Improvements in or relating to Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1898-Accepted, 25th June, 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Secondary Batteries.
1, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention, a communication to me from abroad by Henri Dolter, of 2, Rue de
Paris, Lyons, in the Republic of France, Engineer, and in what manner the same
is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
This improved battery is constituted by the juxtaposition of flanged dia-
phragms of insulating material supporting the electrodes arranged symmetrically
on their surfaces.
In the annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a horizontal section and Fig. 2 is a vertical
section of 50 volt battery, Fig. 3 is a view of one of the surfaces of one of the
diaphragms, Fig. 4 is a view of the reverse surface of diaphragm which will be
adjacent to that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in section illus-
trating a diaphragm with its electrodes in full lines, and the two adjacent dia-
phragms with part of their electrodes in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a perspective
view of one of the flanged diaphragms. Fig. 7 is a perspective view and Fig. 8
a section of a metal nipple for carrying the electrodes Fig. 9 is a perspective
view of one of the electrodes Fig. 10 is a sectional view of one of the gas outlets
or ventilators.
The diaphragms A are made to nest together so as to form a number of
chambers equal to the number of diaphragms less one, and the flanges of the
diaphragms are so made as to fit together and make a tight joint with the help
of suitable luting, for instance each diaphragm (with the exception of the two
end or final diaphragms in which the flanges are on the outer side omitted) may
have two flanges aa on the one side and one flange a¹ on the other side so that
the flange a¹ may lie between the flanges aa of the next diaphragm, but the
construction is not confined to that illustrated but may be varied in many ways
with the same effect and without departing from the spirit of this invention.
These diaphragms can be made of any material which is a bad conductor of
electricity and not attacked by the liquid used nor by electrolytic action.
Nipples are arranged symmetrically in the diaphragms as shown in Figs. 3
and 4 of the drawings and indicated by the letter B; these nipples are of metal
or metal alloy unattackable or little attackable by acids or by electrolytic action
or of other metal or alloy of other metals of less density and of superior con-
ductibility or of less cost but coated with the before said metal or alloy rendering
these pins unattackable or little attackable by acids and but little susceptible
to electrolytic action; such as platinum, lead or their alloys.
These nipples B traverse the diaphragms from one surface to the other and
are intended to carry the electrodes C which are formed of plates of lead or lead

page_text: alloy radiating from a central stem. The plates of lead or lead alloy may be of a
quarter to half a millimeter thickness of a diameter of ten to fifty millimeters
at distances of one to three millimeters from one another and connected at their
centres by and to a rod of the same metal of a diameter of two to five millimeters
and ending with a screw thread intended for fixing it in the nipple; contact can
be secured in a more certain manner by soldering.
Each nipple B supports and electrically connects two electrodes C the one
positive on the one side of the diaphragm, the other negative on the other side.
The surface of a diaphragm supporting the electrodes of the same sign, faces
the surface of the next diaphragm supporting the electrodes of contrary sign
in order to form one of the elements of the secondary battery.
The connection of a desired number of these flanged diaphragms supporting
as aforesaid the electrodes form the secondary battery of the desired power.
The number of elements composing the battery will be equal to the total
number of diaphragms less one.
The average total electro motive force will thus be equal to as many times
two volts as the battery contains diaphragms less one.
In the annexed drawing Figs. 1 and 2 show a battery composed of twenty-
six diaphragms, consequently of a power of 50 volts.
The outermost diaphragms are provided with electrodes only on one of their
surfaces; the nipples are electrically connected on the other surface by means of
metal and connected with a terminal.
The chambers formed by the flanged diaphragms are filled with diluted sul-
phuric acid to immerse the electrodes, this acidulated water constitutes the
electrolyte. Air or gas vents D are placed at the upper part of the chambers
in order to allow the gas to escape or to renew the electrolyte, to empty and
wash the apparatus; they are made so as to avoid any splashing out of the
electrolyte.
The pipe
projects upwards into and within a special chamber d' into which
an inverted conical nozzle d³ projects downwardly extending to within the open
mouth of pipe d. Any liquid which might splash up in the pipe d is carried
outward by the outside surface of the cone d² and running down inside the
chamber enters the pipe d again by the holes d. The cone d is closed above
by a cap d³ in which is a central flange gas outlet d³.
-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:-
:-
1. A secondary battery comprising a plurality of juxtaposed diaphragms
spaced from each other to form a separate chambers, said diaphragms having
means for the attachment of electrodes in combination with a plurality of elec-
trodes fixed on each face of the diaphragms.
2. In an electric battery a non conductive perforated diaphragm having
metal nipples inserted in and closing said perforations electrodes of one sign
attached to the nipples on one surface of the diaphragm and electrodes of con-
trary sign attached to the same nipples on the other surface of the diaphragm.
3. The combination with a diaphragm and a metallic nipple traversing the
same of two electrodes formed by the juxtaposition of plates spaced from one
another and radiating from a central stem, these electrodes electrically con-
nected to one another by the afore said nipple and separated from one another
by the diaphragm.
4. The combination of a plurality of flanged diaphragms adapted to nest
together to form a plurality of closed chambers, metallic nipples traversing said
diaphragms, positive electrodes attached to said nipples on the one side of each
diaphragm, negative electrodes attached to the same nipples on the other side of
cach diaphragm, the said electrodes lying in the spaces between the electrodes
of contrary sign of the adjacent diaphragms respectively, two end diaphragms

page_text: having respectively positive and negative electrodes on one side only, and ter-
minals in electrical connection with the nipples of the end diaphragms respec-
tively.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1898.