Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 1st June, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1896-Accepted, 1st June, 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
I, EDWIN FREUND, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the construction of that class of secondary battery,
which is made in the form of a sealed cell, and the main object of my invention is
to provide an improved means for ventilating such batteries.
.In this kind of cell, as usually constructed, an opening is provided in the cover,
through which the acid solution, or electrolyte, is poured in, or emptied out.
This
opening is closed by a plug, and the ordinary provision for ventilation consists
simply of a small vertical hole through the said plug, with the result that if the
cell is laid on its side, or turned upside down, the liquid comes in contact with the
plug, closing the means of ventilation and permitting the electrolyte to leak, or be
forced out through the hole in the plug, by the pressure of the gas in the cell.
In constructing a cell in accordance with my invention, I increase the cell
somewhat in height, so that a larger space is provided for the accumulation
of gas.
The orifice in the cover for filling and emptying is closed by a plug, which at its
lower end is prolonged into, or has attached to it, a small tube, the orifice of the
tube being continued through the plug. The lower end of this tube enters into, or
is secured by a suitable stay or stays, connected with or attached to the walls of
the cell, in such manner that the end of the said tube is always held in the centre
of the cell, this being an essential feature of the arrangement.
The tube terminates at a short distance above the level of the liquid in the cell,
and the cell is of such interior dimensions and the tube of such length, that whether
the cell be laid on its side, turned upside down, or be in any other position, the
level of the surface of the liquid is always below the end of the said tube, so that
ventilation is never interfered with, nor can any escape of the electrolyte take
place.
The plug end of the tube may be held in the top plate by means of any suitable
device, or, as an alternative, or in addition thereto, the lower end of the tube may
be arranged to screw into, or be otherwise held by the stay or stays aforesaid.
The bottom of the tube may be countersunk or chamfered, so that any liquid
splashed thereon will run off freely, and a transverse hole or holes may be formed
in the tube near its end, so that if by accident the end of the tube become
temporarily sealed by a drop of liquid, ventilation will not be interrupted.
As a further precaution against the chance of any liquid splashed on the tube
passing down it and making exit at the plug end, a trap of any suitable kind may
be formed in the tube, to retain such liquid and allow it to return to the cell when
the battery is standing again in the correct upright position. Splash plates or
traps may also be provided within the cell, to prevent or check splashing of the
liquid against the tube.
An additional advantage attendant on the use of my invention, consists in the
fact that "creeping" of the electrolyte, especially when it contains sulphuric acid,
is reduced to a minimum, or practically stopped, for the electrolyte would have to
travel up the walls of the cell, down the exterior of the ventilating tube and then
up its bore, before it could get outside the cell.

page_text: The exterior of the tube may from time to time be coated with grease, paraffin,
or other suitable substance, which will stop such "creeping" action upon its
surface.
In place of the said tube forming a continuation of the movable plug, as above
described, the tube may be permanently fixed in the cell, being combined, if so
desired, with a trap, as before mentioned, while a plug, or other like device,
independent of the tube is provided to close the filling orifice in the cover.
My invention is particularly applicable to that class of sealed cells, commonly
known as "pocket" accumulators, or secondary batteries, used for operating small
incandescent lamps, or other required purposes, though its use is by no means
confined to such class.
Dated this 1st day of June 1895.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
I, EDWIN FREUND, of 63 Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London,
Mechanical Engineer, 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 :-
My invention relates to the construction of that class of secondary battery,
which is made in the form of a sealed cell, and the main object of my invention is
to provide an improved means for ventilating such batteries, while at the same
time reducing to a minimum the possibility of the escape of the electrolyte.
In this kind of cell, as usually constructed, an opening is provided in the cover,
through which the acid solution, or other electrolyte, is introduced, or removed.
