Improvements in Apparatus and Devices for Carrying and Separating the Plates of Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Sept., 1889-Accepted, 5th Oct., 1889
Improvements in Apparatus and Devices for Carrying and Separating
the Plates of Secondary Batteries.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT, of the Cedars Didsbury in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to apparatus and devices for carrying and separating the
plates of secondary batteries.
The plates are suspended by means of a lug cast or formed upon one of the
upper corners of each plate, from a rectangular frame resting on an elastic cushiou
upon the upper part of the cell. The under side or edge of the frame is formed
to an inverted camber so as to distribute the weight uniformly over the top of
the cell.
In making up the battery the lugs of the positive plates are arranged on the
opposite side of the cell to the lugs of the negative plates in the usual manner.
Over each row of lugs there is a bar or trough constructed of wood, vulcanite
or other suitable non-conducting material and forming part of or supported by the
frame. At suitable intervals in the bar or in the bottom of the trough slots, are formed
through which the ends of the lugs or the ends of alternate lugs are passed and
When the
above which they may be secured by pins, clips, or similar devices.
plates are supported from a bar, I may form holes in the lugs at a short distance
above the top edges of the plates and shorten alternate lugs so that they terminate
just above the holes and do not therefore pass through the slots in the bar. When
the plates have been arranged in series, a moulding device is connected to the lugs
and molten lead in poured therein so as to enter the holes or surround the lugs and
burn them together; the casting thus produced forms a terminal for all the plates
connected thereby. By this means the whole series of plates is carried by the long
lugs on the alternate plates. When the plates are supported from a trough, I may
either employ the arrangement of alternate long and short lugs connected as herein-
before described, and bring the ends of the long lugs through the slots in the
bottom of the trough, or all the lugs may be of the same length and be brought
through the bottom of the trough. The ends of the lugs within the trough are then
placed in absolute metallic connection by pouring molten lead into the trough so as
to "burn or weld the ends of the lugs together.
"
At or near the centre of each end of each of the plates there is formed a small
lug or projection but so that the projection on that end of each plate to which the
suspending lug is attached is nearer the bottom corner of the plate than the projec-
tion on the opposite end of the plate. When the plates are arranged together in
series, the projections of one set of plates will be in alignment and form a support for
a bar which is placed upon them. The projections upon the other set of plates are
also in alignment and rest upon the upper end of the bar. It follows therefore that
those ends of the plates which are not directly suspended from the lugs, rest by their
projections upon the bars which are supported by the ends of the plates which are
directly suspended. I prefer to form notches or grooves in the top and bottom
edges of the bars in such positions that the notches will fit upon all the horizontal
projections and thus form ties for the plates as well as supports. The bars must be
formed of wood, vulcanite, celluloid or other suitable non-conducting material.
As an additional means for keeping the plates equi-distant, I may form small lugs
or projections near the top and near the bottom of each end of each of the plates so
that the respective projections may come into alignment in four rows, that is to say,
in a row at or near the top and at or near the bottom of each end of the plates. A

page_text: comb or notched bar of non-conducting material is placed upon each row of the pro-
jections so that its slots or notches engage with the projections. The end projections
of each row and the end teeth of the comb may each be provided with a return pro-
jection to form a locking device for the arrangement..
For the purpose of separating the central portions of the plates I employ narrow
rods or strips of vulcanite, celluloid or other similar non-conducting material having
a sinuous, wavy, or currugated transverse vertical section. These rods may be formed
in a double length bent at the middle, so that the halves of the rod are parallel, when
one half of the rod will serve as a separator in one space and the other half in the
contiguous space, the bend of the rod resting upon the top edge of the plate. Or,
the rods may be formed in single lengths and be hung or suspended from the top
edge of the plate by means of an angular part or projection formed at the top of
the rod.
Dated this 30th day of November A D 1888
WILLIAM. E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus and Devices for Carrying and Separating
the Plates of Secondary Batteries.
