Improvements in Electrical Storage Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd July, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrical Storage Batteries.
I, CHARLES EUGENE LEE, of 28, Victoria Street, Westminster, in the County
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 electrical storage batteries and has for its object to
provide certain improvements whereby a series of distinct and more or less
mechanically complete units of relatively small size may be combined to form a
complete, preferably large and powerful storage battery or cell; and whereby
certain improvements in certain details of the units or elements thereof may be
made.
With reference to the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan view of a storage battery, showing, diagramatically, the
complete battery with circuits and the relations of the several units and elements.
Figure 2, a series of negative elements which are made out of a section of
crimped gauze like material.
Figure 3, is a diagramatic view of a series of positive elements connected
by a bar.
Figure 4, is a vertical section through a single unit.
Figure 5, is an elevation of the positive-shewing structure of celluloid sheath.
Figure 6, is a cross section through the same.
In all the figures A is the exterior cell case or receptacle of the storage battery
and it contains a proper electrolyte.
B C B C indicate a series of any number of separate units, each of which is
self centred and complete, and all of which are immersed in the electrolyte and
retained in position by any convenient or desired support or arrangement.
BB indicate the negative elements of such units and CC the positives. All
of the negatives B B are connected by means of conductors. D D to the ter-
minal E while all the positives C C are connected by the conductors F F to
the positive terminal. G. Figure 2 is the gauze like web or strip crimped or
crossed or brought together, as the case may be, so as to form a series of cylin-
drically shaped portions B B to receive the positive elements. F is the bar
to which the central metallic tubes of a series of positive elements are attached.
In the particular and preferable form of my construction which I have here
shown in detail in Figures 2, 3 and 4 the separate units comprise each an
exterior cylindrical gauze like negative olement B which surrounds the positivo
element, which is composed of the metallic core L together with the active
material H and porous tube J. A feature which I have found to be of material
advantage in the construction of this unit is the combination of a porous and
therefore fragile tube J with a surrounding sheath of celluloid or similar
material K which protects the porous tube and even when the latter is fractured
tends to hold the parts together. A porous tube is necessary and the best form
is the most porous and hence the most fragile, therefore by the use of the cellu-

page_text: loid sheath the best form of tube can be used, so as to be free from the objections
which have hitherto attended the use of even the strongest forms of tubes.
Some of the advantages which I have herein referred to. would be peculiar to
this form of unit employed in a storage battery of the general construction illus-
trated in Fig. 1, but the advantages pointed out for the construction shown in
Fig. 1 will many of them he realised in a construction which will retain the
features necessary to the device of Fig. 1, but which may not contain tho
features and peculiarities of construction of the device illustrated in Figs. 2,
3 & 4. Moreover self centred and substantially complete units may be grouped
together and used as shown in Fig. 1 even though such units be greatly different
from that of Fig. 2 and 3:
In storage batteries or batteries designed for the use to which storage batteries
are put, it is usually possible to obtain from a very small battery relatively better
results than from a large battery. Small units take up less space require leas
weight and are stronger relatively than large ones. If a unit of the form shown
in Fig. 4 be made larger so as to increase the strength or power of the unit, it
is evident that the central positive element must be correspondingly enlarged
which produces an increased internal cavity or waste space. Again, anyone
who is familiar with the ordinary storage battery "grids" will readily realise
that the larger they are made the more easily do they buckle and distort and
the sooner do they fall to pieces. It is also found by experience that the smaller
the element the more uniform is the action during the process of forming the
battery, and the more uniform is the current derived during the process of
discharging the same.
Small units made of fragile material are evidently worked more rapidly and
cheaply and with a less loss from breakage than larger units of the same
materials:
Small units when injured or broken are more easily withdrawn from the
combination and others substituted for them. For these and many other reasons
it is desirable to employ in the finished batteries the smallest possible units,
and particularly is this seen in the case of the unit of Fig. 4, where the neces-
sity of utilising a sories of small units rather than a few large ones is very
.apparent.
In the process of producing this battery I construct a series of positive
elements C, each consisting of the central tube L, the active material H, the
surrounding porous tube J and preferably also the surrounding sheath of cellu-
loid or other protective material K. The tube is of course scaled at both ends.
These elements are now placed in series, each exposed to metal sheets preferably
in the form of cylinders the whole being immersed in a forming cell and the form-
ing current passed through them, and the size and relation of the parts is such
that under these conditions the forming is very uniform, therefore, the dis-
charge of the current would be equally uniform.
.. I also prepare a series of gauze liko negative elements, each surrounded and
supported in proper relation to the positive element and when these parts are
associated together each becomes what I have called a separate or self-centred
unit. They are all immersed in the electrolyte in a common containing cell
and connected as indicated, all of the positive elements to form one pole or
torminal and all the negative elements to form the other. When so arranged
the battery is complete and ready for use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. The use and employment of an electrical storage battery having the com-
bination of a series of battery units each having a positive and negative element,
with a common containing cell and an electrolyte in which all such units are
immersed, and a series of conductors whereby all the positive elements are

page_text: united to one terminus and all the negative elements to the other terminus of
the battery.
2. The use and eniployment of an electrical storage battery, the combination
of a series of separate self-centred cylindrical-in-cross-section battery units, each
having a positive and a negative element, with a common containing cell and an
electrolyte in which all such units are immersed, and a series of conductors
whereby all the positive elements are united to one terminus and all the negative
elements to the other terminus of the battery.
3. The use and employment of an electrical storage battery the combination
of a series of self-centred cylindrical-like battery units, each consisting of a
central positive element with a surrounding approximate cylindrical negativo
element, with a common containing cell having an electrolyte in which all the
units are immersed and a series of conductors whereby all the positive elements
are connected to one terminal and all the negative elements to the other terminal.
4. The use and employment of an electrical storage battery the combination
of a negative gauze-like strip crimped or shaped so as to form a series of
approximately cylindrical receptacles, with a series of approximately cylindrical
positive elements adapted to be placed one in each of such receptacles, and con-
ductors from the gauze like body to one terminal and from the positive elements
to the other torminal.
5. The use and employment of an electrical storage battery element, the
combination of a central metallic tube with a mass of active material thereabout,
a porous tube containng the active material and sealed at both ends, and a close
fitting sheath of celluloid or other protective material surrounding the porous
tube substantially as shown and described.
יוו
TI
1000