MXPA98007750A - Plate for storage battery of lead and apparatus for the manufacture of the mi - Google Patents

Abstract

The apparatus comprises a crosslinking machine (39) for simultaneously producing the sheet metal sheet (2) at a plurality of slots (67) placed in a continuous zigzag array extending in the longitudinal direction thereof ( 40) to extend in the lateral direction of metal foil (2) in which the grooves (67) have been formed in order to produce a mesh configuration, in the form of a pellet. The expansion machine (40) comprises two conveyor elements, endless (44) placed on the two lateral edges of the metal sheet (2), carrier members (47), a plurality of which are provided in an arrangement equally separated from the worm conveyors (44), and a centered guide member (91) for transporting the metal sheet (2) while guiding the central transverse portion such that it is biased aside in the thickness direction in the metal sheet (2). The carrier members (47) hold the side edges of the metal sheet (2) in which the slots (67) have been formed, thus extending the metal sheet (2) while being transported by the conveyor elements, endless ( 4

Description

PLATE FOR LEAD AND APPARATUS STORAGE BATTERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME The present invention relates to a plate for lead storage batteries that is manufactured using a core material of extended material having a cross-linked configuration in the form of a pellet produced from a metal sheet grooved by the expansion thereof into the core. direction that extends perpendicular to the grooves, and the packing of the active material in the cells of the core material, as well as to an apparatus for the manufacture of this plate. The plates for the lead storage batteries ordinarily consist of an active material packed in the mesh of a cross-linked core material. Since manufacturing through molds offers few potential advantages in terms of improved productivity, these core materials are manufactured using expansion methods in which a sheet of lead or other metal is spread. These methods make continuous fabrication possible. The advantages of the expansion methods are the ability to use materials with poor molding capacity and the REF .: 28166 ability to manufacture thin layers. The methods of expansion include the reciprocal process and the rotary process. The reciprocal process comprises a series process for intermittently feeding a metal sheet to a cutting die as the cutting die is subjected to reciprocal, vertical movement in a press in order to form the grooves, followed by the expansion of the mesh. However, this method is susceptible to changes in the dimension of the metal sheet that can have an adverse effect on the final dimensions, and therefore, it is not possible to produce a fine mesh with uniform cells. Additional disadvantages are limited production speed and the need for large-scale equipment. In contrast, in the rotary process, the metal sheet is processed by feeding it between a pair of continuously rotated processing rollers provided with disc-shaped cutters, which thus gives improvements in productivity. The manufacture of core materials subjected to expansion by the rotary method using the production apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application No. 55-61332, Japanese Patent Application No. 56-7357, and other known. The production apparatus has a constitution similar to that shown in Figure 12. A metal sheet 2 in the form of a strip wound on a reel 1 is automatically extracted from the reel 1 and distributed to a crosslinking machine 3. At the entrance to the crosslinking machine 3 there is provided a free-turning roller 4 having two flanged portions 7 (left and right) placed at a preset distance corresponding to the width of the metal sheet 2. This serves to place the sheet metal 2 that enters the lateral direction. In this way, the metal sheet 2 is placed in the lateral direction and is distributed, properly placed, to the crosslinking machine 3. The metal sheet 2 is passed through a pair of forming rollers 8 provided to the crosslinking machine 3. and is thus provided with peaks and valleys extending in the thickness direction thereof (see Figure 5), while at the same time creating a plurality of grooves 9 extending in the forward direction. Once the metal sheet two of the strip shape has been provided with the few and valleys and with the slot 9 by the crosslinking machine 3, then it is continuously withdrawn in the lateral direction by an expansion machine 10, extending from This mode the slot portions 9 in the cells 11 in the form of a chip to produce a cross-shaped configuration in the form of a chip. The metal sheet 2, crosslinked, in the form of a tablet, is then passed through a pair (upper and lower) of press rolls 13 provided to the press machine 12., thus flattening any twisting, forming, bending, or protrusions produced during the crosslinking and expansion process, giving a continuous, continuous, metal sheet 14 of strip form. This extended strip sheet 14 is cut to the preset dimensions and shape to produce core materials for the plates of the lead storage battery. As shown in the schematic perspective view, given in Figure 13, the expansion machine 10 comprises two lateral drive mechanisms 17 that open to each other in the forward direction in F from the locations in the vicinity of the two edges. side of the metal sheet 2 that leaves the crosslinking machine 3 and that transports the metal sheet 2 while pulling its two lateral edges outwards, and a central drive mechanism 18, which transports the metal sheet 2 while guiding the central portion (in the lateral direction) thereof in the forward direction F. Each of the conveyor mechanisms 17 and 18 is provided with a pair of chain members 19 (upper and lower); the metal sheet 2 is transported while being retained from above and below between these pairs of chain members 19. The chain members 19 are driven around at constant speed in a synchronized manner by a connecting shaft 20. Using the designs such as those shown in Figure 14A and Figure 14B, the lateral drive mechanisms 17 and the central drive mechanism 18, engage the metal sheet 2 in order to transport it. Specifically, as it passes through the crosslinking machine 3, the metal machine 2 is provided with coupling lugs 21 placed on both side edges and with a coupling lug 22 located in its central portion. The chain members 9 of the transporting mechanisms 17 and 18 comprise, for example, triplets of ordinary chains linked together. In the lateral drive mechanisms 17, the coupling lugs 21 are retained between two adjacent chain links (left and right), in the upper chain member 19, with the metal foil 2 which is held from above and below between the pair of chain members 19, so that the metal sheet 2 is held at its edges. The upper and lower chain members are held by the chain guides 23, with the upper chain guide 23 being energized downward by a compression spring 24, forcing the two chain members 19 together, so that the pressure is applied to tighten the metal sheet 2. The chain members 19, upper and lower, conveyed by means of the chain guide supports 27, which support or hold the chain guides 23, advance to open relative to each other in the direction forward F from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet 2 as it leaves the crosslinking machine 3.

