Dale Products, Inc.

Carl Schroder

The invention relates to improvements in a machine and method for enclosing battery plates within a pouch or envelope of sheet separator material. In such machines a length of such sheet is positioned in spanning relationship to a folding aperture or slot and a plate injector shuttle is mounted for reciprocating movement into and out of the folding aperture so that when a battery plate is mounted on the injector shuttle the movement of the injector shuttle into the folding aperture effects the folding of the sheet about the leading edge of the injector shuttle and the battery plate mounted thereon. This invention provides two pairs of grasping tongs mounted in laterally spaced positions on an extractor shuttle which in turn is mounted for reciprocating movement along a path parallel to the injector shuttle and on the opposite side of the folding aperture. The gripping portions of the tongs swing inwardly under each side of the envelope plate emerging from the folding aperture but at the same time tongs are disposed laterally outward of a wrapped plate conveyor which has its conveying surface aligned with the path of the injector shuttle. This arrangement permits the continuous operation of the injector and extractor shuttles without any delay period because neither the wrapped plates nor the extractor tongs interfere with the reciprocating movement of the extractor shuttle and the gripping tongs.

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San Marcos, CA, United States of America

Carl Schroder