Improvements in Accumulator Batteries.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Accumulator Batteries.
I, PASCAL MARINO, of 77, Rue des Foulons, Brussels, Belgium, Chemist, 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:-
This invention relates to the composition of the plates of an accumulator
battery, to their arrangement and separation and to means of aiding circulation
of the electrolyte and escape of the gases evolved, as I shall describe referring
to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a plan and Fig. 2 is a section of one of the plates, Fig. 3 is a plan
of one of the frames, Fig. 4 is a section of the plate with its frames and layer of
active material Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the battery consisting of super-
posed plates and separators, and Figs. 6, 7 and 8 shew on an enlarged scale
several forms of perforated or slotted tubes for aiding circulation of the electrolyte
and escape of gas.
I. The positive plates consist of a thin plate a of lead having on each side
a layer of active material consisting of lead oxide preferably formed that is to say
reduced to binoxide. On each side is a frame of ebonite or other suitable
insulating material confining the active material so as to prevent it from dropping
and producing short circuiting.
The negative plates are of the same kind as the positive except that instead
of the lead plate, aluminium may be employed or other metal not attacked by
the electrolyte, and that instead of lead binoxide, spongy lead constitutes the
active material.
II. The positive plates are separated from the negative by porous partitions c
which allow migration of the ions and withstand the action of acid electrolyte.
This partition is a slice or flat piece of peat which is first washed with water
and then thoroughly dried after which it is purified and freed from foreign
matters in a bath strongly acidulated with sulphuric acid, and then treated with
alcohol of 90° or benzene. Although peat is preferred, lignite may be used
treated like the peat, on a wooden board carbonised on the surface by immersing
it for some hours in concentrated sulphuric acid, or by the action of fire.
The sulphuric acid not only purifies the peat and lignite and carbonises the
wood, but it also confers new properties on the fibres of those bodies, especially
porosity, eliminating also the volatile materials contained in the wood. In this
condition the partition is non-conductive, it absorbs the gases in its pores and
allows passage of the migrating ions.
3. The plates are horizontally superposed, alternating, those of the same sign
connected by lugs & projecting from the metal plates, soldered to conducting
bars. All the superposed plates and partitions are bound together by ties of
caoutchouc or other material not attacked by acids.
4. All the plates and partitions have through them several coincident holes
in which are placed short pieces of tube ƒ each the depth of a plate, or tubes of

page_text: greater length perforated with holes as g or with saw cuts as h. These tubes may
be made of wood charcoal, or caoutchouc or other non-conducting material.
The chief object of these tubes is to form what may be termed chimneys for
escape of gases; at the same time being perforated or having openings to allow
the electrolyte to penetrate into the heart of the battery and circulate throughout
the active material producing the required chemical effects.
Although I have described special details of the accumulator it is to be under-
stood that the combination of these details is also to be claimed as constituting
a complete whole. But for the horizontality of the plates, the chimneys could
not be employed, and without the chimneys the battery could not have its proper
action, because but for them there would be imperfect circulation of the electro-
lyte and no easy escape for the gases, features absolutely essential in an accumu
lator battery. Moreover the employment of frames to prevent escape of the
active material can only be practical when the plates are horizontal, and the
porous partitions which separate the plates are essential to the horizontal arrange-
ment.
Thus if, one or other of the constituent parts were absent much of its utility
would be lost.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:--
An accumulator battery having positive and negative plates constituted as
described with frames confining their active material, these plates being arranged
horizontally and separated by porous partitions, which as well as the plates, have
holes through them occupied by vertical tubes having openings through their
walls, substantially as described.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1899.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.