CA1154082A

CA1154082A - Apparatus for removing temporary side terminals from batteries

Info

Publication number: CA1154082A
Application number: CA000370937A
Authority: CA
Inventors: William J. Eberle
Original assignee: General Battery Corp
Current assignee: General Battery Corp
Priority date: 1980-05-21
Filing date: 1981-02-16
Publication date: 1983-09-20
Also published as: US4400120A

Abstract

ABSTRACT
An apparatus for removing temporary side post terminals of at least one multi-celled battery case for lead acid automobile batteries is disclosed. The subject apparatus comprises a horizontal transversely reciprocating work station containing a plurality of milling heads. The work station is also designed to first sense that batteries being operated upon are in a proper position for post removal and then to clamp them in that position until the temporary side posts are machined off by said milling heads. The apparatus further comprises conveyor means adapted to bring the battery cases into the apparatus and then to remove them from the apparatus after the side terminal removal operation is completed. Another feature of the conveyor is a horizontal guide to intercept skewed and misaligned battery cases and to correctly position them against the outer sidewall of the conveyor for proper side post removal. There is also pivotal gate means adapted to stop the batteries and hold them in the apparatus while the machining operation is underway and then to release them so that they may exit the system on said conveyor. This gate is controlled by an internal programming means which also establishes the timing sequence of all of the other operations performed within said apparatus.

