THE LEAD ACID BATTERY

(Page 2 of 2)

July/August 2000
R. L. Holcombe 
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My first acquaintance with a battery shop was located on the second floor of a building next to my father's furniture store. What circumstances would prompt a person to have a battery shop on a second floor, defies reason. Nevertheless the shop was there and the proprietor was named Lew.

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When a battery was brought in for repair, it was generally tested for specific gravity and each cell was tested for voltage and amperage. If one cell was at fault it was repaired and the battery put in service. If the entire battery was defective it would be completely rebuilt and, for all practical purposes, it would be as good as new.

The acid was contained in large glass jugs and had to be handled with extreme caution. Rubber aprons and rubber gloves were the working attire. Wool seemed to be acid resistant, but a drop of acid on cotton meant an immediate hole. After the lead connectors had been molded in place and the battery sealed, it was placed on rack for charging.

The advent of more stable materials for use in the construction of a battery and the general improvement in the battery itself soon put an end to the battery shop as it was once known. I wonder if the next time you turn the key on in your new car and the engine springs to life, that the basic ingredients in the battery under the hood are the same as Lew used to fix batteries in the twenties.

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