GB1565928A

GB1565928A - Machine for stacking groups of electrical storage battery plates

Info

Publication number: GB1565928A
Application number: GB9560/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Yuasa Battery Corp
Current assignee: Yuasa Corp
Priority date: 1977-06-09
Filing date: 1978-03-10
Publication date: 1980-04-23
Also published as: JPS543233A; JPS5752713B2

Description

(54) A MACHINE FOR STACKING GROUPS OF ELECTRICAL STORAGE BATTERY PLATES (71) We, YUASA BATTERY COM PANY LIMITED, a Japanese Corporation, of 6-6 Johsaicho, Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, 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 be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-.

The present invention relates to a machine for groups of electrical storage battery plates automatically stacking positive and negative plates and separators into plate groups U.S. Patent Specification No. 3799321 and 3900341 propose.

However, difficulties arise when thin separators are used since the positive and negative plates and separators cannot be accurately arranged so that manual adjustment is necessary thereby increasing the cost of the products. We aim to overcome these disadvantages.

According to this invention therefore, we propose a machine for stacking groups of electrical storage battery plates of opposite polarity, comprising a plate separating means for feeding battery plates from a hopper one by one, a separator supplying means for wrapping separators around the delivered plates, a means for sealing the portions of each separator to form a bag containing the plate, a plate group assembling means for interspersing plates covered by a separator with an opposite polarity plate so as to form a plate group, assembling means for stacking a predetermined number of plate groups and a conveying means for conveying the plate group stacks to the next step, the said means being arranged for automatic operation in timed relation with each other.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. I is a plan view of a machine for automatically stacking plate groups for storage batteries: Fig. 2 is a side view of the same machine; Fig. 3 shows an enlarged side view of a plate separating means.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation showing a part of a separator.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of roll cutters.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of a plate coated with a separator.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view of a separator sealing means.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, plate separating means A, A' and A" respectively include hoppers 1, 1' and 1", and below the hoppers stepped feeding plates 3, 3' and 3" which are reciprocated by rocking levers 4, 4' and 4". The hoppers 1, 1' and 1" contain respectively battery plates 2, 2' and 2" of which plates 2' and 2" are positive plates and plates 2 and negative plates.

In the event that battery plates 2, 2' and 2" cannot be fed out from the plate separating means the entire machine is immediately stopped by a device 5, 5' and 5" which include limit switches, proximity switches, photo-switches or air sensors.

A separator supplying means B (figure 2) has a pair of transferring rollers 7 and 7' for supplying in the vertical direction a continuous separator strip 6 and a pair of roll cutters 8 and 8'. Further, pairs of compressed air operated feeders (not illustrated) may be provided in positions adjacent the separator strip 6 in front and or behind (with respect to the direction in which the strip is supplied) of the pair of transferring rollers 7 and 7' or the pair of roll cutters 8 and 8', thereby avoiding wrinkles and creases in the strip while it is being supplied.

The separator strip 6 is of a thin microporous material, for example, a speciallv embossed microporous sheet containing a synthetic resin or of a nonwoven or woven fabric of fine synthetic fibers of a diameter less than 5 microns and is of a thickness less than 0.5 mm. The strip is perforated by slits 6a, leaving connecting pieces between 0.2 and 0.5mm wide at predetermined intervals along its length, to facilitate cutting-off lengths of the separator as shown in Fig. 4. The roll cutter 8 (figure 5) has a cutting edge 8a for slitting the upper part of the separator 6. There may be two such cutting edges in which case, one of cutting edge is used to make a slit for making it easy to cut off a length of the separator strip and the other cutting edge is used to score a line to facilitate bending of the separator. The separator 6 so cut off is folded into two by the plate 2' or 2" to cover both surfaces of the plate and the bottom edge as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

A separator sealing means C having a pair of heating elements containing cartridge heaters 9 and 9' is used to continuously or partly seal the side portions 6b of the separators 6 covering the plates so as to form a bag. Further, temperature of the heating elements is readily adjustable to permit the use of various separator materials different production speeds.

Instead of heat sealing a binder material may be used.

A plate group assembling means D includes transferring elements 10, 10' and 10" consisting of chain conveyors and cylinder operated pushing elements 11' and 11" C and operatively inter connected to assemble a plate group unit 12 by overlapping the plate 2' or 2" wrapped in the separator 6, with the plate 2 of opposite polarity.

A plate group stack assembling means E comprises a wheel having a plurality of pivoted cradles 14 which remain horizontal as the wheel rotates. When a stack 16 of a predetermined number of plate groups is built up stacked in a cradle 14, the stock is removed by the device 15, to a conveyor for conveying the assembled plate group stack 16 to the next step.

The above described plate separating means A, separator supplying means B, separator sealing means C, plate group assembling means D, plate group stack assembling means E and conveying means F are operatively linked for automatic operation in timed relation with one another by a conventional drive system and control system.

Further, the above machine has three line arranged in parallel. The first includes the plate separating means A' for the plates 2' (positive plates), separator supplying means B and separator sealing means C, the second includes the plate separating means A" for the plates 2" (positive plates), separator supplying means B and separator sealing means C and the third includes the plate separating means A for the opposite plates 2 (negative plates), plate group unit assembling means, plate group block assembling means and conveying means, as shown in Fig. 1. It is formed to use the negative plates which are more by one than the positive plates and to be operated advantageously at a high efficiencs.

However, the machine need not have this formation and the line including the plate separating means A" for the plates 2" (positive plates) and others may be omitted.

