Improvements in Primary and Secondary Galvanic Batteries.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 20th Sept., 1898-Accepted, 12th Nov., 1898
PROVISIONAL DIEVITIVATION.
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Galvanic Batteries.
-I, CHARLES LUDWIG RUDOLPH ERNEST MENGES, of 82/84, Balistraat, The Hague,
in the Kingdom of Holland, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to primary and secondary galvanic batteries and has
reference more particularly to batteries such as described in the Specification of
former British Letters Patent granted to me, dated the 4th of May 1895 and
numbered 8905.
In the said former specification I have previously indicated with reference to
Figures 5 and 6 thereof how the invention described therein may be applied to
electrodes formed by tubes. I prefer however in some cases to employ another
form of tubular electrode which constitutes the subject of the present invention and
which will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate a battery cell provided with the improved electrodes, and in which :-
Figure 1 is a transverse section on the line A. B. Figure 2, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the said cell.
This
In carrying out my present invention I proceed as follows:-A set of plates as
shown in Figure 2 of my aforesaid patent, composed of two-plate halves of different
polarity for instance, E¹, and E,, with the inserted porous partition pp, is bent
round so as to form a tube as shewn by the same letters in Figures 1 and 2.
may be done so that the axis of the tube may be horizontal, inclined, or vertical,
the last being what I generally prefer. Now it is obvious that it will in no way
alter the principle of my invention if the electrodes are directly made in the shape
of tubes by casting, rolling, drawing or any other suitable process, instead of being
formed by bending a set of flat plates as previously explained.
The cross section of the tubes need not be of exactly circular shape. I generally
prefer to provide them with projecting ribs or rings shown by the different
examples in Figure 2, partly for increasing the surface of the electrodes, partly
for increasing its strength. For the latter purpose such ribs and rings may be
formed as special strengthening pieces, surrounding or supporting the electrode at
the outside or the inside. Such supporting pieces, which instead of being formed
by separate pieces I generally prefer to make as a continuous core or cover over the
whole length of the electrode tube from suitable strong yet light materials as
celluloid, micanite, asbestos, ebonite or the like, may be for instance, in the shape
shown at s₁, or in the shape of a perforated tube as at 82.
How-
The several sets of electrode-tubes need not be separated but may touch, for
according to the principle of this invention, there are none but free surfaces of the
same polarity which face each other, as well inside as outside the tube-set.
ever, to keep the several sets in a regular position or to prevent them being shaken
to and fro, a suitable cement such as plaster of Paris, or a molten-substance such
as paraffin is poured in a liquid state into the accumulator cell so as to cover the
bottom to a small height. When set hard this cement keeps the lower ends of the

page_text: electrode in position, the upper ends being held by metallic connections. These
metallic connections may also be used at the lower ends of the electrodes.
If the interior of the electrode-tube be sufficiently large to contain the required
quantity of liquid it may be closed at one end or both ends; otherwise suitable
openings are to be provided at the ends or in the walls of the tubes. These latter
holes, if made within the active material, will also improve the access of the liquid
to the active material.
To provide the necessary elasticity for the expansion or contraction of the active
material by the electric action, and to maintain a good contact between the active
material and the supporting grid, notwithstanding the alternate expansion or
contraction, the electrodes may be made undulated or polygonal as E, or E¹ or E
or the core supporting the active material may be formed by a lattice work of lead,
lead-antimonium or other suitable metallic wire. Or the porous partition may be
made so as to yield easily when compressed. It may for instance be made by a
suitable tissue of asbestos or asbestos and rubber or rubber sponge, or it may be
composed of a central undulated core of perforated celluloid covered with asbestos,
or a core of perforated soft rubber covered with asbestos or woven glass thread.
Instead of making the porous partition circular in section, it may be made
undulated or polygonal partly to make it more yielding and partly to obtain more
equal thickness of the active materials.
My invention therefore consists in the arrangement of the electrode-cores of
opposite polarity in the shape of concentric tubes separated by a porous or finely
perforated or compound porous partition and by the active material on both sides
of the said porous partition, so that the spaces or channels for the electrolytic
liquid are formed by the interiors of the inner tubes and by the spaces left between
the different exterior tubes of the same polarity.
Dated thin 09-1 d...
amhan 100
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Primary and Secondary Galvanic Batteries.
I, CHARLES LUDWIG RUDOLPH ERNEST MENGES, of 82/84, Balistraat, The Hague,
in the Kingdom of Holland, Electrical Engineer, 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:―
This invention relates to primary and secondary galvanic batteries and has
reference more particularly to batteries such as described in the Specification of
former British Letters Patent granted to me, dated the 4th of May 1895 and
numbered 8905.
