Battery component continuous casting machine with quick-change belt caster wheel assembly and method involving same
AssigneeWirtz Manufacturing Company, Inc.
InventorsMichael R. Romeo, Aleksander Mrdjenovic, Jason P. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A battery component continuous casting machine is equipped with a quick-change belt caster wheel assembly. Battery components produced include lead-based metal grids for lead-acid battery types, as well as lead-based metal foils for bipolar battery types. Caster wheels of the quick-change belt caster wheel assembly are more readily installed and uninstalled—making removal and replacement procedures easier—while preserving precision tolerances often demanded for proper manufacture of the battery component grids and foils.
Claims27
A quick-change belt caster wheel assembly for a battery component continuous casting machine, the quick-change belt caster wheel assembly comprising:
- a base assembly situatable atop the battery component continuous casting machine, said base assembly comprising a ring gear and a set of bearings facilitating rotation of said ring gear;
- a caster wheel carried by said base assembly and rotatable with respect to said base assembly, said caster wheel driven to rotate via said ring gear, said caster wheel having a cylindrical wall with a mold cavity residing therein;
- and
- a thermal management assembly located between said base assembly and said caster wheel, said thermal management assembly attenuating heat transfer between said caster wheel and said base assembly.
A method of changing a belt caster wheel assembly in a battery component continuous casting machine, the method comprising:
- placing a base assembly of the belt caster wheel assembly at a frame wall of the battery component continuous casting machine, the placement occurring primarily via a side direction and movement of said base assembly with respect to said frame wall.
A belt caster wheel assembly for a battery component continuous casting machine, the belt caster wheel assembly comprising:
- a caster wheel having a mold cavity;
- a ring gear driving rotation of said caster wheel;
- a ring component situated between said ring gear and said caster wheel, said ring component having at least one coolant passage residing therein;
- and
- a plurality of load-bearing balls situated between said ring component and said caster wheel, wherein an axial gap resides between said ring component and said caster wheel adjacent said plurality of load-bearing balls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.