Improved Switching Apparatus for Charging Storage Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: ate of Application, 27th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Switching Apparatus for Charging Storage Batteries.
I, WILLIAM PRESCOTT KOOKOGEY, of 97 Pulaski Street in the City of Brooklyn,
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Gentleman do
hereby declare the nature of my 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 the charging of a storage battery while it is discharging
along a working line from a generator of lower electro motive force by automatically
connecting successive sections of the storage battery therewith.
It consists as a whole and as applied to the charging of a storage battery, of the
combination of a generator and storage battery, the latter being divided into sections ;
two series of stationary contacts connected with such sections; and two conductors
or contact points, connected with the respective poles of the generator of which they
form the respective terminals, adapted to move in unison and thus by means of the
stationary contacts arranged adjacent to them, make contact successively with the
successive sections of the storage battery; also of the combination of a storage battery,
generator, stationary contacts leading to sections of the storage battery, and synchron-
ously moving conductors, with an electrc-depositing cell, forming part of the main
charging circuit, and having one of its plates moveable and attached to one of the
arms of a balance beam; by the alternate movements of which balance, under the
increased or decreased weight of the movable plate, in the depositing cell, the
synchronously moving conductors are caused or allowed to move in unison at regular
intervals from one stationary contact to the succeeding one, the current through the
depositing cell being reversed at each change of the balance. The principal purpose
to which the invention is to be applied is to allow of the charge of a storage battery
by means of a lower electro motive force than would be required to charge the entire
battery connected in series, and also to do this while the battery as a whole is dis-
charging. The drawings and the following description are made with special reference
to such use of the invention; that is, charging a storage battery.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1, is a plan view of the whole device, and
Fig. 2, is a sectional view on the line of Fig. 1, through one of the two similar
devices by which the change is made from connection with one part of the storage
battery to connection with a succeeding part.
A, is the generator, which may be a primary battery or a dynamo ; B, B1, B2, are
subdivisions of the storage battery; D is the working line, such as a lamp circuit;
E, E, are two similar devices (called "Conductors" herein) by which for given
intervals electrical connection is successively maintained between the primary A, and
the successive portions, B, B1, B2, of the storage battery, without interrupting the
discharge of the storage battery along the working line D. F and G with their
connecting wires and mercury cups, constitute a device by which the change from one
section of the storage battery to another is accomplished automatically.
The device E, (E being similar to it in all parts), consists of a disc a, rigidly
attached to a ratchet-wheel b, both of them revolving on a pivot c, and actuated to
revolve in the direction of the arrow, by means of springs e' attached thereto, or a
weight, or any other appropriate device. The double pawl d, is pivoted at the point e,
and connects with the ratchet b, of each device E E¹; serving to hold the discs a
against the action of the spring e'; The contact pieces a' ard a² are fixed to corre-
sponding points upon the circumference of the two dises a, and make connection
successively as the discs revolve, with the stationary contacts f,j", and g, y¹, and g².
The discs a, are maintained in electrical connection with the primary A, by means of
the respective wires and . The stationary contacts f,',f² and 'g, g¹, g² are

page_text: electrically connected by means of the wires i, i, 2 and 3, with the storage battery.
The electricity is conducted from the base of the device E, to the disc a (see Fig. 2),
in any appropriate manner; the manner shown in the drawing consists of an annular
groove, ent in the upper surface of the base j, to contain mercury, into which a pinj²
attached to the under side of the disc a, dips.
:
There should be as many stationary contacts arranged around the disc a, as there
are separate portions of the storage battery to be charged for the sake of clearness
only three are shown in the drawing. The operation of this part of the device is as
follows: In the position shown in the drawing, the portion B, is being charged from
the primary A; the current passing from the contact pieces a', through contact 1,
disc a back to
wire, cells B', wire i³, contacts G' and a², through the corresponding
the primary A. After a given interval the ratchet-wheels, are released from the
pawl d, for an instant, and the springs e¹ within the devices E, E, set them in motion
in the direction of the arrows, until the contacts a¹, a², come in contact with the
contacts 2, and g² respectively. The portion B', is therefore cut off from the primary
and the portion B32 is connected therewith and begins to charge. The notches on the
ratchet-wheels b, are made to correspond to the distance between the stationary con-
tacts arranged around the circle. Thus each given portion of the storage battery is
made to charge for a given period, the remainder of the storage battery being wholly
disconnected from the primary; and this is done without interruption to the discharge
along the working line D), and whether the working line is at work or at rest.
The operation would be the same in principle if the contacts f, f, g, g², etc., were
made movable, and the discs a, stationary. The main idea is that the movements of
the two sets shall be synchronous. This might be done by a single spring or weight
actuating both of them. With the device shown they inust act together, even though
the springs care independent of each other and not of the same strength, for the
discs ", would each time move the distance between the successive teeth, whenever the
pawl d was released.
The electro-motive force of the generator A, may bear any relation to the electro-
motive force of the whole storage battery B, B1, B2. It must, however, to be
effective, be greater than the electro-motive force of the successive portions.
The times at which the pawl d, shall be released from the ratchets 6may be regulated
in any way, so far as this part of the invention is concerned.
It may be done by
hand, and at regular or irregular intervals. The remainder of the drawing not already
described, shows one method of accomplishing this automatically and at regular
intervals. G, is an electro-depositing cell having one plate k, stationary, and the other
plate k, movable vertically and attached to one end of the beam of the balance F.
This operates the balance by the alternate increase and decrease of the weight of the
plate, under the action of the electric current through it. The cups m, m², m², m³,
n, n', n², n³, are stationary mercury cups connected with each other as shown, by the
wires 1, 2, 3, and 4; circuit closers o, o' and p, p' attached to the opposite ends of
the balance beam F, serve to open and close the circuits at given intervals from the
battery A, through the devices E, E, and also to reverse the current at each change
through the depositing cell G. The mercury cup », merely serves as a convenient
means of electrically connecting the movable plate ', with the wire 2, the circuit
never being broken at the cup 1. The circuit closers, o, o¹, p, p¹, are insulated from
each other. The ball v, rolling from one side to the other of the balance F, as the
balance changes, serves to keep the balance in each alternate position for a given
interval of charge.
A local circuit 5, which may come either from a local battery, or as a shunt from
the primary A, as shown in the drawing, serves when complete to energize the
magnets; but this local circuit 5, is normally broken at the point t, by means of
magnet, which is continuously energized by the charging current coming from
the primary A.
The operation of the balance F and the various circuits connected with it is a
follows in the position shown in the drawing, the charging current from th
battery A, passes through wire 3, cups m², m³, depositing cell G, cup r, wire 2

