Improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries and in Means for Transporting the same.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries and in Means
for Transporting the same.
I, ADOLPH MULLER, of 31A, Luisenstrasse, Berlin, in the German Empire,
Director, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:―
This invention relates to accumulators or secondary batteries and to means
for transporting the same more particularly upon electrical tram-ways and similar
vehicles, the said invention comprising a novel form of cell or element and a
correspondingly shaped containing-vessel or case in which the cells can be
Buspended.
According to my invention the cell is made of vulcanite or hard rubber or
other suitable material and its ends are bent outwards and upwards at the upper
parts thereof so as to form two projecting rims or ledges by means of which
the cell can be suspended. To provide the cell with an elastic support or bearing
the undersides of the said projecting rims or ledges are provided with a layer
of soft rubber. The rebates formed inside the cell by the outwardly and
upwardly bent upper ends can be advantageously employed for suspending the
cell plates in the cell.
One of the sides of the cell is provided externally with small hemi-spherical
or boss-like projections by means of which the separate cells, when they are
suspended next one another, are held at a predetermined distance apart. Or
both sides can be provided with the projections, the projections on the two sides
alternating. The surfaces of the projecting rims or ledges are also provided
with similar projections which are designed to hold the cells constantly at the
same predetermined distance from the sides of the containing-vessel or case
of the battery.
Any suitable number of the cells are suspended with their sides adjacent to
one another in the containing-vessel or case, the sides, ends, bottom and cover
of which are made of wood or other suitable material and are lined with one
or more layers of acid-resisting material, such as lead foil, to protect them against
the action of the acid of the cell.
The cells are supported by the projecting rims upon longitudinal carriers
fitted at a suitable height above the bottom of the containing-vessel and which
carriers are preferably made of metal covered with rubber or a similar insulating
or acid-resisting material. The said longitudinal carriers rest upon supports
fitted to the two sides of the case and preferably made of wood covered with
acid-resisting material and the lower ends of which rest upon the bottom of
the said case. The said supports are at their upper ends preferably provided
with fillets or strips the under faces of which are undercut and serve os drip-
edges for any acid which may be splashed out or may flow over from the cell.
To assist as far as possible the flow of the acid and to avoid short circuiting
between the different cells which could be caused for instance by the liquid
adhering to the walls of the case or between the said walls and the cells, the sides
of the battery case and the supports are covered with plates of glass, vulcanite

page_text: or other insulating and acid-resisting material. The bottom of the case is
preferably inclined from the sides towards the middle and is provided at any
suitable point in the gutter thus formed with an outlet or discharge hole The
cover is preferably tightly closed on the case by means of a rubber strip or the
like in order to prevent the vapours from the acid from escaping.
Instead of using cells made as above described with outwardly and upwardly
bent ends other forms of cell provided at the ends with suitable projections
can be suspended in the above described case or containing-vessel. Ordinary
accumulator cells without lateral projections can also be suspended in the case
by means of suitable suspension hooks or the like preferably bent to a U-shape.
These suspension hooks are preferably of metal covered with hard rubber and
rest with their outwardly bent ends upon the longitudinal carriers. Each of
the accumulator cells is preferably carried by two of these suspension hooks.
Even when it is advantageous to suspend the cells in the battery box this arrange-
ment is not absolutely necessary.
Ordinary accumulator cells without lateral projections and without the
employment of suspension hooks can be employed in the above described battery
саве.
For this purpose the sides of the battery case have attached to them
near their lower ends strips of metal encased in hard rubber or a similar insulat-
ing material and upon which ordinary accumulator cells can be placed
adjacent to one another. The strips are carried by supports which rest upon the
bottom of the battery case or vessel. The case is in other respects constructed
as above described.
The cells instead of being arranged adjacent to one another in a row along
the length of the battery case or vessel can be suspended or supported in short
rows transversely thereto (2, 3, 4 or more in each row according to the breadth
of the case).
For supporting the cells in these two arrangements I provide cross pieces of
metal encased in hard rubber or the like the ends of which are supported in
notches in the sides upon plates also of encased metal.
If the cells are to be suspended the cross pieces are arranged in the upper
part of the case or vessel, and the cells are advantageously provided with lateral
projections which rest upon the cross pieces. Or the cells can be placed upon
cross pieces arranged near the bottom of the battery case.
Improvements in Accumulators or Secondary Batteries and in Means
for Transporting the same.
I, ADOLPH MULLER, of 31A, Luisenstrasse, Berlin, in the German Empire,
Director, 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:-
This invention relates to accumulators or secondary batteries and to means
for transporting the same more particularly upon electrical tram-ways and similar
vehicles, the said invention comprising a novel form of cell or element and a
correspondingly shaped containing-vessel or case in which the cells can be
suspended.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a transverse section of a cell or element made according to the
invention:
Figure 2 is an end view of two of the cells ;
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the battery case showing a cell suspended
therein, the said section being drawn to a larger scale;
Figures 4 and 5; 6 and 7; 8 and 9; and 10 and 11 are respectively transverse
and longitudinal sections of modified forms of my battery.
The cell a is made of vulcanite or hard rubber or other suitable material
and its ends are bent outwards and upwards at the upper parts thereof so as to
form two projecting rims or ledges 6 by means of which the cell can be sus-
pended. To provide the cell with an elastic support or bearing the undersides
of the said projecting rims or ledges are provided with a layer c of soft rubber.
The rebates formed inside the cell by the outwardly and upwardly bent upper
ends can be advantageously employed for suspending the cell plates in the cell.
One of the sides of the cell is provided externally with small hemispherical
or boss-like projections d by means of which the separate cells, when they are
suspended next one another, are held at a predetermined distance apart. Or
both sides can be provided with the projections, the projections on the two sides
alternating. The surfaces of the projecting rims or ledges b are also provided
with similar projections which are designed to hold the cells constantly at the
same predetermined distance from the sides of the containing-vessel or case of
the battery.
Any suitable number of the cells a are suspended with their sides adjacent
to one another in the containing-vessel or case, the sides f, ends g, bottom h
and cover i of which are made of wood or other suitable material and are lined
with one or more layers of acid-resisting material, such as lead foil, to protect
them against the action of the acid of the cell.
The cells
a
are supported by the projecting rims b upon longitudinal
carriers fitted at a suitable height above the bottom of the containing-vessel
and which carriers are preferably made of metal covered with rubber or a
similar insulating or acid-resisting material, or of wood or the like. The said
longitudinal carriers / rest upon supports m fitted to the two sides of the case
and preferably made of wood covered with acid-resisting material and the
lower ends of which rest upon the bottom h of the said case. The said
supports m are at their upper ends preferably provided with fillets or strips n
the under faces of which are undercut and serve as drip-edges for any acid
which may be splashed out or may flow over from the cell.
To assist as far as possible the flow of the acid and to avoid short circuiting
between the different cells, which could be caused for instance by the liquid
adhering to the walls of the case or between the said walls and the cells, the
sides of the battery case and the supports are covered with plates o and p of
glass, vulcanite or other insulating and acid-resisting material. The bottom h
of the case is preferably inclined from the sides towards the middle, and is
provided at any suitable point in the gutter thus formed with an outlet or
discharge hole q. The cover i is preferably tightly closed on the case by means
of a rubber strip or the like in order to prevent the vapours from the acid
escaping.
Instead of using cells made as above described with the ends outwardly and
upwardly bent, other forms of cell provided at the ends with suitable projections
can be suspended in the above described case or containing-vessel. Ordinary
accumulator cells without lateral projections can also be suspended in the case
by means of suitable suspension hooks or the like preferably bent to a U-shape.
Such an arrangement is shewn in Figures 4 and 5. The suspension hooks are
advantageously made of a sufficiently rigid material preferably metal covered
with vulcanite or hard rubber and rest with their outwardly bent ends upon the
longitudinal carriers. Each of the accumulator cells is preferably carried by

