Patent GB-1054442-A (GB)
IPC: H01M50/529
Abstract: 1,054,442. Making batteries; welding by pressure. GLOBE UNION Inc. Jan. 23, 1964 [March 27, 1963], No. 2902/64. Headings B3A and B3R. A machine interconnects the cell assemblies of a storage battery by welding. The assemblies are aligned and welded and the welds are tested. Each cell assembly consists of plates connected to conductive straps 68, Figs. 3, 4 (not shown), having tapered flanges 70, wedgeshaped projections 82 and ridges 78, 80. Opposed flanges 70 are located on opposite sides of a partition 48 and have concave and convex ended projections 72, 74 which are welded together in an aperture in the partition 48. Initially a battery is fed against a stop at the end of a pivotally mounted roller bed which is vibrated by a snail cam to shake down the assemblies into the battery casing. The stop is lowered and the battery is fed on to a conveyer 26 at the aligning station 10, Figs. 1, 7 and 8 (not shown), having two motor-driven continuous chains 137. The battery actuates a leaf switch 171 and engages a stop 141 having an associated switch L52 which actuates an hydraulic clamping plate 146 which holds the battery against a fixed plate 144. The stop 141 is retracted. The clamped battery is raised by a ram 152 into engagement with the aligning head 32 which comprises a plate 162 movable vertically against spring action and carrying forked members 168 shaped to engage and align the tapered flanges 70. A potential applied by the forked members 168 across each cell assembly electrically tests the assembly. Spring-loaded probes 178 engage ridges 78-80 or blocks 186 engage the battery terminals PN if any of the cell assemblies or the battery is misaligned. If any of these tests show a defective battery one or more of switches LS4 ... 9 is actuated and the cell assemblies are not welded. The battery is lowered on to the chains 137 and the clamping plate 146 is released. At the welding station, Figs. 12 and 13 (not shown), carriage 200 is reciprocated on rails 204, 206 by an hydraulically actuated chain 205. Conveyer chains 208, 210 mounted on the carriage are driven when the carriage is adjacent the aligning station by engagement of a gear 222 on the carriage 200 with a gear 224 on a shaft carrying the conveyer chains 137. The battery is moved on to the carriage 200 until it engages a stop 230 which results in the actuation of a clamping plate 238 and causes the carriage 200 to move so disconnecting the drive to the chains 208, 210. The fixed member 236 of the clamp has projections 260, 262, 264 and recesses 254, 256, 258. Each projection in turn actuates a switch LS14 which stops the carriage 200 and extends a locating pin 270 into the corresponding recess 254. The welding head 34 is lowered hydraulically and two pairs of pivoted electrodes 318, 320 are actuated sequentially by hydraulically operated cams 356 to effect a resistance weld between projections 72, 74. The electrodes have cooling passages through which flows water at a temperature of 110-125 F. The welding tips 338, 340 are notched so that during welding the notches engage the wedge-shaped projections 82 to effect a final alignment. The welding head 32 is raised and the cycle repeated until welding is completed. The stop 230 is withdrawn and the carriage 200 is moved until a gear on the conveyer chain shaft 212 engages a gear of the motor driven chain conveyer 30 at the testing station 14. The conveyer on the carriage 200 and the conveyer 30 are driven together to transfer the battery. The testing station is similar to the aligning station except as regards the testing head 36. The located and clamped battery is raised hydraulically into engagement with spring-loaded members 430, Fig. 20 (not shown), mounted on pivoted arms 420, 422. Each pair of arms 420, 422 are forced apart by an hydraulic ram 442 and the members 430 engage the ridges 78. 80 to exert a predetermined force on each weld. Should a weld be defective, movement of an arm 420 actuates a switch. Simultaneously an electrical test of the battery is effected by engaging electrodes with the terminals P, N of the battery. If failure is indicated a switch is operated. The battery is lowered and fed to a roller conveyer having two outlet paths. Normally the battery passes straight on. If any of the tests at the aligning or testing stations has shown a defect, a stop and a pusher are actuated to transfer the battery on to a reject path.