JPH04327357A - Apparatus for continuously casting grid body for lead battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To continuously produce the grid body by inclining an annular mold so as to make the advancing direction of mating mold low, making a longitudinal sub-machine perpendicular to the horizontal plane and forming the part for connecting the adjoining grid bodies only with the rail in vertical longitudinal direction and the main rail in upper and lower side directions. CONSTITUTION:The rectangular molds 1, 3 are fitted to pieces 2, 4 of chains and the annular molds A, B are formed and synchronously circulated in between sprokets 5, 5' and between sprokets 6, 6'. In a linear part 7 between the sprokets, the annular molds A, B are press-jointed to constitute the mating mold and also these are inclined at the angle theta to the horizontal plane so that the advancing direction of molds becomes low to prevent leakage of molten metal. As the adjoining molds are connected only with the upper and lower connecting grooves and vertical connecting groove, the molten metal in the mold is difficult to flow out from the adjoining mold. As the longitudinal sub- machine is vertical, running of the molten metal is good. The grid bodies can be continuously produced, and any alloy kinds can be used.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous casting apparatus for grid bodies for lead-acid batteries.

0002

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Grids for lead-acid batteries are generally manufactured by gravity casting or machining methods. The gravity casting method is a method in which molten metal is poured into a pair of mating molds called book molds in which the shape of a lattice body is engraved, thereby manufacturing a lattice body one by one in the shape shown in FIG. 8(A). This method has the drawback that the production efficiency of the grid is poor because the grid is produced in batches, and the process cannot be connected continuously with the paste filling process, which is a subsequent process.

[0003] For this reason, in recent years, a machining method has been adopted as a method for manufacturing grid bodies in place of the conventional gravity casting method. A typical example of this machining method is a method of manufacturing a lattice body using an expanding method. The lattice body manufactured by this method has the shape shown in Figure 8 (B), and the productivity of electrode plates has been significantly improved because it can be continuously connected to subsequent processes. There was a drawback.

[0004] First, in order to manufacture an expanded grid, a lead alloy base metal must be formed into a sheet by rolling or other methods. This lead alloy sheet is then processed into an expanded lattice using a developing machine, but very large-scale equipment is required to manufacture and expand the lead alloy sheet, and the lattice body that can be manufactured using this method is mainly made of lead. -It is limited to calcium alloys and is difficult to apply to lead-antimony alloys, which are commonly used in lead-acid batteries. A further fatal drawback is that the lattice body is extremely easy to stretch, as can be easily inferred from the lattice shape shown in FIG. 8(B). In particular, when an expanded lattice is used for the positive electrode plate, there is a drawback that the lattice stretches significantly during charging and discharging of the battery, causing the positive electrode plate to come into contact with the negative electrode strap, causing a short circuit, and shortening the life of the battery. Another drawback is that the electrical resistance of the lattice is large and the voltage characteristics of the battery are poor.

[0005] In order to solve these drawbacks, a continuous lattice manufacturing method using a casting method has been proposed. Various ideas have been made so far, but for example, according to U.S. Patent No. 4,349,067, a molten metal supply section called a shoe is brought into contact with a rotating drum in which the shape of a lattice is carved, and the drum An apparatus is described for continuously casting a lattice body by filling a mold groove formed between the shoe and the mold with molten metal. Although all the conventional proposals basically follow the above-mentioned method, they still have some drawbacks.

That is, since the shape of the grid body cast by this method is simply carved into the outer periphery of the drum, it has a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 7, and as expected from this shape, Compared to a lattice body made by gravity casting using a conventional mating mold having the cross-sectional shape shown in FIG. 6, there was a drawback that the filled paste easily fell off.

[0007] Furthermore, since the shoe which is the molten metal supply part is fixed, the drum rotates while sliding on the shoe, and a large number of cavities are formed on the shoe surface side of the manufactured lattice body. occurs, and especially when used as a positive electrode plate, corrosion of the lattice is significant, resulting in the drawback that a battery with good longevity performance cannot be obtained.

Furthermore, in the continuous casting method described above, it is difficult to cool the molten metal supplied to the mold.
b- Only lattice bodies of lead alloys with a relatively narrow solidification range, such as low Sb alloys, can be manufactured, and lattice bodies with large thicknesses cannot be manufactured.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As mentioned above, the conventional method of manufacturing grids for lead-acid batteries has poor manufacturing efficiency,
Even if the manufacturing efficiency was good, the properties of the lattice were poor. The problem to be solved by the present invention is how to overcome these conventional drawbacks and continuously and efficiently produce a lattice body with good characteristics.

