Improvements in and relating to Plate-carriers for Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Plate-carriers for Secondary
Batteries.
1, HENRY LEITNER, of 39, Elsasser Strasse of Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia,
Germany, chemist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a novel device the purpose of which is to carry or
hold the plates of secondary batteries, instead of letting said plates he supported
directly by suitable portions of the vessel or jar containing the said plates. The
device consists of two blocks, such as A (Figure 1), having each a rearwardly
extending horizontal ledge a, a number of ledge-like projections a¹ situated on the
other side of the block, and a number of vertical grooves extending from the
upper edge or rim of the block down to about the upper ends of said projections a¹.
The groove-like spaces a³ existing between the latter extend (with regard to the
directions to their open sides) in the planes of the grooves a', and form in a sense
continuations of said grooves.
The two blocks A are arranged within the upper portion of the jar, and are
maintained in that height by their ledges taking over the edge of the jar. I
prefer to secure the blocks in their positions by connecting them by means of
ledges B (Figure 2), but I wish it to be understood, that other means for con-
necting the blocks may be employed as well.
The blocks A (as well as the ledges B or their equivalents) are manufactured
from an acid-proof material, and they are used not only for carrying the plates C
of the secondary battery, but also for maintaining the proper distances between.
said plates. The known nose-like projections (Figure 3) of the plates take into
the grooves a of the blocks A, and rest upon the small horizontal surfaces or walls
closing the lower ends of said grooves. The upper corner-portions of the plates C
take into the spaces a³, or between the projections a respectively, and the plates
are thus fully hindered from coming into contact with each other. In consequence
of the blocks being securely connected one to the other, the plates C cannot lose
their proper hold, and they may be lifted out of the jar D all at a time by the
mediation of the frame formed by the blocks A and the ledges B.
I wish it to be understood that the thickness or height of the ledge ስ may
greatly vary, i.e. I reserve to myself the right of manufacturing and using blocks
with ledges of any thickness or height; this dimension depends on the proportion
between the height of the jar and the height of the plates, and should in any case
be so chosen that there remains a comparatively high space between the lower
edges of the plates and the bottom of the jar (see Figure 3). By providing such a
space in the manner indicated, I prevent the plates from getting short-circuited
by broken-off pieces of the active material, because there is in the neighbourhood
of the lower poritont of the plates no support whatever could catch such pieces
up, and serve as a means to increase the danger of short-circuiting. Moreover,
another point greatly contributing to decrease such a danger consists in the plates

page_text: being prevented against bending by the comparatively large projections a¹ which
take rather firmly over the respective portions of the plates. The possibility of
pieces of active material getting loose and falling off is obviously considerably
reduced by said means.
The blocks A are preferably produced from a plastic or mouldable mass, and
I prefer to form the latter into a sort of bars of suitable section, and to cut said
bars into pieces representing each a block. I am thus enabled to produce in an
easy manner blocks of any length, or suited for any number of plates, just as
requisite for the size of jars just at hand.
Dated this 2nd day of Natamba 180C
HENRY LEITNER.
By Geo. H. Rayner,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Plate-carriers for Secondary
Batteries.
I, HENRY LEITNER, of 207, Piccadilly, London, W., late of 39 Elsasser Strasse,
Berlin, Germany, Chemist, 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 relates to a novel device the purpose of which is to carry or hold
the plates of secondary batteries instead of letting said plates be supported directly
by projections cast in the glass or other vessels containing the said plates. By the
use of this device I am enabled to convert any ordinary square vessel of glass,
stoneware etc into a suitable cell for an accumulator battery and thereby to cheapen
the production of such accumulator cells.
My improved carrier and its adaptation to form a cell from a square glass or
earthenware vessel as shewn in the drawings accompanying the Provisional
Specification in which Fig. 1 shews in perspective a segment of my improved
carrier, Fig. 2 shews the same in elevation fitted up for introduction into the cell,
Fig. 3 shews the same in situ within the cell and fitted with an electrode plate.
The device consists of two blocks such as A, Fig. 1, having each a rearwardly
extending horizontal ledge a, a number of ledge-like projections a' situated on the
forward side of the block, and a number of vertical grooves extending from the
upper edge or rim of the block down to about the upper ends of said projections a
The groove-like spaces a³ existing between the projections a¹ extend in the
planes of the grooves a, and form in a sense continuations of said grooves.
Two blocks A are arranged within the upper portion of the jar, and are main.
tained in position by their ledges a which take over the edge of the jar as shewn
in Fig. 3. I prefer to secure the blocks in their positions by connecting them by
means of stretchers B (Figure 2).
The block A (as well as the stretchers B or their equivalents) are manufactured
from an acid-proof material, and they are used not only for carrying the plates C
of the secondary battery but also for maintaining the proper distances between
and insulating said plates. The nose-like projections C (Figure 3) of the plates
fit into the grooves a² of the blocks A, and rest upon the small horizontal surfaces
or walls closing the lower ends of said grooves. The upper corner-portions of
the plates C fit into the spaces as between the projections a¹, a respectively, and
the plates are thus kept apart from each other. In consequence of the blocks A

page_text: being securely connected one to the other the plates C cannot lose their proper
hold, and they may be lifted out of the jar D all' at a time by means of the frames
formed by the blocks A and the stretchers B.
The height of the ledge a may vary considerably as also may the depths of the
grooves. These dimensions depend upon the relative heights of the jar and of
the plates and should be so chosen that there shall be when the plates are in
position within the jar a comparatively large space between the lower edges of the
plates and the bottom of the jar (See Fig. 3). By providing such a space in the
manner indicated I prevent the plates from getting short-circuited by broken-
off pieces of the active material because there is in the neighbourhood of the lower
portions of the plates no support whatever that could catch such pieces up and
serve as a means to increase the danger of short circuiting. Moreover, another
point greatly contributing to decrease such a danger consists in the plates being
prevented from bending by the comparatively large projections a¹, which take
rather firmly over the respective portions of the plates. The possibility of pieces
of active material getting loose and falling off is obviously considerably reduced by
said means.
A very convenient way of forming the block A is to produce the same from a
plastic or mouldable mass of suitable material such as ambroin or compressed wood
pulp and in bars of considerable length. From such bars segments may then be
cut of the size required for each individual block.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
A plate carrier for secondary batteries consisting of two blocks of insulating
material connected together as hereinbefore described each block having grooves
or recesses adapted to receive and hold the noses of the plates, projections adapted
to keep the plates at proper distances from each other and a ledge adapted to rest
upon the edge of a jar and to support the block within the jar and thereby to bold
the plates of a secondary battery in position substantially as hereinbefore
described and shewn.
Dated this 12th dow of Vow 180
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.