GB1561939A

GB1561939A - Method of assembling banks of battery electrodes and appartus for use in carrying out the methold

Info

Publication number: GB1561939A
Application number: GB45458/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Kolosov I A Ivanyatov J E
Current assignee: Kolosov I A Ivanyatov J E
Priority date: 1977-11-01
Filing date: 1977-11-01
Publication date: 1980-03-05

Description

(54) METHOD OF ASSEMBLING BANKS OF BATTERY ELECTRODES AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN CARRYING OUT THE METHOD (71) We, IVAN ALEXANDROVICH KoLosov, of Ulitsa Astrakanskaya, 118, kv. 54, Saratov, USSR, JURY EGOROVICH IVANYATOV, of Ulitsa M. Zatonskaya, 21, Saratov, USSR, VALERY NIKOLAEVICH KOSHOLKIN, of Novo-Astrakhanskoe shosse, 43, kv. 47, Saratov, USSR, all Russian citizens, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to he performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to the manufacture of storage batteries and more particularly, to a method of assembling banks of battery electrodes and an apparatus for use in carrying out the method.

The method and apparatus according to the invention can be utilized for making any types of batteries, since they ensure automatic assembly of a preset number of electrodes of opposite polarity with separators into a pack of a desired thickness. The apparatus can be utilized both separately and as part of an automatic battery assembly line.

The invention will be used to particular advantage in the manufacture of nickelcadmium batteries of a high power capacity made up of extra-thin low-stiffness electrodes, used in aviation, battery-powered trucks, etc.

The problem of automating the assembly of electrode banks of powerful batteries consists in that the bank of electrodes should be inserted into the container with a certain preset tightness of fit. The existing methods of electrode manufacture fail to guarantee the requisite accuracy of electrode thickness which is required for obtaining the necessary thickness of the assembled bank.

In many cases, more stringent demands on the tolerances for electrode thickness are either impossible from the technical point of view, or economically impracticable.

Therefore, the electrode banks of such batteries are assembled mostly by hand; in this process the electrodes of the required thickness are selected at the end of the assembly operation so as to ensure the required thickness of the bank containing a preset number of electrodes.

According to the present invention there is provided a method of assembling electrodes into banks for an electrical storage battery, comprising the steps of sorting the electrodes into piles each consisting of thin electrodes, medium thickness electrodes or thick electrodes, the total thickness of one electrode of a thin electrode pile and one electrode of an associated thick electrode pile being substantially equal -to the thickness of two medium electrodes, and stacking in turn electrodes taken one at a time from at least one pile of medium electrodes and the piles of at least one pair of associated thin and thick electrode piles to form a bank of electrodes of alternate polarities.

The invention also provides an apparatus for use in carrying out the method, comprising means for holding sorted piles of electrodes in a predetermined array, means for picking up electrodes one at a time from each pile in the array and simultaneously from all the piles and delivering the electrodes in turn to a stacking station, and means located at the stacking station for receiving the electrodes from the picking-up and delivering means and unloading the stacks of electrodes formed thereon when a predetermined number of electrodes have been stacked together.

The method and apparatus of the invention allow mechanization of the selective assembly of electrode banks of a preset thickness to be used in batteries with the bank tightly inserted into the container.

Now the invention will be described in detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows the kinematic diagram of the device for assembling banks of battery electrodes; Fig. 2 shows the assembling mechanism of the device; Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of grips and feeders, a plan view; Fig. 4 is a sectionalized view of a grip; Fig. 5, shows the kinematic linkage of the grip with the working cycle of the assembling mechanism.

A method of assembling banks of battery electrodes consists in that the electrodes before assembly are sorted into an odd number of groups, of different thickness, packed into a separating material and laid out in piles containing electrode groups of different thickness and polarity. The piles of electrodes are arranged successively in line, in the alternating order of polarities, the piles of medium thickness being laid in any number whereas the piles of thin and thick electrodes which are equidistant from the medium-thickness electrodes, only in pairs.

Then the electrodes are taken simultaneously, one from each pile and moved in a horizontal plane, thus being connected consecutively into a bank. The preset thickness of the bank is ensured because the thickness limits of electrodes in each group are selected in the course of sorting so that the thickness of two medium electrodes would always be equal to the thickness of two electrodes in the equidistant groups of thin and thick electrodes (within the tolerance ensuring the required tightness of fit).