In the said former Specification I have previously indicated with reference to
Figures 5 and 6 thereof how the invention described therein may be applied
to electrodes formed by tubes. I prefer however in some cases to employ another
form of tubular electrode which constitutes the subject of the present invention and
which will be readily understood by reference to the drawings filed with my
Provisional Specification, which illustrate a battery cell provided with the improved 4
electrodes and in which :--
Figure 1 is a transverse section on the line A B Figure 2, and
Figure 2 is a plan of the said cell.

page_text: In carrying out my present invention I proceed as follows:-A set of plates as
shown in Figure 2 of my aforesaid Patent, composed of two-plate halves of different
polarity for instance, E¹, and E,, with the inserted porous partition pp, is bent
round so as to form a tube as shewn by the same Letters in Figures 1 and 2. This
may be done so that the axis of the tube may be horizontal, inclined, or vertical,
the last being what I generally prefer. Now it is obvious that it will in no way
alter the principle of my invention if the electrodes are directly made in the shape
of tubes by casting, rolling, drawing or any other suitable process, instead of being
formed by bending a set of flat plates as previously explained.
The cross section of the tubes need not be of exactly circular shape. I generally
prefer to provide them with projecting ribs or rings, partly for increasing the
surface of the electrodes, partly for increasing its strength. This arrangement may be
employed for one or for both of the electrodes of each set, as shown by the different
examples in Figures 1 and 2 for the electrode sots E¹, and E,, E, and E¹, E¹, and E,
E, and E, E, and E., E, and E. If for the purpose of increasing the strength of
the electrodes, then such ribs and rings may be formed as special strengthening
pieces, surrounding or supporting the electrode at the outside or the inside.
supporting pieces, which instead of being formed by separate pieces I generally
prefer to make as a continuous core or cover over the whole length of the electrode
tube from suitable strong yet light materials as celluloid, micanite, asbestos, ebonite
or the like, may be for instance, in the shape shown at 8₁, or in the shape of a
perforated tube as at s₂.
Such
The several sets of electrode-tubes need not be separated but may touch, for
according to the principle of this invention, there are none but free surfaces of the
same polarity which face each other, as well inside as outside the tube-set. How-
ever, to keep the several sets in a regular position or to prevent them being shaken
to and fro, a suitable cement such as plaster of Paris, or a molten-substance such
as paraffin is poured in a liquid state into the accumulator cell so as to cover the
bottom to a small height. When set hard this cement keeps the lower ends of the
electrode in position, the upper ends being held by metallic connections.
These metallic connections may also be used at the lower ends of the
electrodes.
If the interior of the electrode-tube be sufficiently large to contain the required
quantity of liquid it may be closed at one end or both ends; otherwise suitable
openings are to be provided at the end or in the walls of the tubes. These latter
holes, if made within the active material, will also improve the access of the liquid
to the active material.
To provide the necessary elasticity for the expansion or contraction of the active
material by the electric action, and to maintain a good contact between the active
material and the supporting grid, notwithstanding the alternate expansion or
contraction, the electrodes may be made undulated or polygonal as E, or E¹ or E¹
or the core supporting the active material may be formed by a lattice work of lead,
lead-antimoniuin or other suitable metallic wire. Or the porous partition may be made
so as to yield easily when compressed. It may for instance be made by a suitable
tissue of asbestos or asbestcs and rubber or rubber sponge, or it may be composed
of a central undulated core of perforated celluloid covered with asbestos, or a core
of perforated soft rubber covered with asbestos or woven glass thread.
Instead of making the porous partition circular in section, it may be made undu-
lated or polygonal partly to make it more yielding and partly to obtain more equal
thickness of the active materials.
My invention therefore consists in the arrangement of the electrode-cores of opposite
polarity in the shape of concentric tubes separated by a porous or finely perforated
or compound porous partition and by the active material on both sides of the said
porous partition, so that the spaces or channels for the electrolytic liquid are
formed by the interiors of the inner tubes and by the spaces left between the different
exterior tubes of the same polarity.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
In a primary or secondary galvanic battery (accumulator) the arrangement of the
electrode-cores of opposite polarity in the shape of concentric tubes separated by
a porous or finely perforated or compound porous partition and by the active
material on both sides of the said partition, so that the spaces or channels for the
electrolytic liquid are formed by the interiors of the inner tubes and by the spaces
left between the exterior tubes.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.