I, HENRY PERCY HOLT of the Cedars Didsbury in the County of Lancaster,
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 :-
This Invention relates to apparatus and devices for carrying and separating the
plates of secondary batteries..
The plates are suspended by means of lugs one of which is cast or formed upon
one of the upper corners of each plate, from a rectangular frame resting upon an
elastic cushion upon the upper part of the cell. The suspension of the plates is
aided by lugs cast or formed upon each vertical edge of each plate and by bars placed
between the lugs.
The separation of the plates is secured by means of sinuous strips placed between
the plates and by notched or perforated bars fitting upon lugs or projections cast
or formed near the top and the bottom of vertical edges of the plates.
I will proceed to describe my Invention with reference to the accompanying draw-
ings in which Fig. 1 is a cross section and Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section of
a battery having these Improvements applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan and end view
of a suspending bar used at one side of the plates; Fig. 4 is an edge view and an
end view of the same bar; Fig. 5 is a plan and end view of the suspending bar used
at the opposite ends of the plates; Fig. 6 is an edge view and end view of the bar
shewn in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan and end view of one of the separating bars; Fig.18
is an edge view and end view of the separating bar Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a plan and
end view of one of the sinuous separator strips.
In each of the Figures similar parts, where they occur, are indicated by similar
letters of reference.
The plates are suspended by means of lugs A A² cast or formed upon the upper
corners of the plates from a rectangular frame B resting on an elastic cushion C
upon the upper part of the cell D. It is preferred to form the under side of the
frame B to an inverted camber in order to distribute the weight carried by the frame
uniformly over the top of the cell.
In making up the battery, the lugs A of the positive plates are arranged on the
opposite side of the cell to the lugs A¹ of the negative plates in the usual well-known
manner. The respective positive lugs and the negative lugs may be electrically con-
nected by known means but I prefer to connect them upon or within a bar or trough
of insulating material such as wood or vulcanite over each row of lugs. This bar or

page_text: trough may form part of the rectangular frame B or it may be independently con-
structed and rest thereon. At suitable intervals in the bar or in the bottom of the
trough as the case may be, slots are formed through which the ends of the lugs or the
ends of alternate lugs are passed and over which they may be secured by pins, clips,
or similar devices. When the plates are supported from a bar, I may form holes in
the lugs at a short distance above the top edges of the plates and shorten alternato
lugs so that they terminate just above the holes and do not therefore pass through
the slots in the bar. When the plates have been arranged in series a mould is con-
structed around the lugs, and molten lead is poured therein so as to enter the holes
or surround the lugs and burn them together; the casting E thus produced forms
a terminal for all the plates connected thereby. By this means the whole series of
plates is carried by the long lugs on the alternate plates.
When the plates are
suspended from a trough, 1 may employ the arrangement of alternate long and short
lugs connected as herein before described, and bring the ends of the long lugs through
the slots in the bottom of the trough, or all the lugs may be of the same length and
be brought through the bottom of the trough. The ends of the lugs within the
trough are then placed in absolute metallic contact by pouring molten lead into the
trough so as to burn or weld the ends of the lugs together. At or near the centre of.
each vertical edge of each plate there is cast or formed a lug or similar pro-
jection F F, but so that the lug or projection F" on that edge of each plate to which
the suspending lug A or A' is attached is nearer to the bottom corner of the plate than
the lug or projection Fat the opposite edge of the plate. When the plates are
arranged together in series in the cell, the projections F' of the positive plates will
be in alignment on one side of the cell, and the projections F' of the negative plates
will be in alignment in the same plane on the other side of the coll. A bar or
strip G of insulating material is placed on each row of projections F¹ and is supported
thereby and the projections F rests upon the bar as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. It
follows therefore that those edges of the plates which are not directly suspended from
the lugs A A' rest by their projections upon the bars G G which are supported by
the lugs F formed on the edges of those plates which are directly suspended by the
lugs A or A. I prefer to form notches or grooves in the top and bottom edges of
each of the bars G G as shewn in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, in such positions that the notches
will fit upon all the lugs F and F¹ upon its side of the series of plates and thus form
ties for the plates as well as supports. The bars G may be formed of wood, vulcanite,
celluloid or other suitable insulating material. The top edges of the bars should be
bevelled as represented in the drawings so as to avoid the risk of any foreign material
resting thereon.
