Year: 1896

page_text: 1, MÉRY DE CONTADES, of 15 Rue des Halles, Paris, France, Electrical
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
These improvements in electric accumulators have for objects to impart
malleability, suppleness, and elasticity to the plates,, and to produce a very strong
accumulator that will not require any maintenance and will last for an unlimited
time.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings is an elevation of an accumulator according
to this invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof;
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a vessel surrounding a negative electrode ;
Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 shows a vertical section of the vessel containing the negative electrode
(which is shown in elevation), the vessel being provided with a single band that
forms a protector for the vessel and also serves as the negative electrode.
An accumulator according to this invention comprises any desired number of
positive electrodes C of inoxidizable corrugated or folded metal of say about
1 mm. in thickness, which are coated with red lead, and each contained in a
vessel A B of very flattened form. F'is the electrode that connects together the
positive plates C, and H the electrode that connects together the negative plates I,
which may be provided with cavities, the whole being immersed in acidulated
water contained in a vessel K, which may he made of an inoxidizable metal or of
wood. A thick layer of paraffin spread over the surface of the liquid that fills the
vessel K, prevents evaporation and the giving off of the acid vapours. Two small
holes only are provided for the purpose of allowing the gases to escape. The
vessels A Bare about two centimetres wide. The summits of the corrugations or
folds of each corrugated or folded electrode C, are in contact with the inner walls
in order to reduce the resistance. The corrugation or folding of the electrode
imparts to the latter a considerable degree of suppleness which allows it to be
easily changed in shape by the swelling of the active material, without, the risk of
breaking the vessel containing the electrode.
Between two adjacent porous vessels there is situated a negative electrode,
which may consist, as above stated, of a simple ordinary Faure plate having
cavities insulated from the other electrodes by porcelain insulators fixed to the
positive plate; it may, however, he composed, like the positive electrode, of a
folded or corrugated strip coutained in a shell.
A and B are the two parts that constitute the porous vessel, which may be
perforated, or not perforated, or may be provided with holes that will not extend
quite through the walls of the vessel but will stop a few millimetres from the face
which encloses the positive electrode C like a shell. These two parts fit together,
and into each other, at their ends in such a manner as to allow one or the other to
move away and thus facilitate the swelling that takes place when the accumulators
are charged. By means of this arrangement I obtain a very considerable increase
of the porosity of the active material, the charging and discharging are cffected

page_text: rapidly and without the slightest injury to the plate, and the capacity of the
element very appreciably increased.
I surround the vessel with narrow bands, D' D' D³, which may be of elastic
material such as caoutchouc or of malleable or ductile metal such as lead or tin.
This device allows the swelling to take place without breaking the walls of tho
vessel and causes the active material to be pressed against the electrode in a very
efficient manner. There may he two, three, or more bands as desired.
There may also be only one band D occupying the entire height of the vessel
and thus serving as a protector therefor. In this case the protector, which forms
one with the vessel, is perforated and it may be arranged so as to form cavities G,
G', G", which, when they have been filled or supplied with active material,
constitute a negative electrode of the accumulator. The positive electrode C.is
still surrounded by the vessel.
To prevent the active material from becoming detached from the plates, I
introduce or heap up between the electrodes, an insulating porous powder, such
as pipe-clay, and this method may be employed in accumulators other than those
hereinhefore described.
Dated this 21st day of
1000
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
I, MÉRY DE CONTADES, of 15, Rue des Halles, Paris, France, 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 of improvements in electric accumulators has for objects to
impart flexibility, suppleness, and elasticity to the plates used in such accumulators,
and to produce a very strong accumulator that will not require any maintenance
and will last for an unlimited time.
Referring to the drawings filed with my Provisional Specification.
Fig. I shows in elevation an accumulator according to this invention, and
Fig. 2 is a plan thereof;
Fig. 3 is an elevation of a vessel surrounding a positive electrode;
Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section on the line - of Fig. 3; and
Fig. 5 shows a vertical section of the vessel containing the positive electrode,
which is shown in elevation, the vessel being provided with a single external band
that forms a protector for the vessel and also serves as the negative electrode.
An accumulator according to this invention comprises any desired number of
positive electrodes C of inoxidizable metal of say about 1 mm. in thickness, which
is corrugated or folded as shown and coated with red lead each electrode being
contained in a vessel A B of very flattened form. F is a terminal bar that
connects together the positive plates C, and H a terminal bar that connects
together the negative plates 1, which may be made with cavities, or recesses for
holding active material, the whole being immersed in acidulated water contained in
a vessel K, which may be made of an inexidizable metal or of wood. A thick
layer of paraffin spread over the surface of the liquid that fills the vessel K,
prevents evaporation and the giving off of acid' vapours. Two small holes only
are provided for the purpose of allowing the gases generated to. escape. The