0010

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a method in which a pair of molds in which a large number of strip-shaped molds are connected in an annular manner by a hinge mechanism are arranged to face each other so as to circulate synchronously. In a continuous casting device for a lattice body, in which a pair of mating molds are formed by constantly pressing the back side of the mold, the annular mold is tilted so that the direction of movement of the mating molds is lower. The vertical child bars of the lattice shape are perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the parts connecting adjacent lattice bodies are only the vertical bars that are perpendicular to the horizontal plane and the upper and lower horizontal master bars. By continuously supplying molten metal into this mold, it has become possible to continuously manufacture a lattice body having characteristics that can be cast using the conventional batch-type molding mold described above.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a plan view and a sectional view taken along the line DD of the main body of a continuous casting apparatus for a lead-acid battery grid according to the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a rectangular mold, on one plane of which a lattice shape is engraved. Its back side is one of the chains for connecting with the adjacent strip-shaped mold by means of a hinge mechanism.
A piece 2 is attached, which connects a large number of strip-shaped molds to form an annular mold A. 3 and 4 are also strip-shaped molds and chains of the same configuration, respectively.
It is a piece, and forms an annular mold B that is paired with an annular mold A. A pair of annular molds A and B are configured to circulate synchronously between a pair of sprockets 5, 5' and between a pair of sprockets 6, 6', respectively.

In the straight line section 7 between the pair of sprockets, the annular molds A and B are brought into pressure contact with each other to form a mating mold, and the annular mold is aligned in the direction of movement of the mold, as shown in the cross-sectional view DD. It is tilted at an angle of θ with respect to the horizontal plane so that the angle is low.

[0013] Here, the strip-shaped mold will be further explained with reference to FIG. 2, which shows a cross section taken along line C--C in FIG. It is. The upper ends of the lattice-shaped carved surfaces of the strip molds 1 and 3 are obliquely cut portions 10 and 11.
A V-shaped groove is formed when the pair of strip-shaped molds are pressed against each other. Reference numerals 12 and 13 indicate pin holes and pins for fixing the mating molds formed by the pair of strip-shaped molds 1 and 3 so that they do not shift.

There are pulleys 14, 14' and 15, 15' attached to U-shaped recesses on the left and right rear surfaces of the molds 1 and 3. 3 is an air cylinder 17 for pressing it
The movable plate 19 attached to the fixed plate 18 via the V-shaped rail 19' can be moved smoothly.

Reference numerals 2, 2' and 4, 4' are chains attached to the upper and lower sides of the rectangular molds 1 and 3, respectively, which connect a large number of rectangular molds. 2
0 is a device for heating the mold. The supply of molten metal is provided at the point where it enters the straight section 7 of the mold in FIG. However, if the molten metal supply port 12 is not positioned appropriately, there is a risk that the molten metal will flow in and leak before the pair of strip-shaped molds are brought together to form a mold, so care must be taken with the position of the molten metal supply port 12.

[0016] As mentioned above, the reason why the annular mold is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane is to prevent the molten metal flowing back from leaking from the gap in the strip-shaped mold immediately before forming the mating mold. By tilting the annular mold in this manner, the sprue can be placed more or less at the rear, and the apparatus itself can be made more compact.

FIG. 3(A) shows a front view of a lattice shape carved into one plane of the rectangular mold 1. Here, the vertical crosspiece 24
is arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The part 22 corresponding to the upper main bar in the horizontal direction of the lattice body and the carved part 21 on the upper part of the mold corresponding to the lower main bar are shown in FIG. 3(B).
As shown in the side view, it is designed to be able to communicate with the adjacent mold, and the other part 23 corresponds to the horizontal child bar.
The carved grooves of each mold are made independent so that they cannot communicate with adjacent molds. In addition, the grooves engraved in the vertical master bars of adjacent molds are grooves 25 perpendicular to the horizontal plane;
You can also contact me by dialing 26.

Next, an example will be described in which a continuous lattice of lead-antimony type was cast using the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention. First, the air cylinder 17 is activated to press the annular molds in the straight portions 7 of the annular molds A and B to form a mating mold, and then the drive device (not shown) connected to the sprocket 5 is activated. The chain meshes with the teeth and moves, and the strip-shaped mold connected to the chain moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1.

Next, heating device 2 installed on the back side of the mold
0 and when the mold temperature reaches around 150°C, apply a mold release agent to the mold surface. At this time, the temperature of the mold decreases, so the temperature rises again and the temperature of the mold reaches 160~170°C.
When the temperature reaches 450-480°C, the molten metal is injected into the V-shaped groove of the matching mold from the supply nozzle.

The molten metal fills the lattice-shaped carved grooves of each matching mold, and the flow of the molten metal at this time can be explained with reference to FIG. After filling the carved portion 21, the molten metal passes through a portion 25 corresponding to a vertical master bar and a portion 24 corresponding to a vertical slave bar, and sequentially spreads into the horizontal grooves 23 to cover the entire mold. If the grooves corresponding to the vertical crosspieces in the lattice shape are not perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the flow of hot water to the vertical crosspieces will be poor, and the hot water will easily spread to the horizontal grooves, resulting in Crosspiece breakage is more likely to occur.

