Patent GB-394552-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to machines for inserting electric dry battery elements into cardboard or other containers
IPC: H01M6/44
Filed: 1932-10-26
Abstract: 394,552. Batteries. STEVENS, A. H., 5, Quality Court, Chancery Lane, London.- (Bumke Ges., H. A. ; 8, Chausseestrasse, Berlin.) Oct. 26, 1932, No. 30007. [Class 53.] A machine for inserting dry cells into a cardboard container first removes the cells in groups of three from a conveyer, then rotates them about their axes to bring the pole wires soldered to each cell into the position required for subsequent soldering and finally inserts the cells in the container together with a U-shaped strip of insulating material round the centre cell. The cells are delivered by a conveyer 3, Fig. 11, from an adjacent machine which solders wires e to two cells of a group and a terminal strip f to the third cell, the relative positions of the cells being shown in Fig. 3. Before the cells are inserted in the container they are rotated into the position shown in Fig. 5 to bring the wires e into position for soldering to the cap g of the adjacent cell and to bring the terminal strip f into the usual position in a three cell battery. The conveyer 3 has links which hold groups of three cells in a horizontal position, the pole wires and strips resting in notches in the links and the pole caps g extending into holes 4 in the links. As the cells are brought by the conveyer from the soldering machine they are moved by a pusher 5, Fig. 10, so that the caps g are clear of the holes 4 and the cells can be lifted vertically from the conveyer. The cells are lifted from the conveyer by grippers 13 which are moved up and down by a lever 9 and cam 8 operated from the main shaft of the machine. The grippers are mounted in a slide 16 which can move along guides 17, and when the grippers have moved down and up and have removed three cells from the conveyer they are moved along the guides until the rod 15 is beneath a pin 12 projecting from the lever 9. A second downward movement of the lever 9 then presses the grippers downwards and lowers the cells into channels in a partitioned plate 26 in front of pushers 69, 70 which transfer the cells to the container d. The cells are released from the grippers by a bar 28 which strikes the upper surfaces of the cells when the grippers are lowered to a position above the plate 26. The bar 28 is operated by cam mechanism driven from the main shaft. As the cells drop from the grippers into the channels in the plate 26 the pole wires and strips make contact with guides 36, Fig. 23, which cause the cells to rotate from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 5. The partitions in the plate 26 are interrupted to form a slot in which a strip h of insulating material is placed, the cells being deposited from the grippers at one end of the plate 26 as shown in Fig. 17. The pushers 69, 70 are reciprocated to press the cells into the container d situated at the opposite end of the plate 26, the centre pusher 69 being situated at first in advance of the outer pushers 70 whereby the centre cell first makes contact with the strip h and folds it up into U-shape about the centre cell. The pushers 70 are connected together by bridge pieces 73, 74, the former of which is reciprocated by lever mechanism 80, Fig. 16. A pivoted pawl 82 is secured beneath the bridge 74 and engages in a notch 85 in the pusher 69 so that all three pushers advance together: When the centre pusher has folded the strip h about the centre cell the pawl 82 is tripped by a release pawl 86 and is pulled out of the notch 85. The centre pusher now remains stationary while the outer pushers continue to advance and push the two outer cells into line with the centre cell. The pawl 82 is now released from the pawl 86 and again moves under the action of a spring into contact with the pusher 69 and snaps into a second notch 88. All three pushers now advance together to press the three cells and the folded strip h through a funnel-shaped guide 93 into the container d. The guide has a stationary central part and two side parts 96 pivoted to pins 94 and connected together by a spring 95. The side parts converge towards the container d to bring the cells close together. The middle portion of the upper wall of the guide may be pivotally supported to allow of this part of the guide as well as the parts 96 to adjust themselves independently under the pressure of the cells which are being inserted. The strip h is automatically cut and placed in position in the slot in the partitions of the plate 26. The strip is drawn from a roll 38, Fig. 12, and passes over guide rollers 39, 40 and over a bar 41 against which it is pressed by a pawl 42 to prevent it from slipping backwards. The strip then passes between two scoring rollers 43, 44 which make grooves to facilitate the subsequent bending of the cut strip about the centre cell. A downward step-by-step motion is given to the strip by a sleeve 46 through which the strip passes and against which it is clamped in the downward movement of the sleeve by means of a pawl. The strip is fed above the slot in the partitions of the plate 26 and is cut off by co-operating stationary and movable knives 59, 60.