IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ACCUMULATORS OR SECONDARY BATTERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake
and Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ACCUMULATORS OR SECONDARY BATTERIES"
A communication from abroad by Jules Jons Barrier and Ferdinand Tourvieille
de la Vernède both of Paris, France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd February 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ACCUMULATORS
OR SECONDARY BATTERIES." [A communication from abroad by Jules Joas
Barrier and Ferdinand Tourvieille de la Vernède, both of Paris, France.]
The electrical accumulators or secondary batteries heretofore constructed possess
numerous disadvantages which have, to a great extent, destroyed their practical
utility although they have been designed for extensive use as magazines of
electricity to be employed in manufactures, and otherwise, for giving light, supplying
power, and for other purposes. Such apparatus are however applicable for a
variety of purposes ranging from surgical operations to the propelling of tramway
vehicles and from the lighting of houses to the lighting of large establishments or
places
This Invention is designed to improve and render practical the well known
"Plante" apparatus.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a ribbon or band of lead
which may be either smooth, channelled, perforated, or otherwise treated for giving
to it as large a surface as possible. This band may be from half a centimetre to
four centimetres in width, and from one tenth (1/10) to one half (/) a millimetre
in thickness but these dimensions may be varied according to circumstances. The
said ribbon or band is manufactured from lead wire of the desired thickness which
is passed through rollers; it is made endless and coiled upon a reel or winder

page_text: which gives to the element the desired shape, such as circular, square, rectangular,
triangular, or any other geometrical form or figure which experience may shew to
be desirable. Whilst being coiled, the bands pass through a semi-liquid paste or
composition which becomes after several hours, a strong and firm cement. This
cement or mastic is composed of one part of platinized carbon, one part of litharge
reduced to a fine powder, and one part of glycerine, these proportions being
however, subject to modification according to circumstances. The platinized carbon
is employed for two purposes, and has two effects that is to say, in the first place it
effectually prevents the coils of the lead bands or ribbons froin actual contact with
one another and consequently permits the liquid to pass between each spiral so
that the greatest possible surface may be completely utilized. In the second place
it absorbs a considerable quantity of hydrogen, which in all the apparatus heretofore
known, has been set free and entirely lost. This cement or mastic has also the
effect of opposing a resistance to the passage of the current during the time the
apparatus is discharging and acts, when it is being charged, in a very energetic
manner so as to become transformed into spongy lead.
Each of my improved elements is composed of four discs, or pieces of rectangular
or other shape, arranged in the following manner, that is to say, two of these pieces,
forming the half of an element, are secured together by means of the above described
cement or mastic. Each element is placed in a box of ebonite, stone ware, glass, or
other suitable material and united to the adjoining element for quantity or tension
according to the use to which the battery is to be applied. Each half element is
separated from the next one, either simply by means of liquid or a porous plate
impervious to the attack of acid, and I may provide at the surface of each element,
in the case of employing the porous plate, a layer of platinized carbon. When
these elements have been made I subject them to the action of a bath of potash or
of neutral acctate of lead.
This improved battery or apparatus may be made in various forms and dimensions,
and I may, if desirable, make use of platinized pumice or any oxide or salt of
platinum, in place of the platinized carbon I may also use platinized lead and add
to the cement above described any suitable metallic filings. I may in place of the
sulphuric acid ordinarily used in secondary batteries, employ a solution of acetato
or other salt of lead.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd August 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL ACCUMULATORS
OR SECONDARY BATTERIES A communication from abroad by Jules Joas
Barrier, and Ferdinand Tourvieille de la Vernède, both of Paris, France.
The electrical accumulators or secondary batteries hitherto constructed possess
many drawbacks which to a great extent render their use impracticable although
destined to enter a field of vast benefit in public and private enterprise, such as the
storing of electricity for the production of light, in supplying motive power or
heat, in surgical operations in the propulsion of tram cars, for lighting public
thoroughfares or warehouses as well as for private purposes. Since it is considered
that electric lighting by the dynamo or magneto-electric machines is the most
economical I deem it indispensable to supply (wherever the electric light is used)
a battery of accumulators charged during the day, and this at a minimum cost
especially in factories where a motive power is employed so that in the night, or in
the event of accidents it is ready to hand either for lighting up the works and
oven supplying the motive power required. The drawbacks met with in the
accumulators as at present in use may be enumerated as follows:
1st The surface utilized for the chemical action is too restricted in comparison
with the weight and volume of the apparatus.
2nd The rapid destruction, in certain apparatus, of the organic parts of which
they are constituted: felt and so forth, for example
3rd Obstacles in the general manufacture, such as solder.
4th Excessive dimensions of each accumulator
5th Too much time expended and power lost in forming the elements. All
these objections and disadvantages are obviated in the apparatus forming the
subject of the present Invention which consists moreover of many novel parts
which tend to greatly increase the storing power.
The apparatus consists of a lead ribbon of one or other of the three kinds a. b. c
shown in the Drawings Figs. 1. 2. 3. or any other form, made by any suitable
mechanical means such as the rolling mill, the hydraulic press or otherwise. The
example a, is smooth, that b, is grooved, and that c, is perforated or open worked.
The dimensions of the ribbon in length, breadth and thickness, are variable as
example from 2 centimètres to 5 millimètres in breadth, and from a quarter of a
millimètre to a tenth thereof in thickness.
This lead ribbon is rolled or wound upon itself so as to form clements of a shape
suitable to the application it is intended for; it is consequently circular, square,
triangular, rectangular or otherwise. Figs. 4. 5. 6 represents three models, d. e. f,
are the ribbons, and the white parts which separate the lines show the spaces
occupied by the cement coming from the ribbon while it is being wound in a semi-
liquid paste which in a few hours becomes a strong solid cement.
This paste is composed of one part of platinized charcoal, one part of litharge or
very fine powder, and one part of glycerine which proportions however are subject
to modification as may be required.
The platinized charcoal the novel application of which forms one of the
characteristic features of the Invention has for its object 1st to prevent the bands
of lead from touching and consequently allows the liquid to pass between each
spiral so that the greatest amount of acting surface is completely used 2nd to

