of the channels or corrugations, or extending
transversely through them, or being otherwise suitably arranged. By making the
supports of celluloid, or the like, we considerably reduce the weight of the plates
whilst increasing their elasticity.
We also provide improved means for suspending the plates or electrodes within
the box or cell containing the electrolyte, so as to permit the free expansion and
contraction of the said plates and so that any active material that may happen to
be dislodged, or other debris may fall below the lower end of the plates or electrodes,
thus lessening the liability to short-circuiting of the cell.
Our said invention, moreover, comprises other improvements hereinafter mentioned.

page_text: In the accompanying drawing we have shown how our said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a side view of a plate or electrode male in accordance with our said
invention, in which the support for the active material is made of celluloid or other.
suitable non-conducting material.
Figure 2 is a transverse section of a similar plate or electrode in which the non-
conducting support is perforated.
Figure 3 is a transverse section illustrating one method of making the supports of
celluloid, ebonite or similar non-conducting material.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section showing one cell of an electric accumulator or
storage battery, comprising plates or electrodes made according to our said invention
with metal supports for the active material.
Figure 5 is a plan or top view of the said cell, and
Figure 6 is a transverse section of the same.
Figure 7 is a transverse section of a portable accumulator or storage battery made
according to our said invention, and
Figure 8 is a sectional elevation illustrating a convenient and advantageous mode
of making the supports for the active material.
a, a are the supports for the active material; these supports are, as above stated,
made of plates or sheets of metal or other suitable material, corrugated or pleated
so as to form channels or grooves b which extend across them alternately on either
side and which have contracted mouths or openings & so that the active material will
be securely retained in the said channels or grooves.
In Figures 1 and 2, we have shown supports a which are made of celluloid,
ebonite, india-rubber or other suitable non-conducting material which will resist
the action of the acid or electrolyte. Through the corrugations or pleats of the
said supports are passed conductors m of lead or other suitable metal, which are
secured by burning or in any other ronvenient manner to loops. d of lead or other
suitable metal. The said supports may be imperforated as shown in Figure 1, but are
preferably perforated as shown in Figure 2.
When the supports a are to be of celluloid, ebonite, or similar non-conducting
material, we find it advantageous to manufacture the plates or electrodes as follows,
viz. We take a perforated sheet of celluloid, ebonite or the like and bend it
alternately in either direction over rods or bars placed successively one above
another in slotted plates or frames w, Figure 3, the material being suitably heated
to permit of this treatment. We heat the celluloid by means of hot water, for
example, before corrugating it, and afterwards cool it before its removal from the
apparatus. In the case of ebenite, we can, if desired, use heated rods in the said
apparatus. The rods or bars are made with holes through them, so that,
while the corrugated sheet is held between them, it can be drilled to receive the
conductors m. When the perforated support has thus been produced, and the
conductors m have been fixed therein, we ill the grooves or channels with active
material in a plastic or pasty condition. We then place the plate or electrode
thus formed between hot metal or other plates and compress it so as to harden the
paste and reduce the thickness of the plate or electrode, and at the same time contract
or narrow the openings of the channels, the heat serving to set the celluloid, ebonite
or the like when thus compressed.
When the corrugated supports a are of metal, they are built up to form plates
or electrodes by uniting them, by "burning" or soldering or in any other convenient
manner, to conducting strips c, Figure 4, of lead or other suitable metal, extending
along their edges and also, if desired, along the middle; plates of any desired size
may be made in this manner. The channels or spaces b between the corrugations
or pleats in the said supports are then filled, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, with
suitable "paste" or active material in a plastic condition, such, for instance, as the
usual peroxide of lead. The plates thus produced are then, if desired, passed between
suitable rolls to harden the paste and reduce the thickness of the plates, and to contract
or narrow the openings 6' of the channels b.

