IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTE'S SECONDARY ADDADAMING CONNECTED WITH SUCH OR OTHER DATTERIES BATTERIES AND TAT PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: ramona
LETTERS PATENT to
of Westminster for an
BATTERIES AND TAT
George Lane Fox of Queen Anne's Gate in the City
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTE'S SECONDARY
ADDARI TITO BONYEZ
to
George Lane Fox of Queen Anne's Gate in the City
of Westminster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTE'S SECONDARY
ADDADAMING CONNECTED WITH SUCH OR OTHER DATTERIES
BATTERIES AND TAT
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said St George Lane Fox at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th September 1882.
ST GEORGE LANE Fox of Queen Anne's Gate in the City of Westminster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTE'S SECONDARY BATTERIES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
WITH SUCH OR OTHER BATTERIES "
My Invention has reference to Planté's secondary batteries and consists of an
improved construction and arrangement of the lead plates so as to give an increased
storage capacity.
I take a number of strips of lead plate or foil and place layers of sand, asbestos,
paper or other suitable porous material between them and I then press them
together so as to form a thick plate which will thus be composed of laminæ of
sheet lead and a porous isolating substance. I connect together all the strips
forming this plate at the top or bottom or both by lead. I mount two or more
of these laminated plates in a vessel of glass or other suitable material containing
dilute sulphuric acid in such manner that the edges of the strips composing the
laminæ of one plate or set of plates which form one pole of the cell are opposed to,
but do not touch, the edges of the laminæ of the plate or plates which form the
other pole of the cell.
My invention further relates to means whereby any cell or cells of the battery
may be cut out when required while charging, the battery or otherwise.
For this purpose I use in connection with each cell a commutator or switch
apparatus consisting of a slide which has three metallic pieces. In the normal
position two of these metallic pieces respectively make connection between the two
poles or terminals of the cell and two contact pieces which are respectively
connected with the corresponding contact pieces of the two adjoining commutators.
The current thus passes to the cell from the preceding commutator through the

page_text: first of the two metallic pieces and after passing through the cell goes through the
other of the two metallic pieces and thence to the next following commutator. On
the other hand when the slide is moved the said two metallic pieces no longer
make connection with the poles or terminals of the cell, which is thus cut out,
while the third metallic piece in the slide, which was previously out of contact,
makes a direct circuit through the commutator to the next following commutator.
The slide may be moved in either a rectilinear or a curved direction.
Instead of having three metallic pieces in the slide there may be only two, one
of them being approximately of T shape, the head of the T taking the place of the
third piece and making the direct circuit to the next commutator when the slide
is moved to cut out the cell.
These means of cutting out one or more cells are applicable both to secondary
and primary batteries.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters, Patent, filed
by the said St George Lane Fox in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th March 1883.
"
ST GEORGE LANE Fox of Queen Anne's Gate in the City of Westminster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN PLANTE'S SECONDARY BATTERIES AND IN APPARATUS CONNECTED
WITH SUCH OR OTHER BATTERIES"
.
My invention consists of an improved construction and arrangement of the
lead plates in Planté's secondary batteries so as to give an increased storage
capacity.
For this purpose I take a number of strips of lead or lead foil and superpose
them or place them side by side with alternate layers of sand, asbestos paper or
other suitable porous material, and I 'then press them together so as to form a
thick plate which will thus be composed of laininæ of sheet lead or lead foil and a
porous separating substance. I connect together all the laminæ forming this plate
by lead or solder at the side or sides or top or bottom. I mount two or more of
these laminated plates in a vessel of glass or other suitable material containing
dilute sulphuric acid or exciting liquid in such manner that the edges of the
lamina of one plate or set of plates which form one pole or cell are opposed to but
do not touch the edges of the lamina of the plate or plates which form the other
pole or cell. As the whole surface of every lamina is an active surface the storage
capacity of all the lamina that is to say of the battery is enormous.
Figure 1 is a cross section, Figure 2. a longitudinal section and Figure 3 a plan
of a secondary battery composed of two lead plates which are constructed and
arranged as above described the laminæ being placed horizontally. Figure 4 is a
view on an enlarged scale showing more clearly the lamina of lead and separating
layers of sand or other porous material. A A are the lead plates each made of a
number of laminæ with sand or other porous material between them and pressed
together so as to form a thick plate. All the lamina forming a plate are connected
together by lead or solder B B; a thick strip of lead B₁ at the bottom is inserted
to support the lamina when the plate is being lifted. The two plates A A are
placed as shown in a vessel C of glass or other suitable material containing dilute
sulphuric acid the edges of the lamina of the one plate being opposed to but not
touching the edges of the laminæ of the other plate. D D are ribs in the vessel C
to keep the plates A A apart, and E E are projections or corner pieces to keep them
from contact with the sides of the vessel so that the liquid may have access to the
plates all round. The lead or solder B is extended above the vessel as seen at F F
to allow the wire terminals G G to be connected thereto and also to form handles
for lifting the plates.
Any number of battery cells constructed as described may be connected up to
form a secondary battery.
My invention further consists of means whereby any cell or cells of this or other
secondary or primary batteries may be cut out when required while charging the
battery or otherwise. For this purpose I employ in connection with each cell the
commutator or switch apparatus shown in Figures 5 to 10. Figure 5 is a view of
this apparatus complete. Figure 6 shows the apparatus with the slide removed.
Figure 7 is a view of the slide. Figure 8 a section through A. B of Figure 5.
Figure 9 a section through C D of Figure 5 with the battery in circuit, and
Figure 10 the same section with the battery out of circuit. The apparatus is
composed of the slide a having 3 metallic pieces b c d and of the fixed part o
having 4 metallic or contact pieces f g h i. Two of these contact pieces f g are

page_text: respectively in connection with the two poles or terminals of the corresponding cell
of the battery (see the diagram Figure 11) and the other two contact pieces hi are
respectively in connection by wires or connections k k with the two adjoining
commutators. In the normal position the two pieces bc are respectively in contact
with the pieces f h and gi so that the current from the preceding cell and
commutator passes through the pieces hb and f to the cell and after passing
through the cell goes through the pieces g c and i and then by the connection k to
'the next commutator. When on the other hand it is required to cut out any given
cell the slide a in connection with that cell is moved into the position seen in
Figure 11. so that the pieces b and c are no longer in contact with h and i while
the piece d connects h and i and makes a direct circuit through the commutator
from k to k. is a spring to keep the slide a up to its work.
"
}
Instead of the slide a being made to move in a straight line it may be moved on
a centre as indicated in Figure 12.
11.kt
The arrangement of the metallic pieces or contacts can be modified in various
ways; for instance, instead of the piece d being a separate piece it may be in one
with either of the pieces b and c as shown in Figure 13 so that when the slide is
moved to cut out the cell the part d connects h and i (see Figure 14) while the
parts b and c become separated from fand g respectively.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim
:
First Constructing, the plates of Plante's secondary batteries of a number of
laminæ of lead or lead foil separated by sand or porous material and pressed
together, and arranging the thick plates thus obtained in a vessel containing dilute
sulphuric acid or exciting liquid in such manner that the edges of the lamina of
the one plate are opposed to, but do not touch, the edges of the lamina of the other
plate, all substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4.
Second-Fitting to secondary or primary batteries, commutators or switch
apparatus arranged substantially as described and shown in Figures 5 to 14 so that
any cell or cells can be cut out as required.
In witness whereof I the said St George Lane Fox have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty second day of March One thousand eight hundred
and eighty three
ST G. LANE FOX (L.s.)