Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1897-Accepted, 18th Dec.,
1897
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
I, EDWARD JOHN WADE, Electrical Engineer of 8 Holmewood Road, Brixton Hill in
the County of Surrey do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in electrical storage batteries and has for its
object to produce electrodes for such batteries of large capacity in proportion to their
weight.
For this purpose I construct electrodes of wire or strip of any suitable size and
cross-section, either plain or twisted longitudinally about its axis or wound into a
small spiral or of a compound wire or cable made up of two or more. wires or strips
twisted or otherwise suitably combined together and such wire or strip will be herein-
after referred to generally as the "wire."
The wire may be composed of lead or of any other metal or alloy or combination of
such, suitable for use for the electrodes of electrical storage batteries.
I may carry out my invention in various ways. In one method I pleat or crimp
lengths of wire by bending them to and fro on themselves so as to form strips con-
sisting of a number of sections of the same wire laying side by side but across the
length of the strips. The depth of the pleats determines the width of the strips and
the thickness of the electrodes constructed from thein.
In another method I wind lengths of wire on a mandril to form spirals and, after
withdrawing the mandril, subject the spirals to pressure and flatten them out until
their two sides touch or nearly touch each other. By this means I obtain strips con-
sisting of two layers of parallel sections of wire whose direction is across the length
of the strips. Each strip may consist of one continuous length of wire but preferably
of several shorter lengths wound side by side in order to give more free ends for con-
nections and therefore a better conductivity to the strips.
In a third method I take strips of metal of a suitable width and make a. series of
parallel cuts down both edges, the cuts alternating with each other on either edge and
extending nearly across the strips. In this way the strips are divided up into a series
of parallel but continuous sections laying across the length of the strips.
I build up my electrodes from strips prepared accordingto any of the above described
methods by placing a suitable number of them on edge side by side either close
together or spaced a small distance apart and I then put all the strips in direct
metallic connection at either one or both ends by burning, sweating, casting on or
otherwise suitably attaching bars or frames of suitable metal which hold the strips
together and serve as conductors to convey the current to and from the connecting
lug or terminal.
As a convenient method of pleating or crimping a number of wires at one time and
obtaining a number of strips held together side by side ready for attachment to bars
or frames, I may pleat or crimp a mat, net or gauze of woven wires having preferably
the larger number of wires running across and following the folds of the pleats and

page_text: fewer wires running the length of the pleats. The latter wires are only incidental to
'this method of construction and are not essential to the finished electrodes and they
need not necessarily be composed of metal but may consist of wires, strips, strands or
fibres of any other suitable inorganic or organic substance which either may or may
not be acted upon and disintegrated at any later stage in the manufacture or working
of the electrodes.
I inay either place the whole of the strips constituting an electrode in one block and
attach them to an exterior supporting frame or bar or I may divide the strips up into
any suitable number of sets contained by and affixed to a support in the form of a
grid whose cross bars pass in between the various sets.
Before rigidly fixing both ends of the strips I may open them out to any desired
extent by stretching the strips longitudinally and drawing the sections composing
them somewhat apart to allow room for the active material and the penetration and
circulating of the electrolyte into the interior of the electrodes.
The active material may be formed out of the surfaces of the wires composing the
electrodes or it may be electro-chemically deposited upon them or prepared from any
suitable materials mechanically applied to them or produced by any other suitable
means.
Improvements in and connected with Electrical Storage Batteries.
I, EDWARD JOHN WADE, Electrical Engineer, of 8 Holmewood Road, Brixton Hill
in the County of Surrey 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 improvements in electrical storage batteries and has for
its object to produce electrodes for such batteries of large capacity in proportion to
their weight.
For this purpose I construct electrodes of wire or strip of any suitable size or
cross-section either plain or twisted longitudinally about its axis and such wire or
strip will be hereinafter referred to generally as the "wire."
The wire may be composed of lead or of any other metal or alloy or combination
of such suitable for use for the electrodes of electrical storage batteries.
I may carry out my invention in various ways. In one method I pleat or crimp
lengths of wire by bending them to and fro on themselves so as to form strips, each
consisting of a number of sections of the same wire laying side by side but across the
length of the strip. Fig 1 is a side view of such a strip and it will be seen from
the drawing that the width of the strips is determined by the depth of the pleats.
In another method I prepare spirals of wire and flatten them out until their two
sides touch or nearly touch each other. By this means I obtain strips consisting of
two layers of parallel sections of wire, the length of the sections being across the
length of the strips. Fig 3 is a side and end view of a strip prepared in this
manuer and shows the length of the strip almost at right-angles to the length of the
component sections of wire, the former running in a vertical direction and all the
latter in a nearly horizontal direction.
I prefer to prepare the flattened spirals by winding lengths of wire on a round
mandril and subjecting them to pressure after the mandril is withdrawn but an

