Electrical Batteries and General Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Electrical Batteries and General Purposes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY QUARTERMAN of 75 Borough Road, Southwark, in the
county of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BOXES OR CELLS, FOR ELECTRICAL
BATTERIES AND GENERAL PURPOSES to be as follows:-
The methods usually adopted in constructing wooden boxes or cells, to contain
liquids, fail to answer their purpose in a satisfactory manner, because the grooves
and tongues which are used to connect the various parts together are parallel and
require either nails, screws, bolts and nuts or dovetailed stretchers, or other devices,
to fasten them together, and the said grooved joints are apt to warp and twist
through the support not being continuous throughout the joint.
The object of my invention is to construct a box or cell, so that the several parts
of which it is composed interlock with each other, by means of joints, which afford
continuous support throughout their whole length. All the said parts being thus
kept firmly in position, so that not one of them can warp or twist when fitted
together.
In the construction of my improved box, the joints themselves form the connec-
tions between the several parts, so that no nails, screws, bolts and nuts, dovetailed
stretchers, or other fasteners of any kind are required, and such boxes can be
instantly taken apart or put together without the use of tools or skilled labour.
My improved box is constructed substantially in practice of six pieces of wood,
one piece forming the bottom, two the sides, two the ends and one the top.
A dovetailed groove is formed on the inner side of each side piece, parallel with
and a short distance from the bottom edge, such grooves are not of equal width
throughout, but taper slightly from one end to the other. A slightly tapered
dovetail is formed on two opposite edges of the bottom piece, to fit the said grooves
-A vertical tapered dovetailed groove is formed parallel with and a short distance
from the end of each side piece, on the inner side thereof, to receive corresponding
tapered dovetails on the vertical edges of the end pieces, and plain parallel grooves.
are formed across and near the ends of the bottom pieces to receive corresponding
tongues on the bottom edges of the end pieces.
In practice, I generally prefer to make the said grooves of a half-dovetail form
in section, as such section does not weaken the material so much as the ordinary.
complete dovetail, and also saves labour in construction. To put the box together,
the bottom is first slid into the grooves in the side pieces, and the ends are then

page_text: pushed down their grooves into place-The reversal of the process, taking the box
apart again.
may
It will clearly be seen that the peculiar arrangement of the tapered dovetails and
their corresponding dovetailed grooves, affords absolutely complete and continuous
support and connection throughout the whole length of the joint, and binds the
whole firmly together-If it be desired to provide the box with a lid, it slide
into dovetailed or plain grooves formed in the sides and one end, or it may simply
drop into a plain rebate formed in the top edge of the box-In making boxes of
any considerable size according to my invention, I prefer to form one or more
dovetailed grooves across the grain in each part and to drive dovetailed taper keys
therein. This has the effect of rendering the various parts of the box less liable to
break along the grain when the box is apart, or being taken apart. Among other
uses to which such a box as above described can be put it forms a very convenient
packing case, as when not in use it can be. taken apart and packed into a very
small compass.
When used for electrical purposes, such as the outer cell of a primary or secondary
battery, the joints are cemented together with any suitable water and acid proof
cement, and the whole box may if desired be soaked in hot paraffin or other suit-
able insulating compound; or the inside may be coated with the same.
box is soaked in paraffin, the paraffin will generally render the joints sufficiently
tight without requiring cement also.
When the
Although I have described my improved box as constructed of wood, it may be
made in metal, vulcanite, glass, earthenware papier-mache, or any other material
desired out of which it would be possible to construct such a box.
Electrical Batteries and General Purposes.
I, WILLIAM HENRY QUARTERMAN of 75 Borough Road, Southwark, in the
county of Surrey, Civil 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 :-
The methods usually adopted in constructing wooden boxes or cells to contain
liquids, fail to answer their purpose in a satisfactory manner, becauses the grooves
and tongues which are used to connect the various parts together are parallel and

