Patent GB-337869-A (GB)
Title: A machine for filling and cooking dry batteries
IPC: H01M6/08
Filed: 1929-08-27
Abstract: 337,869. Triggs, W. W., (Bumke Ges., H. A.). Aug. 27, 1929. Machines for making dry batteries.-In a machine for filling and cooking dry batteries comprising an electrolyte filling station, a dolly inserting station and a cooking device, an arrangement is provided in front of the electrolyte filling and dolly inserting stations which automatically cuts out cardboard discs, inserts them into the cups and transfers the cups to an intermittently operated cup feeding mechanism. The cardboard discs 2, Fig. 13, formed with lugs 3 for centring the dollies, are stamped from a strip. The cardboard strip 4 passes from a drum 5, Fig. 4, through a heated paraffin wax container 8 over guiding drums 10, 11 and between rollers 12, 13 which are intermittently actuated by ratchet mechanism 14. The ratchet mechanism is driven by a member 15 from the main shaft 16 of the machine. The paraffined strip passes through a guide 17 and the discs are stamped out by a punch 25, Fig. 3, driven by an eccentric from a shaft 10 which in turn is chain driven from the main shaft 16. The main shaft is driven by a pulley 30 through toothed wheels 31, 32. The shaft 20 also drives in a similar manner a piston 29 which inserts the cardboard discs in the cups and at the same time turns up the edge to the shape shown in Fig. 14. An intermittently rotating feed disc 38, Fig. 3, receives the stampings from the punch in holes 41 and the stampings are prevented from falling through by a fixed plate 40. The fixed plate has a single opening 42 through which the stampings are pressed into the zinc cups 1 which are carried in vertical bores 45 in a second horizontal rotary disc 44 and which may be inserted therein by hand or automatically. The opening 42, Fig. 11, in the fixed plate 40 has a cylindrical part 42a whereby the requisite bending of the edges of the cardboard stamping to the shape shown in Fig. 14 is effected and a conical part 42<b> which receives the upper edges of the zinc cups 1. The drive for othe discs 38 and 44 is such that they are both stationary with apertures coinciding with the apertures 42 in the fixed plate at the instant that the plunger 29 drops. At the same time a plunger 59 is arranged to move upwards to raise the zinc cups into the conical part 42b. The plunger 59 is actuated through a lever 60 by a cam 61 in the main shaft 16. The rotating discs have the same number of apertures and are mechanically connected by toothed wheels 47 of the same diameter and the drive is effected by ratchet and link mechanism 48-52 from a vertical shaft 37 driven by bevel gear 36 from the main shaft 16. Spring loaded brakes 53 may be provided to prevent the discs 38, 44 rotating beyond the required position at each step. In a supporting disc 46 immediately below the disc 44 is a slide 54 of such a width as to cover the ends of several, for instance five bores 45. Below these bores are provided guides 55, which are bent so that the lower ends lie next to one another and the cups are delivered in a straight row. The reciprocating movement of the slide 54 is effected by a cam 56 on the shaft 35 which is driven through gearing 34, 33 at one-fifth of the speed of the main shaft 16. Thus, when the disc 44 has completed five feeding movements, the slide 54 uncovers the lower ends of five bores 45 and permits the zinc cups to fall into the guide tubes 55. Below the frame, a conveyer chain 63, Fig. 15, is arranged on each side for carrying trays of zinc cups and conveying them to the filling station. The chains pass over wheels 64 and intermittent motion is imparted thereto from the shaft 35 through ratchet mechanism 68, and linkwork 67 so that at each step, a transverse row of cups passes into the filling position below the electrolyte pump nozzles 86. The trays or frames are formed with sockets 72, Fig. 16, for example, of zinc for holding the zinc cups and forked lugs 73 are provided to engage with the pins of the conveying chains. The electrolyte is contained in a vessel 76, Fig. 1, and is passed to a distributor 78 from which a number of pipes extend, five in the present example, to a corresponding number of controlling blocks 80. Three-way rotary valves in these blocks are arranged so that during the suction stroke of the pumps 84 electrolyte is drawn from the vessel 76 into the pump cylinders and during the delivery stroke, the electrolyte is forced down outlet pipes 86 into the momentarily stationary zinc cups or the feeding frames below. The rotary valves are driven by cam 66<a> and link mechanism from the shaft 35 and the pump pistons are all connected to a common transverse member 93 which is reciprocated by a system of pivoted levers 95, 97 from an eccentric pin on the cam disc 66<a>. By altering the eccentricity of this pin, the stroke of the pump and consequently the amount of electrolyte delivered, can be varied. After passing the filling station, the frames travel past a dolly inserting station A to the transferring station B (Fig. 15), where the frames are picked up by a second conveyer, travelling at right angles to the first, to the cooking and cooling device. This device, Fig. 22, comprises a cooking trough 99 containing, for example, hot water, and a trough 100 containing cooling liquid. The wheels 103 of the conveying chains 101 are driven through ratchet mechanism 105 coupled with the ratchet mechanism of the chains 63 so that the chains 63 and 101 move simultaneously. Owing to the action of guide wheels 108, the lower stretches of the chains 101 run at different levels so that the frames can be lifted out of the troughs at the desired places. Between the two chains 101 and at suitable distances apart, transverse bars 109 are provided, Fig. 20. Each bar carries a pair of yoke pieces 111 and each yoke piece has a pair of hooks 110 which may be retained in the position shown by springs. The hooks are adapted to engage with gudgeons 75 on the cup carrying frames at the position B and a lifting plate 114 is provided controlled by a pedal 116 whereby the tramps can be lifted off the chains 63. The gudgeons 75 strike against the inclined inner edges of the hooks 110 which thereby swing aside and engage the gudgeons. In the form shown, each cup supporting tray accommodates 10 rows of 5 cups, and the lifting plate 114 is actuated after each tenth forward feed. A bell 117 operated by a stop 118 may he provided to indicate when one of cup carrying frames arrives in the transferring position B.