Since the negative plates are usually made thinner than the positive plates, the
notches in the upper and lower edges of the plates (when notches are used) are made
of corresponding widths. Thus, in Fig. 3 the bar G has the notches for the negative
plates on its upper bevelled edge, and this bar will be used for that side of the series
of plates where the negative lugs on the negative plates are in the position F Fig. 1.
In the bar represented in Fig. 5 the wide notches for the lugs on the positive plates
are formed on the bevelled upper edge and this bar will be employed for that side
of the series of plates where the lugs on the positivo plates occupy the position F
in Fig. 1.
As an additional means for keeping the plates equidistant, I may form small lugs
or projections H H' I I' near to the top and near to the bottom of each vertical edge
of each plate in such a manner-that the respective projections may come into alignment
in the series of plates in four rows, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.
A comb or a notched or perforated bar of non-conducting material L is fitted
upon each row of the projections in such a manner that its slots teeth or perforations
engage with the projections. The end projections on the end plates of the_series
may be provided with a snug or return projection K, or the ends of the bar L may
be similarly provided with return projections to form a locking device tending to
prevent the bar L springing out of position or being accidentally removed. In the
drawings the bars L are represented as being provided with perforations alternating

page_text: with notches, and I prefer to employ this arrangement in practice as affording greater
security. On these plates which correspond in position with the perforations, the
projections take the form of pins instead of that of the lugs H I.
For the purpose of separating the central portions of the plates, I employ narrow
rods or strips M having a sinuous, wavy, or corrugated appearance when viewed in
plan as in Figs. 2 and 9. These strips may be constructed of vulcanite, celluloid, or
other suitable non-conducting material, and they may be formed in a double length
and bent in the middle so that the two halves of the strip are brought parallel with
each other. In this form one half or limb of the strip will serve as a separator in
one space between two plates, and the other limb will occupy and act as a separator
in the contiguous space, the bend of the strip resting on the top edge of the inter-
mediate plate. Or, the rods may be formed in single lengths as represented in the
drawings Figs. 1, 2, and 9, and they may if desired, be hung or suspended from the
top edges of the plates by means of angular parts or projections formed at the tops
of the strips.
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 :-
(1.) In secondary batteries; the construction combination and arrangement of a
rectangular frame supported on an elastic cushion upon the upper edge of the cell,
supporting lugs FF formed upon the vertical edges of the plates, supporting bars G G
between the lugs F F1, separating lugs or projections H H II formed upon the
vertical edges of the plates, and separating bars L fitting upon the separating lugs or
projections; all substantially as described and as illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.
(2.) In secondary batteries; the combination and arrangement of a rectangular
frame supported on an elastic cushion on the upper edge of the cell, supporting
lugs FF formed upon the vertical edges of the plates, supporting bars G G between
the lugs F F¹, separating lugs or projections H H II' formed on the vertical edges
of the plates, separating bars L fitted upon the separating lugs or projections, and
sinuous separating strips M; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
(3.) In a secondary battery; the construction and arrangement of a rectangular
frame from which the battery plates are suspended, substantially as herein before
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(4.) In a secondary battery; the construction and arrangement of the supporting
Jugs FF¹ formed on the vertical edges of the plates, and the combination therewith of
the supporting bars G G ; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
(5.) In a secondary battery; the combination construction and arrangement of the
separating lugs or projections H H¹ II' formed on the vertical edges of the plates
and the separating bars L; substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated
by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of Santambar AD 1889
WILLIAM E. HEYS,
Agent for the Applicant.