Description

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING TEMPORA:RY SIDE TERMINALS FROM BATTERIES

Eackground of the Invention -Field of The Invention The disclosed apparatus is intended for use in the man-ufacture of lead acid storage batteries and especially for use of automotive storage batteries having side terminals. The side terminal storage battery differs from the normal top terminal post battery in that the electrical connections are made by fastening electrical cables to threaded inserts in one side of the battery instead of clamping them to the positive and negative top posts common to most automotive batteries.
Prior Art The development of the side terminal battery is rela-tively recent in the field of automotive batteries. As a result, the majority of the equipment utilized in current battery fabrication facilities is primarily adapted to be used with older, more commonly used top terminal batteries. Its application to side terminal battery processing has frequently involved the use of awkward and potentially dangerous adaptors which do not always lend themselves to quality production. To avoid the unnecessary duplication of equipment, or the use of these adaptors/ a battery case having a pair o~ side terminals, each with a temporary inteyral Eorming post, similar to that in top terminal batteries was developed. This temporary post-like is used during the battery formation stage of manufacture and is then later removed to be replaced with the threaded inserts normally used. While there have been many attempts in the prior art to remove these temporary side terminals by using milling machines and similar equipment, these were normally constructed to operate either on a single terminal or at least simultaneously on the terminals of a single battery in a discontinuous, manually controlled procedure. The present apparatus is designed to automatically remove the side terminals from a plurality of batteries as a part of an overall manufac~uring operation so that both quality and quantity of production are improved.
Summary of _he Invention The principal object of the subject invention is to provide an apparatus for automatically removing temporary side battery terminals simultaneously fro~ a plurality of batteries, both quickly and economically.
It is a further object of the subject invention, to provide an apparatus which is adaptable to a variety of battery sizes without substantial modification being necessary.
To achieve these objects, the invention consists of an apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from a storage battery case having at least a pair of said terminals, said apparatus comprising: a frame; conveyor means attached to said frame for trans-porting said storage battery case; horizontally reciprocating transverse cutting means, attached to said frame and positioned adjacent to said conveyor means, said cutting means further comprising at least two positionable milling heads slidably set into a work station, each of said heads positioned to contact a respective temporary side post terminal of a battery case transported by said conveyor means; means for reciprocating said cutting means; means for driving said milling heads; and control means for detecting the presence of said battery in said work station, for activating said means for reciprocating l~S4~ 32 said cutting means and for activating said means for driving said milling heads.
The invention also provides in an apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from at least one storage battery case having a pair of said : temporary terminals, said apparatus comprising horizontally reciprocating transverse cutting means, said cutting means further comprising a plurality of multi-postionable milling heads slidably set into a work station, each of said head further having a cutter adapted to remove a side post terminal, the method of removing said terminals, compris-ing: (a) transporting said battery case into said apparatus to a position wherefrom said terminals may be removed; (b) intercepting and guiding skewed or misaligned battery cases to a properly oriented position for said side removal operation; (c) closing a pivotable gate to stop said battery case at a position within said apparatus so that said cutter will engage said case to remove said - terminals; and (d) actuating said reciprocating cutting 2a means so that they may advance across said conveyor to engage said battery for terminal removal; (e) sensing that said battery case is correctly po.sitioned on said conveyor relative to said advancing milling heads, and disengaging and reversing said advancing cutting means in the event that said case is not correctly positioned; (f) clamping ;~ said battery case within said apparatus with spring biased .;, buffer means so that said battery case will not move during terminal removal; (g) milling off said temporary side terminal post, by said advancing milling heads; (h) disengaging said milling heads by retracting said cutting means; (i) opening said gate at the completion of said side terminal removal; and (j) transporting said battery case out of said station.
- 2a -'~' ~54~iJ~2 The passage of battery cases into and out of the subject apparatus is accomplished by a conveyor system which contains means adapted to stop the cases within the work station and to cooperate with the reciprocal cutting means so that they are clamped in the proper position for side terminal removal. When the cases first enter the apparatus they encounter a guide which acts to direct them on to assume a longitudinally, oriented disposition along one side wall of the conveyor. Passage out of the station is prevented by a rotatable gate which remains closed until side terminal removal is accomplished.
In the current operating system, the work station is adapted to accommodate two batteries but there is nothing to prevent it from being made in either smaller or larger con-figurations, should this be desirable. The station may also -I contain sensing means to determine that the requisite number of batteries have entered the station. In a high prouction line, the operation described herein~elow may be controlled by relatively simple timing means. Here too, however, more ` elaborate optical or other sensing and control systems can be used, if their use is warranted, without departing from the spirit of my invention.
When the requisite number of batt~ries have been ad-mitted, the cutting means begins to advance across the conveyor so that the milling heads can make contact to remove the tempor-ary side terminal posts. Before contact is made, however, the batteries are first positioned laterally along the conveyor by a tapered separator block, which is set to slide between the two batteries and spread them apart so that they are exactly, and `~; properly positioned relative to the advancing milling heads. Once .
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the batteries are properly separated side to side, they are next clamped in place by a set of spring loaded buffer blocks which contact the batteries and clamp them against the sidewall of the conveyor, at which time the terminals are ready to be removed by the milling heads in accordance with the programmed instructions given to the reciprocating cutting means. After the proper amount of material is removed, the cutting means retracts, the gate opens, the completed batteries exit the system and two new batteries enter for subsequent processing. Thus are the principal objects, as given above, achieved.
These and other objects of my invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Description of The Drawings Figure 1 is an isometric drawing of a typical side terminal battery showing both a temporary cast-on side post terminal and the appearance of the terminal after the temvorary side post has been removed.
Figure 2 is a top view of an apparatus adapted to remove said temporary side post terminals.
Figure 3 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure

2.
Description of The_Preferred Embodiment Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a battery case 10 of the type having temporary side connections 12 cast thereon.
As shown, the case is fabricated in the form of a rectilinear plastic or rubber shell 14, having a pluarality of internal dividers 16 which form the individual cells of the battery, and one wall 18 wherein a pair of side terminal connections 12 are ; -4-~154~3~