This opening is closed by a plug and the ordinary provision for ventilation
consists simply of a small vertical hole through the said plug, with the result that
if the cell is laid on its side, or turned upside down, the liquid comes in contact
with the plug, closing the means of ventilation and permitting the electrolyte to
leak, or be forced out through the hole in the plug, by the pressure of the gas in
the cell.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings, which forms part of this Specification,
and in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout,
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through A¸A in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of a cell of the
class mentioned, constructed in accordance with my invention.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through B B in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.
Fig. 3 is a plan, and
Fig. 4 is a sectional plan through C C in Figs. 1 and 2.
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 are similar views to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of a similar cell,
shewing a modification in the ventilating device.
Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation through A, A, in Figs. 10 and 11,
Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation through B B in Figs. 9 and 11.
Fig. 11 is a sectional plan through C, C, in Figs. 9 and 10, of a similar cell,
-shewing another modification in the ventilating device, and
Fig. 12 shews an alternative mode of constructing part of the said ventilating
device.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are similar views to Figs. 9, 10 and 11, shewing a still
further modification in the ventilating device.
In constructing a cell in accordance with my invention, I increase the cell
somewhat in height, so that a larger space is provided for the accumulation
of gas.

page_text: Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, D is the cell of an increased height, as
above described, E E are the plates and F the cover, secured and sealed in the
usual way. The orifice in the cover for filling and emptying is formed in the
centre of the cover, and is closed by a hollow plug H, which at its lower end is
prolonged into a tube J. This tube may be formed separately and then attached
to the plug in any suitable manner, but in practice I prefer to make them in one
piece as shewn. The orifice of the tube opens into the interior of the plug.
It is essential that the opening in the cover F be so formed, and the plug H be
so fitted thereto, that the tube J is always held in the centre of the cell.
The tube terminates at a short distance above the level of the liquid in the cell,
and the cell is of such interior dimensions, and the tube of such length, that
whether the cell be laid on its side, turned upside down, or be in any other position,
the level of the surface of the liquid is always below the end of the said tube, so
that ventilation is never interfered with, nor can any escape of the electrolyte take
place.
If preferred, the plug and the tube may be permanently fixed in the cover, and
in this case, a separate hole, closed by a solid plug L, is provided for filling and
emptying.
In Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, the lower end of the ventilating tube J enters a conical
opening M in the centre of a stay N, fixed to the walls of the cell.
This stay has the effect of ensuring a practically central position for the end of
the tube, and the said end is preferably chamfered off, as shewn, so that liquid
splashed thereon will tend to run off more readily, and he conveyed away by the
conical wall of the aperture in the stay, instead of being forced up the tube by the
pressure of the gas.
In place of the said chamfer, the end of the tube may be countersunk, to enable
the liquid to run off freely, and a transverse hole or holes may be formed in the
tube near its end, so that if by accident the end of the tube becomes temporarily
sealed by a drop of liquid, ventilation will not be interrupted.
As a further precaution against the chance of any liquid splashed on the tube
passing down it and making exit at the plug end, a trap of any suitable kind may.
be provided to retain such liquid and allow it to return to the cell when the battery
is standing again in the correct upright position.
Figs. 9, 10 and 11 shew a form of trap which I may employ. Here the upper
part of the tube J is of larger exterior diameter, thau the lower part. A tube P
of about the same diameter as the upper part of J fits thereon against a shoulder,
so that a clear annular space is left between the lower part of the tube J and the
interior of the tube P. This tube P is closed at the end and has small holes Q
drilled in it above such end. The effect of this arrangement is that if any liquid
enters the tube P through the holes Q; on the reversal of the cell, such liquid
will run down into the annular space aforesaid and cannot enter the tube J, and it
will escape through the holes Q when the cell is returned to its correct position.