The method of assembling the banks of battery electrodes permits mechanization of the selective assembly of electrode banks with a preset thickness of the bank due to the fact that the electrodes are sorted out into an odd number of groups and the banks are assembled from the electrode groups of different thicknesses. Thus, the method ensures guaranteed thickness of the assembled bank (within tolerance limits) containing a preset number of electrodes because the assembly of a pair of thin and thick electrodes is equal to the assembly of two medium electrodes.

The electrodes are preferably lifted from the tops of the piles, which allow the method to be used for assembling banks electrodes of any thickness, including thin and lowstrength ones.

An apparatus for assembling a bank of battery electrodes is shown in Figure 1 and comprises a bed 1 (Fig. 1) in the form of a round table divided into nine positions and mounting eight feeders 2 incorporating a mechanism for automatic maintenance of the upper level of the pile of electrodes (not shown in the drawings) in replaceable holders 3. The replaceable holders 3 are installed on the ends of the feeders 2 and stand out above the surface of the table.

The table of the bed 1 is also provided with a fork-shaped fixed stop 4 located between the feeders 2 at the stacking station in the ninth position.

Installed irn. a hub 5 in the centre of the bed 1 is a hollow shaft 6 (Figs. 1, 2) which is connected with the drive by an overrunning clutch 7 (Fig. 1) slipped on the lower end of the shaft 6, and by a pair of bevel gears 8. The hollow shaft 6 makes periodically a full revolution being actuated by a link motion 9 which is connected with the pair of the bevel gears 8 by a toothed quadrant 10 and a gear wheel 11. The upper end of the hollow shaft 6 is provided with a fork 12 (Fig. 2) which transmits rotary motion to a disc 13 carrying eight radially secured holders 14 with vacuum grips 15 (Figs. 1, 2, 3) arranged around the circumference above the holders 3 (at the moment when the electrodes are being picked up from the holders). The disc 13 (Fig. 2) is connected with a central rod 16 passing through the hollow shaft 6.

Installed on the lower end of the rod 16 (Fig. 1) is a roller 17 interacting with a cam 18 which reciprocates the rod 16 vertically, jointly with the disc 13 (Fig. 2) and the grips 15 at The moment of gripping and lifting of electrodes, said reciprocating motion alternating with the turning of the shaft 6 jointly with the disc 13 and the grips 15 around its axis during assembly of the bank. Thus, the shaft 6, the rod 16 with the disc 13 carrying the grips 15 and the fixed stop 4 constitute the assembling mechanism of the device which lowers and lifts the grips 15 for picking up electrodes from the replaceable holders 3 (Fig. 1), said lowering and lifting motion being executed in alternation with a full revolution of the shaft 6 around its axis during which the grips 15 pass through the fork of the fixed stop 4, placing the electrodes into banks near said stop.

At the side of the inner face of the fixed stop 4 there is a pusher 19 connected with the drive by a swinging lever 20.

Mounted at the external side of the stop 4 before the pusher 19, near the bed 1, is a rotatable disc magazine 21 which turns step by step during each swinging motion of the lever 20.

The pusher 19 with its drive and the rotatable disc magazine 21 constitute the mechanism for unloading the assembled banks of electrodes.

The disc 13 (Fig. 2) serves simultaneously as a movable slide valve of the vacuum distributor and is provided on the lower surface with holes 22 (Fig. 3) which communicate through the spaces of the holders 14 with the working chamber of the vacuum grips 15.

The body 23 (Fig. 2) of the vacuum distributor is mounted rigidly on the central rod 16 and moves vertically, jointly with the latter. The rod 16 is made in the form of a tube whose lower end is connected with a vacuum pump through a pipe union 24 (Fig. 1) whilst its upper end is connected with a groove 25 (Figs. 2, 3) made on the face of the body 23 which also has concen tric grooves 26 serving to connect separately each hole 22 of the disc 13 (Fig. 3) with the groove 25 when the electrodes are being picked from the holders 3.

The disc 13 (Fig. 2) is movably installed on the central spindle of the body 23 and rotates between said body 23 and the pressure plate 27 being actuated by a pin 28 connected with the fork 12 of the hollow shaft 6. The drive consists of an electric motor 29 (Fig. I) coupled by a V-belt transmission 30 with a worm reduction unit 31 which, in turn, is connected by a pair of spur gears 32, 33 with a distributing shaft 34.

The cam 18 which imparts vertical motion to the rod 16 is slipped directly on the distributing shaft 34 whilst the link motion 9 is connected to said shaft via an intermediate shaft 35 by a pair of spur gears 33, 36 at a speed ratio of 1:1.

