Manufacture of Elements or Plates for Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 9th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 10th May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Manufacture of Elements or Plates for Secondary Batteries.
1 JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Andrew Lawrence Riker of the City County and
State of New York United States of America Electrician to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the manufacture of elements or plates for secondary
batteries and has particular reference to that form of battery element or plate in
which the active material is packed in perforations in a lead or other conducting
support.
It has been proposed heretofore to make the holes or cells for active material
diminishing in size from one side of the plate to the other the active material being
in the form of a button of conical or equivalent shape and therefore being less likely
to fall out of place. This construction of course is serviceable only when the plate
is arranged horizontally or approximately so.
It has also been proposed to make the holes or cells of greatest diameter in the
middle of the plate and diminishing towards each side thereof so that the button of
active material would be securely held in place. A plate or grid of this form how-
ever would be extremely difficult to make. It could not be cast and holes of the
shape specified could be coned only with great difficulty.
According to the present invention a plate or grid of lead or other suitable materia!
is cast or otherwise formed with holes or cells having greater area on one side of
the plate than on the other, and these cells are packed or filled with active material
such as peroxide of lead. The plate is then folded on itself in such manner that the
larger ends of the holes are inside, that is adjacent to each other, and the smaller
ends are outward. Thus the button of active material is supported at the side on
which it would be likely to fall out.
The plate is cast (or otherwise formed) with a series of cells or holes which may
be square or of other suitable shape in cross section, this shape being immaterial pro-
vided the area of the cells at one side of the plate is less than that at the other side.
The plate is also provided with ears or strips projecting from its edges (wbich may be
integral with the plate or not) and with larger projections to serve as terminals for
connection of the battery wires. The cells being filled with active material the plate
is folded being bent so that those surfaces which contain the large ends of the holes
or cells approach each other. The two leaves are then bound together by bending
over the ears or strips. The cells can be so disposed that when the plate is folded
they will register with each other. It is preferred however to fold the plate so that
each cell is closed or partially closed at its large end by a solid portion of the plate.
This gives a larger extent of contact between the active material and its conducting
support and furnishes additional security against the washing out of the active
material. When made in this way the element is practically a cellular plate in
which the cells or pockets extend only partly through the plate.
If it be desired to provide more perfect access of the electrolyte to the active
material stored in the cells a sheet of absorbent material such as asbestos paper felt
or the like may be placed between the two leaves of the plate.
Dated this 9th day of July 1880
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Manufacture of Elements or Plates for Secondary Batteries.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Andrew Lawrence Riker of the City County and
State of New York United States of America Electrician) and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following stateinent :—
This Invention relates to the manufacture of elements or plates for secondary
batteries and has particular reference to that form of battery element or plate in
which the active material is packed in perforations in a lead or other conducting
support.
It has been proposed heretofore to make the holes or cells for active material
diminishing in size from one side of the plate to the other, the active material being
in the form of a button of conical or equivalent shape, and therefore being less
likely to fall out of place. This construction of course is serviceable only when the
plate is arranged horizontally or approximately so.
It has also been proposed to make the holes or cells of greatest diameter in the
middle of the plate and diminishing towards each side thereof, so that the button of
active material would be securely held in place. A plate or grid of this form, how-
ever, would be extremely difficult to make. It could not be cast, and holes of the
shape specified could be coned only with great difficulty.
According to the present Invention a plate or grid of lead or other suitable
material is cast, or otherwise formed, with holes or cells having greater area on one
side of the plate than on the other, and these cells are packed or filled with active
material, such as peroxide of load. The plate is then folded on itself in such manner
that the larger ends of the holes are inside, that is adjacent to each other, and the
smaller ends are outward. Thus the button of active material is supported at the
side on which it would be otherwise likely to fall out.
The Invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawing
in which Figure I illustrates in plan, a plate or grid before its cells are filled with
active material, Figure II illustrates in section the plate after being folded, and
Figure II is a similar view showing a layer of absorbent material interposed between
the two leaves of the plate.
The plate A is cast (or otherwise formed) with a series of cells or holes a which
may be square as shewn, or of other suitable shape in cross-section, this shape being
immaterial provided the area of the cells at one side of the plate be less than that at
the other side. The plate is also provided with ears or strips c projecting from its
edges (which ears or strips may be integral with the plate or not) and with larger
projections d to serve as terminals for connection of the battery wires. The cells
being filled with active material the plate is folded as on the line xx Figure 1 it
being bent so that these surfaces which contain the large ends of the holes or cells a
approach each other. The two leaves are then bound together by bending over the
ears or strips c. The position of the folded plate is shewn in Figure II. The cells
can be so disposed that when the plate is folded they will register with each other.
It is preferred however, to fold the plate as shewn, so that each cell is closed or
partially closed at its large end by a solid portion of the plate. This gives a larger
extent of contact between the active material and its conducting support, and furnishes
additional security against the washing out of the active material. When made in
this way the element is practically a cellular plate in which the cells or pockets extend
only partly through the plate.
If it be desired to provide more perfect access of the electrolyte to the active
material stored in the cells, a sheet of absorbent material, such as asbestos paper,
felt or the like may be placed between the two leaves of the plate as shewn in
Figure III.

page_text: 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
1. The method of preparing a plate or element for secondary batteries, which
method consists in forming a plate or support of conductive material with cells or
holes decreasing in diamater from one side to the other, filling such cells or holes
with active material and then folding the plate upon itself in such manner that the
smaller ends of the holes are outside, substantially as described.
2. The method of preparing a plate or element for secondary batteri 's, which
method consists in forming a plate or support of lead or other material with tapering
cells or holes, filling such cells or holes with active material, and then folding the
said plate on a line, such that the larger end of the cells will be opposite to a solid
part of the plate, substantially as described.
3. The method of preparing a plate or element for secondary batteries, which
method consists in forming a plate with tapering cells or holes and filling them with
active material and folding the plate upon itself with a sheet of absorbent material
interposed between the two leaves, the fold being so made that the small ends of the
cells or holes are outside, substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. The method of preparing a plate or element for secondary batteries by providing
a plate with tapering holes or cells and projecting strips or ears, filling the holes or
cells with active material, folding the plate upon itself, and clamping the. two leaves
together by over-lapping the strips or ears, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. A secondary battery plate or element consisting of a folded plate or support having
holes or cells of larger area on one side of the plate than on the other, the said holes
or cells being filled with active material, and the smaller ends of the said cells being
outside substantially as described.
6. A secondary battery plate or element, consisting of a doubled or folded plate
provided with tapering holes or cells filled with active material, the smaller ends of
the said holes being outside, and a sheet of absorbent material being interposed
between the folds of the said plate, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. A secondary battery plate or element consisting of a doubled or folded plate,
having holes or cells filled with active material, the two leaves of the said element
being bound together by overlapping strips or ears at the edges of the plate sub-
stantially as berein before described.
SM 1800