IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SECONDARY BATTERIES, OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING ELECTRICAL STORAGE, AND IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND RE-CHARGING SUCH BATTERIES.
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Woodward at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th June 1882.
HENRY WOODWARD, of Shepherd's Bush, in the County, of Middlesex,
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF SECONDARY
BATTERIES, OR APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING ELECTRICAL STORAGE, AND IN MEANS
OR APPARATUS FOR CHARGING AND RE-CHARGING SUCH BATTERIES.
Secondary batteries, or accumulators, as now constructed, are of a cumbrous
nature, and so ill adapted to hold any suitable quantity of electricity, that their
intent, and consequent utility, are nil. The object of my Invention is therefore to
remedy these evils, and to construct and arrange secondary batteries in such
manner as to possess large storage capacity, and capable of being readily handled,
and placed in any convenient position, owing to their compactness and form.
Now, my Invention relates, first, to the construction and arrangement of
secondary batteries, or apparatus for effecting electrical storage, and for this
purpose, I construct the box, case, chamber, or shell of any suitable shape, or form,
but, by preference, in the form of a Beehive, or of a dome, or of a bridge, or of an
arch, and in order that it may offer, or present a very large surface, in a small
space, I corrugate, flute, fold, plait or undulate the sides, top, and bottom of such
box, case, chamber, or shell, whereby I am enabled to reduce the size of the
box, case, chamber, or shell to half (or more or less) its original size, according to
the number of corrugations, flutings, folds, plaits, or undulations put into the same,
while the box, or chamber, so constructed, presents a very large surface in a very
small compass.
Within the box, case, chamber or shell, so constructed, I place the electrodes,
which, according to my Invention, I arrange or build up of plates, sheets or strips
of lead, or other suitable metal, also corrugated, fluted, or undulated, and in arch,
bridge or dome-shape, or other suitable shape, and one over and surrounding
the other, such plates, or strips following the inner line, of the box, case, chamber
or shell, so that the corrugations, flutings or undulations enter and lie within the
corresponding corrugations, or flutings of the plates, or strips next, and immediately
below and above them; and in the case of the outermost plate or strip, the

page_text: corrugations or undulations, enter and lie within the corrugations or flutings of the
box, case, chamber or shell, thus forming a compact nest of the said plates, sheets,
or strips.
These arch, or dome-shaped plates, or strips, are insulated from one another.
The plates, sheets or strips aforesaid, may be prepared for casting, to the required
size, and their surface, or surfaces, may be cast with knobs, protuberances, or
swellings, thus presenting the appearance of a studded surface, and thereby
obtaining a further increased surface, or surfaces, for the electrolytic gases, without,
in any way, weakening the said plates, sheets or strips.
In order to keep the said strips, plates, or sheets constantly moist, I place the
hox, case, chamber, or shell in a shallow trough, or vessel, containing a suitable
liquid, and between the plates, sheets or strips, I introduce cotton wick, or other
fibrous material, and cause the end of such material to enter the liquid, and thus,
by capillary attraction of the fibrous material, the plates are kept moist.
The box, case, chamber or shell, and the plates, sheets, or strips thus constructed
and arranged, are employed in the manner well known.
The second part of my Invention relates to means or apparatus for charging,
and re-charging my improved secondary battery, or accumulator, or other secondary
battery, or accumulator, either periodically, or, as occasion may require, and for
this purpose, I construct a wheeled framing or carriage, on which I arrange the
generating machine, or machines, together with a gas, or other engine, for driving
the same, and such other apparatus, or appliances, as I may find essential, for
producing the electricity. In the case of a gas engine, the gas under compression
is supplied from a receptacle, or receptacles, carried on the carriage.
The wheeled-framing, or carriage, thus fitted, with the aforesaid apparatus or
appliances, may be drawn from place to place by horses, or it may be so arranged,
or adapted, as to be moved by the engine thereon, and the secondary batteries,
previously fitted in the consumers premises, are then charged by connecting the
necessary wires thereto, which wires may be insulated and carried over head from
the carriage, or may be laid on the ground. By these means, a number of batteries in
several buildings may be charged at the same time, and furthermore I thus obviate
the necessity of laying down conducting wires underground, and of having to break
the ground therefor, thus saving expense and trouble.