Rechargeable dry cell having gelled electrolyte

Claim 1

A RECHARGEABLE DRY CELL COMPRISING A METALLIC CONTAINER SERVING AS THE CATHODE TERMINAL THEREOF AND HAVING AN INTEGRAL BOTTOM AND AN OPPOSITE SEALED END; AN ANNULAR CATHODE FITTING SNUGLY IN THE CONTAINER; AN ANODE COMPOSED OF FINELY DIVIDED ANODIC PARTICLES WITH A GELLED ALKALINE ELECTROLYTE AND SITUATED WITHIN THE ANNUAALS OF THE CATHODE; A SEMI-PERMEABLE SEPARATOR MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ANODE AND THE CATHODE; AN ELASTIC SPACER MEANS EXTENDING OVER THE LOWER EXTERMITY OF THE CATHODE ANNULUS AND DEFINING AN EXPANSION SPACE BETWEEN THE SPACER MEANS AND THE CONTAINER BOTTOM; AN ANODE COLLECTOR MEANS IN CONTACT WITH THE ANODE; AND CONTACT MEANS PASSING THROUGH THE SEALED END AND ELECTRICALLY CONTACTING THE ANODE COLLECTOR MEANS; SAID ANODE PROVIDING SUFFICIENT SURFACE AND QUANTITY OF ANODIC MATERIAL TO COMBINE WITH OXYGEN RELEASED DURING OVERCHARGING OF THE CELL AND THE SEPARATOR MEANS PROVIDING A PATH TO THE ANODE FOR OXYGEN PRODUCED IN THE CELL DURING OVERCHARGE.