In the central drive mechanism 18, the coupling projection 22 is retained between two adjacent chain links located in the upper chain member 19, with the upper chain members 19 and inferring that it retains the metal sheet 2 through. the chain guides 28 that support it. The central drive mechanism 18 prevents the central portion of the metal sheet 2 from moving in any direction as it is pulled outwardly by the two lateral drive mechanisms 17, transporting the sheet while guiding it in the forward direction F. Without However, the production apparatus described above has several disadvantages. As is clearly evident from FIG. 13, the chain members 19 of the lateral drive mechanisms 17 and the central drive mechanism 18 are all driven at the same travel speed by the connecting shaft 20; however, the lateral drive mechanisms 17 travel diagonally outward with respect to the forward direction F, with the result that slip occurs in the central area of the metal sheet 2 as it is transported by the central drive mechanism 18. Accordingly, the metal sheet 2 is moved in such a way that its two lateral edges are transported faster than the central portion that is in the same plane. With reference to Figure 15, L0 < L3 = L4, as indicated by the alternative long lines and two discontinuous lines certains, so the expansion is not uniform between the central portion and the sides, resulting in wrinkles in the central portion. Consequently, the cells of the extended sheet do not open uniformly, resulting in a cross-shaped configuration in the form of a tablet in which the nodes connecting the cells are misplaced. The areas in which the openings in the metal sheet are larger than necessary are twisted and extended, so that the material is used as a lead storage cell plate, the mesh of the cell it quickly experiences discontinuities due to corrosion, as well as the active material that has been packed in the cells fails. This results in shortened battery life. Additionally, the lateral drive mechanisms 17 are designed to hold the sides of the metal foil 2 and pull it outwardly by means of the chain members 19 / however, there are separations between the pegs and the links of the members of the ch Na 19, and the separations are also present between the chain guides 23 and the chain members 19, there are limits as to the accuracy of the placement with respect to the chain members 19. There is also a problem of wear. In this way, the chain members 19 are not capable of exactly holding the metal sheet 2 without vibrating in order to transport it. This phenomenon also contributes to the deviation in the aperture size when the metal sheet '2 extends, making it even more difficult to produce a high quality core material. As pointed out with reference to Figure 15, the chain members 19 of the mechanisms 19 of the lateral drive mechanisms 17 are pushed diagonally far in the forward direction F, and are thus subjected to a high bending load of so often happens. a broken link due to fatigue. It is necessary for this to replace the chain members 19, which contributes to lower productivity.

