Improvements in Portable Electric Lamps and Batteries therefor.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Portable Electric Lamps and Batteries therefor.
I, HENRY CHARLES GOVER, of No. 61 Tierney Road, Streatham Hill S.W.
in the County of Surrey, Gentleman, 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 portable electric lamps and batteries, and consists
chiefly of improvements in the construction of such lamps and batteries described
in my former Specification No. 15,059 of 1892, as I shall describe referring to the
accompanying drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 representing vertical sections on planes at
right angles to each other of a lamp according to my invention.
A is a box or casing preferably made of metal, containing two battery cells, a
lower cell B¹ and an upper cell B³, made of vulcanite or such like insulating
material. Each of those cells contains, as shewn in the drawings, 3 pairs of plates,
but the number of pairs might be greater or less. Each plate consists of a
rectangular frame, which may be of vulcanite or such like material. This frame,
a section of which is shewn in Fig. 3, has a groove formed in its external edge to
receive a lead wire C which is wound all round the frame and terminates in an
upwardly projecting limb c at the one end of the frame. Over the frame and the
upper and lower lead wires is wound a twisted lead cord its convolutions covering
both sides of the frame closely when flattened by pressure. The plates are placed
in the cells with the projecting limbs e at the right and left sides alternately. All
those at the right, which may be +, are connected together above the lid of the
cell and to a metal plate R¹, those at the left, which may be - are connected to a
metal plate R'. The lid of the cell is covered by a layer of bitumen D in which
the connecting wires are in bedded. For permitting escape of gas from the cell
without allowing escape of liquid electrolyte in case of overturn, I provide on the
lid of the cell a horizontal tube E communicating by perforations along its lower
side with the interior of the cell. Within this tube is placed a tube F also per-
forated, and of smaller diameter externally (except at the ends and the middle)
than the tube E, so that there are annular spaces around the inner tube F through
which gas from the cell can find its way into the inner tube. The tube Fis
preferably filled with fibrous material, such as cotton wool, and is closed by a
plug having a hole through it by which gas can escape.
When the cells have to
be charged with liquid the inner tubes F can be withdrawn and the liquid can be
poured into the outer tubes. A glow lamp L supported by a spring in a recess
covered by a hemispherical glass G has its leading wires connected as described in
my former Specification No. 15059 of 1892, one wire being connected to the plate R',
and the other wire to an intermediate plate R³.
The three plates R' R' and R³ have holes through them to receive metal rods
which serve to close the circuits. Thus, when, through a hole in the side of the
lamp casing, a rod is inserted through the holes of R and R', the lamp is put in
circuit. When a rod inserted in R' is connected to one terminal of an external
source of electricity, and a rod inserted in R2 is connected to the other terminal,
the cells are charged. As above described, the two cells are connected to the lamp
parallel; they might obviously be connected to it in series by altering the con-
nection to the plates R' R' R³. When the projection of the globe G is objectionable,
the lamp L may be of flattened form occupying less depth in the recess of the casing,
a flatter glass globe being then employed.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A portable electric lamp having within its casing two battery cells the one
situated above the other with an intermediate space in which the conducting
connections are accommodated, substantially as described.
2. For emission of gas from each cell and for filling the cell, the combination
of the outer tube in the lid of the cell and the inner tube, substantially as
described.
3. The construction of battery plate consisting of a frame of vulcanite or the
like, a lead wire wound in the grooved edge of the frame, and twisted lead cord
wound over the frame and wire, the whole flattened by pressure, substantially as
described.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.