Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Lifting, Lowering, and Regulating the Height of the Elements in Electric Batteries.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Lifting, Lowering, and
Regulating the Height of the Elements in Electric Batteries.
I THEODOR SCHÖNHERR-SCHÖNER of 42 Park Lane Leeds in the County of York,
electrician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to be able to lift out of, lower into, or to regulate to
any
desired height in the solution, the elements of electric batteries, and to accomplish
this with ease, rapidity, and accuracy.
My Invention consists essentially in a screw and nut arrangement worked from a
small hand lever through toothed gearing. The plate to which the elements are
attached is provided with a nut in which fits a multiple threaded screw of sharp
pitch. At the top of this screw is fitted a small toothed wheel, which gears with a toothed
sector or quadrant, the radii being so proportioned that the small wheel and consequently
also the multiple screw makes one complete revolution for approximately one quarter turn
of the sector. To the hinge pin or shaft of the sector is fitted a small hand lever
on the top or outside of the cover of the battery, which hand lever is moved by
hand through the above arc between two stops. The underside of this hand lever is
fitted with a spring, which bears against a sector plate on the cover of the battery;
the object being to ensure sufficient bite or friction to bold the handle, and conse-
quently also the elements, at any position or height to which they may have been-
moved. The pitch of the screw is so arranged, that a single revolution which corre-
sponds with a motion of the hand lever through the full extent between the two stops,
raises the elements from their lowest position of immersion in the solution to the
highest position above, clear of the solution; or lowers it from the latter to the
former.
In order to prevent any liability of the elements, on account of their weight,
dropping from any position to which they may have been moved, I arrange to balance
the weight of the elements and plate connecting them by springs, protected from
the action of the solution by being encased below the level of the same in vulcanite
tubes.
It will be evident that this my Invention permits of an almost instantaneous and
exact change of position of the elements in the solution, by rapidly moving the before

page_text: mentioned lever. If the sector plate on the battery cover before referred to, be
graduated according to any convenient scale, this arrangement permits of a rapid or
gradual variation of the surface immersed, and therefore also of the strength of the
current
and where advisable this sector plate may also be provided with notches, or
recesses, for holding the lever in any position to which it may be moved.
Datad this 18th day of Anvil 1000
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
Agent to the aforesaid Applicant.
COLLIELE DT BUITIATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Lifting, Lowering, and
Regulating the Height of the Elements in Electric Batteries.
I THEODOR SCHÖNHERR-SCHÖNER of 42 Park Lane Leeds in the County of York
electrician, 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 object of my invention is to be able to lift out of, lower into, or to regulate to
any desired height.in the solution, the elements of electric batteries, and to accomplish
this with ease, rapidity and accuracy.
My Invention consists essentially in a screw and nut arrangement worked from a
small hand lever through foothed gearing. The plate to which the elements are
attached is provided with a nut in which fits a multiple threaded screw of sharp pitch.
At the top of this screw is fitted a small toothed wheel, which gears with a toothed
sector or quadrant, the radii being so proportioned that the small wheel and conse-
quently also the multiple screw makes one complete revolution for approximately one
quarter turn of the sector. To the hinge pin or shaft of the sector is fitted a small
hand lever on the top or outside of the cover of the battery, which hand lever is
moved by hand through the above are between two stops. The underside of this hand
lever is fitted with a spring, which bears against a sector plate on the cover of the
battery; the object being to ensure sufficient bite or friction to hold the handle, and
consequently also the elements at any position or height to which they may have been
moved. The pitch of the screw is so arranged, that a single revolution which corre-
sponds with the motion of the hand lever through the full extent between the two
stops, raises the elements from their lowest position of immersion in the solution to
the highest position above clear.of the solution; or lowers it from the latter to the
former,

page_text: Fig. is a plan looking on the top and Fig. 2 a cross section on line A B C D
Fig. 1 of an electric battery constructed in accordance with my improvements.
Similar letters represent similar parts in both figures. It will be understood that
to avoid complication the elements for one of the cells only are represented in the
drawing.
a a is the horizontal plate to which the elements care attached. This plate is
provided with the nut bin which fits the multiple threaded screw d of quick pitch.
At the top of this screw is fitted the small toothed wheel e which gears with a toothed
sector or quadrant (or complete wheel as shewn in the drawing) of much larger
radius, the proportionate radii being such that the small wheel e and consequently also
the multiple screw d each make one complete revolution for from one fourth to one
third revolution of the larger wheel or toothed sector. To the centre pin or axis of
the sector is fitted the small hand lever g on the top or outside of the battery, which
hand lever g can be moved by hand through the above are between the two stops
h. h. The underside the hand lever is fitted with a spring which bears against
the sector plate j, the object being to ensure sufficient bite or friction to hold the hand
lever g
and consequently also the elements cz in any position (height) to which they
may have been moved. The pitch of the screw d is so arranged that a single revolution
thereof, which corresponds with a motion of the hand lever g through the full extent
between the two stops h, raises or lowers the elements through the full height,
raising them completely out of or lowering them to their full extent into the
solution.
In order to avoid any liability of the elements on account of their weight
dropping from any position to which they may be raised, and also to facilitate their
being raised by a screw of such quick pitch as is desirable, I arrange to balance the
weight of the elements cz and the plate a to which they are attached by means of
the springs k, enclosed in the vulcanite tubes to protect them from the action of the
solution. In place of the spiral wire springs 1 propose sometimes to use springs of
rubber composition which are not acted on by the solution.
It will be evident that instead of regulating the height of the elements in the
solution by raising and lowering them through the mechanism above described, this
relative height can also be regulated by raising and lowering the cells m containing
the solution by the same mechanism, the nut b being then attached attached to a cross
bar n (sbewn in dotted lines) connected to the cells m, the screw d being protected
from the action of the solution by the vulcanite tube o also shewn in dotted lines.
The elements in this case are then permanently fixed to the cover p of the
battery, and the springs are arranged to balance the weight of the cells.

page_text: In order to withdraw the cells for changing the solution, I provide an opening in
the front or back of the battery extending to the height (just above the top of the
cells) shown by the dotted line q, such opening being closed by a hinged or moveable
door. It is necessary however that the bottom of the elements cz should be raised
above this line. This is effected by the side springs », which are normally compressed,
but which on loosening the screw caps s, raise the lid or cover p, and all the
attachments thereto, and consequently also the plate a and elements c by an
amount sufficient to enable the bottom of the elements cz to be clear of the top of the
cells; which latter can then be withdrawn: By this arrangement the liability to
breaking of the carbon plates, (which often occurs when the elements are raised by
hand), is avoided.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I-declare that what I
claim is:
In electric batteries:-
1° The employment of a screw d and nut b, the former actuated from the hand
lever g through toothed gearing e and f, for raising lowering and regulating the
height or relative position of the elements in the solution, substantially as herein
set forth.
2° The use of the springs protected where necessary by telescopic vulcanite
tubes, for balancing the weight of the elements (or cells in case the latter are made
moveable), substantially as herein set forth.
3° The use of the side springs substantially as and for the purpose herein
set forth.
4° The general arrangement of balanced elements or cells, adjustable in relative
position substantially in the manner herein set forth.
Dated this 11th day of May 1888.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON, Assoc. R.S.M., Wh. Sc.,
2, East Parade, Leeds,
Agent for Applicant.