An object of this invention is to solve the problems described above by providing a high quality plate for lead storage batteries that exhibits minimal deviation in the morphology and arrangement of the cell in tablet form, as well as a manufacturing apparatus capable of producing This high quality plate for lead storage battery. In order to achieve the objective indicated above, the present invention provides a plate for storage battery of lead comprising an expanded cross-linked core material, produced by grooving in the longitudinal direction a metal sheet consisting of lead or a lead alloy, followed by an expansion process, in which it extends or expands in an expansion direction extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, this core material being filled with an active material, wherein the core material has a mesh configuration in the form of a pellet comprising substantially tablet-shaped cells defined by four linear mesh bars and connected by nodes placed in a zigzag manner, and has a configuration such that the deviation in length of the diagonals of the tablet cells in that expansion direction does not exceeds 2% with respect to a normal value, and any plurality of nodes placed along a line given that they extend in the direction of expansion lying between a deviation interval of 1.3 mm or less any side of a reference line extending in the direction of expansion. This lead storage battery plate comprises a core material with a pellet-shaped mesh configuration that exhibits virtually no deviation in the morphology of the cells and arrangement of the nodes and whose cells do not include cells having openings that are greater than necessary, thereby virtually eliminating the areas of torsion and extension. Consequently, the mesh does not experience almost at the beginning, discontinuities due to corrosion of the active material that has been packed in cells are retained therein for extended periods, thus giving a reliable life to the lead storage battery. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries corresponding to one aspect of the present invention comprises a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a metal sheet of strip form consisting of lead or lead alloy, while that a plurality of grooves, placed in a continuous and zigzag array, extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, are produced therein by means of the hands a pair of processing roller equipped with two disc-shaped cutters , and to simultaneously produce in the metallic sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for extending or expanding the slotted sheet in the lateral direction to produce a mesh configuration. in the form of a pill; wherein the expansion machine comprises two endless conveyor elements which are placed opening to each other in the forward direction from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet exiting the crosslinking machine, and which drive forward by a source of drive; and cutter members, a plurality of which are provided in an arrangement equally spaced apart from each of the endless conveyor elements, to serially fasten the coupling projections located on the two edges of the grooved metal sheet in order to extend the metallic sheet in accordance with it is transported by the endless conveyor elements, releasing its hold once the expansion has been completed. According to this apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, the coupling projections located on the two edges of the metal sheet are held by carrier members provided to the endless conveyor elements in order to extend the metal sheet in the lateral direction . Compared to the prior art expansion method, in which the metal sheet is extended while being engaged by chain members, the retention in the metal sheet is more reliable, thus allowing the exact expansion of the metal sheet. The design of the carrying members of the invention described herein can comprise a structure element secured to the endless conveyor element, joins the carrying element, stationary placed on the edge of the structure element, a carrying element, mobile, linked in a rotatable manner with respect to this movable carrier element, for coupling a cam extending along the path of the carrier element in order to operate the movable carrier element, rotating it with respect to the carrier element, stationary. With this design, it is necessary to use high-strength, hard metal, only for stationary carrying elements, and movable holding elements, which directly hold the metal sheet thereby providing reliable clamping of the metal sheet by means of a cheap design, ensuring a reliable life of the equipment, and avoiding decreased productivity due to the need for frequent replacement of the components due to breakage and the like. In preferred practice, the stationary carrying member of the carrying member of this invention is provided with a positioning projection for contacting the lateral edge of the metal sheet while the movable carrying element is provided with a coupling depression for receiving and retaining the coupling projections that are provided to the metal sheet in the vicinity of the side edges thereof. With this design, the depth of the bite of the carrying members located on the edges of the metal sheet is maintained exactly by the positioning projections, and the carrying members hold the metal sheet with the coupling projections thereon placed in firm contact with the inner surface of the coupling depression of the carrying element, movable. Accordingly, the edges of the metal sheet can be held by the carrier members without vibration and the holding margin of the metal sheet by the carrying members can be reduced to the maximum possible degree, thus reducing the area to be cut afterwards. to finish the expansion process-, reducing material loss. In the invention described herein, there is provided along the track or track of the carrier member, an aperture prevention guide plate for coupling the cam pusher of the carrier member to a position opposite to the location thereof by engaging the cam, thereby preventing the movable carrier element from moving away from the stationary carrying member in the direction of release, the location of the opening prevention guide plate which determines the clamped force exerted on the metal plate by the two members of portation. With this design, the stationary carrying element is prevented from re-entering into the open direction, and the edge of the metal sheet is securely held by the two carrying elements, preventing it from coming out. By selecting the thickness of the opening prevention guide plate with reference to the thickness of the metal sheet, the appropriate level of clamping force of the metal sheet by the two carrying elements can be achieved, thus avoiding damage to the sheet metal due to excessive clamping force and preventing the occurrence of kinks during expansion. The apparatus for manufacturing the lead storage battery plates that relates to a further aspect of the present invention comprises a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a strip-shaped metal foil consisting of lead or a lead alloy while that a plurality of grooves, placed in a continuous and zigzag array, extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal foil, is produced therein by means of a pair of processing rollers equipped with disc-shaped cutters, and to simultaneously produce the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and the coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for pulling the two lateral edges of the grooved metal sheet outwardly while conveying it in the forward direction to effect expansion thereof, producing a pellet-shaped mesh configuration in the metal foil; wherein the expansion machine comprises a central guiding member for transporting the metal sheet while gradually guiding the transverse central portion thereof along a straight line route that is deflected to one side in the direction of the thickness of the sheet metallic According to this apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, according to the two edges of the metal sheet being transported while they are pushed out respectively within the same horizontal plane, the central portion of the metal sheet is transported while it is being transported. deflects either up or down. By establishing the deflection angle by the upward inclination or the downward inclination of the central guiding element, such that the distance over which the metal foil is transported in the forward direction per unit of time is substantially