page_text: We find it advantageous to form the supports a, when made of lead or other
sheet-metal or of copper or other wire-gauze, by bending or folding the sheet or plate
alternately in either direction over steel or other rods k, Figure 8, placed
successively one below another, or one above another as the case may he, in a-
zig-zag series of holes formed in suitable plates or frames supported in any
convenient manner, the sheet-metal or wire-gauze or other material being folded.
over one rod and then another rod being inserted in the said plates or frames, over
which rod the said sheet metal or wire-gauze or other material is folded in the
reverse direction, and so on. In this manner the sheet is so bent or folded as to
form alternately in either side of the plate, channels or grooves which are more or
less contracted near their exterior as shown, so that the "paste" or active material
placed in the said channels or grooves will be keyed therein. This method of.
manufacture is also useful for making supports of celluloid, ebonite or other non-
conducting material, the holes for the conducting rods being drilled after removal
of the support from the apparatus. We can, however, make the said corrugated or
pleated supports in any other convenient manner either by hand or by means of suitable
machinery for instance by stamping them and then forcing the corrugations towards
each other by endwise pressure to contract the mouths or apertures of the channels
or grooves.
It is obvious that the shape in transverse section of the corrugations or pleats may
be varied as desired; provided that the channels or grooves between them are of such
form or construction as to effectually ensure the retention of the active material in
the said channels or grooves.
of
The electrodes produced as above described can be conveniently arranged to form
an accumulator by joining the free ends of each of the conducting strips so as to
form a loop d, Figures 4, 5 and 6, through which is passed a cover or bridge-piece e
of paraffined teak, ebonite, or other suitable insulating material. The conducting
strips e attached to the positive and negative plates respectively, are connected, by
"burning" or in any other suitable manner, to common conducting bars 9,
lead or the like, forming the positive and negative terminals respectively. In the
arrangement shown in Figures 4 to 6, the said cover or bridge-piece e rests on the
top of the box or cell r, so that the plates or electrodes are suspended by the loops d
from the cover e in such a position that their lower ends are free to move towards or
away from the bottom of the cell during their expansion or contraction. This
arrangement has, moreover, the advantage that no special means are necessary for
catching or arresting the spray produced by the bursting of babbles of gas evolved
during the working of the battery, since such spray will be caught by the underside
of the said cover e and will run back into the cell.
In other instances, we make the cover in several pieces or strips and attach a plate
or electrode to each of the said strips. This arrangement is more especially
advantageous when the plates or electrodes are made with supports of celluloid,
ebonite or similar insulating material.
Our improved plates or electrodes may, however, be made up and arranged in any
other suitable manner to form an accumulator or storage battery.
We find it advantageons to make the-negative plates or electrodes with supports
for the active material composed of perforated sheet-copper or of copper or other
wire-gauze corrugated or pleated as above described.
In order to keep the plates or electrodes at a proper distance apart, we employ
separating rods or tubes à of glass, ebonite or other suitable material, which are
passed down through apertures in the cover or bridge-piece e and between the plates
or electrodes; to prevent falling of these rods or tubes through the holes in the cover
and to provide for their being removed together with the cover, we sometimes make
the upper ends of the said rods or tabes enlarged, so that such enlarged ends rest
upon
the said cover, or we secure them in the holes in the said cover.
In Figure 7 we have shown a portable accumulator made according to our said
invention, in which the separating rods or tubes h are fixed in the bridge-piece e so
that they also serve for supporting the plates or electrodes in the cell, the said

page_text: reds or tabes being made of such length that, when they rest upon the bottom of the
-ceil, the lower ends of the plates or electrodes are a short distance above the same.
The bridge-piece e is, in this case, suitably supported within the cell f, which is closed
by a lid or cover n.
For securing the lid or cover n upon the box or cell so that it can be readily
removed and replaced, we attach bent pieces or catches p to one side of the box or
-cell so that the lid can be easily inserted beneath them as shown. On the opposite
side of the said box or cell we provide somewhat similar bent pieces or catches q
adapted to engage with the lid when in place; these catches y are retained upon
the box or cell by pins or screws r so that they can be moved outward sufficiently
to release the lid. Extensions g of the conductors y, g' are passed through the
catches y and serve as the terminals, and on these extensions are screwed nuts s which
serve not only for securing the conductors of the external circuit to the said
terminals, but also to firmly secure the catches y in position when in engagement
with the lid as shown. A suitable handle t is attached to the lid to facilitate the
carrying of the accumulator.
In some cases; to economize space, we take any suitable number of our plates or
electrodes made with supports of non-conducting material, such as celluloid or ebonite,
and with the channels or grooves only partially filled with the active material; and
we arrange the said plates or electrodes in such a manner that the channels or grooves
in one plate extend transversely to those of the adjacent plate or plates, and we bind
the plates together so that the non-conducting supports thereof are in contact with
each other, the separating rods or tubes being dispensed with. The bundle of plates.
or electrodes thus produced is suspended or supported in the cell in any convenient
manner so that the said plates or electrodes are a suitable distance above the bottom
thereof.