page_text: require either nails, screws, bolts and nuts or dovetailed stretchers, or other devices
to fasten them together, and the said grooved joints are apt to warp and twist
through the support not being continuous throughout the joint.
The object of my invention is to construct a box or cell, so that the several parts
of which it is composed, interlock with each other by means of joints which afford
continuous support throughout their whole length. All the said parts being thus
kept firmly in position so that not one of them can warp or twist when fitted
together.
In the construction of my improved box, the joints themselves form the connec-
tions between the several parts, so that no nails, screws, bolts and nuts, dovetailed
stretchers or other fasteners of any kind are required, and such boxes can be
instantly taken apart or put together without the use of tools or skilled labour.
My improved box is constructed substantially in practice of six pieces of wood,
one piece forming the bottom, two the sides, two the ends and one the top.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings,
Figure 1 is a plan.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the line XX on Figure 1 and,
Figure 3 is a cross section through the line Y Y on Figure 1 of a box constructed
according to my invention.
Figure 4 is a plan of a similar box fitted with partitions dividing it into six cells
for use in the construction of an electrical battery.
Similar letters of reference are used to denote similar parts in each figure.
A A are the sides, B the bottom and C C the ends.
A dovetailed groove D is formed on the inner side of each side piece A, parallel
with and a short distance from the bottom edge, such grooves are not of equal
width throughout, but taper slightly from one end to the other, as shewn.
A slightly tapered dovetail E is formed on two opposite edges of the bottom
piece B to fit the said grooves D, D. A vertical tapered dovetailed groove F is
formed parallel with and a short distance from the end of each side piece A on the
inner side thereof, to receive corresponding tapered dovetails H on the vertical
edges of the end pieces C, C, and plain parallel grooves J, J are formed across and.
near the ends of the bottom piece B to receive corresponding tongues K K on the
bottom edges of the end pieces.
In practice I generally prefer to make the said grooves of a half dovetail form in
section, as shewn in the drawings, for such section does not weaken the material,
so much as the ordinary complete dovetail, and also saves labour in construction.
To put the box together the bottom B is first slid into the grooves D D, in the
side pieces A A, and the ends C C are then pushed down their grooves F F into
place. The reversal of the process taking the box apart again.
It will clearly be seen that the peculiar arrangement of the tapered dovetails and
their corresponding dovetailed grooves, affords absolutely complete and continuous
support and connection throughout the whole length of the joint, and binds the
whole apparatus firmly together.
No lid is shewn in the drawings, but if it be desired to provide the box with a
lid, it may slide into dovetailed or plain grooves formed in the sides and one end,
or it may simply drop into a plain rebate L formed in the top edge of the box, or
may be hinged or fitted to the box in any other desired manner.
In making boxes of any considerable size according to my invention, I prefer to
form one or more dovetailed grooves across the grain in each part and to drive
dovetailed taper keys therein as shewn in dotted lines at M. This has the effect
of rendering the various parts of the box less liable to break along the grain when
the box is apart or being taken apart.
To afford additional strength to the bottom B of the box, I generally prefer to
clamp the ends as shewn at N, and such clamps may if desired be thickened on
their under sides to the same depth as the bottom edges of the sides A A, so that
they assist in supporting the weight of the box and its contents.

page_text: 'Among other uses to which such a box as above described can be put, it forms a
very convenient packing case, as when not in use it can be taken apart and packed
into a very small compass.
When used as a packing case and for similar purposes I sometimes prefer to
taper the grooves of the end pieces the reverse way to that shewn on the drawings,
so that the said end pieces are slid into place from below.
This prevents the ends being pulled out when lifting the box by such ends.
In this case the plain tongues on the bottoms of the end pieces which enter plain
grooves in the bottom piece are omitted, as the bottom has then to be slid in after
the ends are in place.
.
Figure 4 represents a box of similar construction to that shewn in Figures 1, 2
and 3 but with the addition of partitions O, dividing it into six cells for use as a
primary or secondary galvanic battery, and in this case the joints are cemented
together with any suitable water and acid proof cement and the whole box may if
desired be soaked in hot paraffin or other suitable insulating compound; or the
inside may be coated with the same.
When the box is soaked in paraffin the paraffin will generally render the joints
sufficiently tight without requiring cement also.
The partitions are shewn as fitted in with tapered dovetailed grooves similarly to
the other parts of the box, but plain grooves may be used for such purpose, though
in boxes of large size the former are preferable as adding to the strength of the
construction of the apparatus.
When my improved box is to be used in the construction of a galvanic battery,
or is intended to contain liquid of any description, I prefer to compress by any
suitable means those portions of the ends and bottom and partitions, if any, upon
which the tongues are formed, before such tongues are cut to shape, so that when
the liquid is poured into the box or cells, the joints swell and tighten by absorbing
the moisture.
Although I have described my improved box as constructed of wood, it may be
made in metal, vulcanite, glass, earthenware, papier mache or any other material
desired out of which it would be possible to construct such a box.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is
The improved construction of a box or cells, in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein shewn and described.