Improvements in or applicable to the Charging of Accumulators.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to the Charging of Accumulators.
I, AXEL GOTTFRIED STRÖMBERG, of Helsingfors, in the Grand Duchy of Finland,
and Empire of Russia, Electrotechnician, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The present invention relates to an arrangement for loading accumulators and has
the object of effecting the loading of an accumulator battery with the same potential
as that corresponding to the working potential of the machine. Up to now it has been
necessary either to arrange the halves of the battery during the loading in parallel or
to make use of an auxiliary dynamo, or in some other way to generate the higher
potential necessary for the loading.
According to the present invention the cells are connected for the loading in groups
in such manner that always only that number of cells which corresponds to the
potential of the ma hine is engaged whilst the remainder is temporarily cut off. By
means of a simple device it is then secured that in convenient spaces another portion
of the battery will be operated on so that after the expiration of a certain time all
the cells shall have been equally loaded. For example:-Sixty-four cells are con-
nected in groups of eight to the contact brushes which rub upon the surface of a
connecting drum. The latter is provided with contact surfaces of which two serve
for the conduction and abduction of the current whilst the others connect each two
group ends with one another. The current is brought to the connecting drum through
two sliding rings. The connecting drum is supplied with a front which permits that
at a given time all eight or only seven or only six groups are connected one behind
the other. Through turning of the connecting drum to the extent of one-eighth, one
group is invariably disconnected and another group connected; after the expiration
of two, four, or six hours all cells will consequently be loaded quite equally. It is
obvious that any desired other number of cells or groups can be made use of without
departing from the principle of the invention.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to the Charging of Accumulators.
I, AXEL GOTTFRIED STRÖMBERG, of Helsingfors, in the Grand Duchy of Finland,
and Empire of Russia, Electrotechnician, 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 :-
The present invention relates to an arrangement for charging accumulators and has
for its object the charging of an accumulator battery with the same potential as that

page_text: corresponding to the working potential of the machine. Up to now it has been
necessary either to arrange the halves of the battery during the charging in parallel or
to make use of an auxiliary dynamo, or in some other way to generate the higher
potential necessary for the charging.
According to the present invention the cells are connected for the charging, in
groups, in such manner that always only that number of cells which corresponds to
the potential of the machine is engaged, whilst the remainder are temporarily cut off.
By means of a simple device, and at suitable intervals, another portion of the battery
is then operated on so that after the expiration of a certain time all the cells will have
been equally charged.
The invention is shown in the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 being a general diagrammatic view of the apparatus;
Figure 2 shows an elevation of the actual switch device.
Figure 3 is the corresponding side view.
In Figure 1 sixty-four cells are connected in groups of eight on the contact
posts a which carry contact brushes - rubbing upon the periphery of a
switch drum A which is provided with contact surfaces e to e. The contact
surfaces to are of such length that two brushes rub simultaneously on each of
them, whilst the contact surfaces c' and c are each only intended for one brush but
are arranged at such a distance apart that only the two brushes of a single pair can
ub on them. The drum A is provided with two friction rings d and e on which rub
brushes and g which are connected with a source of current. The ring'd is connected
with the contact surface c' and the ring e with a switch lever h of a switch B. The
latter is adapted necording to requirements to be adjusted on to the contacts i, k, I.
The contact is connected to the contact surface c, whilst the contacts k and are
connected to the contact surfaces e and e'. In the position shown in Figure 1, the
current passes from the ring d to the contact surface e and then through the
groups I-VI over the contact and the lever to the ring e, so that thus the said
groups are charged in series. If the switch arm & be placed on the contact k, the
group VII will also he simultaneously charged. If the switch arm be placed on
the contact the group VIII will also be simultaneously charged. If the switch
drum A be revolved in the direction of the arrow about, in the position of the
switch arm shown in Figure 1, the groups VIII and I to V, and on a further
eighth rotation the groups VII, VIII, and I to IV will be charged and so forth.
If therefore the switch drum A be shiftel or adjusted about every 15 minutes to
the extent of, there will always be six groups connected, and after 4, 6 or 8 hours
entirely equally charged. The rotation or adjustment of the switch drum inay either
be effected by hand by means of a handle p or automatically. In the latter case, it
is necessary to connect the shaft m with the machine shaft or the like in such a way
that it is rotated once in about every two hours.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 2 and 3, the contact posts a-a" are fixed
on the base plate C in the centre of which the shaft m is revolubly mounted. The
switch lever is here a bent piece or stirrup H revoluble on the shaft in, which
lever His pressed against its contact surfaces by means of a spiral spring a bearing
against a cross piece n.
Of course it is evident that instead of eight groups, six, seven. nine or any other
suitable number may be arranged, and it is not absolutely essential that the separate
groups should contain an equal number of cells.
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 :-
An arrangement for charging accumulators characterised by a switch drum (A)
provided with a series of contact surfaces (c to c) and having a series of
brushes (b to b) arranged to bear or rub on it, the accumulators being connected
in groups with the contact brushes, one contact surface (c) being connected with a
friction or contact ring (d) on the drum and another contact surface (c) with a second

page_text: contact ring (e) on the drum, a switch device being also employed, whereby on the
periodic rotation of the switch drum (A), a suitable number of successive groups are
always switched on and thereby charged, so that after the expiration of a given time.
all the groups are equally charged, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 12th day of February 1897.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.