GB1572991A

GB1572991A - Apparatus for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid storage batteries

Info

Publication number: GB1572991A
Application number: GB24859/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: VARTA Batterie AG
Current assignee: VARTA Batterie AG
Priority date: 1977-07-20
Filing date: 1978-05-31
Publication date: 1980-08-13
Also published as: ATA258278A; DE2732767A1; SE7807851L; AT362002B; SE442359B; CH629915A5; DE2732767C2

Abstract

Unfilled small tube electrode plates (1) for lead-acid accumulators are positioned with their current-carrying lug (2) downwards in a filling cassette (13). The open small tube ends (6) are guided by intermediate layers (4) which consist of elastic material, for example rubber, and correspond to the small tube profile. These intermediate layers supply the compound, which is fed in via a filling funnel (5), to the individual small tubes in a controlled way. The filling cassette (13) is moved via a gantry track (10), by means of running gear (11), into a compartment which is provided with a suitable suction device. In this position, the filling material runs via a metering groove (12) to the cassette (13) and is shaken into the small tube plates for a predetermined time. Vibrators (14) are fitted for this purpose at the lower end of the filling cassette (13), which vibrators (14), driven by electric motors, produce centrifugal forces by means of rotating unbalanced means (15). Both vibrators (14), driven by electric motors, are aligned centrally to the vertical centre of gravity of the cassette (13) and are set with the same unbalanced means (15). The filling cassette is suspended centrally with respect to the vertical centre of gravity, on a plurality of soft springs (16), at the upper end of the cassette, in the vicinity of the inlet funnel. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) APPARATUS FOR FILLING TUBE-TYPE ELECTRODE PLATES FOR LEAD-ACID STORAGE BATTERIES (71) We VARTA BATTERIE AKTIENGE- SELLSCHAFT, a German company of 3000 Hannover 21, Am Leineufer 51, Federal Republic of Germany, 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 invention relates to apparatus for filling tube-type electrode plates for leadacid storage batteries by application of the vibration principle.

It is known to use shaking devices for filling tube-type electrode plates with a pulverulent active material. In these devices a filling cassette charged with tubetype plates is mounted on a vibrating table.

This method requires the table, the holding device and the cassette to be of elaborate constructions, since the cassette has to be moved from a position at which it is filled to a position at which the tube-type plates can be conveniently inserted and withdrawn and since in most cases, where highfrequency unbalanced drives are used, the system passes through the resonance region upon starting and deceleration the whole vibrating system thus vibrates at a high amplitude necessitating the provision of a stable receptacle for accommodation of the cassette. The vibrating table is mounted on resilient structural parts, springs or rubber buffers, the energy of vibration required for shaking the active material into the plates being transmitted through the table and through the holding device to the cass ette and is thus introduced into the tube type plate either electrically by an unbalanced or magnetic vibrator or mechan ically by an eccentric drive or by a tappet or ram drive.

As compared with the mass of the tube type plates to be filled, the mass which has to be accelerated and decelerated by the vibration is very considerable and only a fraction of the energy supplied is passed profitably to the tube-type plates. The energy is transmitted from the exciter to the tubetype plate and to the filling material only indirectly through a series of structural parts, such as the table, the holding device and the cassette which yield to vibration, a further fraction of the energy being absorbed by the structural parts as a result of work of deformation.

With the application of alternating stresses these deformations lead to fatigue fracture of the machine parts. Special welding seams and screw connections are incapable of enduring the substantial alternating forces generated by accelerations of from 100 to 200 mlsa at a frequency of 50 c/s required for filling a tube-type plate and are thus subject to fatigue after a very short period of operation.

Such damage has particularly serious consequences when it occurs in the holding device which requires a substantial expenditure for mechanical parts for clamp ing the cassette to the table or other support.

The absence of an absolutely rigid connection between the cassette and the table results in uncontrolable super-imposed frequencies and amplitude variations. Even the presence of the slightest play in the holding device results in looseness of the coupling between the cassette and the table.

The cassette rises above the table and then falls back to strike against the vibrating table with maximum acceleration. Under these conditions of operation the noise may be at a level of 120 db (A) and higher.

Only a small part of the energy is transmitted to the filling material and to the tube-type plate with the result that a very long period of time is required for shaking the material into the tube-type plate and for its compression.

The form of vibration of these devices is generally a vibration of uncontrolled direction, that is to say, the cassette vibrates also at right angles to the plane of the tubetype plates. This is not the optimum form of vibration for the feeding and compression of the material and faults in the filling of the tubes and substantial deviations of the weight of the material filled in the tubes thus occur frequently.