The intermediate shaft 35 rotating at the same speed as the distributing shaft 34 carries two gear wheels 37, 38 connected with a replaceable gear wheel 39, the latter transmitting motion to the lever 20 via a cam 40 and a pair of successively connected Maltese crosses 41, 42. The replaceable gear wheel 39 ensures a readjustable linkage between the mechanism for unloading the assembled banks and the distributing shaft 34 which determines the stroke of the assembly mechanism.

The grip 15 (Fig. 4) comprises a movable slide valve 43 (Figs. 4, 5) which has a row of through holes 44 arranged circumferentially on the face surface and teeth 45 on the cylindrical surface.

The body 46 of the grip 15 (Fig. 4) has a sealing ring 47 which forms a vacuum chamber connected by a channel 48 through one of the through holes 44 in the movable slide valve 43 and by a shaped channel 49 with the space of the holder 14 and, through the channels in the body 23 (Fig. 2), with the vacuum system. On the path of the moving grips 15 (Figs. 2, 3) (during the working stroke of the assembling mechanism) there is a fixed stop 50 (Fig. 5) interacting with the teeth 45 in such a manner that during each revolution of the assembling mechanism the movable slide valve 45 of each grip makes one step between the teeth 45. The number of the through holes 44 and their arrangement around the circumference on the movable slide valve 43 determines the readjustable kinematic linkage which ensures disengagement of some of the grips 15 during a certain working stroke of the assembling mechanism. For example, the movable slide valve 43 illustrated in Fig. 5 will disengage the grip 15 at each fourth revolution of the assembling mechanism. By installing replaceable slide valves 43 with different layouts of the holes 44 or by installing the grips 15 with different slide valves, the device can be refitted for assembling the banks of electrodes with the number of electrodes not divisible by eight.

For example, if three grips 15 (Fig. 3) with the slide valve 43 illustrated in Fig. 5 are installed in any position and the bank is assembled in four working cycsles of the assembling mechanism, then the bank containing twenty four electrodes and assembled during the first three cycles will be increased during the fourth stroke only by five electrodes. As a result, the assembled bank will count twenty nine electrodes.

The kinematic linkage of the unloading mechanism comprising the lever 20 (Fig. 1), cam 40, and Maltese crosses 41, 42 is adjusted by replacing the gear wheel 39 with a wheel having a different number of teeth and unloading the assembled bank by the pusher 19 after a preset number of the working strokes of the assembling mechanism.

It should be borne in mind that the assembling mechanism can be actuated by a drive of a different design, based on, say, pneumatic, hydraulic, etc., systems provided it ensures vertical reciprocating movement relative to the bed 1 of the assembling mechanism shaft with the radially mounted grips, said movement alternating with a full revolution of said shaft around its axis. The drive of the mechanism for unloading the assembled banks can also be realized in different versions; however, it is practicable that its linkage with the assembling mechanism should be readjustable, permitting the bank to be assembled from any preset number of electrodes.

The grips 15 can be other than vacuum atic; for example, they may be magnetic and their kinematic linkage with the movement of the assembling mechanism can be so arranged that electrodes are not taken from a number of holders 3 during a preset stroke of the assembling mechanism, banks of electrodes whose number is not divisible by eight can be assembled. The provision of eight feeders and grips in the device is not obligatory either. This number has been selected so as to ensure the easiest refitting of the device for the assembly of the banks containing more than twenty electrodes.

Thus, the device may have seven feeders and grips which is more practicable when the number of electrodes in the banks is under twenty.

The disc magazine 21 for the assembled banks can be made in the form of, say, an ordinary or step-by-step conveyor, a receiving unit of an assembling machine, etc.

The device according to the present invention operates as follows: Before assembly, the first step is to install replaceable holders 3 (Figs. 1, 3) with elec trodes already sorted into, say, three thickness groups. The holders 3 with medium electrodes may be installed in any number whereas the electrodes of the end groups, in pairs only.

The holders 3 are installed in the alternating order of their polarities as shown in Fig. 3. After turning on the drive, the cam 18 (Fig. 1) lowers the rod 16 with the grips 15 until said grips 15 pick the upper electrode in the holder 3. Then the cam 18 lifts the rod 16 to the uppermost position. The link motion 9 acting via the toothed quadrant 10 and the gear wheel 11 turns the shaft 6 one revolution. The grips 15 (Fig.

3) passing through the fork 4 leave the electrodes near the latter because on passing the groove 25 they are disconnected from the vacuum system.

