Flow through apparatus for manufacturing battery plates

Abstract

Apparatus for manufacturing battery plates includes a mechanism for transferring battery plate panels between conveyors comprising a supply conveyor having a discharge end, a receiving conveyor having a receiving end located adjacent to and below the discharge end of the supply conveyor and including an endless member movable along a predetermined path and having thereon a battery plate drive lug adapted to engage a battery plate panel and thereby to cause transport of the battery plate panel along the receiving conveyor, and a drive for periodically advancing the endless member in the direction of conveyor advance and through a predetermined distance greater than the length of a battery plate panel, guides stationarily located adjacent the discharge end of the supply conveyor for guiding battery plate panel travel from the supply conveyor to the receiving conveyor, another drive for advancing the supply conveyor so as to deliver battery plate panels onto the guides for delivery to the receiving conveyor, and a sensor located in the area of battery plate receipt on the receiving conveyor for sensing the receipt of a battery plate panel on the receiving conveyor and, in response, actuating the endless member advancing drive to advance the endless member through the predetermined distance. The transferring mechanism may be used to prevent transfer of baked battery panels from an oven to a parting machine which severs the panels into battery plates.