AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR FORMING OR PREPARING LEAD, IN THE SHAPE OF PLATES OR OTHERWISE, FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES OR MAGAZINES OF ELECTRICITY, AND AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF BATTERY
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Cuttriss, of Leeds, in the County of York, for an
invention of "AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR FORMING OR PREPARING LEAD,
IN THE SHAPE OF PLATES OR OTHERWISE, FOR SECONDARY BATTERIES OR
MAGAZINES OF ELECTRICITY, AND AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF BATTERY."
Partly a communication from abroad by Charles Cuttriss of Duxbury,
Massachusetts, in the United States of America,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Cuttriss at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th May 1882.
THOMAS CUTTRISS, of Leeds, in the County of York "AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR FORMING OR PREPARING LEAD, IN THE SHAPE OF PLATES OR OTHERWISE, FOR
SECONDARY BATTERIES OR MAGAZINES OF ELECTRICITY, AND AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF BATTERY" (partly a Communication from abroad by Charles
Cuttriss, of Duxbury, Massachusetts, in the United States of America)
This Invention relates to a process of forming or preparing lead in the shape of
plates, or otherwise, for secondary Batteries or Magazines of Electricity, by means
of Combinations in suitable proportions of Sulphuric Acid, Nitric Acid and
Chromic Acid and an electric current; also to an improvement in the construction
of Batteries whereby a more enduring Battery is obtained.
I will first describe the process by which I propose to form a lead plate.
In a vessel containing an acid Solution, preferably sulphuric Acid, as a
conducting medium for the electric current, I place a porous pot or jar, or a vessel
with porous divisions, which I fill with a solution of a Chroinate or Bi-chromate,
such as Bi-Chromate of Potash or of Chromic Acid in water to which I have added
a small quantity of sulphuric and nitric Acid.
I then take the lead plate which I am about to form or prepare, place it in the
porous pot and connect it with the Positive pole of a Galvanic Battery or other
suitable source of Electricity; I then place in the solution contained in the outer
vessel a plate of metal or carbon which I connect with the negative pole of the
Battery or other suitable source of Electricity.
Upon allowing a current to circulate from the Battery or other suitable source

page_text: of Electricity, the plate in the porous pot is rapidly acted upon by the combined
action of the acids and the electric current, and a thick coating of Peroxide of Lead
is formed on the plate.
A number of plates thus formed or prepared may then be connected together in
the ordinary way for making a secondary Battery or Magazine of Electricity.
The improvement in the construction of Batteries which forms the second part
of this Invention, consists in making the plates thicker at one part than another,
so that the upper portion of the plates, where the action is most intense, contains a
greater proportion of material, thus forming a much more enduring Battery or
Magazine of Electricity than when the plates are of uniform thickness throughout.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Cuttriss in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd November
1882.
THOMAS CUTTRISS of Leeds in the County of York "AN IMPROVED PROCESS
FOR FORMING, OR PREPARING LEAD IN THE SHAPE OF PLATES, OR OTHERWISE FOR
SECONDARY BATTERIES OR MAGAZINES OF ELECTRICITY AND AN IMPROVED CON-
STRUCTION OF BATTERY" (partly a Communication from abroad by Charles
Cuttriss of Duxbury Massachusetts in the United States of America
This Invention relates to a process of forming or preparing lead in the shape of
plates or otherwise for Secondary Batteries or Magazines of Electricity, by means
of combinations in suitable proportions of Sulphuric Acid, Nitric Acid, Chromic
Acid and an Electric current; also to an improvement in the construction of
Batteries whereby a more enduring Battery is obtained.
I will proceed to describe my process of forming or preparing a lead plate for
the purpose above set forth.
In a vessel containing an acid solution (preferably Sulphuric Acid) as a con-
ducting medium for the electric current, say in the proportion of one part of
Sulphuric Acid to ten parts of water (but more or less may be used) I place a
porous pot or jar which I fill with a solution of a Chromate or Bi-Chromate, such as
Bi-Chromate of Potash, or of Soda, or of Chromic Acid in water to which I have
added a small quantity, of Sulphuric and Nitric acid-I have found to answer well,
a saturated solution of Bi-Chromate of Potash in water 100 parts, Sulphuric
Acid 10 parts, and Nitric Acid one part.
I would here observe that I imay replace the Bi-Chromate of Potash by Bi-
Chromate of Soda, or by any Chromate or Bi-Chromate which I may find to be
for my purpose a Chemical equivalent for those I have above mentioned)
I then take the lead plate which I am about to form or prepare, place it in the
porous pot and connect it with the positive pole of a Galvanic Battery, or other
suitable source of electricity-I then place in the solution contained in the outer
vessel a plate of metal or carbon, which I connect with the negative pole of the
Battery, or other source of electricity. If the outer vessel is of metal it may be
connected to the negative pole of the Battery, thus dispensing with the loose pieco
of metal or carbon.
This arrangement being completed I allow a current to circulate from the
Battery or other source of Electricity, with the result that the combined action of
the acids and the electric current upon the lead plate within the porous pot causes
a thick coating of peroxide of lead to rapidly form thereupon; and whatever other
chemical compounds may be thus formed upon the plate together with the peroxide
need not be taken into account, as they do not affect the result of my process.
The plates when sufficiently coated with peroxide are formed or prepared ready
for application to Secondary Batteries or Magazines of Electricity in the ordinary
imanner.
A small plate may be sufficiently coated with peroxide by my process say
in about ten hours, but I need scarcly observe that the time required for the
coating will greatly depend upon the dimensions of the plate and the strength of
the solutions.
Although I have described my process as operated by the aid of a porous pot
placed within an outer vessel, I may use a single vessel with suitable porous
divisions for separating the acids; the vessel being made of any suitable material
either metallic or non-metallic. If metallic, the vessel may be connected with the
negative pole of the battery, thus dispensing with the loose piece of metal
or carbon.

page_text: In the construction of Batteries I find it answer well to use lead plates thicker
at one part than another, and preferably at the part which will be uppermost when
the plates are combined in the battery, as the action is more intense at the upper
part, and, in this case, acting upon a greater proportion of material, the Battery or
Magazine of Electricity will be found much more enduring than when plates are
used of uniform thickness throughout.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention partly
communicated to me as aforesaid and in what manner the same is or may be
performed.
I Claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent :-
Firstly Forming or preparing lead in the shape of plates, or otherwise, for
Secondary Batteries or Magazines of Electricity, by means of Sulphuric Acid,
Nitric Acid and Chromic Acid, and an Electric Current, combined and arranged
to operate upon the lead substantially as herein before described.
Secondly-In the construction of Batteries or Magazines of Electricity, the use
of lead plates made thicker at one part than another, as and for the purpose above
Specified.
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Cuttriss have hereunto set my hand
this Diest day of November in the voor of our Lord One thousand