IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC ACCUMULATORS AND SECONDARY BATTERIES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Charles Henderson of 47 Museum Street
Oxford Street in the Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex for
an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC
ACCUMULATORS AND SECONDARY BATTERIES communicated to him from
abroad by Gustave Philippart, Civil Engineer of the city of Paris in the
Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Charles Henderson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September 1883.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street, Oxford Street, in the
Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC ACCUMULATORS, AND SECONDARY BATTERIES A
communication to me from abroad by Gustave Philippart, Civil Engineer of the
city of Paris in the Republic of France
The object of this invention is to obviate some of the drawbacks to secondary
batteries and accumulators as at present constructed and also to reduce them to the
smallest compass: amongst these objections may be enumerated
1 The oxidation and consequent destruction of the parts forming the connections
of the accumulators
2nd The peroxidation of the negative electrode support which after a few weeks
use becomes destroyed and with it the accumulator.
3rd The rapid destruction of the box or case containing the accumulator
These objections are remedied in the following manner.
The batteries are formed of conical vessels of lead, cast in moulds, on the external
surface or positive electrodes of which the active matter such as salts or oxides of
lead is applied
On these conical or other shaped vessels small projections in the form of grooves,
flutes, channels and so on are made to keep the active matters on the surface of
the electrodes.
The negative electrode or inner surface of these vessels is cast with deep and
close symmetrical projections which largely augment the surface directly attacked

page_text: by the action of the current, and thus effect a rapid transformation of the lead
projections into peroxide of lead.
The cones are piled one within the other, the lower one being supported in a
base, care being taken to separate them with insulating matter, the spaces being
filled with acidulated liquid, or caustic solution.
In this manner as many elements in tension are formed as there are cones
minus one, each one being at the same time the positive electrode of the preceding
couple, and the negative electrode of the couple following.
The electrode of one couple being in union with the electrode of the next couple
contact is naturally effected by this "association" in tension.
To prevent the peroxidation of the support a silicate conductor or a plumbaginous
plaster is applied to the negative electrode.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Charles Henderson in the Patent Office on the 18th March
1884.
ARTHUR CHARLES HENDERSON of 47 Museum Street Oxford Street in the
Parish of Bloomsbury and county of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC ACCUMULATORS AND SECONDARY BATTERIES A
communication to me from abroad by Gustave Philippart, Civil Engineer of the
city of Paris in the Republic of France
This invention relates to secondary batteries and accumulators such for instance
as are in general use especially those consisting of a number of conically or other
formed metallic vessels or recipients placed one within the other and forming
double (or positive and negative) electrodes at the same time, and which in
scondary batteries support the active matter. The improvements are as follow.
The conical vessels are of lead, and are deep and open as shown by Figs 1 and 2 of
the accompanying drawings, or pyramidical as in Figs 3 and 4; they may be either
cast in appropriate moulds, turned in a lathe or laminated. These conical or other
shaped vessels which bear the active matter cannot practically be less in thickness
than three millimètres and are provided both internally and externally with grooves
or projections marked respectively a, and b in Figs 1 and 2, these grooves may be
vertically, helically or otherwise arranged or disposed, and are as thin as possible
and preferably very close together so as to increase the surface of communication
(of the conical recipient or support) with the active matter, and augmenting the
delivery of the battery, whilst diminishing depolarization. The grooves are
intended to keep the active matter on the sloping support. In Fig 1 at A is shown
in half section a conical vessel of this description with internal and horizontal
grooves or projections a, and external ones b; and at B of the same figure a half
elevation of the same recipient or support is shown, the external surface supposed
to be coated with the active matter.
In Fig 2 the half section C, is intended to represent this support supplied
internally with the active matter, the external portion shown at D is not so coated,
and the grooves or projections are consequently so represented. After the active
matter has been dried the battery is arranged as shown by Figs 5 and 6 each
vessel or support S serving as negative electrode to the upper couple, and as
positive electrode to the lower couple, the vessels being separated one from the
other by a piece of wood, glass, or other acid resisting matter c, as in the ordinary
methods.
Peroxidation of the supports of secondary batteries is prevented by coating them
with a warm silicate conductor, or a plumbaginous plaster applied whilst hot.
Having thus described the invention and the method of carrying it into effect
what is claimed is:
1 Constructing the conical or other shaped supports of the active matter with
grooves or projections as and for the purposes herein mentioned and as
illustrated by Figs 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings
2nd The application to the supports of a silicate conductor or a plumbaginous
plaster whilst warm, for preventing their peroxidation as already specified.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur Charles Henderson have hereunto set my
hand and seal this seventeenth day of March in the Year of Our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
זומתיזםזוזז