During the reverse stroke of the link motion 9 (Fig. 1), the shaft 6 stays still due to the free motion of the over-running clutch 7 whilst the cam 18 lowers and lifts the rod 16 for picking the next electrodes. This completes the first working stroke of the assembling mechanism after which the second stroke begins; eight electrodes- are placed into the bank during each stroke.

If the speed ratio of the replaceable gear wheel 39 to the gear wheel 37 is 1:1, then the Maltese cross 41 will turn 9 of a revolution within each full revolution of the shafts 35 and 34.

During the fourth stroke the Maltese cross 41 executes the last quarter of a revolution whereas the Maltese cross 42 turn the cam 40 through k of a revolution. The working slot in the cam 40 is shaped so as to ensure four complete swinging motions of the lever 20 within a complete revolution of the cam 40. Thus, by changing the speed ratio between the replaceable gear wheel 39 and the gear wheel 37 it becomes possible to obtain any desired number of strokes of the assembling mechanism in each bank assembly cycle which is completed when the pusher 19 unloads the assembled bank into the magazine 21. Then the assembled packs of banks are inspected and forwarded for further battery-assembling operations.

The device for assembling banks of battery electrodes according to the present invention permits mechanization of assembly of, say, nickel-cadmium storage batteries with a high power capacity comprising thin low-strength electrodes gathered into a bank with a preset thickness for tight fitting of said bank into the battery container owing to the layout wherein the assembling mechanism consists of a shaft 6 carrying radially-mounted grips 15, and a fixed stop 4 in the form of a fork, and assembles the bank by simultaneous picking of the electrodes from the feeders 2 and holders 3 and joining them into a bank when the grips 15 pass freely through the fork 12 of the fixed stop 4. In this process the electrodes are not subjected to any distorting stresses so that the bank can be assembled from any electrodes, regardless of their thickness and strength.

The provision of any easily readjustable kinematic linkage for disengaging part of the grips 15 to suit the number of working strokes of the assembling mechanism alongside with simple refitting of the unloading mechanism (replaceable gear wheel 39) for ensuring the preset number of working strokes in the cycle of bank assembly enable the bank to be assembled from any desired number of electrodes and the device according to the present invention to be successfully used both in large- and small-scale production.

The device designed with a provision for simultaneous installation of several feeders 2 (e.g. seven, eight, etc.) allows the device to be loaded with holders 3 containing groups of electrodes of different thickness which ensures mechanization of selective assembly of the banks of electrodes.

Simultaneous assembly of several elect trodes into a bank during one working cycle at a high speed of movement of the grips 15 which is limited only by the centrifugal force tearing the electrodes from the grips, ensures a high output of the device.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of assembling electrodes into banks for an electrical storage battery, comprising the steps of sorting the electrodes into piles each consisting of thin electrodes, medium thickness electrodes or thick electrodes, the total thickness of one electrode of a thin electrode pile and one electrode of an associated thick electrode pile being substantially equal to the thickness of two medium electrodes, and stacking in turn electrodes taken one at a time from at least one pile of medium electrodes and the piles of at least one pair of associated thin and thick electrode piles to form a bank of electrodes of alternate polarities.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein electrodes are taken simultaneously from said at least one pile of medium eleo trodes and the piles of said at least one pair of associated thin and thick electrode piles, and said electrodes taken simultaneously from the piles are delivered successively to a stacking station where the electrodes are stacked together.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the electrodes are lifted off the tops of the piles and then transported in a horizontal plane to the stacking station.

4. A method of assembling banks of battery electrodes substantially as herein; above described.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

trodes already sorted into, say, three thickness groups. The holders 3 with medium electrodes may be installed in any number whereas the electrodes of the end groups, in pairs only.

The holders 3 are installed in the alternating order of their polarities as shown in Fig. 3. After turning on the drive, the cam 18 (Fig. 1) lowers the rod 16 with the grips 15 until said grips 15 pick the upper electrode in the holder 3. Then the cam 18 lifts the rod 16 to the uppermost position. The link motion 9 acting via the toothed quadrant 10 and the gear wheel 11 turns the shaft 6 one revolution. The grips 15 (Fig.

3) passing through the fork 4 leave the electrodes near the latter because on passing the groove 25 they are disconnected from the vacuum system.

During the reverse stroke of the link motion 9 (Fig. 1), the shaft 6 stays still due to the free motion of the over-running clutch 7 whilst the cam 18 lowers and lifts the rod 16 for picking the next electrodes. This completes the first working stroke of the assembling mechanism after which the second stroke begins; eight electrodes- are placed into the bank during each stroke.