equal to the distance over the As the sides of the metal sheet are transported outwards, it becomes possible to transport the sheet by the same instance onto the composite lateral extension thereof so that the metal sheet becomes evenly spread over the lateral extension. complete of it. Accordingly, the metal sheet does not undergo kinks in the central portion thereof, allowing it to extend in a cross-shaped configuration in the form of a tablet having cells with uniform openings. In addition, since the metal sheet is transported at the same speed over the full lateral extension thereof, the carrier elements are held only to force pulling in the lateral direction, ensuring long life. In accordance with the inventions described above, the expansion machine comprises lateral drive mechanisms for transporting the metal sheet while pulling the side edges thereof respectively outwardly, and a central drive mechanism for transporting the transverse central portion of the sheet metal while the forward directional guide, the central drive mechanism and the lateral drive mechanisms are propelled forward by separate sources of drive, and the central drive mechanism is transported at a speed rate faster than lateral drive mechanisms. With this design, the speed at which the central drive mechanism is driven by the drive source can be adjusted appropriately to allow adjustment or tuning such that the distance over which the metal sheet is transported in the forward direction by unit of time is substantially equal to the distance over which the sides of the metal sheet are transported outwards, thus giving a high quality core material. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries which relates to a still further aspect of the present invention comprises a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a strip-shaped metal sheet consisting of lead or a lead alloy. while they produce a plurality of slots placed in a continuous and zigzag arrangement, extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, by means of at least a pair of processing rollers equipped with disk-shaped cutters, and to simultaneously produce the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion and the coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for extending or expanding the slotted sheet in the lateral direction to produce a mesh configuration in the form of; wherein the expansion mesh comprises two endless conveyor elements and are placed opening to each other in the forward direction from the locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet exiting the crosslinking machine, and which are propelled towards forward by a source of impulsion; carrier members, a plurality of which is provided in an arrangement equally spaced apart from each of the endless conveyor elements, to serially fasten the coupling projections located on the two edges of the grooved metal sheet in order to extend or expand the metal sheet as it is transported by the endless conveyor elements, releasing its hold once the expansion has been completed; and a central guide member for transporting the metal sheet while gradually guiding the transverse central portion thereof along a straight line path that is biased to one side in the thickness direction of the metal sheet. According to this apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, the coupling projections located on the two edges of the metal sheet are held by carrier members, ensuring reliable retention of the metal sheet, while the presence of the member The central guide allows the metal sheet to be transported at the same speed in the forward direction over the full lateral extension thereof so that the metallic sheet extends evenly over the full lateral extension thereof, thus giving a core material for plates of extremely high quality lead storage material that exhibits the uniform opening of cells and that is free of misplaced nodes. Since the metal sheet is transported at the same speed in the forward direction over the full lateral extension thereof, the carrier members are subjected only to the pushing force in the lateral direction, ensuring long life. The manufacturing apparatus is not limited to the manufacture of core materials for lead storage battery plates, it can be used in the manufacture of other expanded mesh sheets, such as a batten mesh. These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic pective view showing the main elements of a lead storage battery plate manufacturing apparatus corresponding to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a side view, partially enlarged of the pair of processing rollers in the apparatus; Figure 3 is a partially enlarged front view of the pair of processing rollers in the crosslinking machine; Figure 4A is a plan view and Figure 4B is a longitudinal section, respectively representing portions of a metal sheet processed by the crosslinking machine; Figure 5 is a pective view of the metal sheet; Figure 6 is a partially enlarged section of Figure 6; Figure 7 is a pective view of a lateral drive mechanism in the apparatus expansion machine with the main elements shown in the separate view; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section showing the central, lateral drive mechanism in the apparatus expansion machine; Figure 9A and 9B illustrate the operation of a lateral drive mechanism in the expansion machine 9A, which is a separate, front view of the mechanism just prior to fastening the metal foil and 9B which is a separate, front view of the mechanism that holds the metal sheet; Figure 10 is a plan view of a core material for a lead storage battery plate of the present invention, produced by the apparatus; Figure 11 is a plan view of a lead storage battery plate corresponding to one embodiment of the present invention, constructed using the core material; Figure 12 is a pective view of a conventional processing apparatus for lead storage battery plates; Figure 13 is a pective, schematic view of the expansion machine in the apparatus; Figure 14A and 14B show the metal sheet held by the expansion machine, 14A which is a longitudinal section of a lateral drive mechanism and 14B which is a longitudinal section of the central drive mechanism; and Figure 15 is an illustrative diagram showing the expansion of a metal sheet by the expansion machine; Preferred embodiments of the present invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 10 is a plan view of a core material 29 for use in a lead storage battery plate that corresponds to one embodiment of the present invention. This core material 29 has a tablet-like mesh configuration comprising cells 31 in substantially tablet form defined by four linear 30 mesh bars and connected by nodes 33 placed in a zigzag manner between the located 32 structure bars Anywhere. One of the structure bars 32 (the upper part in the drawing) is provided with a collector element 34 formed previously with it. The morphology of the core material 29 is such that the deviation of the length, d, of the diagonals of the chip cells 31 in the expansion direction (the vertical direction in the drawing) does not exceed 2% with respect to a normal value, at any priority of nodes 33 that are along a given line extending in the direction of expansion lying between a deviation interval of 1.3 mm less on either side of a reference line, RL, extending to the expansion direction. Figure 11 shows lead storage battery plate 38 produced by packing an active material 37 in the cells 31 of the core material 29. This plate 38 is produced from the core material 29, which is virtually free of deviations in the morphology of cell 31 and placement of node 33. Since the openings of cell 31 are substantially uniform, none of the openings are larger than necessary, i.e., essentially there are no areas that have been subjected to twisting and have come to extend; in this way, the mesh 30 does not experience almost at the beginning of discontinuities due to twisting, and the active material 37 that has been packed in the cells 31 is retained thereon for extended periods, thereby giving a reliable life to the Lead storage battery. 