By making accumulators or storage batteries in the manner above described, we
are enabled to increase the durability of the same and to augment their capacity in
proportion to their weight and size as compared with those now in general use; and
we obtain the following further advantages, viz.:-Our corrugated supports will not
only hold a larger quantity of active material in proportion to their weight than the
gratings usually employed, but will hold the active material more securely than
the ordinary supports or gratings; our corrugated supports, when made of lead or the
like, are not so liable as the ordinary gratings to rupture when peroxidized or
bitten"; the usual expansion and contraction can take place without buckling or
distortion of the plates or electrodes; and the said plates, or electrodes are stronger
in proportion to their weight than those made with the ordinary supports or
gratings.
In some instances we make the box or container f of metal, such, for instance, as
-sheet-lead or lead-coated copper, with its sides corrugated or pleated in the manner
above mentioned, so that netive material or paste can be placed in the interior
channels, and the vessel or cell itself thus made to serve as an electrode.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
-claim is :-
First. The manufacture of an electric accumulator-plate or electrode, in which the
-active material is introduced in a plastic or pasty condition into channels or grooves
formed with narrowed or contracted mouths or openings in a corrugated or pleated
support of perforated or imperforated sheet-metal or other suitable material,
substantially as hereinbefore described. ⚫
Second. A support for the active material of an accumulator-plate or electrode,
made of perforated or imperforated non-conducting material (such as celluloid, ebonite
or vulcanized hard india-rubber) which will withstand the action of the acid or
electrolyte, corrugated or pleated and provided with conducting rods, substantially as
.hereinbefore described and for the purposes specified.
Third. The method of manufacturing an accumulator-plate or electrode, wherein a

page_text: sheet of celluloid, ebonite or similar non-conducting material is first corrugated or
pleated and conducting rods or wires are fixed therein, and the channels or grooves.
are then filled with active material in a plastic or pasty condition, and the whole
compressed between hot plates, substantially as herein before described.
Fourth. The method of manufacturing a support for the active material of an
accumulator-plate or electrode, by bending or folding a sheet of celluloid, ebonite or
similar non-conducting material alternately in either direction over rods or bars.
placed one above another, drilling holes in the corrugated sheet while held between
the said rods or bars, and then inserting and securing suitable conducting rods or
wires in the said holes, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fifth. The manufacture of a support for the active material of an accumulator
plate or electrode, of wire-gauze corrugated or pleated substantially in the manner
hereinbefore described.
Sixth. The method of manufacturing the corrugated or pleated supports for the
active material, consisting in hending or folding the sheet of metal or other material
alternately in either direction over steel or other rods placed successively in holes.
formed in a zig-zag series in suitably supported plates or frames, substantially as
described.
Seventh. An electric accumulator or storage battery constructed with plates or
electrodes which are formed with perforated or imperforated corrugated or pleated
supports having their channels or grooves contracted at the mouths or openings.
thereof and filled with the active material in a plastic or pasty condition, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
Eighth. An electric accumulator or storage battery in which the plates or
electrodes are made with. conducting strips provided with loops which are assembled
upon a cover or bridge-piece of insulating material so as to support the plates or
electrodes with their lower end a short distance above the bottom of the cell, and
insulating rods or tubes are inserted in the said cover or bridge-piece to separate the
plates or electrodes, substantially as described.
Ninth. The modification of our invention wherein the. insulating rods or tubes are
fixed in the cover or bridge-piece of insulating material and rest upon the bottom of
the cell for the purpose of supporting the plates or electrodes with their lower end a
short distance above the bottom thereof; substantially as described.
Tenth. The modification of our invention wherein we dispense with the insulating
rods or tubes and employ plates. or electrodes having non-conducting supports for the
active material, the channels or grooves of which are only partially filled with such
material, which plates or electrodes are placed in contact with each other with the
channels er grooves of each extending transversely to those of the adjacent electrode.
or electrodes, substantially as described.
Eleventh. A portable electric accumulator or storage battery constructed
substantially as described with reference to Figure 7 of the drawing.
Dated this 14th day of March 1897.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.