An Improved Method of Closing or Sealing Secondary Battery Cells.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 1st Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 6th Jan., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of Closing or Sealing Secondary Battery Cells.
I WILLIAM KINGSLAND Electrician.49 Cambridge Road Gunnersbury London W.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of closing or sealing secondary battery
cells in order to render them portable, and to prevent the escape of the liquid
whatever may be the position in which the battery is placed, while at the same time
permitting of the escape of any gas which may be evolved in charging; and also to
the protection of the connections and terminals from the action of the acid.
In order to effect this I employ a double cover of vulcanite or other material not
acted upon by the acid. The bottom or inside cover is fitted some little distance
below the top of the cell, and the tangs or connecting strips from the plates are brought
through suitable openings in this cover and then joined or soldered together as
required, two strips or wires being left standing up in order, to make the final
connection with the terminals or binding posts which are screwed into the top
cover.
I then take some elastic glue or insulating compound, such as Marine Glue, or
Prout's Glue, and having heated it sufficiently to render it liquid I pour it over the
inside cover to a depth of th inch or thereabouts, so as to fill up all the cracks or
spaces between the cover and the walls of the cell, and also to embed the soldered or
cross connections between the plates, leaving only the two strips or wires before
mentioned, one being positive and the other negative. These are now passed through
suitable holes in the second or top cover, which is pressed down on top of the glue
while it is still soft, and the final connections are then made with the terminals or
binding posts.
In order to provide for the escape of gas from the cell while at the same time

page_text: preventing the escape of any liquid when the cell is placed horizontally or turned
upside down, I employ a tube of any suitable diameter, preferably made of the same
material as the covers. A hole is drilled through the inside cover before it is placed
in position, and the tube is firmly fixed in this hole; a corresponding hole is also
drilled through the top cover, and when this latter is placed in position the tube
projects a little above it. A small disc or washer of rubber or other suitable material,
having a few small perforations or punctures is now placed on top of the tube, and is
kept in place by means of a cap, which may be screwed or otherwise fitted over
the tube, and which has a small hole in the top to admit of the final escape of
the gas.
Dated this 1st day of February 1887

page_text: I, WILLIAM KINGSLAND of 49 Cambridge Road, Gunnersbury in the County of
Middlesex, Electrician 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 :-
:-
My invention relates to an improved method of closing or sealing secondary battery
cells in order to render them portable and to prevent the escape of the liquid in whatever
position the battery may be placed while at the same time permitting of the escape of
any gas which may be envolved in charging and also to the protection of the
connections and terminals from the action of the acid.
In order to effect this I employ a double cover of vulcanite or other suitable
material not acted upon by the acid. The bottom or inside cover is fitted some little
distance below the top of the cell and the tangs or connecting strips from the plates
are brought through suitable openings in this cover and then joined or soldered
together as required two or more strips or wires being left standing up in order to
make the final connections with the terminals or binding posts which are screwed
into the top cover. I then take some elastic glue or insulating compound such as
Marine glue or Prout's glue, and having heated it sufficiently to render it liquid I
pour it over the inside cover to a depth say from to inch or thereabouts so as to fill
up all the cracks crevices or spaces between this cover and the walls of the cell and
also to embed the soldered or cross connections between the plates, leaving only the
strips or wires before mentioned, one or more being positive and the others negative.
These are now passed through suitable holes in the second or top cover which is
pressed down on the top of the glue while it is still soft and the final connections are
then made with the terminals or binding posts.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect I will now proceed to describe the same by reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1 shews a general perspective view of one form of secondary battery con-
structed according to my invention and containing two compartments or cells.
Figuro 2 is a vertical sectional view of a similar battery and Figure 3 is a horizontal
section of same Figures 4 and 5 are respectively central vertical section and plan on
line XY of the cover of battery.
Figure 6 shews my invention adapted to a single cell battery.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
C is the
A B, A¹ B', are the cell plates made with tangs a, b, a, b, as shewn.
bottom or lower cover for each cell respectively, and D is the upper or top cover.
If the cells contain more than one pair of plates they are all made to pass through
the bottom cover or covers in a similar manner to the pair shewn, the tangs from the
positive plates being all on one side, and the negative all on the other. These are now
connected or soldered together as required above the lower or bottom cover C by
means of a strip of metal or piece of wire, for example lead, and two or more strips
or wires E F are left standing up in order to make the final connections with the
terminals T T. In Figures 2 and 3 the plates of the two cells are shewn joined in
series, a cross connection being made between the positive plates of the one cell and
the negative plates of the other, the two cells being entirely insulated from one
another except for this cross connection.

page_text: Any number of cells may, in a similar way be contained in one case and joined so
as to form a battery or each cell instead of being connected with the others by means
of a cross connection embedded in the insulating material may be entirely insulated
from the others and have its own proper positive and negative terminals on the
outside cover.
The connections having been made as desired, the glue (indicated by the letter G)
is now poured over the bottom cover so as to embed all the soldered connections and
while the glue is still warm the top cover D is pressed down so as to squeeze the glue
into every hole and crevice or space, and this is done more effectually by means of
the caps K which screw on to the tubes K until the bottom and top covers are the
proper distance apart this distance being also regulated by means of a collar or ring r
on the tube K and as referred to hereafter.
The connecting strips E F are now soldered to the binding posts T T', and finally a
ring R of insulating material such for instance as the covers are made of, is slipped
over the terminal and may be glued or cemented to keep it in its place.
In order to allow for the escape of gas from the cell while at the same time pre-
venting the escape of any liquid when the cell is placed horizontally or turned upside
down, I employ a tube or tubes K made for example of the same material as the
covers and of any suitable diameter say about th inch. The tube or tubes K is or
are firmly fixed in the lower or bottom cover C before the latter is put in position
and a corresponding hole is made in the top cover D to allow the tube or tubes K to
pass through. These tubes K project above the top cover D and have a thread cut on
the outside to permit of a cap K preferably of the same material being screwed over
it as before mentioned. On top of the tube is placed a small washer W or disc of
india rubber having in it a number of fine punctures or perforations and the cap K¹
when screwed down holds this washer in its place; or instead of the india rubber
washer I may use a packing of some spongy material not attackable by the acid such
as slag or glass wool. The cap is made with a fine hole or holes, and any gas can
escape through the puncture in the washer or through the packing and the hole or
holes in the while these are too fine to permit the liquid to escape.
cap
Instead of
fixing the washer inside the cap K¹ it may be placed outside the same and held
thereto by any suitable means such for example as by an india rubber band.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
1. The closing or sealing of secondary battery cells in and by the employment of a
double cover or covers with clastic insulating material between same, together with
the means for making and protecting the connections with the terminals all sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In secondary battery cells, the employment of the tube or tubes K and cap
or caps K¹ together with washer or packing W whereby gas without liquid can
escape from the cells substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
3. The construction of secondary battery cells whereby the same are closed or
scaled from the escape of liquid, while provision is made in same for the escape of gas,
all combined, arranged and constructed substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated thin 1st L...
T
1007