Improvements in Plates or Electrodes for Electric Accumulators.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Dec, 1897-Accepted, 22nd Jan., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by CART. FRANOKE, of 32, Andreas-Strasse, Berlin C.,
in the Empire of Germany, Director.]
Improvements in Plates or Electrodes for Electric Accumulators.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine. Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, 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:-
The method more recently adopted in the construction of accumulators no
longer consists in treating the electrode according to Faure's process, in which
the plates were provided with a pasty or plastic substance of lead compounds,
but in forming the same according to Plante's process, that is to say in producing
the peroxide of lead itself upon a plate of pure lead.
Now, in order that in the case of the latter process the lead plate may receive
as large an active surface as possible, and in order to simultaneously attain that
the layer of peroxide of lead formed thereon may be secured in place as firmly
as possible, it is necessary that the plate should receive a particular cross sectional
shape.
'The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which the several
figures therein are hereinafter referred to.
The present invention is based upon the known fact, that between two given
points a circular or irregularly curved line desoribes a longer path than a
straight line. Thus according to this invention, instead of using straight ribs as
represented in Figure 1, ribs are employed, in which the line limiting their cross
section, is either undulated or irregularly curved, or in other words, ribs, which,
owing to their curved shape occupy less space than straight ribs of equally large
surface, as may he readily seen on comparing the known type of plate, shown in
Figure 1, with the plate electrode, formed in accordance with the present inven-
tion and represented in Figure 2 of the drawing.
As is further apparent from the drawing, the bent or curved ribs may be formed
in a widely varying manner and may be bent in any direction. Thus, Figure 3
for example, represents a constructional device, in which the ribs of varying
size are alternately directed toward the one and the other side of the electrode
whilst Figure 4 represents two other cross sectional forms of bent ribs.
The electrode with bent ribs, constructed in conformity with this invention
may, if required be divided into regular or irregular spaces by means of stays or
grooves.
It should be further pointed out, that in those constructional forms of this
improved electrode, in which the ribs are bent upwards, a further essential
advantage is obtained in as much as in this case the peroxide of lead formed upon
the ribs during the charging and discharging operations, is prevented from
falling away and from being thus liable to become inactive, since any particles
that may become separated from any bent rib, will be received by the underlying
rib and thus still remain as capable of receiving electric current as before.
...01

page_text: These plates, therefore, are of a considerably longer active life than electrodes as
heretofore constructed with straight ribs.
In Figure 5 of the drawing a further constructional form of electrode-ribs
formed in accordance with this invention is represented; in this case the bent
ribs are provided with channel or groove shaped incisions, the surface of which
is cut open or provided with ridges as applied to files, whereby the active surface
is still further increased.
These improved electrodes may not only be used as positive but also as negative
electrodes and may be either made of pure lead or other appropriate metals or
metal-alloys.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An electrode, the characteristic feature of which consists in the arrangement
of ribs the cross section of which is limited by curved lines, the object being to
increase the active surface of the electrode as compared with electrodes having
straight ribs of equal thickness.
2. An electrode of the kind ascertained in the first claim, presenting this
characteristic feature that the ribs of the plate are bent upward, the object being
to prevent the peroxide of lead or active mass from falling away during the
process of charging and discharging.
3. An electrode of the kind ascertained in the first claim presenting this
characteristic feature that the bent ribs of the plate are provided with groove
shaped recesses and ridges, the object being to further increase the active surface
of the electrode.
Dated this 10th day of December 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.