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WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

I've just realized that Velocette at least was one of the bike manufacturers who fitted Exide batteries as in Rob Millers picture.
battery
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So with the top that is fitted to my Varley battery which obviously came from a WD Exide and A Dutch friend who says he has a period civy Exide. Arnaud will be able to make us Velo Owners some batteries. :slightly_smiling_face:
Although annoyingly the Velo battery holding clamp will partially hide the WD marking that we crave for. Ron
WDL_G_114

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

OK the EXIDE battery in NL was wrong!

Does anyone have an old EXIDE battery like this one? (I have the top) That I could borrow or get a few pictures with some conformation measurements.

This picture is good enough for scaling size and other details, but annoyingly, where the lid is placed is hiding any wording that might be there.

I'd be very grateful for any help. Ron
battery

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Hi Ron

What does it say on the top of your battery, I can't make it out from the side picture in the other thread.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Here it is Rob. Ron
DSCF0775

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Here are some other illustrations from the same Chilwell book, they look pretty similar to your Varley, so maybe the motorcycle size battery shown previously is also a Varley, and your WD top is original to your Varley battery?

Rob

battery2

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Rob Those batteries are for four wheeled vehicles. The WD top to my Varley battery was added by me. The original top is plane.
Stupidly I had not referred to my Velo MDD parts book until today, which clearly shows the Exide. Ron

Scan_20180514
how to delete netflix account

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

I realise that the larger batteries are not motorcycle fitment, I'm pointing out the cycle and stripes motive and suggesting that Varley batteries could be a third wartime manufacturer, or possible even a subcontractor to Exide.

Or its possible that some of the illustrations in the Chilwell book are borrowed from pre war spares lists?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

And another thing, your top says "Dry Accumulator", is that correct?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

I honestly don't know Rob. The illustration in the Velo parts list just seems to show EXIDE on the top. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Rob I did some googling and found that "accumulator" is a current term. Ron


Rechargeable cell – the lead acid accumulator
Class practical or Demonstration

Some electrochemical cells are rechargeable – the electrode reactions are reversible and the process can be repeated many times. Such cells can be used to store electricity. The most common type of heavy duty rechargeable cell is the familiar lead-acid accumulator (‘car battery’) found in most combustion-engined vehicles.

A simple lead-acid cell consisting of strips of lead and an electrolyte of dilute sulfuric acid is constructed and charged for different lengths of time. The cell is then discharged through a light bulb and the time the bulb remains lit measured. Plotting a graph of this time against the charging time shows the relationship between the electrical energy put into the cell and the energy released.

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Hi Ron

There isn't much info on the web about this subject which I suppose is what makes it so interesting as a fresh topic, there are some mentions of Varley dry accumulators being used in aircraft which probably makes sense if they intend to fly upside down.

Your WD top appears to be a reasonable fit on your Varley battery and doesn't actually say Exide on it so we can't be sure as to its origins, but it would probably say Air Ministry if it was from a Spitfire?

But your top also says Lead Acid which isn't Dry?

All fascinating stuff but more clues are needed.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Rob, despite the fact that it says 'DRY' on the top. Now that I have thought to read the instructions on the inside. It clearly states the normal procedure of topping up with distilled water. Ron

DSCF0788

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Ron, what does it say inside your original plain Varley top?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Here it is Rob, a shorter version of the WD lid.

DSCF0790

and the outside of the WD lid again, now removed from the bike. Ron

DSCF0778

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

This forum discussion is interesting, it say the Varley MC7/12, was standard fitment for the post war Triumph TRW, your lid says "MC7/12" and the WD mark carried on post war, maybe the "Dry" reference is part of Varley's historical trademark?

http://www.britbike.com/ubb/bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=13;t=007726

Does anyone have any TRW literature to confirm this?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Well that seems to clear that up Rob. In that case, when this is all over, it looks like I will have quite a rare battery for a TRW owner.

