US624513A

US624513A - lloyd

Info

Publication number: US624513A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1899-05-09
Anticipated expiration: 1916-05-09

Description

No. 624,5!3. Patented May 9, I899. H. S. LLOYD.

BATTERY ELECTRODE 2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

No. 624,5l3. Patented May 9, I899.

. u. s. LLDYD.

BATTERY ELECTRODE.

, (Application filed Kay 19, 1897.} (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

:UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' HERBERT S. LLOYD, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELEoTRIo PowER DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.

BATTERY-ELECTRODE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 624,513, dated May 9, 1899. Application filed May 19, 1897. Serial No. 637,224. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Molds for Battery- Electrodes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture of electrodes for use in secondary or storage batteries, and has for its object toprovide an improved form of mold by which the series of bars or strips of which the electrode is composed may be united to a holding-frame, as more fully set forth hereinafter. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a mold constructed in accordance with my invention, the sections of the mold being opened and a series of strips being illustrated in position in the mold in readiness to receive the metal which constitutes the supporting-frame. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the mold on the line 2 2, Fig. 3, and illustrating the preferably-inclined position in which the mold is Supported when receiving the molten metal. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation of the mold on the line 3 3, Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional perspective views, on an enlarged scale, to more clearly illustrate the construction of the mold and the manner in which the electrode strips are supported. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional View illustrating two rows of electrode-rods united to the supporting-frame at their ends.

The electrodes which I manufacture are of the Plant type and are formed of a number of strips or rods of lead or an alloy of lead, which may be straight or plaited, twisted or coiled in any suitable manner, the strips or rods being slightly separated from each other in order to present the greatest possible surface area to the action of the electrolyte when in the battery. To support these strips and to provide a good conductor for the electrical current, the ends of thestrips are surrounded and embraced by molten metal, which when cold forms a supporting-frame integral with strips, the heat from the contact with the molten metal melting the ends of the strips and forming a fused'joint between the strips and frame.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the two leaves or sections of the mold, each section being formed of a plate of iron or other suitable metal and so arranged that they may be placed in proper relative positions by guiding-pins a,projecting from one section,and ori- V fices a, formed in the opposite section for the reception of such pins, or they may be hinged together at one edge, if desired. In each plate is formed a channel or recess 1), extending around near the four sides of the plate and separated from the recessed central portion of the mold by ribs or ridgesc c, the ribs 0 extending along two sides of the channel and being of a height equal to the full depth of the channel, and on the remaining two sides the chill ridges or ribs orare of a height slightly less than the full depth of the channel. The shorter ribs 0 are adapted to receive and to hold between them the electrode-strips which are to be united to the supporting-frame. The mold illustrated in the drawings is designed for the man ufactu re of large electrodes, which require an additional central supporting-bar, to provide for which I place at about the center of" each mold two additional ribs 0, which form between them a central channel b of about the same area as the main channel I), previously described.

When the two sections of the mold are placed together, the faces of the ribs 0 will bev in contactwith each other, while the faces of l the ribs 0' will be separated by a space approximately equal to the thickness of the electrode-strips which are confinedbetween them. In practice, however, the space between the ribs is preferably a trifle less than the thickness of the strip, so that they will slightly compress and bind'upon the strips and pre-' vent any movement during the pouring of the molten metal.

In order to prevent the entrance of the molten metal between the shorter chilled ridges or ribs 0 to the depressed central portions of the mold, I place immediatelybehind each of such chill ridges or ribs a layer or strip cl of a non-inflammable compressible materialsuch, for instance, as asbestos. The thickness of the layers or strips is such that when compressed by the tightening of the sections of the mold they will closely embrace the leaden electrode-strips and form a tight joint through which the molten metal cannot flow, or where there are two or more superimposed layers of electrode-rods to be united to the same supporting-frame a series of separate strips of asbestos is placed between such layers.

In Fig. 4 is illustrated a series of strips x, plaited or twisted together and mutually supporting each other, while at the same time they are sufiiciently separated to permit free access of the electrolyte to nearly all the surface of each strip. In practice a series of these plaited strips are laid side by side on one of the sections of the mold in such manner that their ends will project beyond the chill-ridges 0' into the spaces formed by the channels Z), and when the top section of the mold has been placed in position the adjacent chill-ridges 0 will slightly compress the electrode-strips, flattening them to such an extent that they will be spread laterally and at this point will be nearly or quite in contact with each other and practically close and fill the entire area between the chill-ridges, thus in a measures preventing the flowing of the molten metal into the central portion of the mold. The compression of the layers of asbestos is such that the electrode-strips are almost entirely surrounded, absolutely preventing the entrance of the molten metal and also acting to protect the strips from the heat and so avoid any danger of the melting of the strips at a point within the chill-ridges.

In some instances where it is desired to separate the electrode-strips to such a distance as would increase the danger of the flowing of molten metal past the chill-ridges I may place between each two strips a small block d of asbestos or similar material, as illustrated in Fig. 5.

Where the electrode-stri p is fiat rather than round in cross-section, the chill-ridges c tightly compress the soft metal. In such cases the lower layer of asbestos d may be dispensed with and the strips (1 only be employed to prevent the flow of metal between the electrode-strips. being presented, a tight joint may be practically effected between the edges of the chillridges and the soft metal.

In each of the mold-sections A A, I provide a series of openings (L as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, for allowing'the escape of any gases that may arise during the process of casting, and thereby avoiding all danger of explosions, which might damage or blow apart the moldsections.

A large surface. of soft metal.

For convenience in pouring, the mold is preferably supported at about an angle of forty-five degrees, as illustrated in Fig. 2, so that as the molten metal descends the air within the channels can escape past the metal, and so avoid any danger of blow-holes or spaces in the frame when finished.

With a mold constructed in accordance with my invention the casting of the frame may be accomplished expeditiously and at a very mod 1 erate cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination in an electrode-mold,

of clamping chill-ridges provided upon the oppositely-disposed sections registering with each other for supporting and binding the electrode-strips, and strips of non-inflammable compressible material provided within the line of the chill-ridges in contact therewith to prevent leakage of the hot metal into the interior of the body of the mold, substantially as described.

2. The combination in an electrode-mold, of the recessed mold-sections, clamping ribs or ridges formed on the meeting faces of said m old-sections registering with each other and of a height less than the depth of the recess, adapted to clamp and bind the electrode-strips between them, and strips or layers of non-inflammable compressible material arrangedagainst and behind such ridges, substantially as described.

3. The combination in a mold, of the recessed mold-sections, side ribs, a, forming one wall of the frame-forming channel,chill ridges or ribs, 0', of a height less than the depth of such channel, and layers or strips of a noninflammable compressible material situated within the recessed portion of the mold at a point to the rear of the ribs, a, substantially as specified.

4. An electrode-mold comprising the moldsections, A, A, provided with rectangular recesses, side ribs, 0, of a height equal to the depth of the recess, and forming the side walls of the frame-formin g channel, chill-ridges, c, of a height less than'the depth of the recess, forming the top and bottom walls of the frameforming channel, and the walls of an intermediate channel, Z), and layers or strips of a non-inflammable compressible material located within the recessed portion of the mold at a point adjacent the ribs, 0, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my