Here, the adjacent mating molds are connected only by the upper and lower communication grooves 21, 22 and the communication grooves 25, 26 perpendicular to the horizontal plane, so the molten metal flowing into the mold flows into the adjacent mold. Since it is difficult to drain, the boiling water works well and the lattice bones will not be cut. If, as in the present invention, the number of communication grooves with adjacent molds is not limited and all horizontal lattice ribs 23 are provided so as to communicate with adjacent lattice bodies, an annular mold as shown in FIG. Since the molds are tilted, the molten metal that flows into one mold does not stay within the mold but flows downward. As a result, the boiling water becomes ineffective and the lattice bones break, making it impossible to produce a good continuous lattice. In addition, especially for large-sized grids, when increasing the number of connecting bars to adjacent grids in consideration of mechanical strength as a continuous grid, increasing the number of horizontal bars will prevent the molten metal from staying in the mold. It tends to flow downwards. The reason why the lattice shape provided in the rectangular mold in the present invention is made as shown in FIG. 3 is for the reason mentioned above.

Therefore, in the continuous lattice manufactured by the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The shape has a gap. The cast continuous grid is processed into the shape shown in FIG. 5, filled with lead acid battery paste, and cut into pieces one by one to form electrode plates.

[0023] As already mentioned, in the present invention, the annular mold is inclined so that the direction of movement is lower. This is to prevent the molten metal poured into the mold from flowing backwards and leaking from the gaps in the mold, and as a result of experiments, it has been found that the angle of inclination θ is preferably about 5° or more.

The cross-sectional shape of the lattice body cast by the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention is similar to that of the lattice body cast by gravity using the conventional book mold shown in FIG. Since one side is not flat like a lattice body, it not only has good paste filling properties and a plate with excellent vibration resistance, but also has no sliding parts, so no blowholes are formed, and it has good corrosion resistance. A continuous lattice was obtained.

[0025]

[Effects of the Invention] According to the continuous casting apparatus for grid bodies for lead-acid batteries according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (a) Since the grid can be manufactured continuously and efficiently, and the connection with subsequent processes can be made continuously, the electrode plate manufacturing process can be automated to a large extent. (b) There are no restrictions on the types of alloys that can be used, and lead-calcium or lead-antimony alloys can be cast, and lattice bodies of various thicknesses can be manufactured, from thin to thick. (c) In the present invention, the lattice body is manufactured continuously, but the same shape as the lattice body made by the conventional gravity casting method can be obtained, so there are no cavities, the corrosion resistance is good, and it can also be used as a positive electrode lattice. Shows excellent properties. (d) The cross-sectional shape of the lattice body manufactured by the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention is the same as that of the lattice body manufactured by the conventional gravity casting method, and the electrode plate filled with paste is less likely to cause the active material to fall off and has good vibration resistance. In good condition.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Fig. 1] A top view of the main body of a continuous casting apparatus for grid bodies for lead-acid batteries according to the present invention and a cross-sectional view taken along line DD of the main body.

[Figure 2] CC sectional view in Figure 1

[Figure 3] (A) Front view of rectangular mold (B) Side view of rectangular mold

[Fig. 4] Schematic diagram of a continuous lattice manufactured by the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention

[Fig. 5] Schematic diagram of a lattice obtained by processing a continuous lattice manufactured by the continuous casting apparatus of the present invention

[Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of a lattice crosspiece manufactured by conventional gravity casting method

[Fig. 7] Cross-sectional view of a continuous lattice crosspiece manufactured by a conventional continuous casting apparatus for lead-acid battery lattice bodies.

[Figure 8] (A) Schematic diagram of a lattice body produced by the conventional gravity casting method (B) Schematic diagram of a lattice body produced by the conventional expanding method

[Explanation of symbols]

1,3
Strip-shaped mold 2, 2', 4, 4' One piece of chain 5, 5', 6, 6'
Sprocket 14, 14', 15, 15' Pulley 16', 19' V-shaped rail 21, 22
Communication groove with adjacent annular mold

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A pair of molds A and B, in which a number of rectangular molds in which the shape of a lattice body is carved in one plane, are connected in an annular manner by a hinge mechanism, are connected to a pair of sprockets 5 and 5, respectively.
' and 6, 6' are arranged so as to circulate synchronously,
The structure is such that a pair of mating molds are formed by constantly pressing the back surfaces of a plurality of opposing strip-shaped molds in the straight portion between the sprockets, and the annular mold is inclined so that the direction of movement of the mating molds is lowered. The vertical crosspieces in the shape of a lattice body carved into one plane of the strip mold are perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the parts connecting adjacent lattice bodies are vertical crosspieces perpendicular to the horizontal plane. ,Up,
A continuous casting apparatus for a grid body for a lead battery, characterized by having only a lower horizontal main bar.