Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
I, WILLIAM HENRY LANE, Electrical Engineer, of "Perugia," Sidney Road,
Staines, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows;
My invention relates to electrical storage batteries and has for its object to
provide such improvements in the plates or electrodes as will permit of the con-
struction of more efficient and lighter batteries than heretofore.
It has frequently been proposed to build up electrodes by placing lead strip
of large surface in proportion to its weight in holes or receptacles in a suitable
metallic frame or grid.
Sometimes the strip has been used in short lengths placed side by side but
more generally it is coiled up to form a circular plug or pellet. Such electrodes
have grave disadvantages. If the strips or pellets are tightly packed, proper
allowance cannot be made for their expansion or the growth of the active material
upon them during formation, and very heavy frames or grids have to be employed
to withstand the pressure which is consequently put upon them.
If on the other hand the strips or pellets only fit loosely to allow for a future
increase in size a proper conductivity cannot le maintained between them and
the surrounding grid and therefore the resistance of the battery will be large.
Moreover, the distribution of the current over the plates will be very unequal.
Those pellets or strips which to start with have the best connection with the
grid will receive the most formation. This will cause them to expand and
improve their contact, and they will be the ones on which the bulk of the work
of the electrole will fall. Those pellets whose contact is bad will be liable to
the production of films of lead sulphate between themselves and the surface of
the grid, from this cause they will only be capable of contributing, and receiv-
ing very little current during the discharge and charge of the cell the ultimate
result will be that portions of the electrode are rapidly worn out while others do
practically no work at all.
In constructing electrodes according to my invention I coil up strips of lead
to form pellets or spools of a circular or other suitable shape. Spaces are left
between adjacent layers of strip to allow for the penetration of the electrolyte and
formation of the active material. I prefer to accomplish this by winding two
crimped or corrugated strips together the corrugations of the one running at
an angle to those of the other. The spools are next subjected to pressure at two
or more points of their circumference so as to force all the layers of strip at these
points close together into a central neck or hoss from which the various portions
that have not undergone compression branch out. For instance, if pressure is
applied at two points of the circumference the spool will assume the shape of
a figure 8 that is to say two approximately circular portions united by a neck

page_text: between them. If pressure is applied at three points of the circumferance a
trefoil consisting of three sections branching from a central boss will result.
Pressure at four points will produce a quatrefoil and so on but it is not necessary
that the uncompressed portion should be circular although this is the shape
they most naturally assume if the spool was circular before compression.
Any suitable number of the spools may be built up into plates or electrodes by
placing in metal grids, or frames containing holes or cells suitably shaped to
receive them. The size of the holes should be such that the grid grips tightly
onto the central boss or neck of compressed strips while a space is left between
the grid and the circular portions of the spool, By this means a direct and certain
contact is set up between the spools and the grid from the first but at the same
time ample provision can be made for the proper expansion and growth of the
active portions of the spools without the grid being subjected to undue strains
and it can therefore be made proportionately lighter. A still surer and better
connection may be effected between the spools and the grid by uniting them directly
together at the bosses or necks by burning or other suitable means. As all the
layers of strip are closely compressed at these points this can easily be effected
no matter how thin the strip may he.
The strips used for constructing the spools may be of any suitable width and
thickness and in addition to the corrugations herein before mentioned its surfaces
may be perforated embossed or roughened in any suitable manner.
11
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
I, WILLIAM HENRY LANE. Electrical Engineer, of Sydney Road, Staines, in the
County of Middlesex, 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 electrical storage batteries and has for its object to
provide such improvements in their plates or electrodes as will permit of the con-
struction of more efficient and lighter batteries than heretofore.
It has frequently been proposed to build up electrodes by placing lead strip
of large surface in proportion to its weight in holes or receptacles in a suitable
metallic frame or grid.
Sometimes the strip has been used in short lengths placed side by side but
more generally it is coiled up to form a circular plug or pellet. Such electrodes
have grave disadvantages. If the strips or pellets are tightly packed, proper
allowance cannot be made for their expansion or the growth of the active material
upon them during formation, and very heavy frames or grids have to be employed
to withstand the pressure that is consequently put upon them.
