Improvements in Secondary or Accumulator Cells.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1895-Accepted, 21st Sept.,
1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary or Accumulator Cells.
I, ADOLPH MÜLLER, of 90 Bergstrasse, Hagen, Westfalen, in the Empire of
Germany, Director, 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 :-
This invention relates to secondary or accumulator cells and the object of the
same is to enable such cells to be constructed at a minimum cost and in such
a compact shape that they will occupy the minimum amount of space.
For this purpose it is proposed to employ negative terminal electrodes having a
solid rear wall and capable of doing duty for an external wall or surface for the
cell. Between these electrodes, a positive electrode is suspended; or, where it is
desirable to employ more than one positive electrode, a corresponding number of
intermediate negative electrodes may be employed.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a transverse section of the improved cell.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan thereof, and
Figures 4 and 5 show modified forms of cell.
As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the said negative electrodes
may either serve as supports for the positive electrodes, the latter being, in that
case, suspended from the former ones by means of glass rods r; or, the positive
electrodes may be sustained in insulating supports or feet which should be
arranged in a convenient position between the glass tubes g, at the bottom of the
vessel or chamber.
The side walls and bottom of the box are formed by soldering a
strip of sheet
lead directly onto the edges of the external negative plates. Since lead is soldered
with lead no seam would appear on the drawing which therefore simply represents
a solid box of lead the inside surfaces of which are adapted to form negative
electrodes.
In the same way the cover or lid, which may be made of either hard or
soft sheet lead, may be directly soldered in position. Suitable openings are
provided in such lid allowing the positive terminals to pass out and are hermetically
sealed by surrounding the latter with a suitable insulating medium, such as
celluloid, india-rubber or the like, so that none of the electrolyte can in any event
escape through the joints, thus effectually separating the positive terminals from
the lid. The negative terminals are directly soldered to the outside negative
plates. The lids, though preferably consisting of sheet lead, may, if desired, be
made of any other suitable material such as glass, celluloid, vulcanized india-rubber,
or the like.
Figure 4 shows a modification of the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 in so
far as the negative plate is not hung from plugs of insulating material but
supported from below by small supports or legs of glass or any other suitable
substance. The glass tubes g serve at the same time to keep the divers electrodes
apart from each other.
Figure 5 shows the same cell as Figures 1 and 2 only with four electrodes
instead of two.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An accumulator cell consisting of any suitable number of plates of any
convenient construction the number of negative plates, employed being however
larger by one than the number of positive plates, so that the external plates on
both sides are negative, and the said external plates having solid outside surfaces
and being combined by soldering a strip of sheet lead all along their outer edges,
so as to form two sides of a watertight box or tank capable of receiving the
electrolyte and the positive plates, the two remaining sides and the bottom of such
box or tank being formed by the aforesaid strip of sheet lead.
2. In secondary or accumulator cells, wherein the receptacle for the electrolyte
is made of lead and is so constructed that its interior constitutes a negative
electrode, suspending the positive plates from projections or recesses provided
upon or in the negative plates, by means of a convenient number of rods made of
insulating acid-proof material, substantially as described and shown.
3. In secondary or accumulator cells wherein the receptacle for the electrolyte
is in the interior formed as a negative electrode, erecting the positive electrode
plates upon, or supporting them by, feet made of insulating acid-proof material,
substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 29th day of June 1895
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.