Machine for Making Storage Battery Plugs.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1897 - Accepted, 20th Nov., 1897
Machine for Making Storage Battery Plugs.
I, CARROLL POTTER, of 19th and Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
U.S.A., Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement;-
-
Lead ribbon with or without one or more ribbed or roughened faces coiled or
wound up upon itself spirally constitutes what is usually known as and what I
shall herein designate a storage battery plug. Such plugs when properly framed
constitute desirable storage battery plates.
It is the object of my invention to manufacture such plugs by means of auto-
matic machinery and to thus secure the advantages incident to the use of that
mode of procedure. To this end my invention comprises the improvements here-
inafter described and claimed.
The nature, characteristic features and scope of my invention will be more fully
understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompany-
ing drawings forming part hereof and in which
Figure 1, shows a side view of a storage battery plug embodying features of
my invention.
Figs. 2 and 3, are respectively top and side views of one type of lead or other
metal ribbon from which the plug shown in Fig. 1, may be made by coiling or
rolling it into spiral form.
Fig. 4, is a top or plan view of a machine embodying features of my invention.
Fig. 5, is a side elevational view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6, is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 4, taken substantially through the
line of travel of the tape or ribbon through the machine, certain parts of the
machine being omitted.
Fig. 7, is a detached view of the cutter forming part of the machine.
Fig. 8, is a detached view illustrating bearings for the crimping and feed
rolls.
'
Fig. 9, is a detached front view of the kinking guide or roll.
Fig. 10, is a sectional view illustrating the table on which the tape or ribbon
is fed to the coilers.
Fig. 11, is a sectional view taken on the line 1-1, of Fig. 5.
Fig. 12, is a detached view illustrating a feeding attachment that may be
employed in connection with a machine of my invention.
Fig. 13, is a side elevational view of a machine embodying a modification of
my invention, and
Figs. 14, 15 and 16, are diagrammatic views hereinafter referred to.
The principle of my invention may be said to be coiling or spirally winding
a lead or metal tape to form a storage battery plug by operating from the outside
or periphery and causing it to travel during its formation along between the
substantially parallel faces of coilers, thus comparatively tightly coiling the ribbon
upon itself into a plug that may be handled without danger of unwinding and also

page_text: rendering the employment of automatic machinery for this purpose possible and
practicable
I will now proceed to describe the mode of applying that principle which I
believe to be the best, and in this connection I shall assume that the machine
is required not only to spirally coil pieces of lead or metal tape into battery plugs,
but also to emboss, rib or roughen one of the surfaces thereof. However, it must
be borne in mind that the roughening, ribbing or embossing features may be
omitted or otherwise accomplished without departing from the spirit of my
invention. Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 1
thereof, a, represents suitable framework of which the shape and pattern is not
material so long as it is adapted to carry and support the working parts of the
machine in their proper relative positions. b and b¹, are crimping rolls. These
receive long lengths of plain lead or other metal ribbon, for example from a suitable
reel, and rib, roughen or emboss it. As shown the periphery of the crimping
roll 61, is smooth and the periphery of the crimping roll b, is grooved or equivalently
prepared for producing on the flat ribbon, ribs, for example, such as are shown
in Figs. 2 and 3. c and c', are feed rolls that serve when present to feed the crimped
strip forward to the cutter d, which operates to divide it into lengths which when
coiled up constitute the required size of plug. As shown this cutter d, is mounted
in and projects from the periphery of a cutter disc d', (Fig. 7). At the time a
length is cut from the crimped strip, the forward end of the length lies upon the
table e Fig. 10, and is engaged by the pawl. This pawl f, carries the length
forward until the kinking roller or guide g, presents it to the coiler h. Since the
guide or roller g is pressed as will be hereinafter described up to the coiler hit follows
that a downward bend (Fig. 14) over this guide or roller 9, is imparted to the
moving tape or ribbon, so that it is brought into contact with the coiler h¹, the
action of which is to retard the travel of the end of the tape or ribbon, Fig. 15.