Further, the line including the separator supplying means has in each of two places only on one side of the line of the opposite plate (negative plate 2) but may be have in one place on each of both sides of the line of the opposite plate as a center.

When the machine is started, the rocking levers 4, 4' and 4" will rock, causing the feeding plates 3, 3' and 3" to reciprocate and thereby feed out, one by one the plates 2, 2' and 2" stacked in the hoppers 1, 1' and 1". The plates 2 are negative plates and the plates 2' and 2" are positive plates. If any one plate is not separated, the stopping devices 5, 5' and 5" will operate to automatically stop operation of the entire machine.

Then, the separated plates 2, 2' and 2" are moved forward one by one, by the reciprocation of the feeding plates 3, 3' and 3". The plates 2 are fed to transferring element 10 and are moved forward. But, the plates 2' and 2" are fed forward from the examining positions by the stopping devices 5' and 5", and the separator 6 supplied from above by the transferring rollers 7 and 7' so as to rectangularly cross those plates is folded in two and simultaneously separated by tearing along the slit 6a made by the roll cutters 8 and 8', so as to wrap the separators 6 around the plates 2' and 2".

Then, the side portion of the folded separator 6 are welded by the sealing means C to form the portion 6b as shown in Fig. 6.

Both plates 2' and 2" thus covered by the separators 6 are then transferred by the transferring element 10' and 10" and pushing element 11' and 11" and onto the first line in timed relation with the transferring element 10 to order the plates 2, 2' and 2" as required for assembly into the plate group 12.

The plate 2" is first moved by the element 11" to the element 10', the speed of which at this time is twice as high as the feed frequency of the plates 2' and 2". Further, the plates 2' and 2" are spaced relative to each other by a distance corresponding to 1/2 the feed frequency. The transferring elements 10 and 10' are timed to operate at the same speed.

The plate group assembled as mentioned above is transferred into one of the cradles 14 on the wheel 13 disposed at the end of the transferring element 10. While the wheel 13 continues to rotate, a predetermined number of the plate groups 12 are stacked on the cradle and the plate group stack 16 for a single battery is then moved to the conveying means by the taking-out element 15 and is conveved to the next step. If the plate group 16 forms a strap or the like by a well know, method, the plate group for a storage batterv will be completed.

The above machine is able automatically to stack plate groups and can be used irrespective of the thickness of the separator and particularly even when the separator is very thin separator.

When the above described roll cutters 8 and 8' are used for the separator supplying means, slits for facilitating cutting-off of the separator can be made as described above and no special separate means are required to hold the separator until the separator is folded. Further, since there are two lines in which a separator is folded around the positive plate 2' or 2" then, even when the flow of one line stops temporarily in the separator sealing step, by adjusting the timing between the lines, and in relation to the flow of the line of the negative plates 2, plate groups can be assembled. Therefore, the machine is operable at a very high efficiency.

In a modified embodiment a suction type separator including, a suction cup may be used as an alternative means for separately feeding the plates from the hopper.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A machine for stacking groups of electrical storage battery plates of opposite polarity, comprising a plate separating means for feeding battery plates from a hopper one by one, a separator supplying means for wrapping separators around the delivered plates, a means for sealing the portions of each separator to form a bag containing the plate, a plate group assembling means for interspersing plates covered by a separator with an opposite polarity plate so as to form a plate group, assembling means for stacking a predetermined number of plate groups and a conveying means for conveying the plate group stacks to the next step, the said means being arranged for automatic operation in timed relation with each other.

2. A machine according to claim 1 having a device for stopping the machine when plate separating means fails to feed out a plate.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the separator supplying means has roll cutters with at least one for cutting-off a separator from a continuous supply of separator strip.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the sealing means comprises a pair of heating elements.

5. A machine according to claim 1 having at least two lines each including positive plate separating means, separator supplying means and separator sealing means are formed, and arranged to operate in parallel.

6. A machine for stacking groups of electrical storage battery plates, constructed and arranged substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. number of the plate groups 12 are stacked on the cradle and the plate group stack 16 for a single battery is then moved to the conveying means by the taking-out element 15 and is conveved to the next step. If the plate group 16 forms a strap or the like by a well know, method, the plate group for a storage batterv will be completed. The above machine is able automatically to stack plate groups and can be used irrespective of the thickness of the separator and particularly even when the separator is very thin separator. When the above described roll cutters 8 and 8' are used for the separator supplying means, slits for facilitating cutting-off of the separator can be made as described above and no special separate means are required to hold the separator until the separator is folded. Further, since there are two lines in which a separator is folded around the positive plate 2' or 2" then, even when the flow of one line stops temporarily in the separator sealing step, by adjusting the timing between the lines, and in relation to the flow of the line of the negative plates 2, plate groups can be assembled. Therefore, the machine is operable at a very high efficiency. In a modified embodiment a suction type separator including, a suction cup may be used as an alternative means for separately feeding the plates from the hopper. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A machine for stacking groups of electrical storage battery plates of opposite polarity, comprising a plate separating means for feeding battery plates from a hopper one by one, a separator supplying means for wrapping separators around the delivered plates, a means for sealing the portions of each separator to form a bag containing the plate, a plate group assembling means for interspersing plates covered by a separator with an opposite polarity plate so as to form a plate group, assembling means for stacking a predetermined number of plate groups and a conveying means for conveying the plate group stacks to the next step, the said means being arranged for automatic operation in timed relation with each other.