Improvements in Electrodes for Accumulators.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 18th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 11th Mar.,
1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electrodes for Accumulators.
We, CHARLES ALKER, of 9, Rue de l'Association, Engineer, and PAUL
MENNESSIER, of 7, Rue de l'Association, Architect and Electrical Engineer, both
in Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows;-
Our invention relates to an arrangement of electroles for accumulators formed of
one or several folded strips of lead or other suitable metal but particularly distin-.
guished from electrodes of this kind as heretofore constructed in that the said strips
are not simply superposed or folded but whilst being provided with specially arranged
projections are entwined in such a manner that each strip contributing to form the
electrode presents the whole of its surface as active surface, completely retains the
active material and avoids any autogenous soldering in the body of the electrode.
Our invention relates, also, to the combination with positive electrodes having
a large surface thus formed, of negative electrodes in the form of plates provided
with portions cut out on three sides only and afterwards turned down so as to
constitute wings forming supports for the active material.
According to our invention we make use of two strips of suitable metal cast or
rolled and provided with holes for facilitating the circulation of the electrolytic
bath and the liberation of the gases, and with projections or cells filled or not with
active material arranged alternately over a width which corresponds to that to be
given to the electrode, on each side of the strip of metal. We entwine the said
strips of metal by folding the same, previously placed at right angles to one
another, in such a manner that the bottoms of the cells of one rest upon the spaces
separating the cells of the other all the cells in consequence of the folding being
presented in the upper face of the folds. The result is that the two strips being
completely folded and entwined we obtain a parallelopiped of given height, the sides
of the base of which are of the width of the strips employed.
The inlet for the current of the electrode thus constructed is arranged in any
suitable manner over the parallelopiped, either by means of conducting rods
passing through the electrode; each electrode is separated from the next by means
of an insulating frame or ring of india-rubber enclosing the electrode or in any
other suitable manner when constructing an accumulator of which each of them
constitutes a different pole.
Each of our electrodes presents an active surface equal to the sum of the sur-
faces of each of the metal strips. taken separately contributing to its composition;
moreover, as will be readily understood, the detachment of the active material
with which the cells are filled is rendered impossible, the said material being con-
tained in what may well be termed open cups in the upper face of the folds of the
strips. The electrode, being formed of continuous bands, only requires a single
soldering at the end of each strip; the result is an indestructible conductibility
and a facility of construction not heretofore obtained.
The metal strips which we have described above, crossing one another, but in

page_text: such a manner that each of them is insulated from the other by suitable means,
may constitute in a single parallelopiped a complete accumulator element possess-
ing a negative electrode and a positive electrode having a very large active surface
with a volume as large or as limited as may be useful.
One advantageous method of carrying out our invention and which is especially
suitable for batteries in which the most important economical consideration is
that it shall last a long time and in which the question of space, weight and
volume is only of secondary importance is that which consists in employing
positive electrodes made according to the method of manufacture hereinbefore
described and combining these electrodes in a single element with negative elec-
trodes constructed according to the following method:-
We make use of sheet lead or other suitable sheet metal perforated and corru-
gated so as to constitute, in the vertical faces of the corrugated parts, wings which
being raised or lowered retain the active material with which the
corrugations of the strip which is to constitute the electrode are filled. These
wings can be formed for example, by cutting out of the strip designed to form the
electrode perforations of any suitable form and partly cutting out others, the part
thus cut and left adhering to the strip by one side being afterwards turned back
into any suitable position.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Electrodes for Accumulators.
We, CHARLES ALKER, of 9, Rue de l'Association, Engineer, and PAUL
MENNESSIER, of 7, Rue de l'Association, Architect and Electrical Engineer, both
in Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium, 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; -
Our invention relates to an arrangement of electrodes for accumulators formed
of one or several folded strips of lead or other suitable metal particularly distin-
guished by this peculiarity that the said strip or strips are not simply superposed or
folded but are provided with specially arranged hollow projections and holes and are
employed either singly, or two entwined together in such a manner that each strip
contributing to form the electrode presents the whole of its surface as active sur-
face, completely retains the active material and avoids any autogenous soldering
in the body of the electrode.
