Bipolar battery construction

A lead-acid battery apparatus for producing electrical energy, comprising:

• a battery stack including a plurality of bipolar cells, said battery stack being bounded at one end by a first end plate current collector and an opposite end by a second end plate current collector, said second end plate current collector being of opposite polarity to said first end plate current collector;
• each of said plurality of bipolar cells including two bipolar plates, each having an upper surface, a lower surface, peripheral edges, and a thickness;
• said upper surface coated to an area adjacent said peripheral edges with a positive active material and said lower surface coated to adjacent said peripheral edges with a negative active material;
• a separator including an absorbed electrolyte separating said positive active material from said negative active material, said peripheral edges defining an open cavity
• each of said plurality of bipolar plates coated with an inhibitor which inhibits leakage current through said electrolyte bridging between any two of said plurality of bipolar cells generally adjacent;
• a compression element having a plurality of threaded bolts, a plurality of calibrated springs and a plurality of threaded nuts, a head of each of said threaded bolts bearing on said first end plate and a grip of each one of said threaded bolts passing axially adjacent said battery stack and through one of said calibrated springs, a first end of said calibrated springs bearing on said second end plate in opposition to said head and each of said nuts being threaded against a second end of each of said calibrated springs, creating the pressure by compressing said calibrated springs;
• said compression element being disposed internally in said lead-acid battery apparatus, operating to apply a substantially uniform pressure on each one of said plurality of bipolar places and each said separator in each of said plurality of bipolar cells;
• and
• a container having a gas-tight case which prevents escape of gas, vapor and liquid, operating to confine said battery stack and said compression element.