If on the other hand, the strips or pellets only fit loosely, to allow for a future
increase in size, a proper conductivity cannot be maintained between them and
the surrounding grid, and therefore the resistance of the battery will be large.
Moreover the distribution of the current over the plates will be very unequal.
Those pellets which to start with have the best connection with the grid
will receive the most formation. This will cause them to expand and
improve their contact, and they will be the ones on which the bulk of the work

page_text: of the electrode will fall. Those pellets whose contact is bad will be liable to
the production of films of lead sulphate between themselves and the surface of
the grid, and from this cause they will only be capable of contributing and receiv
ing very little current during the discharge and charge of the cell. The ultimate
result is that portions of the electrode are rapidly worn out while other portions
do practically no work at all.
The
In constructing electrodes according to my invention, I coil up strips of lead
to form pellets or spools of a circular or other suitable shape. Spaces are left
between adjacent layers of strip to allow for the penetration of the electrolyte and
formation of the active material. I prefer to accomplish this by winding two
crimped or corrugated strips together, the corrugations of the one running at
an angle to those of the other, but I may employ any other suitable means..
spools are next subjected to pressure at two or more points of their periphery so
as to force all the layers of strip at these points, close together into a central neck
or boss from which the rest of the strip branches out in different directions. For
instance, if pressure is applied at two opposite points of the periphery, the spool
will assume the shape of a figure 8 that is to say, two approximately circular
portions united by a neck between them. If pressure is applied at three points,
a trefoil consisting of three sections branching from the central boss will result.
Pressure at four points will produce a quatrefoil and so on, but it is not necessary
that the uncompressed portions should be circular although that is the shape they
most naturally assume if the spool itself was circular before compression.
Any suitable number of the compressed spools may be built up into plates or
electrodes by placing them in a metallic grid containing holes or cells suitably shaped
to receive them. The size of the holes should be such that the grid grips tightly
onto the bosses or necks of compressed strips, while all other parts of the spools
are quite loose. By this means, a direct & certain contact is set up from the
first between the grid and all the layers of strip composing the spools. but at
the same time, ample provision can be made for the proper expansion & growth
of the active portions of the spools, without the grid being subjected to undue
strains, and it can therefore be made proportionately lighter.
A still surer and better connection between the spools and the grid may be
effected by uniting them together at the bosses or necks into one homogeneous
mass by burning or other suitable means. As all the layers of strip are closely
compressed at these points, this can easily be effected no matter how thin the
individual strips may be. It will also be observed that each layer makes a
direct connection with the grid, and the current from the interior of the spools
does not therefore have to circulate spirally round them until it reaches the outside
layer nor to pass from layer to layer through films of active material of poor
conductivity as is the case with ordinary spiral plugs.
If
The strip used for constructing the spools may be of any suitable width and
thickness and its surfaces may he perforated, embossed or roughened in any
suitable manner. The spools may be compressed by a tool acting similarly to
a self-centreing or scroll chuck, the number of projecting jaws corresponding to the
number of points of compression required, or by any other suitable means.
the surfaces of the lead strip are clean and unoxidised, a moderate pressure will
weld the whole of the layers together into a boss or neck of almost solid metal.
The grids containing the spools may be of pure lead or any suitable alloy of lead,
and they may be constructed by casting, stamping or in any other suitable manner.
Figures 1, 2 & 3 show circular spools after compression at two, three and four
points respectively of their circumference. Fig. 4 shows a portion of a grid g
containing trefoil shaped spools s. Fig. 5 shows a spool constructed according to
a slightly modified method of carrying out my invention. The strip is wound
into spools of oblong shape and these are then subjected to pressure at two or
more points on either side which are directly opposed to each other. In this way
spools are obtained having several necks or bosses & somewhat similar in form to
a number of 8 shaped spools united end on.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim is:
I. A metallic packing or plugging for storage battery electrodes consisting of
spools or plugs of lead strip whose component layers are constricted and com-
pressed together at one or more points to form necks or bosses substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
II. A storage battery electrode consisting of spools or plugs as described in
my 1st claim, held firmly by their necks or bosses in a suitable metallic frame
or grid substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
III. A storage battery electrode consisting of spools or plugs as described in my
1st claim, autogenously united at their necks or bosses to a suitable metallic frame
or grid substantially as and for the purposes set forth.