Our invention relates, also, to the combination with positive electrodes having
a large surface thus formed, of negative electrodes in the form of winged plates of
cast metal or stamped sheet metal with portions cut out on three sides only and
afterwards turned down so as to constitute wings forming supports for the active
material.
The accompanying drawings shew, as examples, various methods of carrying
out our invention.
Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of an electrode made
from two metal strips folded and interlaced according to our invention:
Figure 2 shews separately one of the metal strips used to form the said electrode,
or those represented in Figures 6, 7 and 8, and more especially the arrangement of

page_text: the cells in the said strip, as well as the relative position which they occupy after
folding the strip.
Figure shews separately a winged electrode in the form of a plate or strip
which in certain special cases we combine with the electrodes represented in
Figures 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a front and an end view of a complete electrode
made with interlaced strips according to our invention and combined with special
means for securing the whole together.
Figures 6 and 7 represent in front and end view respectively a portion of an
electrode made with a single strip folded in zigzag fashion according to our inven-
tion.
Figure 8 is an end view of a portion of an element composed of two electrodes,
cach formed of a strip prepared as illustrated in Figure 2, folded and interlaced,
but insulated from each other in order to form a complete accumulator element
having a large surface in a small compass and arranged in such a manner that
the free circulation of the electrolyte and the discharge of the gases are perfectly
ensured throughout its whole length.
As will be understood by reference to the various figures of the drawing our
invention consists,-
(1) In taking two strips A and B of suitable metal, cast or rolled, and provided
with holes E and E' for facilitating the circulation of the electrolytic bath and
the liberation of the gases, and with projections and cells D, designed to be filled
with active material and arranged alternately, over a width which corresponds to
that to be given to the electrode, on each side of the strip of metal. We entwine or
interlace the said strips of metal by folding the same, previously
placed at right angles to
bottoms of the cells of one rest upon the intervening spaces between
the cells of the other (see Figure 2), all the cells, in consequence of
the folding, being situated in the upper face of the folds. The result is that the
two strips being completely folded and entwined, we obtain a parallelopiped of a
given height (Figures 4 and 5), the sides of the base of which are of the width of
the strips employed.
one another in such a manner that the
that
80
(2) In taking a single strip A, made as just described, and folding
it in zigzag fashion
fold
the bottoms of the cells of one
rest on the spaces between the cells of the fold immediately beneath it and in
consequence of the folding (as shewn in Figure 2) the openings of the said cells
are always in the upper part of each fold. By varying the number of superposed
folds we can obtain a parallelopiped of any required height (Figures 6 and 7) the
sides of the base of which are of the width of the strip employed and that of the
folds.
The current inlet of the electrodes thus constructed is then arranged in any
suitable manner over the parallelopiped by preference by means of a conducting
rod P passing through the electrode and terminated at its upper part by a small
cup K (see Figures 4 and 5) of iron or other metal having a small guiding hole / in
the bottom. In this cup, designed to receive a small quantity of mercury, we place,
when the accumulator is being made up, a conical sleeve M secured to a conductor
fixed to the adjoining electrode and the end of which engages in the said guiding
hole.
The conical sleeve is afterwards prevented from accidentally coming out of the
cup K by means of an elastic india rubber ring, N for example (Figure 5) main-
taining the two parts of the joint connected together by its passage over and
under studs or pins I fixed on the head of the conical sleeve M and on the periphery
of the rod P. By this means we obtain a joint having perfect conductibility,
which can be unfastened are re-secured as required in a few seconds, which can turn
in all directions and possesses great flexibility, completely dispensing with the
necessity of soldering or of locking bolts which have hitherto been indispensable.
Each of our electrodes presents an active surface equal to the sum of the sur-

page_text: faces of each of the metal strips, taken separately, contributing to its composition;
moreover, as will be readily understood, the detachment of the active material
with which the cells D are filled is rendered impossible, the said material being
contained in what may well be termed open cups in the upper face of the folds of
the strips.