page_text: two of these suspension hooks. Although it is advantageous to suspend the cells
in the battery box this arrangement is not absolutely necessary.
Ordinary accumulator cells without lateral projections and without the use
of suspension hooks can be employed in the above described battery case.
For this purpose the sides of the battery case have attached to them near their
lower ends strips of metal, wood or the like encased in vulcanite or hard rubber
or a similar insulating material and upon which ordinary accumulator cells can
be placed adjacent to one another. Figures 6 and 7 shew an arrangement of
this kind. The strips el are carried by supports m¹ which rest upon the
bottom of the battery case or vessel. The case is in other respects constructed
as above described.
The cells, instead of being arranged adjacent to one another in a row along
the length of the battery case or vessel, can be suspended or supported in short
rows transversely thereto (2, 3, 4, or more in each row according to the breadth
of the case). Figures 8 and 9 shew cells suspended and Figures 10 and 11
cells supported in this manner.
For supporting the cells in these two arrangements I provide cross-pieces t, t
of a suitable material preferably metal encased in hard rubber or the like and
the ends of which are supported in notches r, r in the sides upon plates u also
of encased metal.
If the cells are to be suspended the cross-pieces are arranged in the upper part
of the case or vessel, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9, and the cells are advantageously
provided with lateral projections b, 6 which rest upon the cross-pieces. Or
ordinary cells can, as shewn in Figures 10 and 11, be placed upon cross-pieces
arranged near the bottom of the battery case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A secondary battery cell for road vehicles wherein projections are formed at
the upper part of the cell by the outwardly bent ends thereof, substantially as,
and for the purpose, described.
2. The combination with an accumulator cell, of a battery case having longi-
tudinal carriers, which rest upon supports having drip-edges for carrying the
cells, the said case being also lined on the inside with an insulating acid-
resisting material and being formed with a bottom gutter having a discharge
outlet, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. The employment with an accumulator cell of the kind described in Cla'm 1
of the battery case described in Claim 2, substantially as hereinbefore described.
A. The combination with a battery case of the kind described in Claim 2 of
any suitable accumulator cells which are provided at their ends with suitable
projections for their suspension in the said battery case, substantially as herein-
before described.
5. The combination with a battery case of the kind described in Claim 2 of
a U-shaped suspension hook of a suitable material preferably metal encased
in hard rubber or a similar insulating material, the outwardly bent ends of which
hook are supported upon the longitudinal carriers and which serves for carrying
ordinary accumulator cells, substantially as described.
6. The combination with ordinary accumulator cells without lateral projections,
of a battery case wherein the longitudinal carriers have the form of strips
arranged near the bottom of the case and upon which the accumulator cells
are placed, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The combination with accumulator cells of the kind described in Claims I
and 4, of the arrangement of cross-pieces in the upper part of the battery case,
which pieces consist of a suitable material preferably metal encased in bard
rubber or vulcanite or a similar material and serve for the suspension of the

page_text: accumulator cells in short transverse rows, substantially as herein before
described.
8. The combination with ordinary accumulator cells without lateral projections,
of cross-pieces of suitable material preferably metal arranged near the bottom
of the battery case or vessel, the said cross-pieces being encased in vulcanite or
hard rubber or a similar material and designed to support the cells in short
rows, substantially as hereinbefore described.
9. The improved accumulators or secondary batteries hereinbefore described
and illustrated respectively in Figures 1, 2 and 3; 4 and 5; 6 and 7; 8 and 9;
and 10 and 11 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 3rd day of Tu 1908
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.