It is an object of the invention to provide a filling device by which the tube-type plates can be filled within the minimum of time and without the occurrence of faults, in which the weight of the filling remains constant throughout, in which low-noise operation involving the minimum of downtimes and outage times is ensured, and in which the masses to be accelerated are only small ensuring a satisfactory efficiency.

In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved in that the apparatus consists of a filling cassette which is adapted for the accommodation of tubetype electrode plates and is provided with a feed funnel or hopper and which, together with its vibration generator or drive is resiliently suspended.

A filling apparatus according to the invention is hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing which shows the apparatus in isometric projection. As shown in the drawing, unfilled tubetype electrode plates 1 are placed to stand in an upright position in a filling cassette 13 with their current-carrying lugs or bridge 2 at the bottom so as to rest loosely in a profiled support 3 matching the contours of the current-carrying lugs. The open ends 6 of the tubes pass through intermediate sections 4 made of an elastic material, for example rubber, and having recesses in their sides matching the shape of the tubes.

The active mass with which the tubes are to be filled is supplied through a hopper 5 and is fed toi the open ends 6 of the individual tubes of the plates 1 in a controlled manner.

When mounted in the cassette as shown in the drawing, the tube-type plates 1 and the intermediate sections 4 alternate in succession side-by-side. The cassette is then conveniently in a slightly inclined position.

It is basically possible for any number of tube-type plates to be inserted in the cassette. The cover 8 of the hopper is secured to the end one 7 of the intermediate sections 4. The sub-assembly of sections and tubes is held in position by a clamp 9.

In order to protect the operating personnel against dust, the cassette is movable by a roller carriage 11 running on a craneway 10 so that the cassette may be moved into a cabin which is equipped with a suitable suction dust extractor device. At this position, the filling material runs over a metering chute 12 to the hopper 5 of the cassette 13 to be shaken into the tube-type plates over a predetermined period of time.

Preferably two commercially available, electric-motor driven vibrators 14 comprising rotating flyweights 15 to generate centrifugal forces are provided at the lower end of the filling cassette 13 which comprises a frame of rectangular-section tubes and is thus of a light, torsion and vibrationresistant construction, the vibrators being rigidly secured to the frame. The two vibrators 14 are symmetrical with the vertical plane passing through the centre of gravity of the cassette 13 and are adjustable by the similar flyweights 15. The two vibrators rotate in opposite directions. The two vibrators, which are synchronised upon starting, operate exclusively in the vertical direction, since the centrifugal forces add up in that direction, whereas the centrifugal forces operating in the horizontal cancel each other out.

It will be understood that the vibration generator may consist of a single unbalanced motor instead of consisting of two unbalanced motors rigidly secured to the lower end of the frame of the cassette and rotating in opposite directions. The single unbalanced motor will then have to be secured to the lower end of the frame of the cassette by a hinged joint so that it may perform the function of an oscillating or pendulum vibrator by which only the forces acting in the vertical direction are transmitted to the cassette.

At its upper end close to the feed hopper the filling cassette is suspended from a plurality of resiliently yielding springs 16 acting in the vertical plane containing the centre of gravity of the cassette, the springs being supported by the roller carriage 11.

When the vibrators are started, the cassette vibrates with directed vibration and straight-line motion without the need of additional guides.

In selecting the springs 16 it is advantageous for the springs to have a flat characteristic so that it may be ensured that upon vibration of the cassette at an amplitude of about 1 mm only a small force constitutes the alternating load passed into the suspension structure and the building and the operating personnel are thus protected against harmful vibrations.

Furthermore, the springs should be subject to the minimum of inherent damping.

During the filling operation the form of vibration of the cassette is a directioncontrolled sine-wave vibration with substantially equal accelerations in both vertical directions. If the tube-type plates were connected rigidly to the cassette, the filling material in the plates would be compressed during the upward movement and partially loosened up again during the downward movement. It is a particular advantage that for obtaining optimum filling results the plates are held only loosely in position and thus capable of moving freely vertically in the intermediate sections 4 and support 3.

There thus occurs a knocking effect due to the fact that the tube-type plates rise initially above the support 3 which is subject to sine-wave vibration and their current-carrying lugs 2 subsequently strike hard against the support. A loosening up of the filling material is thereby prevented and the filling material in the tubes is compressed within the minimum of time without the occurrence of defects.

In practice, the shaking apparatus according to the invention permits the filling time to be reduced to 70% of the time required by conventional shaking devices.

The smallness of the accelerated masses and the resiliently yielding free suspension of the system vibrating with directionallycontrolled vibration permit the noise level in the workshop to be kept down to a level below 85 db(A) and to reduce downtimes of the shaking machine to a minimum.

