GB2193030A

GB2193030A - Apparatus for use in manufacture of electric accumulators

Info

Publication number: GB2193030A
Application number: GB08714926A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Timothy Hopwood; Lawrence Ernest Gardiner
Original assignee: T B S ENGINEERING
Current assignee: T B S ENGINEERING
Priority date: 1986-06-26
Filing date: 1987-06-25
Publication date: 1988-01-27
Also published as: GB8714926D0; GB8615630D0

Abstract

A machine for use in the manufacture of plates for accumulator batteries, comprising a rotary carrier 10 mounted for rotation on a vertical axis and having means for supporting groups of accumulator plates at spaced intervals, a plurality of stations at which operations are performed on said plates in succession, and indexing means for turning the carrier at intervals to move the plates from one said station to another. The carrier comprises a rotary table which can be turned through 90 DEG steps by a mechanically driven crank through a pneumatically operated latch. When the latch is disengaged the table is locked in position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for use in manufacture of electric accumulators This invention concerns automatic or semiautomatic apparatus for use in the manufacture of electric accumulators and particularly to the construction and assembly of groups of accumulator plates. Machines are known and in use for assembling accumulator plates in groups, usually with intermediate insulators or spacers, and for connecting the plates mechanically and electrically by means of "straps" which are formed by casting lead in situ so as to adhere to the lead plates. The invention is particularly though not exclusively concerned with machines of this type.

Machines are known for construction and assembly of groups of accumulator plates by means of a rotary carousel which also involves a lifting jack arranged to cause the whole carousel to rise and fall in addition to its pivotal movements. Existing machines of this kind suffer from a number of problems and disadvantages. In particular the overall weight of the moving parts of such a machine can be very great and corresponding difficulties arise in providing for rapid acceleration and deceleration, accurate positioning of the carousel at its different stations, and especially in accurate vertical positioning of the accumulator plates supported by the carousel during the casting process. This can be crucial.

It is also highly desirable that any machine of this type should be capable of handling a wide variety of different sizes and types of accumulator and should be effective and fast in operation for all accumulator sizes.

Broadly stated the invention consists in a machine for use in the manufacture of plates for accumulator batteries comprising a rotary carrier having means for supporting groups of accumulator plates at spaced intervals, a plurality of stations at which operations are performed on the plates in succession, and means for turning the carrier at intervals to move the plates from one station to another.

Preferably the drive means includes a rotary crank coupled by a pivoted connecting rod to an element which is connected or connectable to the carrier axis. The crank may be caused to turn or pivot by means of a rotary motor, gearbox or the like. In any case the resultant motion of the carrier is preferably a substantially smooth acceleration followed by a smooth deceleration.

According to another preferred feature of the invention the drive connection to the carrier is adjacent the horizontal plane of the carrier.

There may be a central vertical jack or lifting element for raising and lowering the carrier and preferably the lifting element is not directly connected to or influenced by the rotary drive mechanism. Preferably also the carrier is positively positioned angularly at the respective stations by engagement with stationary locating members. This is particularly effective if the rotary drive to the carrier is disconnected when the positive positioning is effective.

The machine also preferably includes lifting means for raising the accumulator plates free of the rotary carrier at one or more of the operating stations.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic front elevation of a machine according to the invention, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the side of the machine of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the rotary drive quadrant and latch used in the machine of Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic side elevation in section on an enlarged scale illustrating details of the central bearing and operating latch.

In this example the machine comprises a rotary table 10 in the form of a generally flat circular plate having at intervals around its periphery means, not illustrated, for supporting jigs carrying groups of disconnected accumulator plates. There are four spaced operating stations around the table namely a loading station, a fluxing station, a casting station, and an unloading station, the stations being at 900 intervals. The accumulator plates are mounted in rotary jigs or carriers which can be inverted so that the lugs on the plates project downwards and can thus be bonded to the casting straps in a casting mould.