2 Figure 1 is a schematic, perspective view, showing the major elements of a lead storage battery plate manufacturing apparatus corresponding to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be used to manufacture the core material. for plate 38 of lead storage battery. With reference to the drawing, this manufacturing apparatus comprises a freewheeling roller and roller similar to those discussed with reference to Figure 12, a crosslinking machine 39 comprising a pair of processing rollers 41, an expansion machine 40, and a press machine 12 comprising a pair of press rollers 13. The crosslinking machine 39 is capable of transporting a longitudinal direction of a strip-shaped metal foil 2 consisting of lead to a lead alloy while producing therein a plurality of slots, placed in a zigzag continuous array extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal strip 2, by means of a pair of processing rolls 41, and will be described in detail below. The expansion machine 40 is used to expand or extend the metal sheet 2 grooved in the lateral direction to produce a cross-shaped configuration in the form of a chip, and comprises two lateral drive mechanisms 42, to pull the side edges of the sheet outwardly respectively. metal 2 and a central drive mechanism 43 for transporting the metal sheet 2 while guiding the central portion (in the lateral direction) thereof in the forward direction F. The lateral drive mechanisms 42 comprise conveyor elements 44, endless, of forward drive positioned open to each other in the forward direction F from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet 2 exiting the crosslinking machine 39, and the carrier members 47, a plurality of which are they provide in an equally separate arrangement each of the conveyor elements 44, sinf in. The carrier elements 47 hold in a serial manner coupling projections (described below) that are located on the two edges of the. metal sheet 2 in order to extend the metal sheet as it is transported by the endless conveyor elements 44, releasing its hold once the expansion has been completed. The bearer members 47 will be discussed in detail later. The endless conveyor elements 44 of the lateral drive mechanisms 42 are suspended in drive wheels 48 and driven wheels 49, the rotation of a motor 50 which serves as the individual drive source which is transmitted to these through belts 51 and 52, a reverse conversion mechanism 95, and a passive wheel 53 in a manner such that the elements are driven in a synchronized manner. The central drive mechanism 42 is provided with a conveyor chain 54, positioned below the metal sheet 2, which is deflected upward in the forward direction F to tilt upwardly in opposition to the central portion of the metal sheet, the conveyor chain 54 which is driven through the transmission of the rotational movement of a motor 57 which serves as the driving source. The rotational speeds of the two motors 50 and 57 ^ are adjusted so that the central drive mechanism 43 is driven forward at a faster speed than the lateral drive mechanisms 42. The central drive mechanism 43 will be described in detail later herein. First, the crosslinking machine 39 will be discussed in greater detail. A partially enlarged side view of the crosslinking machine 39 is given in Figure 2; a partially enlarged front view of the crosslinking machine 39 is given in Figure 3. With reference to Figure 3, the pair of processing roller, 41, upper and lower which constitute the crosslinking machine 39 comprise cutters 58 in the form of disc and spacers 59 in the form of smaller diameter disc, arranged in an alternating manner fixed to a rotary shaft 60. Accordingly, the disk-shaped cutters 58 are placed at regular intervals corresponding to the thickness of the separators 59. With reference to FIG. 2, the cutters 58 in the form of The disc is provided with protrusions 61 in the form of a crystal to produce the linear mesh bars 30 and depressions 60 to produce the nodes 33, these elements being placed around the edge at a pre-established spacing. The following design is well known and is thus not represented in the drawings. The depressions 62 take the form of depressed grooves provided on one side of each of the flat segments located between the adjacent projections 61, these depressions 62 occurring alternately on the left side and the right side of the edge in the circumferential direction . The two edges of each projection 61 and the edges on these sides of the flat segments that do not have the depressions 62 are provided with blade segments (not shown) for the purpose of cutting the metal sheet 2. Returning now to the processing rollers 41, the disk-shaped cutters 58 are placed with the projections 61 located on the lines running parallel to the rotating shaft 60, with the depressions 62 of the adjacent disc-shaped cutters 58, positioned in opposition. The two processing rollers 41 are positioned in the position in such a way that when the depressions 62 are placed on a line connecting the two centers of rotation, the blade segments of the disk-shaped cutters 58 in one of the processing rollers 41 engage with the blade segments of the disk-shaped cutters 58 in the other processing roller 41, so that the metal sheet is cut between the two. As the two processing rollers 41 rotate in a synchronized manner in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figure 2, the intersubjecting force thereof simultaneously produces in the metal sheet 2 serial slots and peaks / placed at equal spacings as it is being The sheet metal 2 is transported. A metal sheet 2 which has been processed by the crosslinking machine 39 is shown in Figures 4 to 6. Figure 4a is a plan view, Figure 4B is a longitudinal section thereof, the Figure 5 is a perspective view, and Figure 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of Figure 5. Employing a crosslinking machine 39 having the constitution described above, the metal sheet 2 which has been fed between the two rollers of processing 41 is cut by the knife circuits of cutters 58, opposite, in the form of disks, producing the slot 67 shown in FIG. Figure 4A, these grooves 67 become discontinuous in locations corresponding to the separation of the placement of the depressions 62 that are placed between the two opposing depressions 62, thereby producing the nodes 33 that are located between the grooves 67 in the forward direction F. The projections 61 located in the disk-shaped cutters 58 protrude to push up or down at locations in the metal sheet 2 in which the slots 67 have been formed, thereby pushing the areas of curved dilation 68. When these curved dilation areas 68 extend in a subsequent process by the expansion machine 40, the 30 mesh bars are produced. With reference to Figure 5, the coupling lugs 21 are formed in locations in the vicinity of the side edges, while at the same time producing a coupling lug 22 in the central portion. Then, the expression machine 40 will be described. Figure 7 is a perspective view of a lateral drive mechanism 42 of the expansion machine 40 with the main elements based on the separate view. The endless conveyor element 44 comprises the rollers 69 linked by the links 70 in a chain-link configuration that moves guided by a chain guide 71. Each of the plurality of carrier members 47 mounted on the endless conveyor element 44 comprises a structure element 72 fixed to the endless conveyor element 44 by means of a mounting part 65, having an "L" shape, a stationary carrying element 73 provided on the edge of the structure element 72, a movable element 74 rotatably linked to the structure element 72 by means of a pivot 77, a carrying element 78 mobile provided to the edge of the movable member 74 for clamping the metal foil between it and the stationary carrying element 73, a cam follower, consisting of a roller, which is provided to the movable member 74, and two guide rollers 81 which they are rotatably mounted to a lower, projecting element 80 of the structural element 72. The two carrying elements 73 and 78 are both made of strong, hard metal and are secured to the structure element 72 and the movable member 74 which it is screwed (not shown). A compression spring 82 is interposed between the structure element 72 and the movable member 74 which fits into the depressions provided to the elements. Through the mediation of the movable member 74, the compression spring 82 energizes the movable carrier element 78 in the closed direction such that it contacts the stationary carrier element 73. The stationary carrying element 73 is provided with a positioning projection 83 which comes against the lateral edge of the metal sheet, while the movable carrying element 78 provides with a coupling depression 84 capable of accommodating and retaining the coupling projection 21 provided to the metal sheet. The carrier members 47 move conveyed by the endless conveyor 44 as it moves forward; the guide rollers 81 rotate and move within a guide element 87 having a square U-shaped cross-section, thereby