page_text: rolls
cups m³, m, wires and h, device E, cells B¹, device E¹, wire ', back to battery A.
During this operation the current passes through depositing cell G, and removes a
certain amount of metal from the movable plate ¹; this continues until the weight of
the plate, is so much reduced that that end of the balance rises, and the ball
to the other end of its enclosure. During the operation of change there is a moment
or two while all the circuit closers, o, o' and p, p, are disconnected from their several
mercury cups this breaks the main charging current; de-energizes the magnet t':
and thereby energizes the magnets by completing the local circuit 5, at the point t.
The magnets, thereupon attracts an armature upon the pawl d, and releases the
pawl d, from the ratchet-wheels b. As soon as the balance is in the opposite position,
the circuit is completed as before from the primary A, through the devices and E¹
and the succeeding portion B² of the storage battery. The magnet t', is energized as
soon as the charging current is again started; this breaks the local circuit, and
thereby de-energizes the magnets, so that the pawl d, is released in time to catch
upon the succeeding notch upon the ratchets b.
But the change of the balance has reversed the current through the depositing
cell G, so that metal is thereupon deposited upon the plate ; this continues, until the
weight of the plate is sufficient to change the balance again, when the same
operations as before take place.
The sections B, B1, B2 of the storage battery are shown as connected in series. It
is evident, however, that the principle of connecting a generator, or other main
circuit, successively with a series of other circuits, by means of the synchronous
devices E E', whether automatically or otherwise, is applicable as well where the
successive circuits are entirely independent of one another, or where they are
connected in parallel groups, as where they all constitute a single series with points
of division between the sections.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is:
(1) An electric generator; two circular series of stationary contacts, in which two
corresponding contacts, (one in each series), constitute the two ends respectively of a
corresponding number of different circuits; two discs bearing the terminals of the
generator and being continuously actuated to revolve, and thus making successively
connection between the generator and the successive circuits; ratchets attached to
such discs with notches corresponding in number to the number of separate circuits;
and a double pawl connecting with such ratchets and when released allowing the two
discs to carry the terminals of the generator from one circuit to the succeeding one ;
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In combination with an electric generator and main circuit; two synchronously
moving conductors or contact points, constituting the terminals of the generator; and
two series of stationary contacts constituting the respective ends of a series of different
circuits; the combination of a local circuit, which when energized, causes the
conductors to move; a magnet in the main circuit, holding the local circuit open; a
depositing cell in the main circuit, having one plate movable and attached to one end
of a balance beam; circuit closers and breakers on each arm of the balance so arranged
that when the balance changes, the main circuit is broken for a moment; and
circuit connections between the circuit closers and breakers by which at each
change of the balance, the course of the current through the depositing cell is
reversed; substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A combination of an electric generator and main circuit containing a magnet;
a local circuit containing another magnet and also containing a circuit breaker which
is held open by the magnet in the main circuit when the main circuit is complete; an
electro-depositing cell having one plate movable, and attached to one arm of the
balance beam; a series of circuit breakers and closers in the main circuit upon each
arm of the balance, the circuit being broken for a moment whenever the balance
changes; circuit connections, by which the main current is led through the depositing

page_text: cell in opposite directions according to the position of the balance; and a rolling ball
upon the top of the balance retaining the balance in each alternate position for a given
period; substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination of an electric generator; a storage battery connected with a
working line; such storage battery being also divided into sections; two synchronously
moving conductors or contact points, constituting the terminals of the generator; and
two series of stationary contacts arranged adjacent to the moving conductors, in
which the two corresponding contacts in the two series constitute the two ends
respectively of a circuit including one section of the storage battery; substantially as
and for the purpose described.
5. The combination of an electric generator; a storage battery connected with a
working line; such storage battery being also divided into sections; two synchronously
moving conductors or contact points, constituting the terminals of the generator; two
series of stationary contacts arranged adjacent to the two conductors, in which the
two corresponding contacts in the two series constitute the two ends respectively of a
circuit including one of the sections of the storage battery; a local circuit which when
energized causes the conductors to move; a magnet in the main circuit holding the
local circuit open; a depositing cell in the main circuit, having one plate movable and
attached to one end of a balance beam; circuit closers and breakers on each arin of
the balance, so arranged that when the balance changes, the main circuit is broken
for a moment; and circuit connections between the circuit closers and breakers by
which at each change of the balance, the course of the current through the depositing
cell is reversed; substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this Twenty sixth day of August 1889.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.