General Battery Corporation

Other

Benasutti Asst., Ltd.

William J Eberle

Harry M Channing

Terry R Oxenreider

John M Nees

Kelly L Eberle

Ed Neukirch

Robert J Mills, Iii

Stan Hawrylo

Timothy M Reber

Apparatus for automatically stacking battery plates and separators is disclosed. Battery plates and separators elements are alternately and automatically combined on a conveyor belt to form sandwiches wherein a plurality of such sandwiches are later assembled for use in battery cells. Prior to combining the elements, the plates and separators are arranged in respective chutes for access by pivotably mounted vacuum pickup heads, which cycle between the chutes and the conveyor belt. The vacuum pickup heads capture the topmost elements in the chutes irrespective of the height at which the plates and separators may be stacked therein. In order to access the elements within the chutes, a jet sensor is provided with the pickup head that acts as a proximity detector. When vacuum is not being utilized for pickup purposes, it is utilized in an environmental mode where it is used to remove lead dust and particles around the stacking area.

Automatic battery stacker

The battery plate stacker includes a plurality of heads having pickup members located on the ends thereof for temporarily attaching either separators or plates to the heads as is appropriate. The heads are pivotal between stacks of plates or separators and a conveyor that is disposed between the stacks of plates and stacks of separators. The stacker includes control apparatus that prevents retraction of the heads unless a plate or separator is attached thereto and prevents swinging of the heads between the stacks and the conveyor until all of the heads are retracted.

Methods of and apparatus for stacking battery plates and the like

A switch responsive to fluctuations in the level of a vacuum. A ball is contained in an upright chamber and is normally in contact with an actuating means in the chamber. The actuating means is normally biased to one position but is shifted by the weight of the ball to another position. The chamber is connected to the vacuum source so as to apply a lifting suction force to the ball. If the suction force exerted by the vacuum exceeds a predetermined level, the ball will be lifted from the actuating means thereby shifting the position of the actuating means and generating a signal indicative of the vacuum level. Means are provided to adjust the level of vacuum necessary to lift the ball from the actuating means.

Vacuum sensitive switch

A novel system is described for withdrawing liquids from a subsurface horizon utilizing a tubular diaphragm pump. A specific and unique pump is disclosed comprised of an elongated body member which includes a main chamber member extending longitudinally of the body member. In a preferred embodiment, a delivery tube is concentrically mounted within the chamber and forms an annulus with its outer surface and the inner walls of the chamber. The tube is provided with spaced perforations along its length within the chamber. Upper and lower check valves are in fluid communication with and at opposite ends of the delivery tube. Flexible tubing or a bladder is placed in the annulus and is normally spaced from the delivery tube. Means apply hydraulic pressure to the outer surface of the bladder to move the bladder toward the delivery tube to expel liquids out of the chamber through the upper check valve and also for releasing the hydraulic pressure to move the bladder away from the delivery tube to aspirate liquids into the chamber by way of the delivery tube through the lower check valve.

Apparatus for lifting liquids from subsurface reservoirs

Apparatus for automatically stacking battery plates and separators is disclosed. Battery plates and separators elements are alternately and automatically combined on a conveyor belt to form sandwiches wherein a plurality of such sandwiches are later assembled for use in battery cells. Prior to combining the elements, the plates and separators are arranged in respective chutes for access by pivotably mounted vacuum pickup heads, which cycle between the chutes and the conveyor belt. The vacuum pickup heads capture the topmost elements in the chutes irrespective of the height at which the plates and separators may be stacked therein. In order to access the elements within the chutes, a jet sensor is provided with the pickup head that acts as a proximity detector. When vacuum in not being uitlized for pickup purposes, it is uitlized in an environmental mode where it is used to remove lead dust and particles around the stacking area.

Members are welded together by indirect application of heat, as for welding internal battery posts for connecting groups of plates or terminal posts electrically, through the use of a plurality of heated elements simultaneously engaging posts to be welded together, and wherein the configuration of molten material is controlled as the weld cools, by the use of a templet. The elements are heated, preferably by application of open flame through a plurality of mixing systems for the fuel, with one system being provided for each heated element.

Method for thermal relay welding

The present invention provides a novel electrode construction, for use in extrusion-fusion type battery intercell welders, which uniformly controls the area of contact between members to be welded at the completion of the extrusion process in order to produce consistent, high-quality welds exhibiting higher strength and superior durability.

Electrodes for use in the extrusion-fusion welding of lead parts through

An apparatus for modifying the between the ribs space in a thermal plastic battery container is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a heated non-circular wiping member which when rotated about a fixed centerline defines a first circumference having a diameter substantially equal in length to the minimum between the ribs space and a second concentric circumference having a diameter greater in length than the first diameter.

Method and apparatus for modifying the between the ribs dimension of a

A novel method for producing a homogenous weld exhibiting a superior grain structure, higher strength, and superior durability, using an extrusion-fusion type battery intercell welder having a novel electrode construction which provides improved current carrying characteristics.

An apparatus and method for determining the hardness characteristics of battery components such as lead intercell connection lugs wherein a base is provided with an aperture which corresponds to the size of the aperture provided in the intercell partition of a battery container, and a retractable ram is positioned in substantial axial alignment with the aperture in the base, so that the battery component can be positioned on the base and over the aperture and so that the retractable ram can be advanced into contact with the battery component so that the battery component is extruded into the aperture. When the battery component is extruded into the aperture for a selected distance, a limit switch is activated, whereupon the force applied to the ram is measured.

Apparatus and method for testing the hardness of battery components

An apparatus for removing temporary side post terminals of at least one multi-celled battery case for lead acid automobile batteries is disclosed. The subject apparatus comprises a horizontal transversely reciprocating work station containing a plurality of milling heads. The work station is also designed to first sense that batteries being operated upon are in a proper position for post removal and then to clamp them in that position until the temporary side posts are machined off by said milling heads. The apparatus further comprises conveyor means adapted to bring the battery cases into the apparatus and then to remove them from the apparatus after the side terminal removal operation is completed. Another feature of the conveyor is a horizontal guide to intercept skewed and misaligned battery cases and to correctly position them against the outer sidewall of the conveyor for proper side post removal. There is also pivotal gate means adapted to stop the batteries and hold them in the apparatus while the machining operation is underway and then to release them so that they may exit the system on said conveyor. This gate is controlled by an internal programming means which also establishes the timing sequence of all of the other operations performed within said apparatus.

Apparatus for removing temporary side terminals from batteries

A side terminal for a side terminal battery which may be varied for use as a flat side terminal or a post side terminal.

Variable side terminal for use in a storage battery

A method for forming lead-acid storage battery separator envelopes from a continuous roll of separator material of the type having ribs thereon. The method comprises withdrawing the separator material from the roll and clamping the withdrawn separator material along the length thereof to crush and deform the separator material ribs and produce two creases across the width thereof. The creases are spaced from each other approximately the thickness of a pasted battery plate. The clamping is released and the edge of a plate narrower in width than the separator material is introduced into contact with the separator material at the crushed and deformed portion thereof between the spaced creases. Thereafter the withdrawn separator material is folded along the length of the plate, so that the material overlaps the edges of said plate. Finally, the overlapped edges are sealed to each other.

Method for enveloping the plates of an automotive storage battery with

A method for manufacturing a battery having a temporary side terminal cast integrally with the permanent side terminal.

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Reading, PA, United States of America

William J Eberle