Without necessarily limiting the scope of the invention claimed, preferred embodiments of the invention may be summarised as follows: 1. Apparatus for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid storage batteries according to the vibration principle, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a filling cassette (13) adapted for the accommodation of tube-type electrode plates (1) and provided with a feed hopper (5), the cassette together with its vibration generator or drive being resiliently suspended.

2. Apparatus according to Summary 1, characterised in that the vibration generator comprises two unbalanced motors (14) which are rigidly secured to the lower frame of the cassette (13) and rotate in opposite directions.

3. Apparatus according to Summary 1, characterised in that the vibration generator is an unbalanced motor hinged to a joint below the frame of the cassette.

4. Apparatus according to any one of Summaries 1 to 3, characterised in that the cassette together with its vibration generator is suspended from springs (16).

5. Apparatus according to Summary 4, characterised in that the tube-type electrode plates in the cassette (13) rest on a profiled support (3), their open upper ends being held in position by intermediate sections (4) and a clamping device (8, 9).

6. Apparatus according to Summary 5, characterised in that the intermediate sections (4) are made of an elastic material.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. Apparatus, for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid batteries by means of a vibrating action, comprising a cassette adapted for accommodating one or more tube-type electrode plates and provided with a feed hopper for receiving the material with which the tubes are to be filled, at least one vibration generator or drive for vibrating the cassette and means resiliently suspending the cassette and the vibration generator or drive.

2. Apparatus, according to Claim 1, comprising two vibration generators constituted by a pair of unbalanced motors which rotate in opposite directions and are rigidly secured to the lower end of a frame of the cassette.

3. Apparatus, according to Claim 1, comprising a single vibration generator constituted by an unbalanced motor connected by a hinged joint to the lower end of a frame of the cassette.

4. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the resilient suspension means are constituted by springs.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the cassette comprises a profiled support for supporting the lower ends of the electrode plates intermediate sections for locating the upper, open ends of the electrode tubes, and a clamping device for retaining the plates in the cassette.

6. Apparatus, according to any preceding claim, in which the resilient suspension means are supported by a carriage movable along a track.

7. Apparatus, for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid batteries substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawing.

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

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. material in the plates would be compressed during the upward movement and partially loosened up again during the downward movement. It is a particular advantage that for obtaining optimum filling results the plates are held only loosely in position and thus capable of moving freely vertically in the intermediate sections 4 and support 3. There thus occurs a knocking effect due to the fact that the tube-type plates rise initially above the support 3 which is subject to sine-wave vibration and their current-carrying lugs 2 subsequently strike hard against the support. A loosening up of the filling material is thereby prevented and the filling material in the tubes is compressed within the minimum of time without the occurrence of defects. In practice, the shaking apparatus according to the invention permits the filling time to be reduced to 70% of the time required by conventional shaking devices. The smallness of the accelerated masses and the resiliently yielding free suspension of the system vibrating with directionallycontrolled vibration permit the noise level in the workshop to be kept down to a level below 85 db(A) and to reduce downtimes of the shaking machine to a minimum. Without necessarily limiting the scope of the invention claimed, preferred embodiments of the invention may be summarised as follows: 1. Apparatus for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid storage batteries according to the vibration principle, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a filling cassette (13) adapted for the accommodation of tube-type electrode plates (1) and provided with a feed hopper (5), the cassette together with its vibration generator or drive being resiliently suspended. 2. Apparatus according to Summary 1, characterised in that the vibration generator comprises two unbalanced motors (14) which are rigidly secured to the lower frame of the cassette (13) and rotate in opposite directions. 3. Apparatus according to Summary 1, characterised in that the vibration generator is an unbalanced motor hinged to a joint below the frame of the cassette. 4. Apparatus according to any one of Summaries 1 to 3, characterised in that the cassette together with its vibration generator is suspended from springs (16). 5. Apparatus according to Summary 4, characterised in that the tube-type electrode plates in the cassette (13) rest on a profiled support (3), their open upper ends being held in position by intermediate sections (4) and a clamping device (8, 9). 6. Apparatus according to Summary 5, characterised in that the intermediate sections (4) are made of an elastic material. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. Apparatus, for filling tube-type electrode plates for lead-acid batteries by means of a vibrating action, comprising a cassette adapted for accommodating one or more tube-type electrode plates and provided with a feed hopper for receiving the material with which the tubes are to be filled, at least one vibration generator or drive for vibrating the cassette and means resiliently suspending the cassette and the vibration generator or drive.