IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Roger Tatham of Rochdale in, the County of Lancaster
Mechanical Engineer and Alfred Hollings of Salford in the same County
Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Roger Tatham and Alfred
Hollings at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October
1882:
ROGER TATHAM of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer
and ALFRED HOLLINGS of Salford in the same County Engineer "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SECONDARY BATTERIES "
Hitherto secondary batteries have had the following disadvantages amongst
others, first the long time required to form them, and second their excessive weight
for the work done. Now our invention has for its main object to obviate the
above mentioned disadvantages and consists essentially in constructing the positive
and negative elements of the battery with increased acting surface in comparison
with the weight and in employing a mixture or combination of vegetable fibre and
metal for that purpose.
Under the first part. Paper making pulp prepared from unsized paper, cotton
or linen rags or any other vegetable fibre, is mixed when moist with 80 to 90 per
cent of per oxide of lead for the positive plate of the battery, or with 80 to 90
per cent of sub oxide of lead for the negative plate the whole is left to settle down
after which a thin lead plate is coated on each side with this mixture to a depth of
from one eighth to a quarter of an inch the whole is then placed in a mould and
submitted to a heavy pressure it is afterwards dried at a gentle heat and the edges
carefully varnished.
.
The plates are now ready to set up in pairs and will be found to polarize very
quickly.
Under the second part. Plates are prepared by mixing the vegetable pulp above
mentioned with lead in a fine stato of dierician ahtained ha
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1

page_text: paste with boiled linseed oil and submitting the whole to the action of dilute
Bulphuric acid.
Under the third part. Oxide of lead is partly reduced by chemical means and
employed in combination with the vegetable pulp as the negative element.
A battery constructed under our invention is polarized by means of a dynamo
machine, battery, or any other source of electricity.
The advantages possessed are great lightness, cheapness, the short time necessary
for complete formation and efficiency.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Roger Tatham and Alfred Hollings in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 10th April 1883.
ROGER TATHAM of Rochdale in the County of Lancaster. Mechanical Engineer,
and ALFRED HOLLINGS of Salford-in the same county Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
Hitherto secondary batteries have had the following amongst other disadvantages.
First The long time required in order to form them or give them the required
capacity for storing, or being rapidly acted on or polarized by currents of electricity.
Second. The excessive weight of the elements or anodes and cathodes in proportion
to the storage capacity or work done in polarization and depolarization, and Third.
Deficiency in tenacity in the clements or anodes and cathodes and want of adhesion
between the plates and their coatings or coverings composing the said elements.
Now our invention has for its object to construct secondary batteries in such
manner that the above mentioned disadvantages shall be reduced or obviated to a
*certain extent.
The invention consists essentially in constructing the positive and negative
elements or anodes and cathodes of secondary batteries with increased acting
surface in comparison with the weight; and in employing for that purpose a
mixture or compound of vegetable fibre preferably in the form of pulp and a metal
such as lend in a finely divided condition.or in the forin of an oxide or salt.
It is advantageous when it is desired to reduce prime cost to use an easily
obtainable preparation of lead such as red lead mixed with paper pulp for both
anodes, and cathodes, instead of metal of double oxidation as Betforth under the
first modification. The proportions of the lead salts and paper pulp may be varied
say the mixture or compound may contain from 80 to 95 per cent by volume of
the salt and 20 to 5 per cent by volume of the pulp. We have found however that
1 part by volume of pulp to 12 of metal makes a good serviceable mixture or
compound possessing great durability and tenacity combined with large storage
capacity.
Under the first, modification for carrying out the above invention. Paper pulp
prepared from unsized paper, cotton, linen rags or other vegetable fibre is mixed
when moist with twelve times its volume of peroxide of lead for the positive
element or anode and with a similar quantity by volume of sub oxide of lead for
the negative element or cathode so that the mixture or compound contains about
93 per cent by volume of the metallic or active agent. The proportions by volume
of the materials above mentioned are found to answer well in practice and the use
for the anodes and cathodes of metallic salts of two degrees of oxidation facilitates
formation or reduction into a condition adapted for speedy polarization by electric

page_text: currents. Although the above proportions and materials are best adapted to ensure
rapid formation.
Any suitable framework or binding agent may be used in combination with the
above mixtures or compounds.
After the pulp and metal have been well mixed together in the presence of water
the compound or mixture is whilst moist spread or laid-on one or both preferably
both sides of a thin plate of lead platinum or suitable material to form a coating
of about one eighth of an inch thick. The plates may be corrugated perforated
roughened or of other suitable form or make and can when coated be placed in a
mould and dried. When it is desired to have the material well consolidated
pressure may be applied to the coated plates whilst in the mould and the edges of
the finished elements may be varnished, we do not however find it necessary to
do 80.
It will be obvious that any metal or metallic salt or oxide suitable for use
in secondary batteries may be mixed or compounded with the vegetable fibres in
place of lead.
Under the second part. Lead in a fine state of division and in condition suitable
for use with paper pulp substantially as herein before setforth in the formation of
the elements or anodes and cathodes of secondary batteries is conveniently obtained
in the following manner. Red lead is mixed with boiled linseed oil until a paste
is formed, the mixture is then submitted to the action of dilute sulphuric acid and
the product obtained after the reaction has ceased is used substantially as herein-
before setforth.
Under the third part. Oxide of lead is partly reduced by chemical means and
employed in combination with vegetable pulp as above set forth for the negative
element. In practice the oxide is partly reduced by heating it in contact with
carbon and out of contact with the air, by this means it parts with a portion of its
oxygen. -
Elements or anodes and cathodes constructed in accordance with our invention
are placed in cells with a suitable exciting agent in the usual manner. A dynamo
machine galvanic battery or other source of electricity is employed to form or
polarize a battery constructed as above setforth.
Amongst other advantages, secondary batteries constructed in accordance with
our invention possess the following. They are light and cheap in comparison with
their storage capacity. They are durable and efficient and they are rapidly and
efficiently formed or polarized.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention in such manner that others will be enabled to carry our improvements
into effect. We claim:-
First. Constructing elements or anodes and cathodes of secondary batteries of a
mixture or compound of vegetable fibre and metal either in a finely divided
condition or in the form of an oxide or salt substantially as herein setforth.
Second. Constructing anodes and cathodes of secondary batteries with vegetable
fibre and metallic salts of two degrees of oxidation substantially as setforth.
Third. Obtaining lead in a finely divided condition for use in secondary batteries
substantially in the manner setforth under the second part..
Fourth Employing in secondary batteries oxide of lead treated substantially as
setforth under the third part in combination with vegetable fibres.
In Witness Whereof I the said Roger Tatham have hereunto set my hand and
seal this 9th day of April in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.