page_text: approximately flat form may be imparted to them at the time of winding by the use
of an oblong mandril.
Each spiral or strip may consist of one continuous length of wire but preferably
of several shorter lengths wound side by side in order to give more free ends for
connections and therefore a better conductivity to the strips.
In a third method I take strips of metal of a suitable width and make a series of
cuts and notches down both their edges, the cuts or notches alternating with each
other on either edge and extending nearly across the strips.
I proceed to build up my electrodes from strips of any of the herein before
described constructions by placing a suitable number of them on edge, side by side,
that is to say with their broad faces towards each other and the sections of wire
composing the strips laying across the thickness of the electrodes.
Fig 7 is an end elevation and Fig 8 a side elevation of an electrode constructed
of pleated wire strips, and illustrates the manner in which electrodes may be built
up from these strips or from strips prepared according to any of the other methods
hereinbefore described.
The strips are preferably spaced a small distance apart and I then put them all in
direct metallic connection at either one or both ends by burning, sweating, casting
on or otherwise suitably attaching bars or frames of suitable metal or alloy which
hold the strips together and serve as conductors to convey the current to or from the
conducting lug or terminal.
The whole of the strips constituting an electrode may be connected together in
one set as shown in Fig 8 or they may be divided up into any suitable number of
smaller sets by a supporting frame in the form of a grid whose cross-bars pass in
between them.
To allow room for the active material may provide sufficient space between
adjacent sections of the wires composing the strips at the time of their construction,
or I may afterwards open them out to any suitable extent by stretching the strips
longitudinally and drawing the sections somewhat apart. The strips illustrated in
Figs 1 & 3 are shown opened out in this manner in Fig 2 & 4 respectively.
The active material of my electrodes may be formed out of the surfaces of the
wires, or electro-chemically deposited upon them or mechanically applied to them
or prepared by any other suitable means..
It is an important feature of my electrodes that, owing to the construction of the
strips of which they are built up, the whole or nearly the whole of the wire
composing them lies across their thickness as may be seen by reference to Figs 7
& 8. By this means, and also on account of the component sections of wire in the
strips not being platted or interwoven together in any way, full and proper
allowance is made for the expansion & growth of the support without any liability to
buckling or distortion, there only being a slight increase in the thickness of the
electrodes and a closing together of adjacent sections of wire.
I am aware that electrodes have been proposed in which metallic wires run
parallel or approximately parallel to their faces, or gauze, nets or other combinations
of platted or woven wires are employed but with such arrangements I find it is
impossible to properly allow for expansion and I make no claim for constructions of
these natures.
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
I In or for electrical storage batteries, a plate or support consisting of crimped
or pleated wires placed side by side and united together by bars or frames
substantially as described.
II In or for electrical storage batteries, a plate or support consisting of flattened
spirals of wire placed side by side and united together by bars or frames
substantially as described.

page_text: III In and for electrical storage batteries, a plate or support consisting of strips
placed side by side and united together by bars or frames, the strips having been cut
or notched down both edges to convert them into zig-zag wires substantially as
described.
IV In and for electrical storage batteries, a plate or support consisting of wires
whose component parts all or nearly all run across the thickness of the electrode and
united to bars or frames substantially as described.