IMPROVEMENTS IN SECONDARY BATTERIES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JOHN SCUDAMORE SELLON of Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN SECONDARY BATTERIES" to be as follows:-
The objects of my Invention are to ensure the better working of secondary
batteries to obviate the occurrence of contacts between the negative and positive
elements by the coming together of the plates at any point or points or the falling
off or out therefrom of packed material-to obtain arrangements by which the
plate or all the plates of either pole in a cell may be with facility removed and
examined and be readily replaced for any required purpose-also that an effective
and economical battery can be so constructed that it may occupy a minimum of
space.
In carrying out my Invention I employ any suitable form of plates such as plain
plates or pieces frames or grids, or plates formed with lamina or plates ribbed,
perforated, insterstical, corrugated, fluted, indented cellular or roughened or plates
"formed" by any electro chemical process or any combination of such or analogous
suitable forms and of whatever shape whether flat conical annular cup-like, rod
shaped, tubular or any other suitable or convenient shape and whether or not
having material to be rendered active deposited upon them, or whether or not packed
or partially packed with any material to be rendered active (such for instance as
oxides of lead or lead foil or spongy lead or lead in any fine state of division) or in
conjunction with such material in layers or blocks and with suitable arrangements
of effecting the diffusion of the electrolyte and for the escape of gases and I so
arrange them that the elements or plates of one pole may be transverse to the
elements or plates of the other pole. Thus for instance the positive plates may be
(and preferably would be) in a horizontal and the negative plates (which may so to
say. go through them) may be in a perpendicular position or vice versa, or
respectively in any suitable slanting position. By suitably making the connection
of the respective sets of plates the perpendicular or slanting plates forming one pole
may be readily raised and removed out of the cell without disturbing the horizontal
or other set of plates and either set may then be examined replaced or renewed
with facility and convenience. With such an arrangement particularly for instance
with a set of flat horizontal plates or positives and rod shaped or tubular plates

page_text: which if required may have active material deposited on or in them or may be
packed or have laminæ of metal attached to or on them or other suitably shaped
negative plates running perpendicularly through them in proper openings it is
scarcely possible for contacts to take place or for the packed material (if used) to
fall out and should buckling of any of the plates occur it will not cause short
circuiting. The proportions of the respective elements as to their size and
superficial area and the amount of deposited or packed material if used may be
carefully adjusted to give the best results. The connections may be attached in
any convenient manner but preferably the connections of the positive plates should
be covered so far as possible by the electrolyte.

page_text: Improvements in Secondary Batteries.
I JOHN SCUDAMORE SELLON of Hatton Garden in the County of Middlesex
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:-
·
The objects of my Invention are to insure the better working of Secondary
batteries, to obviate the occurrence of contacts between the negative and positive
elements or plates thereof by the said elements or plates coming into contact with
each other at any point or points, or by the falling of active material off from or
out of the said elements or plates, to obtain arrangements by which the plate
or plates of either pole in a cell may be with facility removed for any required
purpose and be readily replaced, and also to provide an effective and economical
battery occupying a minimum of space.
In carrying my Invention into effect I employ any suitable form or construction
of the individual elements or plates (which may be made of any suitable metal or
material) such for example as plain plates or pieces, frames or grids, or plates formed
with shelves or laminæ, or plates ribbed, perforated, interstical, corrugated, fluted,
indented, cellular, or roughened, or spaced, or plates formed by any electro chemical
process, or any combination of the same or analogous forms and of any suitable or
convenient general figure or shape, such for example as flat, conical, annular, cup-
like, rod shaped, tubular or any combination of such shapes for the respective
elements, and whether or not having material to be rendered active, deposited upon
or in them, or whether or not packed or partially packed with any suitable
material to be rendered active (such for instance as salts or oxides of lead or lead
foil, or spongy lead, or lead in any fine state of division whether admixed or not
with other metals salts or oxides or with substances such as for instance carbon or
asbestos) or in conjunction with such material, in layers or blocks, and with suitable
arrangements for effecting the diffusion of the electrolyte and for the escape of the
Gases, and I so arrange them that the elements or plates of one pole are transverse
to the elements or plates of the other pole-Thus for instance the positive pole
plates are preferably arranged in a horizontal position and the negative pole plates
in a vertical or perpendicular position, or respectively in any equivalent convenient
slanting position, so that the elements or plates of one pole are situated transversely
to those of the other pole. By suitably making the connections of the respective
sets of plates, the perpendicular or slanting elements or plates forming one pole may
be readily raised and removed from the cell, without disturbing the horizontal or
other set of elements or plates, and either set may thus be examined replaced
or renewed with facility and convenience. With such an arrangement, say for
instance with a set of corrugated and suitably perforated horizontal plates at the
positive pole, which if required may have active material deposited on in or between
them, or may be packed or have laminæ of metal attached to, in, or on them, and
at the negative pole flat, grid, rod shaped, or tubular plates, or plates formed with
discs or pieces which may also be suitably perforated and corrugated, and which
may have active material deposited upon or packed in or between them, such

page_text: negative pole plates being suitably constructed so that they may be placed
perpendicularly through openings in or between the positive pole plates, contacts
cannot take place and the packed material (if used) is not liable to fall off from or
out of the said plates or the openings or spaces therein, and should buckling of any
of the plates occur. it will not cause short circuiting The proportions of the
respective elements as to their size and superficial area and the amount of deposited
or packed material if used may be carefully adjusted to give the best results-The
connections may be attached in any convenient manner but preferably the con-
nections of the positive pole plates should be covered so far as possible by the
electrolyte I find this form also well suited for cases in which zinc negative pole
plates are employed in conjunction with lead positives in order to obtain for
instantaneous work a quick acting battery of high electro motive force.
In order that my Invention may be properly understood I have illustrated in the
accompanying drawing a convenient arrangement according to my Invention,
I however wish it to be understood that I give this only as an illustration of the
way in which my Invention may be carried into effect and that I do not in any
way limit myself to the precise example here shewn.
The accompanying drawing gives a general view of a cell constructed with
corrugated and perforated plates A laid horizontally and packed with active
material a in the upper corrugations, the lower corrugations being left free from
packed material to allow of the ready diffusion of the electrolyte but having been
(preferably) roughened on the surface by a chemical or other process so as to be
rendered more effective-The plates are placed one upon the other and connected
up by conductors a¹ to the positive pole-The plates B which (in this case) are grid
frames packed with active material bare placed transversely through openings in
the plates A and are connected up by conductors to the negative pole the cell
being completed by the vessel C containing the electrolyte.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be formed I declare that what
I claim is
First. The construction and use of Secondary Batteries wherein the elements or
plates of one pole or denomination are placed transversely to the elements or plates
of the other pole or denomination substantially as herein before described.
Second. A secondary battery comprising a series of horizontally disposed plates
or elements and a series of vertically disposed plates or elements arranged in
openings in the horizontal series substantially as described.
Third. In a secondary battery the combination with a vertically disposed
clement of a series of horizontally disposed corrugated grooved interstical or spaced
plates constituting the other element said plates having their upper corrugations
grooves interstices or spaces filled with active material the lower corrugations
grooves interstices or spaces or some of them forming passages for the free
circulation or dispersion of the electrolyte substantially as described.
Dated the fourth day of November 1883