Improvements in the Manufacture of Electrodes for Primary and Secondary Batteries.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct, 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Electrodes for Primary and
Secondary Batteries.
I, DAVID PEPPER, Jr., of 1827 Spruce Street, in the City and County of Philadel-
phia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Electrician, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention, and in what manuer 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 electrodes for primary and secondary
batteries, and particularly to providing such electrodes with metallic connections, and
where they are needed, strengthening ribs formed integral with the connections. My
invention consists in moulding plates of active material to form the electrodes so as to
provide cavities in said active material and then forming connections or connections
and supports in said plates by pouring into said cavities a melted metal or alloy. I
thus form an electrode having its metallic support and connection entirely included in
and covered by active material except of course that the connection above the plate is
not or need not be covered by active material. Preferably 1 form my electrodes by
moulding the active material upon a fusible soluble or volatile core which is, after the
plates assume the requisite permanence of form, melted out or eliminated in other
ways and I then cast the metal or alloy forming the connection and support into the
cavity left by said core.
I am aware that prior to my invention the plan of connecting the plates or grids
which support the active material of an electrode with each other by forming on said
plates perforated lugs and pouring into said lugs a metal or alloy to secure them
together and form a connection had been devised by another. My invention however
is to be distinguished therefrom in that I form perforations in the active material and
supply the support and connection which takes the place of the usual grid and connec-
tion by casting metal into said perforations in the active material. My method of
forming the connections is applicable as stated where the plates are moulded entirely
of active material, and I prefer to have the metallic connection extend out into the
body of the active material and to secure this result I mould my plates of active
material upon a core of the form of the cavities to be formed, as for instance, of the
perforation in the lug and the desired extensions therefrom into the active material of
the plate, forming this core of some material which can be removed without injuring
the plate by fusion or by being dissolved or by being volatilized. I prefer to make the
core of a fusible alloy. I then fuse or dissolve out the core and proceed as before
to fill the cavity in the plates with melted metal or alloy which, on cooling, will
form the desired connection and will also form a strengthening rib or ribs in the plate
thus virtually providing the plate with a supporting grid and connections formed of the
same casting.
Reference being now had to the drawings:
Figure 1 represents in section a pair of my plates arranged together in a mould to
receive the melted metal which forms the connections.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the core upon which said plates are moulded and
which is afterwards melted or dissolved out preparatory to casting in the metallic
connections.
Figure 3 is a face view of a plate moulded on such a core.
Figure 4 a face view of a plate moulded on a core having a flange instead of a
number of arms extending out from the perforation in its lug; and
Figure 5 is a section on line xx of Figure 4.
A is the plate of active material; A' a lug which I form with it and in which I form
or mould a perforation preferably of irregular longitudinal section. The reason I
prefer the irregular shape of perforation is that the connection when cast in will be

page_text: .
held securely in place and not tend to slide in the lug. B is a core of fusible alloy
having the form of the perforations a and having also projecting arms bb, &c., which
form in the plates A the holes a¹ a¹, &c., when the core is melted out. Instead of
arms a flange may be formed on the core B such as would form a cavity like that
shown at a², Figures 4 and 5. CC represents the mould box or arms having pouring
holes cc between and in communication with which the plates A are secured with
their lugs A¹ in contact and their perforations a registering with each other and with
holes c.
Having been moulded, freed from their cores and adjusted in the mould box the
plates are completed and connected by pouring a melted metal or preferably, an
inoxidizable alloy, such as type metal, through the perforations and cavities and
allowing it to harden there with such extension for terminals beyond the outer lug as
may be desired and provided for in the mould.
By my new method I am enabled to provide connections situated entirely within the
plates and of the best and most efficient character and where support for the active
material is required it is provided by extensions of the connections extending out in
the active material; this feature being of great importance where plates of lead
peroxide are employed.
In the claims I refer to the cores as of fusible material but it will be understood that
I embrace as well cores made of material which can be dissolved or volatilized,—such
being obvious equivalents of fusible cores.
While in all cases I prefer to use lugs A' to enclose the metallic connection it will
be obvious that the cavities may be formed in the body of the plate and the connection
cast into them without requiring the formation of a projecting lug and the method for
forming at the same time a connection and support for the plates by the use of a
fusible core has no essential relationship to the use or non-use of the perforated
lugs A¹.
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:
:
First As a new article of manufacture an electrode for primary o. secondary
batteries consisting of a plate or plates of active material having cavities formed in
their mass and provided with an integral support and connection of fusible metal
filling said cavities and included and protected by the active material.
Second: The described method of making electrodes for primary or secondary
batteries which consists in moulding plates of active material with lugs perforated
to receive the metallic connections and then casting the connection in said
perforations.
Third: The described method of making electrodes for primary or secondary
batteries which consists in moulding plates of active material upon cores of fusible
material then melting out the fusible material and casting the metallic connection
in the cavities left in the active material.
Fourth: The described method of making electrodes for primary or secondary
batteries which consists in moulding plates of active material with lugs and upon
cores of fusible materiai which will form perforations through the lugs, then
melting out the cores and casting the connections in cavities left in the active
material.
:
Fifth The described method of making electrodes for primary or secondary
batteries. which consists in moulding plates of active material with lugs and upon
cores of fusible material which will form perforations through the lugs with
extensions from said perforations into the body of the plates, then melting out
the cores and casting the connections in cavities left in the active material.
Dated this 19th day of August 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.