Thus the formation of the spiral coil is started. The coil is completed and con-
solidated or tightly wound by travelling along between the substantially parallel
coilers hand h¹, Fig. 16. The latter is omitted from Fig. 6, to show the guide
but may be plainly seen in Figs. 4, 5, 11 and 12. Upon the completion of the plug
it escapes over the top of the coiler h¹. The coilers or more properly their working
faces are substantially parallel and have surface motion, the one iir respect to
the other. This parallelism permits each coil to roll along between the coilers
whereby such coil is not only wound, but also consolidated or tightly or permanently
coiled. Moreover, a coil may be started at the entrance of these parallel coilers
whilst one or more coils are being formed and consolidated at other portions thereof.
Each complete coil or plug is, delivered from the machine by travelling along
between and escaping from the parallel coilers without interruption of their
ordinary movements. The movements of the parts above referred to may be
effected and timed by the employment of mechanism adapted for those purposes.
Power may be applied to a shaft b, upon which is keyed the crimping roll b',
and a toothed wheel 63. The toothed wheel 63, meshes with a comparatively wide.
toothed wheel 64, keyed to a shaft 65, that carries the crimping roll b. The wide
toothed wheel b, drives two sets of wheels whereof one set comprises the toothed
wheels 66, 67, and 68, and the other set comprises the toothed wheels 69 and 10.
The wheels 67 and 68, are carried by the shafts 6 and 12, that carry the feed rolls c
and c¹. The wheel 610, is keyed to a shaft 613, that carries the cutter d, and sprocket
wheel h², and a crank pin f¹. The crank pin f¹, is connected by a connecting.
rod f, that may be made adjustable as to length, for example, by means of a turn
buckle f³, and that is connected with a rocker arm f*. The rocker arm f', is
connected by a link f³, with a reciprocating cross-head f, that works in ways or
guides e, and that carries the pawl f. The sprocket wheel h², operates by way
of a chain h³, and sprocket wheel ht, to rotate the circular coiler h, in the direction
indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. The shafts carrying the crimping and feed
rolls may be afforded the requisite range of motion for adjusting them to operate
on tapes of different thicknesses by journalling them in boxes a¹, Fig. 8, adapted to

page_text: Between each
work in ways or slots cut or otherwise formed in the frame a.
pair of these boxes is interposed a spring a³. On top of the upper box is a stop
which comprises a screw adjustable in a tapped yoke a. When the screw a³,
is brought downward by turning it through its nut in the yoke a¹, it brings the
shafts and consequently the rolls carried thereby nearer together. When the
screw a³, is moved upward, the spring 2, operates to separate the shafts and rollers
carried thereby. It may be remarked that the bottom box a¹, rests in the bottom
of the slot upon the framework and need be removed only for purposes of repair.
When this is to be done the corresponding yoke is taken off. It is sometimes
desirable to change the length of the piece of tape that is rolled up to produce
the plug in order to manufacture plugs of different sizes. This may be accom-
To this end
plished by changing the speed of the part that carries the cutter d.
the toothed wheel b, may be removed and replaced by another wheel of different.
diameter and having a different number of teeth. The frame of the machine
may be provided with a fork, in which the stud a6, that carries the wheel 69, may
be adjusted and then clamped to place. Fixed guides a', may be provided and
constructed in such manner that. the tape runs through them on its way to and from
the various rolls. However, these guides are not essential and may be omitted.
The pawl f, is constructed to feed the tape in the direction of the coilers h and h'.
As shown it operates by gravity. However, use may be made of a spring. The
extent of travel of the pawl may be increased or diminished by adjusting the stud
that carries the rod f, in the slot provided for this purpose in the rocker arm *.
i, is a roller under which the length of tape, passes when fed by the pawl, to the
kinking roll g. It serves to hold the tape down and thus assists in the operation of
presenting the tape over, the kinking roll g, and at an inclination to the direction
of motion of the working face of the coiler. The kinking roll g, is journalled to a
fork g', (Fig. 9), of which the shank is operated upon by a spring g², and afforded
á range of motion in brackets or guides g³, carried by a part of the framework a,
of the machine. Instead of a spring g³, a weight may be employed. The coiler ¹
is provided with a roughened working face that conforms to a similar face on the
coiler. The coiler h, is pivoted to the framework as at h³, and may be provided
with a yielding or spring tongue 46. The position of the free end of this tongue
in respect to the periphery of the coiler h¹, is a factor in determining the size of
the opening in the center of the plug, the nearer it is to the coiler h, the smaller
the opening at the center of the plug, h and hs, are spring supports for holding the
coiler, in proper relation to the coiler h, and for permitting it to move downward
in order to compensate for the increase in diameter of the plug as it is rolled.
