Patent GB-442281-A (GB)
Title: Improved method of, and means for, attaching paste to the plates of electric batteries
IPC: H01M4/08
Filed: 1934-04-26
Abstract: 442,281. Moulding battery plates. MACCALLUM, F., 307, Washwood Heath Road, and REDFERN, A,. H., Beverley Works, Alma Street, both in Birmingham. April 26, 1934, No. 9371. [Class 87 (ii)] Electrode plates as shown in Fig. 6 comprising a mass 8 of material such as manganese dioxide and graphite worked into a paste with a liquid and applied to a plate 7 are made by forcing the paste on to the plate, the paste being supported at its edges during the pressing operation by a mould, collar or frame from which the pasted plate is subsequently removed. A quantity of paste sufficient for a number of plates may be forced through a delivery tube by a reciprocating phmger so that the paste in the tube is subjected to a plurality of compressing operations before being attached to the plate. A machine for carrying out the method is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which a vertically moving support 2 brings the plate 7 beneath a mass of paste in an opening 26 leading from a hopper,. a slab of paste being cut off by a reciprocating knife 54 operated by a lever 75. The support 2 is raised and lowered by a lever 10 and when in the raised position it abuts against a mould comprising two movable plates 20, Fig. 4, which are normally kept apart by springs. Further movement of the lever 10 raises a cam 5 to engage rollers 27 thereby rocking levers 28 to move the plates 20 inwardly until they make contact with one another. In this position the inner surfaces 19 of the plates form a mould for defining the area and shape of the paste delivered from the opening 26. The mixture to be fed to the plate is contained in a receptacle 30 placed within an outer hopper 31 into which it is ejected periodically by a piston 33 carried by a screw shaft 34 and working in conjunction with a rotating knife 38. The mixture ejected into the hopper is transferred into the passage 26 by a pusher 41 which is operated by hand levers and may be connected through mechanism to the screw 34 so that the latter is advanced to eject some of the material from the receptacle 30 each time the pusher is operated. When the support 2 is in its lowest position the material in the passage 26 is supported on the knife 54 above which is a plunger 57. When the support 2 carrying a plate 7 is raised the knife 54 is withdrawn and the plunger 57 lowered to force the material in the passage 26 on to the plate 7. The knife is then returned and cuts off a slice of the material which is left on the plate 7, the remainder of the material being supported by the knife. In a modification the support 2 is replaced by a longitudinally movable carriage, Fig. 9, adapted to support a number of plates which are brought one by one beneath the delivery opening 26. The carriage comprises two parts 81, 84, the former having a number of projections 82 to support the plates beneath openings 85 in the part 84. The carriage is moved by a pawl engaging notches in one of the side walls of the carriage. Fig. 11 shows a modification in which the hopper 92 is provided with a pusher 95 which ejects the material into the delivery passage 93 where it is forced downwards by a plunger 97 within the hopper. The carriage used with this construction is shown in Fig. 15 and comprises a facing 104 for receiving the plate. Slots 105, 106 receive flanges 9 on the plate which is retained in position by a shoulder 107 and the edge 116 of a slide 108 which is moved forward to lock the plate.