SCIENTIFI[ AME RICAN January 14, 191 1
Thomas Edison's Latest Invention
A Storage Battery Designed and Constructed from the Automobile User's Point View
By Joseph Baker, E. each size
the dimensions the individual
(Conti.
faced, realized, that the eleCtric vehicle user
will work his car the utmost, and will limited
only repairs and breakdowns just the average
gasoline car driver has always operated his car to
the limit repairs and breakdowns. The need the
electric vehicle was recognized
by Mr.
The normal discharge voltage
is 1.
The new series experiments
lasted four years, and resulted
in the present commercial Edi
son cell, known the type A. the following
article the reader will find description the new battery, written after painstaking study its manufacture. market and resume experi
ments improve the form of
the voltaic combination, or
der obtain' better electrical
Positive plate the rightwith nicl. The
type cell marked definite step invention, in
that proved the commercial success wholly new
voltaic combination, radical departure from the lead
plates acid electrolyte.original Edison storag]e battery, known as
the type was put out about seven years ago.
Elemeut removed from
can Edison type
A-4 cell. Stored electricity finds
its greatest usefulness in
propelling cars and road
vehicles, and has been
for this application, pri
marily, that the Edison
storage battery has been de
veloped. The map
distance this route 90. last has succeeded.
It was the early
eighties that the public be
gan think about "stored
electricity" which could be
bought the can, it
were, like any other com
modity. These were the
very qualities demanded by
the automobile user.
He saw that there are two view
points that the electrical
man with his instruments, his
rules for efficient operation and
reasonable life the battery,
his absolute knowledge that the
same care should giveri a
vehiele battery that given a
valued horse even railroad
locomotive and that the
automobile driver, who simply
wishes somewhere with
his car, and who, when ar
rives somewhere, wishes to
go back. Machine for electro-deposition nickel for use positive plates. From these early
beginnings, many inventors
have sought increase the
electrical efficiency, and the
durability "life" the
cell, and reduce the cost of
manufacture.0 volt per cell.9 miles, and 81.
This cell now being actively
marketed for electric vehicle
work three sizes, the A-4,
A-6, and A-8 cells, having re
spectively and positive
plates and and negative
plates, the two outside plates of
the element being negatives.
LD, indeed, the idea the
commercial storage bat·
tery.1
miles, was Babylon, Long Island, way of
Mineola and Plainview, returning the southerly
route through Massapequa and Freeport. Emile
Faure brought out the
pasted·plate battery in
1879, and Charles J<'.2 miles
additional was covered after the regular run, the
average speed being 10. This figure the average four
trips, each· with New York city (Manhattan) the
starting point.
THOMAS EDISON'S LATEST INVENTION
. Edi
son had set his staff to
work entirely new
'line, and the outcome was 2. Lead plates were
immersed acid
electrolyte, Gaston
Plante 1861. How well he
has succeeded aligning his battery this ideal,
the automobile driver will appreciate from the figures
of actual performance that are now available. And this long
promised battery the highly
practical nature Mr. The fact be
Interior type 4-A Edi
son cell and cover of
can with terminal stuff
in� box, gas valve, and
filJang aperture.)
Weldin&, the steel cans for the cell.
nickel-iron -
mersed alkaline elec
trolyte, lighter and cleaner
than the lead cell, with
lower cost operation and
upkeep offset its higher
initial cost, and possessing
hitherto unheard-of proper
ties remaining undeteri
orated either over
charging being left un
chargJed.2, and battery re
garded completely discharged
when shows average of
1.35 miles single charge was
made family-type electric vehicle equipped with
the new battery. This dream has
come true the new
Edison nickel-iron storage
cell. Negative plate the left
with iron oxide active IDt'tterial in
perforated fiat pockets. Mr. re
cent average 144.
properties and longer lifp.93 miles per hour. Edison nine years ago. Believing that the lead
cell had too many inherent weaknesses realize the
f promise "stored
electricity" motive
power for vehicles, Mr.nued page 45. Edison's
work once more exemplified
in that has held uncompro
misingly the automobilist's
point view. The
cell certain
weaknesses service,
which caused the inventor
to withdraw from the
A storage battery omnibus. Edison the front seat. His new cells are now actual wmmen!ial use.
for over decade, Thomas Edison has been working produce type storage bdttery better than the old lead type. automo
.
The .il& U�••
Coml2lete 4·plate element of
EdIson electric vehicle cell
removed from its contuining
can ShOW the structure.
Brush 1881 introduced
improvements which made
the lead battery factor electric vehicle work,
producing cell which would give eight watts of
electric power per pound of
material. The longest these trips, 172. This cell is
not actual.ol
hydrate active material perforated
tubes
