Improvements in Electric Accumulators or Storage Batteries.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 14th Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electric Accumulators or Storage Batteries.
We, GEORGE HENRY ROE, Manager of The California Electric Light
Company, of 227 Stevenson Street, and GUSTAV SUTRO, Banker, of
408 Montgomery Street, both in the City and County of San Francisco, State
of California, United States of America, 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 electrodes and other elements of storage batteries, and
the method of securing and presenting in the most effective manner, the active
materials of such batteries, commonly peroxide of lead, mechanically held by plates
or electrodes, also to attaining a more effective circulation of the liquid solution in
which such batteries are immersed.
These improvements consist in a series of corrugated and perforated grid plates
made of wood, preferably sequoia, or other porous and flexible varities, permeable
by the liquid solution in which the battery is immersed, such plates or forms being
alternated with and confined by lead plates or electrodes, the whole being com-
pressed by elastic bands or other suitable means to form a structure self-contained
and capable of being placed in or removed from a receiver without disturbance
of the active materials sustained by the separating and flexible containing plates.
The object of this invention is to enable the use of a larger amount of the active
material than is possible with single or simple electrode plates, and by flexure of the
sustaining supporting forms or grids, secure a close contact at all points between
the active material and the electro plates, also by free channels and perforations
and the permeable quality of the wood, secure a more complete circulation of the
liquid solution than has hitherto been attainable.
Referring to the drawings-
Fig. 1 shows in perspective elevation a complete electric storage cell, the battery
being placed in a receiver and ready for connection and use.
Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal section through the same cell and receiver.
Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of one of the forms or plates for holding the
active material, made of sequoia or other porous and flexible wood.
Similar letters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the
different figures of the drawings.
A is the containing vessel or receiver of non-corrosive material, containing the
common solution of sulphuric acid chemically known as H2SO. In this vessel
and solution is immersed the battery, consisting of a series of electrodes or plates,
marked F, and between these are forms or grid plates C, made of wood, preferably
of what is known as sequoia or other wood having like properties, arranged as
shown in Fig. 3.
The forms or grids to contain the active material are formed substantially as
shown in Fig. 3, having grooves or channels D to contain the active material, and
smaller grooves or channels E to permit circulation of the liquid solution in which
the battery is immersed. In the bottom of the grooves E are perforations a, to
permit cross circulation of the liquid solution from side to side of the supporting
forms or plates C. These perforations can be many or few and of such size as the
freedom of circulation demands.
The ribs e or channels D, D, and E, are preferably made transverse to the fibre
or grain of the wood so the pores will permit and promote lateral or horizontal
circulation, but this is not essential, as the corrugations can be made either way of
the fibre without much altering the effect produced.
The electrode plates F are formed of lead in the usual manner, flat and plain in
D

page_text: contour, so as to fit closely against and between the forms or grids C, as shown in
the completed battery, Figures 1 and 2.
The grooves or channels D for containing the active material do not extend
entirely across the plates C, but have enclosing ends, or ledges, as shown at c, Fig. 3,
so that when the batteries are completed and assembled in position, these channels D
are converted to non-pervious chambers, open at the top only, and adapted to
receive the active material, commonly peroxide of lead, which in either a paste or
in dry form is inserted from the top, and rammed down into the channels D, so the
whole battery is a solid mass except as to the circulating channels E and
perforations a, before described.
When the battery is assembled, two plates of glass G are placed on the outside,
and the whole is bound or compressed by the elastic bands M, which are sprung on
in the manner of hoops to bind and secure the whole together.
The electrode plates F terminate at the top in the extensions or Ings N, com-
bining at each side of the battery alternate plates, as shown in Fig. 1, prepared to
connect with charging or discharging conductors in the usual manner.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In an electrical storage battery, corrugated or ribbed forms or grid plates of
sequoia or other similar porous and flexible wood, provided with grooves or channels
to contain the active material, and other parallel grooves or channels to permit the
circulation of the liquid solution in which the battery is immersed, in the manner
substantially and for the purpose specified.
2. In an electrical storage battery, corrugated or ribbed plates formed of sequoia
or other porous and flexible wood, of the like nature, provided with grooves or
channels to contain the active material, and other parallel grooves or channels to
permit circulation of the liquid solution in which the battery is immersed, the
latter named grooves or channels having perforations as herein shown, so the liquid
solution can circulate from side to side, as well as parallel to the grooves or
channels, in the manner substantially and for the purposes described.
3. In an electrical storage battery, grooved or channeled forms or grids of sequoia
or other porous wood, the principal channels or grooves arranged to receive the
active material and provided with ledges or closed ends at the bottom of the form
or grid, so that these channels or grooves can be packed from the top with the active
material when enclosed between the electrode plates, in the manner substantially as
described.
4. In an electrical storage battery as herein described, porous and flexible plates
or forms of wood, grooved or channeled to contain the active material on each side
thereof, other parallel grooves and perforations to permit vertical and lateral flow
of the liquid solution in which the battery is immersed, such plates or forms being
combined with alternate solid plates or electrodes, so as to present a series of non-
pervious chambers that may be packed with peroxide of lead or other active
material, in the manner substantially as herein described.
1
1000
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.