maintaining a stable attitude during travel even when the edges of the metal sheet 2 are clamped. Above the track for the carrier members 47 are known the cams 88, located at the point where the carrier members 47 will hold the sides of the metal sheet 2 and the point at which the fastener in the metal sheet it will release, for the coupling of the cam pusher 79 in order to open or close the mobile carrying element 78 with respect to the stationary carrying element 73; An aperture prevention guide plate 89 consisting of a plate material of preset thickness is placed between the two cams 88. The aperture prevention guide plate 89 is in sliding contact with the bottom of the cam follower 79 to prevent the movable member 74 from rotating, thereby preventing the movable carrier element 78 from moving from the stationary holder 73. Figure 8 is a longitudinal cross section of the central drive mechanism 43 of the expansion machine 40. the central drive mechanism 43 is equipped with a central guide member 91 comprising a conveyor chain 54 (described above with reference to Figure 1) ) and a plurality of guide elements 90 secured to the exterior of the conveyor chain 54. The guide members 90 are provided with insertion elements 92, insertable, projecting from below on the coupling projection 22 of the metal sheet 2. Above the central guide member 91 is placed a press plate 93 that pushes the central portion of the metal plate 2 against the central guide member 91. The operation of the expansion machine having the constitution described above will now be discussed with reference to Figure 9. The carrier members 47 are transported along by the movement of the endless conveyor elements 44; in a location shortly before an individual carrier member comes into contact with the emerging metal foil 2, which has been provided with the grooves 67 and the curved dilation areas 78 by the crosslinking machine 39, the cam follower 79 thereof. it becomes coupled by the cam 88 causing the movable carrier element 78 to move, through the mediation of the movable member 74, in the direction of release (indicated by an arrow) away from the stationary carrying element 73 in the manner shown in Figure 9A. The carrier member 47, retained with the carrier elements 73 and 78 thereof in the open state through rotation of the cam follower 79 along the cam 88, is transported in the vicinity of the metal sheet 2, after which the edge of the metal sheet 2 enters the separation between the carrying elements 73 and 78, open. The metal foil entering the separation between the two carrying elements 73 and 78 stops at the point where it comes into contact with the positioning projection 83 on the stationary carrying element 73, thus placing it with respect to the carrier member 47. Referring now to Figure 9B, immediately after the cam pusher 79 is released from the cam 88 and the mobile member 74 returns in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing, due to the force of the spring provided by the compression spring 82, so that the movable carrier element 88 comes into contact with the metal sheet 2. At this point, the coupling projection 21 of the metal sheet 2 enters the depression coupling 84 of the mobile carrying element 78, and becomes captured therein. In contrast to the unstable coupling provided by the interposition between the two chain members 19 located above and below the sheet, as in the prior art, this arrangement gives a secure hold by the carrier members 47. Subsequent sliding contact of the bottom of the cam pusher 79 against the aperture prevention plate 89 prevents the movable carrier element 78 from moving in the open direction, thereby making it impossible for the sheet to exit as it extends in the lateral direction by the carrier members 47. In the carrier members 47, only the carrying elements 73 and 78 that directly attach to the metal sheet 2 are made of high strength metal as hard, thereby giving a design that is both cheap and durable. The break due to the pull force during the expansion of the metal sheet 2 is virtually eliminated, thus avoiding the fall in productivity caused by the frequent replacement of the components. Referring again to Figure 9B, the margin fastened, p, of the metal sheet 2 by the carrier member 47 is regulated by the positioning projection 83 and accordingly, when the movable carrier element 78 moves to the closed position with respect to the stationary carrying element 73, the coupling projections 21 of the metal sheet 2 are placed in contact with the inner surface of the coupling depression 84 of the movable carrier element 68, with no spacing present therebetween. The metal foil 2 is thus held securely by the carrier member 47 without vibration. The clamping force exerted on the metal sheet 2 by the two carrying elements 73 and 78 can be adjusted freely by changing the thickness of the opening prevention guide plate 89 with reference to the position or thickness of the metal sheet 2. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the damage or twisting of the metal sheet 2 due to the excessive clamping force of the metal sheet 2 by the carrier member 47. The clamping margin, p, which is removed once the metal sheet 2 has been transformed into an extended metal sheet, it is significantly narrower than the P area (See Figure 14A) that the prior art is usually cut, and this has the advantage of significantly reducing the loss of material. During the process of extending the metal sheet 2 in the lateral direction, the two lateral drive mechanisms 42 transport the metal sheet 2 while pulling the edges of the metal sheet 2. the same outward in the same horizontal plane; in contrast, the central drive mechanism 43 transports the metal sheet 2 while deflecting it upwards. The guide member 91, center of the central drive mechanism 43 has an upward inclined edge set such that the distance over which the metal sheet 2 is transported in the forward direction F per unit time is substantially equal to the distance on which it is transported outwardly by the lateral drive mechanisms 42. The slight discrepancies in the travel distance caused by the central drive mechanism 43 and the lateral drive mechanisms 42 can be eliminated by fine-tuning the speed of the central drive mechanism 43 produced by the motor 53, to be slightly more faster than the speed of the lateral drive mechanism 42 produced by the engine 50. In this way, the metal sheet 2 is transported at the same speed on its full lateral extension so that LO = Ll = L2, as indicated by the lines 1 and in Figure 15. In this way, the expansion is a report all along and no wrinkling occurs in the central portion. The result is the core material 29 shown in Figure 10, which exhibits a uniform cell size 31 and which is free from the misplacement of the nodes 33. In contrast, the expansion within the same plane, as practiced in the Prior art, results in the occurrence of wrinkles in the central portion due to discrepancies in the travel distance between the central portion and the lateral edge nodes, as indicated by the dashed lines, long, alternative and two short, in the Figure 15. As discussed above, the two carrying elements 73 and 78 of the carrying members 47 of the side driving mechanisms 42 are the only elements that are manufactured such strong, hard, in order to provide durability; since the metal sheet 2 is furthermore transported at the same speed on its composite lateral extension, these elements are subjected exclusively to the pushing force in the lateral direction, thus ensuring a long life. In the embodiment discussed above, the central portion mechanism 43 is provided with a central guide member 91 upward to produce an upward tilt; however, the same effect can be achieved by deflecting the guide member 91, centrally downward to produce a downward inclination. Even where the central guide member 91 is placed in the same plane as the lateral drive mechanisms 42 without deviating in the thickness direction of the metal sheet 2, the same effect can be achieved by adjusting the speed of the drive mechanism 43 central to a level sufficiently faster than that of the lateral drive mechanisms 42. The manufacturing apparatus described herein is not limited to the production of lead storage battery plates 38, and may be employed in the manufacture of other expanded mesh sheets, such as batten mesh.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the present invention is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Having described the invention as above, the contents of the following are claimed as property:

