Improvements in or connected with Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1895

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Secondary Batteries.
I FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to secondary batteries and has for its object to effect
circulation of the electrolyte over the surfaces of the plates more readily than
bitherto.
My invention is more especially applicable to secondary batteries of the type or
kind described in the Specification of the application for Letters Patent No. 1731
of 1895 by Camille Alphonse Faure and myself but is not limited thereto.
It is found that when the active material is enclosed in porous or perforated
diaphragms or envelopes rapid sulphatation of the surfaces of the plate results,
consequent on the lowering of the specific gravity of the electrolyte immediately
underneath such porous or perforated diaphragms or envelopes and in contact with
the active material. This sulphatation diminishes, the conductivity and capacity
of the battery, and my invention is intended to facilitate the circulation of the
electrolyte and so retard or prevent the abnormal fall in specific gravity of the
acid electrolyte in immediate contact with the active material under the porous or
perforated diaphragm or envelope.
According to my invention I make a number of perforations passages or pipes
extending through the grid or support and finished plate the said perforations
passages or pipes being preferably conical in shape, or with their outer ends
inclining upwards, or towards the top of the plate. In the finished plate these
perforations passages or pipes are unoccupied by active material or material to be
rendered or to become active. The said material may be applied to the grid or
support in the ordinary way and such of the said material as may lodge in the
said perforations passages or pipes be subsequently removed. The grid or support
may in other respects resemble that described in the Specification of my application
for Letters Patent No. 2816 of 1895.
When the porous or perforated diaphragm or envelope or diaphragms or
envelopes is or are put upon the plate and the electrode is introduced into the
cell there will be a certain amount of the electrolyte filling the aforesaid perfora-
tions passages or pipes and as the specific gravity of the electrolyte rises or falls
during the charging or discharging of the battery, the superior, or inferior specific
gravity of the electrolyte in the said perforations passages or pipes will cause it
to circulate under, or through, the porous or perforated diaphragm or diaphragms
or envelope or envelopes and thus a slow but perfect renewal of the electrolyte in
contact with the active material will be ensured.
Dated this 24th day of September 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: Improvements in or connected with Secondary Batteries.
I, FRANK KING of 4 Great Winchester Street in the City of London, 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:—
My invention relates to secondary batteries and has for its object to effect
circulation of the electrolyte over the surfaces of the plates more readily than
hitherto.
My invention is more especially applicable to secondary batteries of the type or
kind described in the Specification of the application for Letters Patent No. 1731
of 1895 by Camille Alphonse Faure and myself but is not limited thereto.
It is found that when the active material is enclosed in porous or perforated
diaphragms or envelopes rapid sulphatation of the surfaces of the plate results,
consequent on the lowering of the specific gravity of the electrolyte immediately
underneath such porous or perforated diaphragms or envelopes and in contact with
the active material. This sulphatation diminishes the conductivity and capacity
of the battery and my invention is intended to facilitate the circulation of the
electrolyte and so retard or prevent the abnormal fall in specific gravity of the
acid electrolyte in immediate contact with the active material under the porous or
perforated diaphragm or envelope.
In the accompanying drawing I have shewn in Figures 1 and 2 a side view and
transverse section of a plate support or grid constructed according to my invention.
I make a number of perforations, passages or pipes a extending through the grid
or support and finished plate. The said perforations, passages or pipes a may have
parallel sides or they may be conical, or their outer ends may incline upwards, or
towards the top of the plate. In the finished plate these perforations, passages or
pipes a are unoccupied by active material or material to be rendered or to become
active. The said material may be applied to the grid or support in the ordinary
way and such of the said material as may lodge in the said perforations passages
or pipes a be subsequently removed. The grid or support may in other respects
be of any suitable description such for example as is shewn, viz., with a thin
central sheet 6 and portions raised as a c from one or both sides to constitute
pockets or recesses for the active material or material to be rendered active or the
plate may resemble that described in the Specification of Letters Patent No. 2816
of 1895 granted to me.
"i ..
When the porous or perforated diaphragm or envelope or diaphragms or
envelopes is or are put upon the plate and the electrode is introduced into the
cell there will be a certain amount of the electrolyte filling the aforesaid perfora-
tions passages or pipes a and as the specific gravity of the electrolyte rises or
falls during the charging or discharging of the battery the superior or inferior
specific gravity of the electrolyte in the said perforations passages or pipes a will
cause it to circulate under, or through, the porous, or perforated diaphragm or
diaphragms or envelope or envelopes and thus a slow but perfect renewal of the
electrolyte in contact with the active material will be ensured. I may make
notches as at d in the sides of the perforations a to facilitate the action.
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 :-
1. A secondary battery element plate, support, or grid, having perforations,
passages,
or pipes such as a therethrough substantially as and for the purpose

page_text: 2. A secondary battery element plate, support, or grid made substantially as.
hereinbefore described and shewn in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 20th day of April 1896.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.