Patent GB-351651-A (GB)
Title: Battery grid filling machine
IPC: H01M4/20
Filed: 1930-05-01
Abstract: 351,651. Galvanic batteries. PRICE, W. F., 150, Stoneway Lane, Bala, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. May 1, 1930, No. 13495. [Class 53.] A machine for pasting battery grids comprises means for continuously advancing the grids on a platen, a filling material receptacle with an outlet opening on to the moving grids, and propeller means in the outlet for forcing the filling material into the grids against the backing of the platen. The battery grids G, Figs. 8 and 10, are formed in two sections R, L having a groove S between them in which are slots formed by connecting members C. Each section has a lug H and the frames F are joined by triangular ribs T to form angular interstices I for the reception of paste. Such grids G are stacked on a shelf 26, Fig. 1, fixed to the front end of the bed of a grid filling machine which comprises two side beams 15 supported on legs 16 and carrying a platen 27, Figs. 3 and 4, held by angle-pieces 28 on the beams 15. The grids G are fed along the platen 27 by hand and pass between rollers 31, 32, pressed together by an adjustable spring 35 so as to advance the grids continuously and driven by constantly meshed gears 37, 38, Fig. 1, through a sprocket 39 connected by a chain 40 to a sprocket 41 on a shaft 25 which is driven from a motor 19 through gearing in a casing 21, gear wheel 22 and a chain 23. The grids G then pass under a chamber 63 containing the paste, which chamber is carried at the correct height above the plate 27 on adjustable screws 108, Fig. 3, carried on the angle-pieces 28. The paste is forced, against the backing of the platen 27, into the grids by means of propellers 98, 98<1>, Fig. 4, and the grids are moved on past the platen 27, being then supported on longitudinal side anglepieces 64 and a central rail 65 seen in Fig. 6, which is a cross section along the line 56 in Fig. 5, said rails 65 fitting the groove S in the plates. The grids then pass over a scraping device, Figs. 5 and 6, comprising chains 119, 119<1> on the inner side of each member 15, carrying a resilient rubber and steel scrapers 120, 122. The chains 119, 119<1> are carried on gears 118, 117, the shaft 115 of the latter being driven from a sprocket 111 meshing with a chain 95, Fig. 1, driven from the shaft 25. A stationary scraper 123 and cleaning tank 125 are provided for removing excess paste from the scrapers 120. In a modification the top and bottom grids are scraped simultaneously, a second arrangement being provided above the plates. The grids are then moved on to parallel rails 131, Fig. 5, and fall from a horizontal to a vertical position along a guide 139, the lugs H on the grids engaging the rails 131. They are carried along these rails by parallel conveyer chains 130 meshing with gears 132, 133 driven through a countershaft 138 carrying gears 137<1> (Fig. 5) and 137 (Fig. 1) meshing with gears on the shaft 134 which is driven from a sprocket 113 (Fig. 1) which is engaged by the chain 95. The vertical grids are carried along the rails 131, Fig. 11, and finally drop into slots in a box 143 which is moved forward on a table 142 by lugs 150 on a chain 149. This chain engages gear wheels 147, 148, the wheel 147 of which carries a ratchet wheel 151 engaged by a spring pressed pawl 152 pivoted at 154 on a sliding bar 153 which is actuated by the rotation of a cam 159 in engagement with a roller 160 on said bar. The cam 159 is carried on the shaft 158 of a gear wheel 161 which is in mesh with the conveyer chain 130 and hence the movement of the box 143 is timed so that the grids G fall correctly into the slots in the box 143. Paste is carried in a hopper 53, Figs. 1 and 4, and is stirred by arms 59 operated from the drive shaft 25 through a sprocket 42, chain 43, gear 44, a hand-operated claw clutch, bevel gears 51, 50, gear 58, chain 57 and gear 56. The hand-operated clutch is carried on the shaft 45 and is controlled by the handle 49. A screw 60 driven from the gear 58 extrudes the paste through an aperture 61 in the hopper, down a shoot 62 into the chamber 63. The walls of the chamber 63 are drawn downward by springs 105, 105<1>, Fig. 4, and adjustably secured by thumb screws 101 engaging rigid members 100, 103. Four vertical spindles 75 carried in collars 74<1> in a bracket 70, 71 are pressed downwards by springs 77 and carry vanes 96 helically spaced for stirring up the paste in the chamber 63. At their lower ends the spindles 75 carry two front and rear pairs of propellers or wide pitched, broad flanged screws 98, 98<1> oppositely directed. Looking from the front end of the bench, Fig. 3, the left and right hand rear screws 98<1> are driven oppositely through meshed gears 79, driven through bevel gears 80, 81 on shafts 82 connected through thumbscrew actuated friction clutches 87 with gears 86 which are connected to a shaft 92 through chains 90 and gears 91. A sprocket wheel 93 on the shaft 92 is driven from the chain 95 with which it meshes. The left and right hand forward screws 98, Fig. 4, are driven reversely through the gears 79 which mesh with the gears 79 on the rear screw spindles.