located. As shown, one of these terminals has a temporary terminal post 20 thereon, while the other is shown after this temporary terminal has been removed, leaving a threadable insert 22 in which form the batteries, after the remainder of the fabrication operations are completed, is sold.
Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, there is a top and side view of apparatus 100 which is adapted to remove the temporary terminal posts 20 from case 10 to produce a finished side terminal battery case. As shown, it com-prises a generally rectangular frame 102 which, in the preferred embodiment, is adapted to process a pair of batteries therein. This number, however, is purely arbitrary and the apparatus described herein can easily be adapted to process only one battery or more than two at a time, depending upon the needs of the process into which this apparatus is incorporated.
Sitting in a generally lengthwise oriented disposition upon and along frame 102 is an acid proof conveyor 104, which in the preferred embodiment, is comprised of a plurality of mutually driven rollers 106.
Conveyor 104 both brings the partially completed battery cases into apparatus 100 for processing and removes them at the completion of the terminal removal operation for further fabrication steps. Along the outer side of con-veyor 104 is a sidewall 108 which acts to confine the batteries within conveyor 104 both during transit and pro-cessing. At the entrance to the conveyor on the side 109 115~82 opposite from wall 108 is a more or less triangularly shaped, horizontally disposed guide 110 which acts to intercept skewed and otherwise misaligned cases and to re-direct them to a properly oriented position along wall 108.
At the exit end of conveyor 104 is a pivotal gate 112 which is biased to rotate inwardly so that it extends across conveyor 104 and intercepts the batteries travelling down it to stop them from moving further. This gate is situated on conveyor 104 in such a position that the first of the batteries, when stopped, will be in a proper position for the subsequent side terminal removal operation.
Down stream from guide 110 and fitted above con-veyor 104 on side 109 is transversely reciprocal movable milling table 114 which contains, in the preferred embodi-ment, four horizontally disposed, transversely oriented, sideways slidable, adjustable milling heads 116 which comprise a set of individual work station blocks. These blocks form a multiple positionable work station.
Working in conjunction with apparatus 100, is control means (not shown) which is programmed to control gate 112 so that the proper number of batteries are in the station at the time milling table 114 is actuated. In a continuously operating situation where a long stream of cases are being processed, this may be something as simple ~, .
as a resetting timer which periodically actuates air cylinder 117 to open and close the gate. In other :`~

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situations more complex or detailed techniques may be used.
However, this control is exercised when the time comes to remove side terminals 20 from the one or more cases within the apparatus, the control means causes table 114 to start to advance hori-zontally over wall 109 and across conveyor 104 towards sidewall 108. At the same time, the milling heads 116 are actuated and cutters 118 start to turn. Forwardly disposed in the front of table 114 is a tapered separator block 120 which is adapted to fit between the pair of batteries 10 within the station and clamp the first of these against gate 112 and move slightly backwards the second so that it is properly disposed relative to the advancing cutting heads. In the event that the batteries are not properly situated within the station and the cutting heads will not make proper contact with the temporary terminals, separator block 120 will sense this by making contact with a wall of a battery. This acts to force it backwardly against an internal limit switch (not shown) adapted to cause the reverse of the milling table drive means (not shown) and thus, prevent potential damage to the batteries. If however, the batteries are properly positioned, the tapered separator inserts itself between the two batteries as the table continues moving in towards them.
Further associated with table 114 is a set of spring biased buffer blocks 122, which make contact with the sidewall positioned battery cases 10 and push them firmly against wall 108.
The springsl23 biasing the buffers compress with further inward travel of table 114 which securely clamps the cases 10 until the cutters 118 physically make contact with the temporary side terminals 20 and machines them off to produce the finished battery case 22.
At the conclusion of the cutting operation, the time of which, as noted above, is set by programable control means 117 so that terminals of varying sizes can be produced, table 114 reverses itself, retracting buffers 122 and separator 120. At the same time, gate 112 opens so that the batteries which have been processed exit the system and two new batteries can enter for subsequent processing.
It is to be understood that the foregoing suggested apparatus as exemplified by the figures, is intended to be illustrative of a preferred embodiment of the subject invention and that many options will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit or the scope of principals of the subject invention.

Claims

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from a storage battery case having at least a pair of said terminals, said apparatus comprising:
a frame;
conveyor means attached to said frame for transporting said storage battery case;
horizontally reciprocating transverse cutting means, attached to said frame and positioned adjacent to said conveyor means, said cutting means further comprising at least two positionable milling heads slideably set into a work station, each of said heads positioned to contact a respective temporary side post terminal of a battery case transported by said conveyor means;
means for reciprocating said cutting means;
means for driving said milling heads; and control means for detecting the presence of said battery in said work station, for activating said means for reciprocating said cutting means and for activating said means for driving said milling heads.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1 wherein said conveyor means comprises:
(a) horizontal guide means for intercepting skewed and misaligned batteries for properly orienting the same as they are transported; and (b) pivotal gate means positioned to selectively detain and position battery cases relative to said cutting means until said temporary side posts are removed;
and (c) restraint means associated with said conveyor for restraining said battery cases during said machining operation.

3. The apparatus of Claim 2, wherein said cutting means comprises:
(a) a horizontally disposed, transversely movable reciprocating table mounted on said frame and position to move over conveyor and toward stopped battery for said cutting operation;
(b) separator means attached to said table for sensing if said battery case is properly positioned relative to said cutting means; and (c) spring biased buffer block means positioned to contact said battery cases and secure them during said milling operation.

4. The apparatus of Claim 3, wherein said control means selectively operates said pivotal gate.

5. In an apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from at least one storage battery case having a pair of said temporary terminals, said apparatus comprising horizontally reciprocating transverse cutting means, said cutting means further comprising a plurality of multi-positionable milling heads slideably set into a work station, each of said head further having a cutter adapted to remove a side post terminal, the method of removing said terminals, comprising:
(a) transporting said battery case into said apparatus to a position wherefrom said terminals may be removed;
b) intercepting and guiding skewed or misaligned battery cases to a properly oriented position for said side removal operation;
c) closing a pivotable gate to stop said battery case at a position within said apparatus so that said cutter will engage said case to remove said terminals; and (d) actuating said reciprocating cutting means so that they may advance across said conveyor to engage said battery for terminal removal;
(e) sensing that said battery case is correctly positioned on said conveyor relative to said advancing milling heads, and disengaging and reversing said advancing cutting means in the event that said case is not correctly positioned;
(f) clamping said battery case within said apparatus with spring biased buffer means so that said battery case will not move during terminal removal;

(g) milling off said temporary side terminal post, by said advancing milling heads;
(h) disengaging said milling heads by retracting said cutting means;
(i) opening said gate at the completion of said side terminal removal; and (j) transporting said battery case out of said station.

6. The method of Claim 5, wherein transporting said cases further comprises:
(a) intercepting and guiding skewed or misaligned battery cases against a sidewall of said conveyor to assume a properly oriented position for said side removal operation;
(b) periodically closing a pivotable gate to stop said battery case at a time and position within said apparatus so that said cutting means, when actuated, will properly engage said case to remove said terminals; and (c) opening said gate at the completion of said side terminal removal operation, so that the finished case may be transported out of the apparatus for further processing.

7. An apparatus for removing a temporary side post terminal from a retained lead acid storage battery, said apparatus comprising:
(a) work station means positioned adjacent to said retained battery, said work station further comprising:
(1) a movable milling table including drive means for moving said movable milling table toward and away from said retained battery;
and (2) milling means mounted on said table, and i) said movable milling table being horizontally disposed and reciprocally mounted so that when said drive means is actuated, said table is advanced so that said milling means engages said temporary post terminal and removes it wherein said milling table is further adapted to be retracted by said drive means after said terminal has been removed, wherein said work station means further comprises;
ii) sensor means attached to said movable milling table to advance therewith, said sensor being adapted to determine if said restrained battery is properly oriented to said milling means, said sensor further acting, in the event that said battery is not properly oriented, to cause said drive means to retract said milling table before said milling means engages said battery; and (b) frame means;
i) said work station and drive means being operably attached to said frame means for receiving and retaining said storage battery wherein said frame means comprises conveyor means adapted to carry said storage battery into said apparatus for said side post terminal removal and further comprising horizontal guide means adapted to intercept skewed and misaligned batteries on said conveyor means and to re-direct them into a position properly oriented for side post terminal removal.