APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BATTERY PLATES

Abstract: This invention relates to apparatus (12) for removing plates one at a time from a generally horizontal row of battery plates (17). A movable stop (20) is provided at a station (19) to engage the bottom edge of the leading plate (21), whereupon it can be peeled from the row (17) by a suction head (22). The engagement face (24) of the head (23) may lag that of the stop (20) by an angle, so that initially air is drawn down from the face of the leading plate (21) peeling its top edge away from the stack. Various forms of detent mechanism (26) for retaining the second plate in the row are described.

Description: "Apparatus for Handling Battery Plates" This invention relates to apparatus for removing plates one at a time from a generally horizontal row of battery plates. A number of machines have been proposed for removing battery plates from as horizontal row so that they can be stacked to form groups. However, they are all unsatisfactory from one aspect or the other because of the many handling problems associated with these articles. First they are very soft and hence easily damaged; secondly the plates tend to stick together particularly if they include porous material and thirdly the plates are porous and so a vacuum head applied to their surface can suck up more than one plate in the row. Various proposals have been made to meet the problems but they are not satisfactory at the speeds required by other parts of the assembly line. From one aspect the invention consists in apparatus for removing battery plates one at a time from a generally horizontal row, comprising means for driving a row of battery plates towards a removal station, a stop at the removal station for engaging a lower edge of the leading plate whilst it is held by the stop and for transferring the engaged plate to a release position, the relative positions of the stop and the suction head in the plate engaging position being such that the suction head is initially spaced from the plate engaged by the stop so that the suction head peels the upper portion of that plate from the row whilst its lower edge is held by the stop. Preferably the engagement surface of the sucti head lays the engagement surface of the stop by between and 5° when they are in the plate engagement position. angle is particularly suitable in some cases. With th arrangement air is drawn down the face of the upper porti of the leading plate causing it to peel away from followi plate and towards the suction head. For most battery plat this action is sufficient to create reliable pla separation without the use of other stops or detent, but f certain plates, such as those containing microporo material, additional measures may be required. Thus the apparatus may further comprise pressu means for engaging a top portion of the leading plate, wh its bottom edge us engaged by the stop, and for applyi sufficient pressure to compress the row until the leadi plate is in a predetermined position in the direction travel and detent means for engaging the plate behind t leading plate, when it in its predetermined position, hold the trailing plate whilst the leading plate is engag and removed by the suction head. The pressure means may include a further st rotatable about an axis extending above and transversely the direction of travel and means for moving the stop in the predetermined position. The further stop may be arranged to accommodat resistance in the row within the predetermined position an the detent means may be mounted for movement relative to th further stop; in which case the apparatus further comprise means for urging the detent means against a datum fixed relative to the further stop. The 'fixed 1 position of th datum may be adjustable to accommodate battery plates o different widths. Conveniently the means for moving the stop ma include a cam and means may be provided for detecting i there are any plates at the predetermined position. If n plates are detected control means operate the plate driv means. The apparatus may further comprise means fo retaining the row in a rearwardly inclined orientation wit respect to the direction of travel. From another aspect the invention consists i apparatus for removing battery plates one at a time from generally horizontal row, comprising means for driving th row of battery plates towards a removal station, a stop a the removal station for engaging a lower edge of the leadin plate, a suction head for engaging the leading plate whils it is held by the stop and for transferring the engage plate to a release position, pressure means for engaging top portion of the leading plate, when its bottom edge i engaged by the stop, and for applying sufficient pressure t compress the row until the leading plate is in predetermined position in the direction of travel and detent means for engaging the plate behind the leading plate. Whe it is in its predetermined position, to hold the trailing plate whilst the leading plate is engaged and removed by the suction head. In this case the pressure means and detent mean may have the features set out above. Although the invention has been defined above i is to be understood that it includes any inventiv combination of the features set out above or in th following description. The invention may be performed in various ways an a specific embodiment will now be described, by way o example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, i which: Figure 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus fo removing battery plates in combination with envelopin apparatus which is described in our British Paten Application No. 9016133.2; Figure 2 is a view of above of the battery plate apparatus of Figure 1 with its orientation reversed; Figure 3 is a view from the other side of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic end view of the apparatus of Figure 1 on arrow A; Figures 5 (a) to (g) show the operational sequence of the removal end of the apparatus; Figure 6 is an enlarged view of Figure 5(c); Figure 7 illustrates an alternative construction of a detent mechanism in its row engaging position; and Figure 8 illustrates the mechanism of Figure 7 in its disengaged position. Figure 1 shows part of a battery plate stacking machine, generally indicated at 10, which includes a battery plate enveloper generally indicated at 11 and apparatus for removing a single plate from a horizontal row or stack generally indicated at 12. The two are interconnected by a conveyor 13. The enveloper 11 is described in our British Patent Application No. 9016133.2, the specification of which is incorporated into this description. The apparatus 12 includes a chassis 14 on which are mounted a pair of bottom support conveyor belts 15 and a pair of edge engaging conveyors 16. A horizontal row or stack of battery plates 17 can be mounted on the bottom conveyors 15 and are held at rearwardly inclined angle by a movable abutment 18. The bottom conveyors move the battery plates towards a plate removal station generally indicated at 19. A movable stop 20 is provided at the station 19 to engage the bottom edge of the leading plate 21 where upon it can be peeled from the horizontal stack by a suction head 22. As can best be seen in Figure 6 the engagement face 23 of the suction head 23 lags behind the engagement face 24 of the stop 20 by an angle so that initially air is drawn down from the face of the leading plate 21 peeling its top edge away from the stack. The suction head and stop are then rotated rearwardly, by a mechanism generally indicated at 25 so that the suction head transfers the plate on to the conveyor 13 for transfer to the enveloper 11. This sequence is illustrated in Figures 5 (a) to (g) . 6 With certain types of plate the separati achieved by the peeling action set up by the suction head is insufficient to achieve certain separation in which ca a detent mechanism generally indicated at 26 is used. Th comprises a pivotable pressure lever 27 which engages t top of the leading plate 21 and compresses it and t succeeding plates until such time as a detector 28, mount in the lever, detects when the leading plate is in predetermined position. A detent finger 29 is then lower to engage the plate immediately behind the leading plate so that that latter plate 30 is retained whilst the leadi plate 21 is peeled away. Before the peeling motion tak place, the lever 27 is removed and this removal will tend allow the leading plate 21 to spring away from the stack. Thus even if the plates are quite well adher together single plate separation is achieved. The lever 27 and detent 29 are controlled by a c 31 which is in turn operated via a belt 32, which is engag to the drive of the conveyors 15. If, after having reached the predetermin position, the detent 28 does not detect a plate, then t edge conveyors 16 are activated to drive the plates forward This is achieved by fingers (not shown) mounted on t conveyor belts 16. For certain size of plates it has been found tha resistance to compression can build up in the row of plate as the leading plate 21 moves into the predetermine position. This can be overcome by the construction shown i Figures 7 and 8 in which the pressure lever 27 is and spring loaded at 33 to allow limited deflection; the precise extent being determined by screw 34. Although it is envisaged that the spring 33 and screw 34 will only allow a deflection of the lever 27 by around 5 mm, this broadening of the predetermined position could result in the detent finger 29 engaging inaccurately. Accordingly when the spring 33 is provided, the detent finger 29 can itself be pivotably mounted at 35 and spring- loaded at 36 so that it is urged towards the lever 27. In this way it, or its holder 29a, will engage a datum screw 37 which is mounted on the lever 27 to define a fixed longitudinal position relate to the engagement face 27a of the lever 27. The distance between the tip 29b of detent finger 29 and the engagement face 27a is accordingly precisely defined. Further this distance can readily be altered to accommodate different plate thicknesses, by screwing the datum screw 37 in or out.

