Improvements in the Construction of Electrodes for Accumulators.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Nov.. 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Electrodes for Accumulators..
1, FRIEDRICH WILHELM SCHNEIDER, of Triberg in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to he performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to an electrode plate for electric accumulators which
consists of tubes or troughs arranged over one another or of channels lying one
above the other, into which the paste is introduced so that above it in the channels,
tubes, or troughs there is a free space for the electrolyte, which enters through
lateral openings in the walls of the plate. This construction of the electrode
plate allows of making the paste or filling as porous and absorbent as possible,
without danger of its falling out or being washed out of its carrier.
In the annexed drawing
Fig. 1 is a front view partially in section of a plate constructed according to
this invention.
Fig. 2 is a section on line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the same section of a
modification of the plate with current conducting troughs.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of three forms of construction of current conducting
troughs.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of an accumulator cell constructed according to this
invention. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 7 is plan view thereof.
Fig. 8 is a cross section of modification of the said cell.
As will be seen from Figs. 1 and 2 the tubes or troughs a are placed over one
another in order to form a plate, the perforated part of the wall above the paste
filling of each single tube being cut, and laterally bent up and connected with the
above lying tube. The plate formed in this manner consists therefore of a series
of tubes lying over one another which receive within them the filling paste and
permit the passage of the electrolyte to the mass through the openings over the
filling.
Such plates can be produced in practice in such a manner, that the tubes or
troughs a pressed out of a suitable material for instance lead or celluloid and
laterally perforated are filled with the paste and if desired provided with internal
current conductors and then connected together.
In the construction of plate shown in Fig. 3, the current conductors are formed
by means of troughs 6 slid into the tubes a and filled with the paste. For tubes
of insulating material such interior troughs are preferred as current conductors
since it has proved, that by using other current conductor for instance lead straps
or bands the paste lying under the conductors is not used sufficiently. By
unequal use of the paste not only is the efficiency of the accumulator impaired.
but the adhesion of the paste is diminished, so that the latter breaks and partly
interrupts the current conduction and renders electrode more or less inefficient..
The efficiency of the trough shaped metal covering b serving as current conductor
in the plate made of insulating tubes can advantageously be augmented by the
arrangement of projecting bands c or the like on the inside of the troughs
(Figs. 3 and 4).
In order to simplify the production of the described plates, one can also connect
together two wholly or partially perforated plates a¹ of insulating material for

page_text: instance celluloid by means of a number corresponding to its size of cross bridges a³
of the same material, Figs. 5 and 7, so that they form a casing with channel like
hollow spaces lying over one another. Into these channels the paste is introduced
for instance in troughs b, if necessary by inserting special current conductors c, so
that in each hollow space there is above the paste also a free space for the passage
of the electrolyte, which penetrates through the openings of the plates a. The
plates thus produced are used singly or previously connected as a whole and
arranged in suitable vessels or cells and connected with one another. In order to
make a space for the circulation of the electrolyte between the single plates
intermediary pieces D d are inserted on the side between the single plates as shown
in Figs. 5 to 7.
As in all such electrical accumulators the positive electrodes are the most
exposed to decay caused by the breaking and falling out of the paste it is to be
recommended that the positive electrodes or carriers p, be composed as shown in
Fig. 8, of horizontal tubes or troughs b of any convenient cross section lying
one over the other for receiving the paste whilst plates of any construction can be
used for the negative electrodes n.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
(1.) An accumulator plate consisting of tubes a or troughs b lying over one-
another in such a manner that in the channels thus formed over the filling there
remains a free space into which the electrolyte enters through the lateral openings
in each tube wall.
(2.) A construction of the accumulator plate as claimed above consisting of
-two plates a' of insulating material connected together by means of cross bridges a²
and wholly or partly perforated, between which plates are slid metal troughs b
provided if desired on the inside with bands or projections c receiving the filling
and serving as current conductors.
(3.) An accumulator cell, the positive electrode p of which consists of tubes a
or troughs blying horizontally over one another, whilst the negative electrodes n
are formed of any construction.
Dated this 16th 1
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18 Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.