page_text: vessels A B are each about two centimetres wide. The summits of the corruga-
tions or folds of each corrugated or folded electrode C, are in contact with the-
inner surface of the walls in order to reduce the resistance. The corrugating or
folding of each electrode C imparts to the latter a considerable degree of
suppleness which allows it to be easily changed in shape by the swelling of the
active material, thereon without risk of breaking the vessel containing the
electrode.
Between each two adjacent porous vessels A B, there is situated a negative.
electrode, which may consist, as above stated, of a simple ordinary Faure plate
having cavities and insulated from the other electrodes by porcelain insulators; or
it may be composed, like the positive electrode, of a folded or corrugated strip
contained in a shell.
A and B are the two parts that constitute each porous vessel, which may be
perforated, or not perforated or may be provided with holes or recesses that do
not extend quite through the walls of the vessel but terminate a few millimetres.
from the inner surface or face of the vessel which encloses the positive electrode C
like a shell. The two parts of the vessel fit together and into each other, at their
ends in such a manner as to allow ene or the other to move away and thus facilitate-
the swelling that takes place when the accumulators are charged. By means of
this arrangement I obtain a very considerable increase in the porosity of the
active material; the charging and discharging are effected rapidly and without the
slightest injury to the electrode plate, and the capacity of the element is very
appreciably increased.
I surround the vessel with narrow bands, D1 D2 D3, which may be of elastic-
material such as caoutchouc or of malleable or ductile metal such as lead or tin.
This device allows the expansion of the electrode to take place without breaking
the walls of the vessel and causes the active material to be pressed against the
electrode plate in a very efficient manner. There may be two, three, or more
bands as desired. There may also be only one band D occupying the entire height
of the vessel and thus serving as a protector therefor. In this case the protector,
which forms one with the vessel, is perforated and it may be arranged so as to
form cavities G¹, G³, G, which, when they have been filled or supplied
with active material, constitute a negative electrode of the accumulator. The
positive electrode C is still surrounded by the vessel.
To prevent the active material from becoming detached from the plates, I
introduce or heap up between the electrodes, an insulating porous powder, such as.
pipe-clay. The use of such a powder for the purpose mentioned may be employed
in electric accumulators other than those hereinbefore described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performned 1 declare that what I.
claim is :-
In an electric accumulator,
1. A porous vessel formed in two parts perforated, or provided with holes or
recesses that do not extend quite through the walls of the vessel but terminate a.
few millimetres from the inner surface or face of the vessel in which the positive
electrode is enclosed and to which it serves as a shell, the said two parts fitting one
within the other at their corresponding ends substantially as described for the
purpose specified.
2. A porous vessel of the kind specified in the preceding claim surrounded by
Darrow elastic belts or bands of suitable material such as caoutchouc, or of ductile-
metal such as lead or tin substantially as described for the purpose specified.
a single
3. A porous vessel of the kind specified in Claim 1, surrounded by
perforated band, occupying the entire height of the vessel and forming one with
the latter so as to serve as a protector thereto, whether or not the perforations or
cavities formed in the said band be charged with active material to constitute a.
negative electrode of the accumulator.

page_text: 4. The use of an insulating porous powder heaped up between the electrodes so
as to prevent the active material from becoming detached therefrom.
Dated this 1st day of February 1897.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.