I've just realized that Velocette at least was one of the bike manufacturers who fitted Exide batteries as in Rob Millers picture.
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
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Here it is Rob. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
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
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email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Here it is Rob, a shorter version of the WD lid.
and the outside of the WD lid again, now removed from the bike. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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.
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.
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
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
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
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
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Just noticed the India office M20 used an Exide battery.
Rob
email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk
There are some references in the Norton records regarding India Office machines which refer to Exide batteries and photographic evidence seems to confirm this.
Colour according to the Amal records was 'Middle Stone No.62' and the mixing chambers were to be painted in this colour.
Yep! The India Office C11 also has an Exide T battery. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Indeed they are Rob. The 1939-40 'C' range all used the pre-war internal wire twist grip. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
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.