page_text: absorb a large amount of hydrogen which in all other systems is liberated in pure
loss.
The mastic of glycerine and litharge moreover bas the effect of opposing a
resistance to the current whilst the apparatus is discharging and acts most
energetically whilst charging by its transformation into spongy lead. Each of the
elements consists of four discs arranged in the following manner, two discs are
united with the cement described and forin a half element. Each element is placed
in a compartment or box of ebonite, glass, earthenware, or other suitable substance
and is connected to the other either for quantity or tension as required.
The connection of the elements is effected by means of a tail of lead soldered on
one of the faces of each clement. Each half element is separated from its neighbour
by a simple, layer of liquid or an unattackable porous plate. On the surface of
each half element, and in the case of using a porous plate a layer of platinized
charcoal may be added.
The elements thus constructed are prepared by means of a bath of potash, or a
bath saturated with a neutral acetate of lead.
In applying the new accumulator to electric lighting for domestic purposes, a
physical principle is put into practice which consists in dividing a trough or vase
of some kind into perfectly tight cells, by means of the clements employed. In
these conditions each cell being filled with an electrolyte, if an electric current is
made to pass by the blade or element forming one of the ends of the trough and is
made to pass out by the other element forming the other end, all the forces turned
towards one of the ends of the trough will be positives, and all the others negatives,
so that each element forms a complete element.
The principle was enunciated by Ritter, who in constructing an accumulating
pile by aid of blades of copper alternated with pieces of wet cloth, observed that
after the passage of a current, all the blades were positive at one side and negatives
at the other. In putting this principle into execution, to the ribbons d. e. f.
(Figs. 4. 5. 6) forming the elements, one lead blade g, exceeds by some-centimètres
the contour of the element, so as to be able to slide this blade in the grooves of a
trough ad hoc.
Besides the advantages resulting from this; this arrangement presents still
another no less important which is to be able with an element to obtain a positive
surface of great extent at one side, and on the other a negative surface relatively
restricted.
Experience proves that in these conditions the produce of the accumulator is
greatly augmented. The same result is obtained with the arrangements shown
Figs. 12. and 14, one of which Fig. 14 consists in folding a sheet of lead h, in shape
of troughs, and filling them with the mastic cement referred to. In the other case
Fig. 12 comprises a thin plate of lead i. i, and an ordinary element j, soldered to
the said plate. k. k and k¹³ are two blades of lead soldered to the plates i. i, at
the points and ³.
The elements established according to one or other of the arrangements described
may be employed in different ways Figs. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11 and 13. show as examples
several methods of construction. Fig. 7 represents a model for clements in quantity,
m. is the box of wood hardware india rubber and so forth in the bottom of which
are the sockets n. n for resting the elements p. p'-q. q' are the points at which
the current is recovered Fig. 8 represents a sample for elements in tension.
The box m, is provided with air tight divisions m', and in each of the compartments
receives the clements
P. pl.
In the Figures 9. 10, an annular arrangement is shown in horizontal and vertical
section, the bands of which forming the elements are wound round porous vases
8. t. u. of various sizes for boxing one within the other, in leaving annular spaces
filled with the cement; m shows the outside box or vase: round the porous vases 8,
are wound the bands of lead 8', l', u'. At v. v. v, is the current. Fig. 11 shows a
borizontal or pile arrangement in which the elements p. p¹ are supported by the
vertical divisions of the box m, by setting them in grooves judiciously arranged.

page_text: This method of construction admits of raising the pile in tension if the elements are
made like that Fig. 12.
If the conjunctions are made so that the cells are tight; small lead, glass, india
rubber, or other suitable tubes admit of filling these cells with liquid.
Fig. 13 represents an accumulator made by the junction of several discs or
elements of the form Fig. 12, which elements present the loft face positive, and the
right negative. The metal plates may have two discs soldered one on each side.
Under the same conditions, also with the view of augmenting the surface lead plates,
ribbed, fluted, or grooved on one side may be used, the corrugations being made by
machinery or with a tool.
Having thus described the Invention and the mode of carrying it into effect,
what is claimed is:-
1st The method of manufacturing the lead bands or ribbons, from a wire of this
metal, of variable breadth and thickness, by means of the rolling mill or hydraulic
press, or by any convenient means.
2nd The disposition of the elements; or winding them into desired external
form, the bands or ribbons being covered with a cement composed of platinized
charcoal, litharge and glycerine.
3rd The novel application, in constructing accumulators, of platinized charcoal,
platinized pumice, or any oxide or salt of platinum.
4th The novel employment of a mixture of a solid and insoluble nature composed
of platinized charcoal, glycerine and litharge in the requisite proportions, for the
reception of the lead ribbons or bands intended for accumulators.
5th The use, with the same object, of platinized lead, or the employment of the
conglomeration above claimed to which is added lead filings for the formation of an
clement.
6th. The methods described and represented in the accompanying Drawings,
which allow the troughs of the apparatus to be divided into cells or compartiments
which are rendered perfectly tight, by means of the elements themselves used as
already described, so as to employ to the best advantage the principle enunciated by
Ritter.
7th The method of preparing the elements by means of a bath of potash or of
acetate of lead.
8th The substitution for the powdered platinized charcoal, or charcoal in
fragments, of plates of charcoal, cut or agglomerated, or by the use of a porous
plate bearing in front of each clement a quantity of platinized charcoal or any
equivalent product.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Second day of August in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
T77M DADT T