As an attachment to the above described machine, use may be made of a toothed
wheel, Fig. 12, suitably journalled so as to mesh with the coiler h, and feed
roller i, whereby motion is imparted to the roller i, with the result that it not only
holds the tape down but also assists in the operation of feeding it forward.
The coilers above described have substantially parallel curved working faces.
However, the working faces may be straight and yet substantially parallel. In.
the modification of my invention shown in Fig. 13, k and k¹, are coilers of this
type. The coiler k¹, is pivoted to the bed of the machine, is pressed upward by the
spring, and is prevented from moving too far upward by the links This
coiler is normally set at a slight inclination to the horizontal and is adapted to be
turned downwards. The purpose of this is to compensate for the increase in the
diameter of the plug as it is rolled. The coiler k, is adapted to be reciprocated
on a guide, to which it is connected by suitable travellers. One of the
travellers is connected by a link ko, to a cross-head 7. This cross-head k7, is
connected by means of a link with a crank pins, connected with and rotated by
the shaft 6, for example, through the intervention of a disc 614 The mode of
operation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 13, is the same as that of the
machine illustrated in Figs. 4-11, inclusive, and will be understood by reference
to the preceding description thereof.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising a circular coiler,
a second coiler conforming to a portion of the periphery of the circular coiler,
devices for yieldingly supporting the last mentioned coiler, means for rotating the
circular coiler continuously in one direction in contact with the periphery of a plug,
and devices for directing one end of the tape or ribbon onto one of said coilers,
substantially as described.
2. A machine for making storage battery plugs which comprises parallel coilers
between which a tape or ribbon is wound and caused to travel, operating means
for said coilers, and a guide or roll for directing one end of the tape or ribbon onto
one of said coilers, substantially as described.
3. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising substantially parallel
coilers between which a tape is wound and caused to travel along, a kinking guide
or roller, a reciprocating feed pawl, a table, and means for actuating said parts,
substantially as described.
4. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising substantially parallel
coilers between which plugs travel along and roll out, a kinking guide or roll,
à feed pawl and its table, a cutter and means for actuating said parts, substantially
as described.
5. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising two substantially
parallel coilers between which a tape travels along and escapes in the form of a
consolidated plug, a kinking guide or roller, a feed pawl and its table, a cutter,
feed rolls for feeding a tape or ribbon to the cutter, and means for actuating said
parts, substantially as described.
6. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising coilers between which
a tape is wound, a kinking guide or roller, a feed pawl and its table, a cutter, feed
rolls for feeding the tape or ribbon to the cutter, crimping rolls, and means for
actuating said parts, substantially as described.
7. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising a movable coiler,
a second coiler provided with a working face disposed substantially parallel with
the working face of said movable coiler and having surface movement in respect
thereto, and a yieldingly supported kinking guide or roll whereby a tape or ribbon
is rolled upon itself and caused to travel along and out from between said coilers,
substantially as described.
8. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising a coiler having
surface motion, a second coiler adapted to press upon the opposite side of a coil
formed between the two, a kinking roll or guide, and a yielding tongue on the
second coiler adapted to engage a tape or ribbon from the kinking roll or guide,
substantially as described.
9. A machine for making storage battery plugs comprising a circular coiler,
means for driving it, a second coiler conforming to a portion of the periphery of
the circular coiler, devices for yieldingly supporting the last mentioned coiler,
a kinking guide or roll, and feed rolls driven from the first mentioned coiler, sub-
stantially as described.
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