The table 10 is supported centrally in a bearing 11 located between a rotary hub 12 and a cap 13 held down by a bolt 14 onto a vertical rod 15. The rod is prevented from rotating by means of a fixed key 16 engaging a keyway 17 in the rod. The lower end of the rod can be engaged by adjustable nuts 20 attached to the upper end of the piston rod 21 of a lifting ram 22. Thus the whole table 10 can be raised and lowered by the ram.

The table is turned by means of an oscillating quadrant 30 provided with a latch 31 pivoted to the quadrant on an axis 32 and attached to a crank lever 33 pivotally connected to a rod 34 actuated by an air cylinder 35.

Operation of the air cylinder causes the latch 31 to move upwards into the position indicated in dotted lines at 31a in Figure 4. The quadrant 30 is welded to a rotary guide sleeve 29 which freely surrounds a fixed cylinder 28 in turn surrounding the rod 15.

The table 10 is provided at 900 intervals around its underside with latch blocks 36 in pairs, each with an intervening gap into which the latch can fit. When the table 10 is raised to the position indicated at 10a in Figure 4 by means of the ram 22 operation of the air cylinder 35 will- cause the latch 31 to engage between one of the pairs of blocks 36 and when the air cylinder is operated in the reverse direction to lower the latch the connection with the blocks 36 is totally disconnected.

The quadrant 30 is caused to oscillate by a crank drive including a connecting rod 40 connected to the quadrant at one end through a ball joint 41 and connected at the other end through a ball joint 42 to a crank arm 43 attached to the central drive spindle 44 issuing from a gearbox 45. The gearbox is driven at a substantially constant speed by a belt drive 46 and a torque limiting clutch 47 from a pulley 48-driven by an electric or other motor. It will be seen that with a constant output speed of the motor and a constant speed of the drive shaft 44 the crank drive 43, 40 will produce approximately simple harmonic motion, that is to say a steady progressive acceleration and deceleration of the quadrant 30.

This movement is approximately 900 about the vertical axis 49 and after completing each 900 movement the latch 31 is automatically disconnected by the air cylinder 35 while the quadrant returns to its starting position, after which the latch is again engaged for the next 90 shift.

After each 900 shift the table is automati cally lowered by the central ram 22 and in the last part of this movement two or more fixed locating and supporting studs or pins 50 with tapered upper ends engage in bosses 51 carried by the table and thus accurately locate the table in the required angular position. The bosses 51 also then seat on shoulders 52 provided on the locating pins thereby carrying the weight of the table and the heavy accumulator plate groups and also accurately locating the table and the accumulator plates for the necessary operations. In particular at the casting station means are provided for raising the supporting jig clear of the table 10 and providing positive vertical support and thus very accurate positioning. This is achieved by means of a pair of vertically movable posts 55 which are cam actuated to lift and lower the accumulator jig, which is at other times supported in a pair of open-ended slots 56 formed in parts 57 attached to the table.

Claims

1. A machine for use in the manufacture of plates for accumulator batteries, comprising a rotary carrier having means for supporting groups of accumulator plates at spaced intervals, a plurality of stations at which operations are performed on the plates in succession, and means for turning the carrier at intervals to move the plates from one station to another.

2. A machine according to Claim 1, including a rotary crank coupled by a pivoted connecting rod to an element which is connected or connectable to the carrier and is displaced from the carrier axis.

3. A machine according to Claim 2, in which the crank is caused to turn or pivot by means of a rotary motor or gearbox.

4. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, in which the resultant motion of the carrier has a substantially smooth acceleration followed by a smooth deceleration.

5. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, in which the drive connection to the carrier is adjacent the horizontal plane of the carrier.

6. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, including a central vertical jack or lifting element for raising and lowering the carrier.

7. A machine according to Claim 6, in which the lifting element is not directly connected to or influenced by the rotary drive mechanism.

8. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, in which the carrier is positively positioned angularly at the respective stations by engagement with stationary locating members.

9. A machine according to Claim 8, in which the rotary drive to the carrier is disconnected when the positive positioning is effective.

10. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, including lifting means for raising the accumulator plates free of the rotary carrier at one or more of the operating stations.

11. A machine according to any of the preceding claims, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.