If the speed ratio of the replaceable gear wheel 39 to the gear wheel 37 is 1:1, then the Maltese cross 41 will turn 9 of a revolution within each full revolution of the shafts 35 and 34.

During the fourth stroke the Maltese cross 41 executes the last quarter of a revolution whereas the Maltese cross 42 turn the cam 40 through k of a revolution. The working slot in the cam 40 is shaped so as to ensure four complete swinging motions of the lever 20 within a complete revolution of the cam 40. Thus, by changing the speed ratio between the replaceable gear wheel 39 and the gear wheel 37 it becomes possible to obtain any desired number of strokes of the assembling mechanism in each bank assembly cycle which is completed when the pusher 19 unloads the assembled bank into the magazine 21. Then the assembled packs of banks are inspected and forwarded for further battery-assembling operations.

The device for assembling banks of battery electrodes according to the present invention permits mechanization of assembly of, say, nickel-cadmium storage batteries with a high power capacity comprising thin low-strength electrodes gathered into a bank with a preset thickness for tight fitting of said bank into the battery container owing to the layout wherein the assembling mechanism consists of a shaft 6 carrying radially-mounted grips 15, and a fixed stop 4 in the form of a fork, and assembles the bank by simultaneous picking of the electrodes from the feeders 2 and holders 3 and joining them into a bank when the grips 15 pass freely through the fork 12 of the fixed stop 4. In this process the electrodes are not subjected to any distorting stresses so that the bank can be assembled from any electrodes, regardless of their thickness and strength.

The provision of any easily readjustable kinematic linkage for disengaging part of the grips 15 to suit the number of working strokes of the assembling mechanism alongside with simple refitting of the unloading mechanism (replaceable gear wheel 39) for ensuring the preset number of working strokes in the cycle of bank assembly enable the bank to be assembled from any desired number of electrodes and the device according to the present invention to be successfully used both in large- and small-scale production.

The device designed with a provision for simultaneous installation of several feeders 2 (e.g. seven, eight, etc.) allows the device to be loaded with holders 3 containing groups of electrodes of different thickness which ensures mechanization of selective assembly of the banks of electrodes.

Simultaneous assembly of several elect trodes into a bank during one working cycle at a high speed of movement of the grips 15 which is limited only by the centrifugal force tearing the electrodes from the grips, ensures a high output of the device.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A method of assembling electrodes into banks for an electrical storage battery, comprising the steps of sorting the electrodes into piles each consisting of thin electrodes, medium thickness electrodes or thick electrodes, the total thickness of one electrode of a thin electrode pile and one electrode of an associated thick electrode pile being substantially equal to the thickness of two medium electrodes, and stacking in turn electrodes taken one at a time from at least one pile of medium electrodes and the piles of at least one pair of associated thin and thick electrode piles to form a bank of electrodes of alternate polarities.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein electrodes are taken simultaneously from said at least one pile of medium eleo trodes and the piles of said at least one pair of associated thin and thick electrode piles, and said electrodes taken simultaneously from the piles are delivered successively to a stacking station where the electrodes are stacked together.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the electrodes are lifted off the tops of the piles and then transported in a horizontal plane to the stacking station.
4. A method of assembling banks of battery electrodes substantially as herein; above described.
5. Apparatus for use in carrying out the

method of claim 1, comprising means for holding sorted piles of electrodes in a predetermined array, means for picking up electrodes one at a time from each pile in the array and simultaneously from all the piles and delivering the electrodes in turn to a stacking station, and means located at the stacking station for receiving the electrodes from the picking-up and delivering means and unloading the stacks of electrodes formed thereon when a predetermined number of electrodes have been stacked together.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the holding means for the piles of electrodes are arranged to maintain the tops of said piles at a predetermined constant level as electrodes are removed from the piles.
7. An apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the means for picking up and delivering the electrodes comprises a vertical shaft, drive means for reciprocating said shaft vertically and rotating said shaft about its axis, and gripping means spaced apart around and extending radially from the shaft, and each gripping means being selectively operable either to grip or not to grip an electrode.
8. An apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the stacking station comprises a fixed stop arranged to remove said electrodes from said means delivering the electrodes to the stacking station as said means moves past the stacking station.
9. An apparatus for use in carrying out the method of claim 1 substantially as hereinabove described with reference to the accompanying drawings.