First car batteries

JimS · Nov 17, 2021

What were the first car batteries made out of and encased in? As I understand it, Hudson was the first car company to include a battery for their electric starter in their cars. Plastic was not common then so how were batteries encased? I assume the lead/ copper arrangements and those metals werent too different than today. I know wire insulation were cloth and rubber arrangements as the plastics for modern insulators were available then.

Russ from MN · Nov 17, 2021

When I was young my dad said they were hard rubber, which was an early form of plastic I suppose. I know they broke easily if dropped on a concrete floor! I think I have heard that the real early ones were wood. And the batteries for the channel marker lights on Rainy lake were in glass cases.

Doug - Iowa · Nov 17, 2021

I recall my grandfather having a very old 6v battery that had a heavy glass case with a rubber coated wood top held on with screws. I thought it was cool because you could see the plates inside. Probably a little bigger than a typical car battery but similar.

Goose · Nov 17, 2021

Probably hard rubber.

I remember my dad telling about in 1915 his uncle bought a brand new Model T Ford. All cars were hand crank then, and in a bull session with some other men my dad's uncle commented that the day would come when you would just push a button and your engine would start.

The other men laughed at him, said there was no way that could happen.

Janicholson · Nov 17, 2021

Hard rubber with cotton string as a reinforcement. The cotton sometimes made a wick into the acid and allowed leakage, and grounding to concrete that then discharged the mediocer plates. I have seen them in my grand father/dads scrap pile with string showing. It is the origin of the concrete will discharge a battery tale. When better molding methods and eventually plastic were used the issue went away but the story kept repeating. Jim

1948CaseVAI · Nov 17, 2021

My grandfather sold and installed Delco light plants for farms. Those used 32 volt glass batteries but they were not made to be moved around so I would not think glass would work well in a car.

Bob M · Nov 17, 2021

As Janicholson says early batteries used hard rubber cases. The tops were sealed to the case with petroleum pitch (tar). Individual cells were connected by external lead jumper bars at the top.

Back in the day it was possible to cut the external jumper, remove/replace an individual cell, solder the jumper back in place and pour hot tar around the cell top to seal it back up.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 17, 2021

Goose,
Things really haven't changed that much.
When a new Idea comes along there are still a million people saying it won't work.
Some people can't handle change.

730virgil · Nov 17, 2021

when I worked for implement dealer battery scraper said storing junk batteries will ruin them. Store them on an old board.

Dean · Nov 17, 2021

Bingo.

First wood and later hard rubber.

Dean

Dean · Nov 17, 2021

Glass was commonly used for wet cell batteries intended for fixed location applications.

Dean

SVcummins · Nov 17, 2021

Rubber and thats how the do not store batteries on concrete myth got started . It will drain a rubber case battery not an issue with the plastic ones

rustred · Nov 17, 2021

it was more of a bakelite plastic. a hard rubber sort of stuff. and if they froze they split wide open. battery's dont split open nowadays. they just swell up.

Steve@Advance · Nov 17, 2021

That's still done on the big electric forklift batteries.

They are designed to be rebuilt one cell at a time as needed.

The bad cell is cut loose, the top seal cut out, lifted out and a new one dropped in, sealed and connected.

Basically it saves the big expensive case, lets the remaining cells serve out the rest of their life, spreads out the cost of replacement.

SkipperII · Nov 17, 2021

You could also install a twelve volt battery, have 12 volts to the starter, drill and tap the middle jumper, and attach the feed to the ignition switch, and have six volts to the original 6 volt systems, lights, gauges etc.

Ted in NE-OH · Nov 17, 2021

Old wifes tail, no basis .

tractorguy2 · Nov 17, 2021

I don't know what early batteries were made of. I know when my grand parents were married in 1935. They bought their car battery from Sears and Roebucks catalog. The battery was $3.00 and postage was .50.

ASEguy · Nov 18, 2021

This was one of the most interesting series of posts I have read in a while. Thanks.

onefarmer · Nov 18, 2021

I understood the first batteries were encased in wood. And that wood battery if sat on a concrete floor would cause the electrolyte to leach out. Hence the wifestale of don't set a battery on cement.

Copperhead don't play · Nov 18, 2021

(quoted from post at 19:40:11 11/17/21) when I worked for implement dealer battery scraper said storing junk batteries will ruin them. Store them on an old board.

I still will not store them on concrete even though I know concrete today has no effect on the battery.

cdmn · Nov 18, 2021

I used to visit my uncle in Coos Bay, Oregon. They had a type of cedar tree that
was used for car batteries. Most of them were cut down and the rest died from an
imported disease. The company was a big success for a while, but was demolished in
1960's.

Evans Products Company
https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/evans_products_company/#.YZalZE7MI5s
Port Orford Cedar

First car batteries

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