Patent GB-1005313-A (GB)
IPC: B22D25/04
Abstract: 1,005,313. Casting composite articles; storage battery elements. GLOBE-UNION Inc. Nov. 15, 1961 [Dec. 30, 1960], No. 40825/61. Heading B3F. A machine for fabricating storage battery elements comprises fluxing mechanism for applying flux to the plates of a battery stack, casting mechanism for casting a post strap and welding it to the plates of a battery stack, and transfer mechanism for transferring a stack to said flux mechanism for the application of flux to the plates and for thus transferring the stack to the casting mechanism. The machine is designed for making battery elements comprising a stack of negative and positive plates 12, 14, Figs. 1a, 1b and separators 16. The plates have lugs 18, 20 to which post straps 22 and 24 are cast to form a complete element. The machine comprises a stack transfer mechanism 28, Figs. 2, 2a, for transferring a number of stacks 26 between a load and alignment station 30, a fluxing and preheat station 32, a casting station 34 and an unload station 36. The transfer mechanism comprises four arms 44 secured to a column 40 which is indexed between the stations by a cylinder 186 in conjunction with a solenoid-operated latch, and positively located after each index movement by a solenoidoperated pin which engages in a hole in the end of the arm 44 at the unload station 36. At the end of each transfer arm 44 is mounted a transfer head 46 which in the particular embodiment handles six stacks to form a complete set of elements for use in a 12-volt battery. Each transfer head, Fig. 25, comprises fixed and movable clamping plates 176, 178, the movable fingers 178 having sprung face plates 182 and being mounted on a bar 166 movable by a cylinder 168 to clamp the stacks between the plates. The head is vertically reciprocable on the arm 44 by a cylinder 184. Load and alignment station.-At station 30 stacks are loaded manually between spaced plates on a loading head 54, Figs. 5, 13, being held therein by a movable stop. An alignment mechanism 50 comprises an alignment box 70 comprising spaced fixed and movable clamping plates 88, 90 for receiving the stacks. The box is tilted towards the loading head 54 by a cylinder 120, the stop being thereby depressed by a release finger 124 and allowing the stacks to be pushed manually into the alignment box. The box is then jarred by a motor-driven cam 140 to align the plates and separators, a clamping cylinder actuates the movable plates 90 to clamp the stacks and the box is returned to the upright position. The alignment box is then raised by a cylinder, the adjacent transfer head 46 is lowered, the clamping cylinder of the alignment box is released, and the stacks are gripped by the transfer head which is then raised and indexed to the next station 32 for application of a flux to the lugs 18, 20 of the stacks. Fluxing and preheat station.-The fluxing and preheating mechanism 215, Figs. 35, 42, comprises a frame 216 carrying a flux tray 220 to which flux is continuously circulated by a pump 250 from a tank 240 and heater boxes 218 pivotally mounted for movement in and out from the frame 216 by a pivoting cylinder 224. Covers 242 for the flux tray are attached to the heater boxes so that they cover or uncover the tray as the heaters are pivoted by the cylinder 224. The stacks 26 are lowered by the transfer head 46 into the uncovered tray of flux, Fig. 42, and then lifted therefrom, the heater boxes 218 are pivoted inwardly and air from blowers 236 passes over electric heaters in the boxes 218 and through nozzles 240, drives off the flux solvent, actuates the flux to reduce part of the lead oxides on the lugs to free lead, and preheats the lugs for the casting operation. Blowers 236 are then switched off and the heaters pivoted out from the frame to permit indexing of the fluxed and preheated stacks to the casting station 34 and the indexing of a subsequent batch of stacks into the fluxing station. Casting station.-The casting station comprises a retort 280, Figs. 45, 46, 47, in which lead ingots are loaded from a rack 282 and melted. The molten lead is then carried to casting pots 308 by ladles 284 mounted on arms 286 oscillated by chain drives 294 driven by cylinders 292, Fig. 47. Level sensitive switches are mounted in each casting pot so that if the level drops to a particular level the cylinder 292 for that pot will be energized to replenish the supply of lead. If the level drops still further a warning device operates. The casting apparatus 276, Figs. 48, 51, 53, 54 comprises a frame 306 with a pair of casting pots 308 pivotally mounted at the sides of the frame and movable between a pouring position, Figs. 48, 53, and a retracted position, Fig. 54, by cylinders 320. The pots each have six outlets 412 controlled by solenoid-actuated needle valves 414, and a safety switch is mounted on one pot to prevent pouring if less than a full batch of stacks 26 arrives at the station. The mould assembly 342 is mounted for vertical movement above an ejector pin assembly 344 by a lift cylinder, and comprises a number of spaced mould blocks 364 on a support member 366 and clamped thereon between bars 368, 370 by screw knobs 384. The ejector pins 378 close the bottoms of the mould cavities. When the stacks arrive at the casting station, the casting pots 308 are pivoted to the pouring position and the moulds poured with a metered quantity of lead by energizing the solenoids of the pot valves 414 for a specified period of time. The transfer head then lowers the lugs into the moulds, spillage being returned to the retort 280 by troughs 424. The post straps are allowed to harden in the moulds and then the mould assembly is lowered so that the stationary ejector pins force the post straps from the moulds, Fig. 54. The completed elements are then raised by the transfer head, the pots 308 retracted and the elements indexed to the unloading station 36. Unloading station.-At the unloading station 36 the batch of elements is transferred from the transfer head 46 to an unload head 438, Figs. 64, 72, which comprises cylinder-actuated clamping plates 458, 460, is vertically movable by a cylinder 474 and may be tilted, Fig. 72, to deposit the elements on a chain-driven conveyer belt 482. Specification 919,985 is referred to.