Improvements in Insulating Cells for Electric Batteries.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1890-Accepted, 15th Nov., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Insulating Cells for Electric Batteries.
1. STANLEY CHARLES CUTHBERT CURRIE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,
but now residing at the City of Philadelphia, in the County of Philadelphia, and
State of Pennsylvania, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN INSULATING CELLS FOR ELECTRIC BATTERIES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Heretofore it has been customary to place or stand the vases or jars constituting
the cells of an electric battery upon the floor of a suitable receptacle or housing or
upon any convenient flat surface, and to pack them close together in order to avoid
breakage and other injury incident to the transportation of the battery, but in
practice the surfaces of adjoining vases, cells or jars become coated with moisture
produced by the spraying and splashing of the liquid and by other causes, and this
accumulation of moisture and dampness forms a complete liquid circuit between
the respective cells, jars or vases and tends to or in fact does short-circuit the
battery.
The principal objects of my present invention are first, to obviate the above
mentioned disadvantages and to prevent electrical surface leakage; and second, to
retain the cells, jars or vases firmly in position for the accomplishment of the most
beneficial results in the practical use thereof.
My invention consists of a cell, jar or vase provided with a depending rim or skirt
adapted to be mounted upon a fixed insulating base having a recess formed therein
in order to permit moisture to drip from off the depending rim or skirt of the cell,
jar or vase without forming a liquid circuit from one cell to the other.
My invention further consists of a cell, jar or vase provided with a depending rim,
flange or skirt adapted for the reception of a fixed insulating base having a recess
formed therein for containing an insulating fluid, in order that any moisture may be
permitted to drop from off the depending rim or skirt without forming a liquid
circuit; and
My invention further consists in making the fixed base in two parts or sections
united by tenons and mortises and adapted to permit of the convenient separation of
the sections thereof in order to permit the recess formed in connection therewith to
be filled with an insulating fluid..
The nature and characteristic features of my present invention will be more fully
understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying
drawings forming part hereof; and in which
Figure 1, is a vertical section of a series of battery cells, jars or vases mounted
on fixed insulating bases embodying features of my invention, also showing the rims
or skirts of the cells, jars or vases depending beyond the recesses of the bases con-
taining a fluid insulating material or substances.
Fig. 2 is a top or plan view partly in section on the line a, a, of Fig. 1
showing the depending rims or skirts surrounding the fixed circular insulating
bases; and
Fig. 3, is a vertical section of a cell, jar or vase in application to a modified form
of base of my invention.
In the drawings a, is a vase, cell or jar adapted to contain the battery plates or
elements a', immersed in a suitable exciting liquid or electrolytic fluid insulated
from one another by means of rod a² and connected together in any preferred
manner by conductors a3 and a*. is a depending skirt, flange or rim formed by
prolonging the sides of the vase, jar or cell a, in a downward direction or in any other
preferred manner, and adapted to be fitted over a stationary base of glass, rubber,
D

page_text: porcelain or any other suitable material. This base c. (Figs. 1 and 2,) is provided
with a recess or annular chamber e², adapted to contain an insulating substance or
materials c'. It will be noticed that the rim, or skirt b, extends downward beyond
the surface of the insulating substance or materials contained in the recess or annular
chamber c² of the insulating base c, in order to prevent moisture from dropping
from off the edge of the skirt or rim onto the insulating material or substances c¹.
Referring now to the left side of Fig. 1, the base e, is formed in two sections c³
and c', united by tenons e fitted into mortises c, so that the section c³, may be easily
removed in order to refill the recess c², or for any other purpose.
A modified form of base c, is illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the insulating material
or substance c¹, is dispensed with, and in which the form of the cross section of the
recesses c², is preferably rectangular in form in order to reduce principally the cost
of the manufacture thereof.
In use the bases c, are screwed or otherwise attached to a tray or other preferred
surface e, and are so located or spaced with reference to each other, that the sides of
two adjacent vases, jars or cells a, are separated from each other by a small space,
for example, an eighth of an inch, more or less, and any moisture or dampness
collecting upon the surfaces of the jars, cells or vases a, and flowing downwards will
drop off the lower edges of the rims or skirts b, upon the surface e. Moisture or
dampness accumulating upon the surface e, is prevented from climbing by capillary
action or otherwise upon the base c, into the interior of the jar, vase or cell a, by
means of the depending skirt or rim b, or the insulating substance or material c', if
the latter is employed, thus preventing the formation of liquid circuits between the
respective cells. It may be remarked that inasmuch as the bases c, are rigidly
attached to the surface e, they serve not only to insulate the vases, cells or jars a,
from each other and from the ground, but also to retain them firmly to place, so
that a battery composed of such cells and bases may be conveniently and safely
transported.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. An insulating cell, jar or vase provided with a flat bottom and a depending
peripheral rim or skirt, substantially as set forth.
2. An insulating cell, jar or vase provided with a flat bottom in combination with
a detachable divided base having a chamber connected therewith, substantially as and
for the purposes set forth.
3. An insulating cell, jar or vase provided with a detachable base having a recess
or chamber adapted to contain an insulating substance or material, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
4. An insulating base for supporting battery plate cells, jars or vases provided with
a recess or chamber adapted to receive and contain an insulating substance or material,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. An insulating battery plate cell, jar or vase provided with a depending flango or
rim in combination with a recessed or channelled base, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
6. A cell, jar or vase provided with a depending rim or skirt, in combination with
a base provided with a recess or chamber adapted to receive a fluid, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
7. A cell, jar or vase provided with a depending rim or skirt, in combination with
a divided base provided with a recess or chamber adapted to contain an insulating
fluid, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
8. A cell, jar or vase provided with a depending rim or skirt, in combination with
a base provided with a recess or chamber adapted to contain an insulating substance
or material, and the said base formed in two sections tenoned and mortised to each
other, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
9. The combination with a series of recessed or channelled insulating blocks or
bases secured to or mounted on a tray or platform and a series of cells, jars or vases

page_text: provided with depending rims or skirts placed in proximity to one another and the
rims or skirts of said cells, jars or vases depending below the surface of the recesses
or channels of said insulating blocks or bases, of plates or elements immersed in a
suitable exciting liquid or electrolytic fluid in said cells, jars or vases and said plates
provided with conductors or terminals, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.