From the illustration in the Velo MDD parts list, it just has the EXIDE logo on the lid......If the illustration is accurate? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

When was dry-charging introduced ? Is that what the lid is referring to ? The term 'accumulator' was certainly in use in the 1930s, although vehicle manufacturers seem to have preferred the term 'battery'. They used to take the wireless accumulators to the shops to be recharged in areas that had no mains electricity.

Here's the only wartime advert that I can find showing a (civilian) Exide.

Period_16_H_Big_4_period_publications_659

Are there any Velocette images in the IWM Kidbrooke collection ? The photos generally are very detailed. There are also likely to be battery comparisons in the National Archive MWEE files, maybe with illustrations.

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Thanks Rik. Clearly they used a non ribbed version (less pleasure) on the WD bikes. I'm ordering a higher res of this one from IWM. Ron

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email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Varley WD batteries could still be wartime, just because they were still being made in the 1950s doesn't mean they weren't made earlier.

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

I wonder if there is any info in this publication. ebay no 162804107410.

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Thanks for the heads up Steve. But £36 is a bit of an expense for a book that may or may not have a picture of the battery I'm looking for.

I've filled out a form to buy the Velo picture above from the IWM, quoted at £7.50 and they've just sent me a request to pay £11.50??

I will have to phone them to see if I've got something wrong or missed something? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

I have found another picture of a WD Varley battery on the Ariel in Bruce Main Smiths book "the first military machine scene", the picture was taken in the late 1970s on a restored machine, I wonder if that "55" is the date?

Rob

varley

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Hi all and Happy N ew year
If anyone is going to make up hollow versions of these old WD batteries, is there any chance they would make a few additional tops/lids for those of us who'd particularly like that bit only?

all best peter

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

The Exide batteries for my Velo's arrived today. Made by Arnaud in France. FABULOUS! Thanks a million Arnaud. I think he will make a small batch but apart from Velo I don't know what other WD bikes would have fitted them, but surely some pre war makes. Ron
DSCF1232

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Very Nice Ron,

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Top quality as usual! Well done Arnaud! :+1:
Jan

email (option): wd.register(at)gmail.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Beautiful, are you going to paint them?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Good question Rob! Very few factory or period pictures which show the battery, but I'd say yes to painting them in keeping with normal WD procedure. Ron
tx-ATSbike-zps612dbb58
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email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Just noticed the India office M20 used an Exide battery.

Rob

exide

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

There are some references in the Norton records regarding India Office machines which refer to Exide batteries and photographic evidence seems to confirm this.

Indian-Military-Police


Colour according to the Amal records was 'Middle Stone No.62' and the mixing chambers were to be painted in this colour.


IMG-1586

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Yep! The India Office C11 also has an Exide T battery. Ron
C10-C11-002

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

And a Rubberlite tail lamp, but the grips look more like the fat Amal type?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Re: WD Batteries again (EXIDE)

Indeed they are Rob. The 1939-40 'C' range all used the pre-war internal wire twist grip. Ron

C10-088

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery

From a current eBay listing. The leaflets are post-war as the most recent patent referred to was applied 1948 and granted 1951. The earliest number dates from mid-1939 but no indication of when production commenced.

https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=5&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19390522&CC=GB&NR=506062A&KC=A#

There is at least an explantion of the technology. The Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery was indeed a lead-acid type but with the acid absorbed in matting. In effect, an early version of the AGM battery but not as low maintenance.

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Re: Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery

A bit more about "dryfit" I remember them from Military portable radio equipment.

https://www.exidegroup.com/eu/en/product/sonnenschein-rail

Mark

email (option): pes.sales@btconnect.com

Re: Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery

Those are modern Gel batteries Mark. The older type as in torches and radios were Zinc-Carbon I think? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Re: Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery

Nice one Rik! Matchless used Varleys on their last couple of contracts, so still looking for one, hope Arnaud will make some, as he has the original!

I do have an NOS postwar one, but they are different as said before.

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbi**.net

Re: Varley Dry Motorcycle Battery

I think someone will have to visit Arnaud and check that he's all right!:face_with_thermometer: Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

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