As an alternative arrangement the end of the tube P may be formed as shewn
in Fig. 12, with a hollow cone terminating in a small hole Q', so that any liquid
splashed against the end of the tube cannot well reach the said hole, but will be
deposited on the cone and run off again; or the end of the tube may be set back
and have a central aperture for the same purpose.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 shew another form of trap. In this case a tube R, open at
the lower end, is permanently fixed to the underside of the cover F. The tube J
passes down inside this tube and has an enlarged end S, which does not quite fit
the bore of the tube R, but leaves an annular space between them. The tube J
is only bored part of the way down, as shewn, and one or more holes T are drilled.
through it to meet the end of the bore.
The solid end S is preferably chamfered, as shewn. Here any liquid passing
into the tube R, on the reversal of the cell, cannot gain access to the interior of
the tube J, and the chamfered end of S facilitates its subsequent escape.
The stay N, shewn in Figs. 5, 6 and 8 may be employed in connection with any •

page_text: or all of the other arrangements shewn, if so desired, and the end of the tube J,
may be arranged to screw into the aperture in the said stay, as an additional
security to retain it in place, though in practice a cylindrical plug accurately
fitting a cylindrical hole, or a conical plug accurately fitted to a conical hole of the
proper taper in the cover, is ordinarily found sufficient.
In Figs. 9 and 10, I shew a cap V, screwing down over the plug H into a
threaded cup W on the cover, to hold the said plug in place, a perforation X is
provided for ventilation and this cap may be fitted to any of the other
arrangements:
If desired, splash plates Y may be fixed within the cell, to prevent or check
splashing of the liquid against the tube.
An additional advantage attendant on the use of my invention, consists in the
fact that "creeping" of the electrolyte, especially when it contains sulphuric acid,
is reduced to a minimum, or practically stopped, for the electrolyte would, in the
first described arrangement, have to travel up the walls of the cell, down the
exterior of the ventilating tube and then up its bore, before it could get outside
the cell, while in the other arrangements, the distance to be traversed is still
greater, and the obstacles in the path more numerous.
The exterior of the tube may from time to time be coated with grease, paraffin,
or other suitable substance, which will stop such "creeping action upon its
surface.
"
I wish it to be understood that in carrying my invention out in practice, I do
not necessarily confine myself to the precise details of construction herein shewn
and described, provided that in all cases, the essential principles of my invention
are adhered to.
My invention is particularly applicable to that class of sealed cells commonly
known as "pocket" accumulators, or secondary batteries used for operating small
incandescent lamps, or other required purposes, though its use is by no means
confined to such class.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim, is:
1. In a battery of the class described, in combination, a cell having greater
height than usual and a ventilating device,, substantially as and for the purpose
herein set forth.
2. In a cell of the class described, a ventilating device, consisting of a fixed or
. movable vent tube, the mouth of said tube being so located, that in every position
of the cell the said mouth is above the level of the electrolyte.
3. In a cell of the class described, in combination, a permanently fixed vent
tube, arranged as described in the preceding claim and a separate hole for
introducing the electrolyte.
4. In combination, a vent tube, arranged as described in Claim 2, and a stay N,
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
5. In combination, a vent tube J, having a reduced lower diameter, and a tube P
with holes Q, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
6. In combination, a vent tube J, having a reduced lower diameter, and a tube P
with a conical or set back end and central orifice Q', substantially as and for the
purpose herein set forth.
7. In combination, a vent tube J with solid enlarged end S and side aperture T,
and an exterior tube R, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
8. A secondary battery, consisting of the combination of old and new parts,
substantially as herein described and shewn with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
9. A secondary battery, consisting of the combination of old and new parts,
substantially as herein described and shewn with reference to Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8
of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 10. A secondary battery, consisting of the combination of old and new parts,
substantially as herein described and shewn with reference to Figs. 9, 10 and 11
of the accompanying drawings.
11. A secondary battery, consisting of the combination of old and new parts,
substantially as herein described and shewn, with reference to Figs. 13, 14 and 15
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 2nd day of March 1896.
AMBROSE MYALL,
2 Lancaster Place, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.