On the other hand, owing to the arrangement of the cells, and by reason of
their greater or less depth, which causes a corresponding projection beneath each
of them, the folded strips are easily kept at given distances from one another and
there is no fear that the pressure of the upper strips of the electrode upon the lower
strips will cause the material to be expelled from its receptacles, because this
pressure operating upon predetermined points cannot be exerted upon the active
material of the lower strips.
The metal strips which we have described as interlaced, but in such a manner
that each of them is insulated from the other by suitable means, as shewn in
Figure 8, may constitute, in a single parallelopiped, a complete accumulator ele-
inent possessing a negative electrode and a positive electrode having a very large
active surface with dimensions as large or as limited as may be required.
One advantageous method of carrying out our invention and which is especially
suitable for batteries in which the most important economical consideration is
that it shall last a long time, and in which the question of space, weight and size
is only of secondary importance, is that which consists in employing positive elec-
trodes made according to the methods of manufacture hereinbefore described and
combining these electrodes, in a single elment, with negative electrodes constructed
according to the following method illustrated in Figure 3-
-
We make use of lead or other suitable metal cast in a mould, or of sheet lead or
other suitable sheet metal stamped, perforated, and corrugated, as shewn in the
drawing, so as to constitute in the vertical faces of the corrugated parts, wings H
which being raised or lowered, retain the active material with which the corru-
gations of the strip or plate which is to constitute the electrode are filled. These
wings H can be obtained in the stamped sheet metal for example, by cutting out
of the strip designed to form the electrode perforations o of any suitable shape
and others o¹ left attached to the strip by one side, the part H thus cut being
afterwards turned back into any suitable position.
It will be obvious that by adopting this combination of positive electrodes having
a large developed surface and formed of two strips provided with projections and
folded and interlaced or of a single strip folded in zigzag fashion as hereinbefore
described, and negative electrodes having a relatively much smaller developed
surface, the said negative electrodes will act as a kind of check to the charge, as
regards the yield, and any alteration of the ordinary fragile positive electrodes
will be as completely as possible avoided. In actual practice these positive elec-
trodes will in fact, always work very readily by reason of their large developed
surface with relation to that of the negative electrodes which, nevertheless,
possess a larger developed surface than that of electrodes hitherto employed and
possess the advantage of preventing the active material, to a large extent from
falling.
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. An accumulator electrode formed of metal strips provided with holes and
projections, in which two strips having holes and provided with recesses and
projections arranged alternately upon each face of each of the strips over a width
corresponding to the width of the electrode and in the recesses of which the active
material can be placed, are arranged at right angles to one another and afterwards
interlaced, by folding, in such a manner that all the recesses are in the upper
face of the folds and the projections of one strip are situated in the spaces between
the recesses of the fold immediately below, the whole for the purpose of providing

page_text: a compact electrode possessing perfect conductibility, and providing passages
in all directions in the interior for the circulation of the electrolyte, and the dis-
charge of the gases, and preventing the active material from falling and being
expelled from its recesses or receptacles, substantially as set forth.
2. An accumulator electrode formed of a single metal strip having holes made
therein and also provided with recesses and projections arranged alternately on
each of its faces over a width corresponding to the width of the electrode and in the
recesses of which the active material can be placed, the said strip being folded
in zigzag fashion in such a manner that all the recesses are situated in the upper
face of the folds and the projections in the spaces between the hollows of the fold
immediately below, the whole for the purpose of providing a compact electrode
having perfect conductibility and possessing interior passages for the circulation
of the electrolytic liquid and the discharge of the gas, and preventing the active
material from falling and being expelled from its recesses or receptacles, sub-
stantially as set forth.
3. The electrode described in Claim 1 in which the two strips interlaced by
folding are insulated from each other so as to constitute a complete accumulator
electrode, substantially as set forth.
4. In combination with the electrodes described in Claims 1 and 2, negative
electrodes formed of corrugated and perforated strips cast in moulds, or stamped out
of sheet metal, the raised or lowered cut out parts (see Figure 3) forming wings
for retaining the active material substantially as set forth.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.
Dated the loth day от запиту 1000.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicants.