GB1407454A - Battery assembly machines - Google Patents

Abstract

1407454 Casting composite articles GLOBE UNION Inc 17 Aug 1972 [27 Oct 1971] 38477/72 Heading B3F [Also in Divion H1] A machine used in the interconnection, by burning, of lugs 93, 94 on battery plates 79, 80 involves three stations I, II, III between which a rotatable part of the machine holding the plates is successively moved. The stations I, II, III serve, respectively, for loading, burning, and unloading, the plates. At station I (see Fig. 1) the battery plates 79, 80 and separators (not shown) are loaded into one, 11, of three identical boxes 11, 12, 13, corresponding to the three stations (shown in detail in Fig. 7). The box 11 is mounted so that it may be pivoted about a near-diagonal axis 19-19; it is released from twolowermountingprints 20 to allowthis. Thebox 11 is moved to the loading position (dashed lines in Fig. 3) by a pneumatic piston 50, 51. The tilt angle produced lets the plates settle against the back wall and one end of the box. Fig. 7 shows the spiked clamping rods 80, 81 and a bottom plate 150 co-operating with slots 151 and grooves 152 which allow for the insertion of different numbers and sizes of cell plates. As shown two cell units 195, 196 are being produced. The box door is held shut after loading by standard clamps 75 (omitted from Fig. 7). An operator pushes the machine by hand to rotate the three box units about a vertical post assembly 16 so that the newly loaded box comes under table 100 at which the lugs will be interconnected by burning (station II). An indexing mechanism on the table and controlled by handle 86 drops a pin into a hole 91 on one of the box-pivot support arms 27. The operator then loads the empty box which he receives from unloading station III. The box 11 (12) (13) is raised to working height under the table by pneumatic pistons 55, 58 (Fig. 3). The operator works at the table 100 which incorporates comb bars 114, 118 co-operating with mould bars 103, 102 to define open-topped spaces (Fig. 4, not shown) within which the lugs 93, 94 may be melted together to form straps 127, 128 by a gas torch and terminal posts 129, 130 inserted; also, additional lead is added. The comb and mould bars may be changed to accommodate plates and lugs of different size and/or spacing. The top of the table 100 is held by screws and slots 190<SP>1</SP> to allow adjustment for this purpose also. The comb and mould bars are moved together or apart by hydraulic pistons 127a, 128a operating on slide bars 121, 122. After the burning operation the box 11 lowered, and the machine rotated to bring the box to the third station III. Here the operator equipped with a hoist (shown only in Figs. 9 and 10) having spring loaded fingers to hook under the newly formed connector straps 127, 128 lifts the completed cell unit from the box and subsequently inserts it into a battery case which is covered and then filled with electrolyte. Alternatively, the bottom of box 11 is removed and the cell unit dropped through. At the next rotation of the machine the now empty box 11 is returned to the first station I for reloading.