Improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 17th May, 1895-Accepted, 10th Aug., 1995
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries.
I, MORICZ ENGL, of I Bellariastrasse 4, Vienna, Austria, Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
"
The existing constructions of accumulators may be divided into two classes or .
groups. The one group comprises those accumulators based upon the "Faure
construction having a peculiar grating construction which facilitates the holding on
of the active material whereas the other group is formed of those accumulators
containing as little lead as possible but another material of a different chemical
composition than that of the "Faure" accumulator. This peculiar composition has
for its object on the one hand to augment the capacity and on the other hand to
insure a longer duration of the plates.
In order to augment the capacity, it is necessary to take as much as possible
from the active mass and to afford the latter the possibility of soaking up or
binding large quantities of hydrogen gas on the negative pole side and to
effect rapidly the chemical process of reduction and oxidation on the positive
pole side.
It is necessary to make the plates as porous as possible (especially the positive
ones) as the electro technical process is effected only by the action of the sulphuric
acid so that the latter must penetrate into the interior of the plates.
As each loosening of the mass effects a diminution of the capacity, the mass
must be so formed that it maintains always the same volume during the charging
and discharging operation. The duration of the plate depends upon this latter
circumstance.
At first the external parts of the plate are reduced. When they are expanded
or stretched hereby, a displacing and breaking loose of the lead hyperoxide takes
place.
Such plates having a great capacity owing to their purity in respect to the
chemical composition and owing to their porosity, and which have besides a great
duration as they cannot expand during the discharging operation, are formed
according to my present invention of such mixtures, which like cement, take up water
and thus obtain a great degree of firmness and hardness.
The action of the chemically bound water is a double one. At first the mass
becomes harder and more compact. The plate maintains or keeps its hardness also
after the formation, so that I can make plates without frames. Secondly, the
chemically bound water disappears from the plate during the formation, so that the
superoxide has room to expand, and besides leaves room or space between
the molecules so that the sulphuric acid may freely circulate.
I obtain the said composition by grinding litharge together with the necessary
quantity of finely powdered sulphate of magnesia and finely washed chalk which mass
is mixed with diluted hydrochloric acid to form a moistened mass which is then
pressed into any form. After pressing, this mass is semi soft and has but a little
resistance against pressure, but when it is allowed to stand during two or three days
in pure water it takes up water, increases slightly in volume and becomes somewhat
harder.
This mixture can only be used for positive plates. Negative plates would become
hard and brittle. A good negative plate however ought to be soft. I employ

page_text: preferably for such plates a mixture of litharge and calomel or bisulphate of mercury
mixed with liquid ammonia to form a moistened paste which is brought directly
into the frames of lead.
If the finished frame is kept during two to three days in water, the plate becomes
sufficiently hard to render it fit for negative plates. The plates thus hardened by
taking up water, are not formed in sulphuric acid, but in solutions of salt; in the
formed state they resist all solutions of sulphuric acid.
Dated this 24th day of August 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries.
I, MORICZ ENGL, of I Bellariastrasse 4, Vienna, Austria, Merchant, 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 existing constructions of accumulators may be divided into two classes or
groups. The one group comprises those accumulators based upon the "Faure "
construction, having lead plates covered with pure lead oxides mixed with dilute
sulphuric acid, and a peculiar grating construction which facilitates the bolding on
of the easily crumbling mass; whereas the other group is formed of those
accumulators containing as little lead as possible, but certain additions of lead
oxides of chemical or mechanical effect, making it possible to produce very solid
plates of peroxide requiring no frame, but only a conductor of proper dimensions
of some metal suitable for the purpose. This peculiar composition has for its object
on the one hand to augment the capacity and on the other hand to ensure a longer
duration to the plate.
In order to augment the capacity, it is necessary to take as much as possible
of the active mass and to afford the latter the possibility of soaking up or
binding large quantities of hydrogen gas on the negative pole side and to
effect rapidly the chemical process of reduction and oxidation on the positive
pole side.
It is necessary to make the plates as porous as possible (especially the positive
ones) as the electro chemical process is effected only by the action of the sulphuric
acid, so that the latter must penetrate into the interior of the plates (mass).
As each loosening of the mass effects a diminution of the capacity, the mass must
be so formed that it maintains always the same volume during the charging and
discharging operation. The duration of the plate depends upon this latter circum-
stance. At first the external parts of the plate are reduced. When they are
expanded or stretched hereby, a displacing and breaking loose of the lead
hyperoxide takes place.
Such plates having a great capacity owing to their purity in respect to the
chemical composition and owing to their porosity, and which have besides a great
duration as they cannot expand during the discharging operation, are formed
according to my present invention of such mixtures, which like cement, take up
water and thus obtain a great degree of firmness and hardness.
The action of the chemically bound water is a double one.
At first the mass
becomes harder and more compact. The plate (mass) maintains or keeps its hardness
also after the formation, so that I can make plates of this mass alone.
Secondly, the chemically bound water disappears from the plate during the
formation, so that the superoxide has room to expand, and besides leaves room or
space between the molecules so that the sulphuric acid may freely circulate.

page_text: I obtain the said composition by mixing 100 parts litharge, 7 parts sulphate of
magnesia and 3 parts of any salt of mercury with 35 parts of liquid ammonia
of 23° Bé. into a humid paste and forming directly a plate out of it.
If the finished plates are kept two or three days in any liquid the mass becomes
5 sufficiently hard to render it fit for electrode plates. The plates thus hardened are
not to be formed in sulphuric acid, but in 3% solutions of sulphate of magnesia ; in
the formed state they nevertheless resist all solutions of sulphuric acid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The method of manufacturing masses for accumulator plates by mixing litharge,
sulphate of magnesia, and any mercuric salt with fluid ammonia to a moistened
mass, which, by being kept some days in an acid, indifferent, or alkaline liquor,
gains the necessary cement-like hardness and, after the formation, combines durability
with capacity.
Dated this 16th day of Mo- 1005
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.