Claims (9)

1. A plate for lead storage batteries, characterized in that it comprises: an expanded, reticulated core material produced by grooving in a longitudinal direction a metal sheet consisting of lead or lead alloy, followed by a process of expansion in the which extends in an expansion direction extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, this core material being filled with an active material, wherein the core material has a pellet-shaped mesh configuration comprising cells substantially in shape of tablet defined by four bars of linear meshes and connected by nodes placed in a zigzag manner; the deviation in length of the diagonals of the tablet cells in the expansion direction does not exceed 2% with respect to a normal value, and any plurality of nodes placed along a given line extending in the direction of expansion that are within a deviation range of 1.3 mm or less on either side of a reference line extending in the direction of expansion.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, characterized in that it comprises: a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a sheet metal strip consisting of lead or a lead alloy, while producing in the same a plurality of slots, placed in a continuous and zigzag arrangement extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, by means of at least a pair of processing rollers equipped with disk-shaped cutters, and to simultaneously produce in the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and the coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for extending the slotted sheet in the lateral direction to produce a mesh configuration in the form of a tablet; wherein the expansion machine comprises two endless conveyor elements that are placed opening to each other in the forward direction from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet exiting the crosslinking machine, and which are propelled forward by a source of impulsion; carrier members, a plurality of which are provided in an equally spaced arrangement to each of the conveyor elements, endless, to serially fasten the coupling projections located on the two edges of the slotted metal sheet in order to extend the metallic foil as it is transported by the conveyor elements, endless, releasing its hold once its expansion has been completed.

3. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage battery according to claim 2, characterized in that the carrying member comprises a structure element secured to the endless conveyor element, a stationary carrying element, placed on the edge of the structure element , a carrying element, movable, linked in an over-pivoting manner with respect to this carrying element, stationary to hold the metallic sheet between it and the stationary carrying element; and a cam pusher, provided on the movable carrying member, for coupling a cam extending along the path or track of the carrying member in order to operate the movable carrying element, rotating it with respect to the carrying element. , stationary

4. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries according to claim 3, characterized in that the stationary carrying element of the carrying member is provided with a positioning projection to make contact with the lateral edge of the metal sheet, and the movable carrying member is provided with a coupling depression to receive and retain the coupling lugs that are provided to the metal foil in proximity to the side edges thereof.

5. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries according to claim 3, characterized in that they provide along the track or path of the carrier member with an aperture prevention guide plate for coupling the cam pusher of the carrier member in a location opposite to the location thereof that engages the cam, thereby preventing the movable carrier element from moving in the lifting direction away from the stationary carrying element, the location of the guide plate for preventing opening that determines the clamped force exerted on the metal sheet by the 2 carrying elements.

6. An apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, characterized in that it comprises: a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a sheet metal strip consisting of lead or a lead alloy, while producing in the same a plurality of slots, placed in a continuous and zigzag arrangement extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, by means of at least a pair of processing rollers equipped with disk-shaped cutters, and to simultaneously produce in the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and the coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for pulling the two lateral edges of the grooved metal sheet outwardly while conveying it in the forward direction to effect expansion thereof, producing a pellet-shaped mesh configuration in the metal foil; wherein the expansion machine comprises a central guide member for transporting the metal sheet while gradually guiding the central, transverse portion thereof along a straight line route which is deflected to one side in the direction of the thickener. , or of the metal sheet, thereby bending the metal sheet in a crest shape.

7. The apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries according to claim 2 or 6, characterized in that the expansion machine comprises lateral drive mechanisms for transporting the metal sheet while pulling the side edges thereof rctively outwards, and a central drive mechanism for transporting the transverse central portion of the metal sheet while the guide in the forward direction, the central drive mechanism and the lateral drive mechanisms that are propelled forward by separate sources of drive, and the Central drive mechanism that is driven at a faster rate of speed than the lateral drive mechanisms.

8. An apparatus for manufacturing plates for lead storage batteries, characterized in that it comprises: a crosslinking machine for transporting in the longitudinal direction a sheet metal strip consisting of lead or a lead alloy, while producing in it a plurality of slots, placed in a continuous and zigzag arrangement extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, by means of at least a pair of processing rollers equipped with disk-shaped cutters, and to produce simultaneously in the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and the coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for extending the slotted sheet in the lateral direction to produce a mesh configuration in the form of a tablet; wherein the expansion machine comprises two endless conveyor elements that are placed opening to each other in the forward direction from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet exiting the crosslinking machine, and which are propelled forward by a source of impulsion; carrier members, a plurality of which are provided in an arrangement equally spaced to each of the conveyor elements, endless, to fasten in a serial manner the coupling projections located on the two edges of the slotted metal sheet in order to extend the sheet metal as it is transported by the conveyor elements, auger, releasing its hold once it has finished its expansion. a guide member, central, for transporting the metal sheet while gradually guiding the central, transverse portion thereof along a stht line path which is bent aside in the direction of the thickness of the metal sheet.

9. An apparatus for manufacturing expanded mesh sheet, characterized in that it comprises: a crosslinking machine for conveying in the longitudinal direction a strip-shaped metal sheet consisting of lead or lead alloy, while producing therein a plurality of slots, placed in a continuous and zigzag array extending in the longitudinal direction of the metal sheet, by means of at least a pair of processing rollers equipped with disk-shaped cutters, and to simultaneously produce in the metal sheet a coupling projection located in the central portion thereof and coupling projections located on the two lateral edges thereof; and an expansion machine for extending the slotted sheet in the lateral direction to produce a mesh configuration in the form of a tablet; wherein the expansion machine comprises two endless conveyor elements that are placed opening to each other in the forward direction from locations in the vicinity of the two lateral edges of the metal sheet exiting the crosslinking machine, and which are propelled forward by a source of impulsion; carrier members, a plurality of which are provided in an arrangement equally spaced to each of the conveyor elements, endless, to fasten in a serial manner the coupling projections located on the two edges of the slotted metal sheet in order to extend the sheet metal as it is transported by the conveyor elements, auger, releasing its hold once it has finished its expansion. a guide member, central, for transporting the metal sheet while gradually guiding the central, transverse portion thereof along a straight line path which is bent aside in the direction of the thickness of the metal sheet. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus comprises a crosslinking machine (39) for simultaneously producing the sheet metal sheet (2) at a plurality of slots (67) placed in a continuous zigzag array extending in the longitudinal direction thereof ( 40) to extend in the lateral direction of metal foil (2) in which the grooves (67) have been formed in order to produce a mesh configuration, in the form of a pellet. The expansion machine (40) comprises two conveyor elements, endless (44) placed on the two lateral edges of the metal sheet (2), carrier members (47), a plurality of which are provided in an arrangement equally separated from the conveyor elements (44), and a centered guide member (91) for transporting the metal sheet (2) while guiding the transverse central portion such that it is biased to one side in the thickness direction in the metal sheet (2). The carrier members (47) hold the lateral edges of the metal sheet (2) in which the blanks (67) have been formed, thereby extending the metal sheet (2) while being transported by the conveyor elements, endless ( 44).