Claims: Claims 1. Apparatus for removing battery plates one at time from a generally horizontal row, comprising means f driving a row of battery plates towards a removal statio a stop at the removal station for engaging a lower edge the leading plate and a suction head for engaging t leading plate whilst it is held by the stop and for tran ferring the engaged plate to a release position, t relative positions of the stop and the suction head in t plate engaging position being such that the suction head initially spaced from the plate engaged by the stop so tha the suction head peels the upper portion of that plate fro the row whilst its lower edge is held by the stop. 2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein th engagement surface of the suction head lags the engagemen surface of the stop by between 2° and 5° when they are i the plate engagement position. 3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 further comprising means for retaining the row in rearwardly inclined orientation with respect to the direc tion of travel. 4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the precedin Claims, further comprising pressure means for engaging a to portion of the leading plate, when its bottom edge i engaged by the stop, and for applying sufficient pressure t compress the row until the leading plate is in a predeter mined position in the direction of travel and detent mean for engaging the plate behind the leading plate, when it is in its predetermined position, to hold the trailing plate whilst the leading plate is engaged and removed by the suction head. 5. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the pressure means includes a further stop rotatable about an axis extending above and transversely to the direction of travel and means for moving the stop into the predetermined positions. 6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the further stop is arranged to accommodate resistance in the row within the predetermined position and wherein the detent means are mounted for movement relative to the further stop and further comprising means for urging the detent means against a datum which is fixed relative to the further stop. 7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the further stop is spring-loaded. 8. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7, wherein in the detent means is pivotally mounted. 9. Apparatus for removing battery plates one at a time from a generally horizontal row, comprising means for driving the row of battery plates towards a removal station, a stop at the removal station for engaging a lower edge of the leading plate, a suction head for engaging the leading plate whilst it is held by the stop and for transferring the engaged plate to a release position, pressure means for engaging a top portion of the leading plate, when its bottom edge is engaged by the stop, and for applying sufficient 10 pressure to compress the row until the leading plate is i a predetermined position in the direction of travel an detent means for engaging the plate behind the leadin plate, when it is in its predetermined position, to hold th trailing plate whilst the leading plate is engaged an removed by the suction head. 10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9, wherein th pressure means includes a further stop rotatable about a axis extending above and transversely to the direction o travel and means for moving the stop into the predetermine position. 11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 10, wherein th further stop is spring-loaded. 12. Apparatus as claimed in Claims 10 or 11 wherei the detent is means is pivotally mounted. 13. Apparatus for removing battery plates one at time from a generally horizontal row substantially as herei before described.

Inventors: HOPWOOD ROBERT TIMOTHY, HOPWOOD, ROBERT, TIMOTHY
Applicants: TBS ENG LTD, TBS ENGINEERING LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65H3
IPC codes: B65H3