Improvements in Electric Accumulators.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Loft 10th Luno 1000
Mecanted
001 cont
1000
Improvements in Electric Accumulators.
We, JEAN BAPTISTE RELIN, and CHARLES ADOLPHE ROSIER, both of 115 and 117,
Rue des Frères Herbert, Levallois Peret, Seine, France, Electrical Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers to secondary batteries and consists of a new method of
constructing the electrodes, whereby the active surface or storage capacity is con-
siderably increased, the elements being at same time strong and not liable to
deteriorate.
On both sides of the usual lead frame, or on a frame of stout lead of a suitable
kind, having the needful strength for rigidity and the surface necessary for con-
duction, we attach spiral coils of lead which hang down from the upper and central
horizontal bars. These coils are small in circumference and are attached only at
their upper ends. They are compressed together laterally so as not to take up too
much room. The electrodes are treated by electrolysis previous to being com-
pressed, during the time necessary for their complete formation.
In order to preserve open spaces between the coils when the flattening process
takes place, the coils are sprinkled over with a hard granular substance capable
of being afterwards easily eliminated by dissolving or otherwise, such as, for
instance sodium chloride.
If the spirals are flattened directly after the electrolytical treatment they would
be crushed together and their utility impaired or destroyed. The sodium chloride
prevents this and preserves an extensive active surface.
An electrode may be formed by a single frame furnished with spirals or curls
as above described, or by two or more of such frames united together, and this
applies to both positive and negative electrodes.
The accumulator might be formed with its positive electrodes formed as above
described, and its negative electrodes formed in the usual wellknown manner.
The spirals or curls could if preferred be arranged horizontally or diagonally
or in any other way, or they may be twisted to the right or left, and attached
alternately or as preferred. Or after being twisted they might be coiled around
a cylinder, and soldered to the frame at or near their middle. They would then
be flattened in the way described.
Dated this 6th dow of Decembe 1000
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicant, 33, Cannon Street, London.

page_text: We, JEAN BAPTISTE RELIN, and CHARLES ADOLPHE ROSIER, both of 115 and 117,
Rue des Frères Herbert, Levallois Peret, Seine, France, Electrical Engineers, 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 follow-
ing statement:.
Our invention relates to a new process of forming the positive and negative
electrodes of electric accumulators, whereby the storage capacity or active surface
is considerably increased, the elements being at the same time strong and not
liable to deteriorate.
The leading feature of our invention is that the active surface of each electrode
is formed of a large number of small helically twisted strips of lead with more
or less depth of pitch.
Our invention is shewn in annexed drawings.
Fig. 1 shews a single fame on which the elements constituting our system can
be mounted.
Fig. 2 shews another kind of frame with cross bar, which we prefer, and upon
which there are figured two elements formed of thin twisted strips of lead.
Fig. 3 shews on a larger scale two elements, one fixed on each side of the frame.
Fig. 4 shews a frame with completed elements.
Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4, shewing that the spirals of the little twisted
strips of lead have retained their shape intact inside the frame, whereas the spirals
placed outside the frame have been flattened.
A is the frame work or skeleton of the electrode, said skeleton being formed of
either a cast or cut lead frame, having just the thickness necessary for rigidity
and the surface necessary for conduction. On the upper part of the skeleton A
there are soldered small spirally wound thin strips of lead B, said strips being
soldered on each side of the frame A by their upper extremities only, the lower
extremities being left free to allow for expansion. The lower portion of the
frame A is also covered with small twisted strips soldered on C. The electrodes
thus composed are then treated by electrolysis during the time necessary for
their complete formation.
The electrodes might now be employed as they are, but they would take up
too much room, on account of the thickness formed on each side of the frame A
by the spirals of the strips B.
This excess of thickness is done away with by compression; but, in order to
preserve the empty spaces between the spirals of the strips, the said strips are
sprinkled over with a hard granular substance capable of being afterwards easily
eliminated by dissolving or otherwise, such as sodium chloride for instance. Each
electrode having thus been sprinkled over is subjected to the action of a press,
and the strips crushed down a little, causing the excess thickness on each side of
the frame to disappear.
If the electrodes were flattened immediately after the electrolytical treatment,
all the spirals would be crushed and destroyed; but the sodium chloride placed
between the spirals prevents said spirals from being completely flattened down
and preserves an extensive active surface.
After this flattening the appearance of the spirals is as shewn in Fig. 5.
An electrode may then be formed, either by a single frame A provided with
small strips B, as above described, or by uniting two or more of the same frames,
and this applies to both positive and negative electrodes.

page_text: It is evident that the accumulator could be constructed with its positive elec-
trodes only formed as above described, and its negative electrodes formed with
the active materials arranged in the usual well-known manner.
In the drawing, the strips are arranged vertically, but they might just as well
be arranged horizontally, or diagonally or in any other manner.
It is also evident that part of the strips could be helically twisted in one direc-
tion and part in the other direction, all those twisted in one direction being sol-
dered on the other side of said frame A. One half of the strips might also be
helically twisted in one direction, and the other half in the opposite direction.
The strips B could also, after having been twisted, be wound upon a cylinder,
and after withdrawing the cylinder, the strips would be soldered by one of their
extremities to the frame A or by their middle to each side of the cross piece C,
then treated electrolytically, and either employed in that state or sprinkled over
with sodium chloride and flattened down as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Accumulator electrodes characterised by a lead framework or skeleton A of
suitable shape, on which are soldered thin lead strips B helically twisted, said
strips being soldered side by side by one of their extremities on each side of said
frame, the other extremity remaining free to allow expansion, and the accu-
bulator formed in this way being then treated electrolytically during the time
necessary for the formation of the active material.
2. In an accumulator combined and formed as described in Claim. 1, the sup-
pressing of the excess of thickness produced on each side of the frame A, by the
spirals of the little strips B, for the purpose of decreasing the space occupied by
the electrodes, said suppressing of said excess of thickness being effected by
sprinkling over said little strips B a substance easily eliminated, such as sodium
chloride, and subjecting the electrode thus prepared to the action of a press with
the object of flattening the exterior spirals of the little strips B, the sodium
chloride or other substance being sprinkled on the little strips for the purpose
of preserving the spaces formed by the spirals of said strips, and the said elec-
trodes being then completed by dissolving out the sodium chloride.
3. A different arrangement of the device described in Claims 1 and 2, wherein
the little strips of lead are first twisted as described in Claim 1, and then wound
upon a cylinder so as to form a helix; the helices thus formed having been sol-
dered by one of their extremities or by their middle on each side of the frame A,
shall next be treated electrolytically, and may then be used in that state, or
completed, as described in Claim 2.
Dahod thin 10th 1
T
1000
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicants, 33, Cannon Street, London, E.C.