Apparatus for separating battery plates

An apparatus for separating battery plates which are joined about a centerline, said apparatus comprising:

• a chamber having a closed bottom surface and an open upper surface, said upper surface having a generally rectangular shape;
• a conveyor means disposed within said chamber and proximate to said open surface, said conveyor means having at least two spaced apart and closed loop conveyor belts;
• two spaced apart and closed loop conveyor belts;
• registration means mounted within said chamber and between said spaced apart closed loop conveyor belts for aligning said center line of said battery plate over said registration means, said registration means further being movable between a first position above the upper plane of said conveyor belts and a second position below the upper plane of said conveyor belts,
• separator means disposed between said spaced apart conveyor belts and aligned with said registration means, said separation means further having a portion thereof which extends beyond the upper plane of said conveyor belts;
• an upper conveyor means disposed above said chamber and parallel to said conveyor means, said upper conveyor means having at least two spaced apart conveyor belts which are parallel to said conveyor means and on opposite sides of said separator means, said upper conveyor means being disposed above said chamber via movable posts, said movable posts further comprising at least one post having operator means for moving said upper conveyor means vertically toward and away from said chamber,
• a first limit valve positioned between said conveyor belts and before said separator means, said first limit valve for reducing the speed of said conveyor belts from a first rate to a second rate and for activating said operator to move said upper conveyor means toward said chamber, and
• a second limit valve positioned between said conveyor belts and after said separator means, said second limit valve for accelerating said conveyor means from said second rate to said first rate and for activating said operator to move said upper conveyor means away from said chamber.

Apparatus for separating battery plates which are joined about a center line, said apparatus comprising:

• a frame;
• conveyor means disposed within said frame, said conveyor means having at least two spaced apart sections;
• registration means mounted relative to said frame for aligning said center line of said battery plates over said space, said registration means further being moveable between a first position and a second position;
• separator means disposed in line with said registration means, said separator means further having a portion thereof which extends at least to the upper plane of said conveyor means, and
• drive means for activating said conveyor means and said separator means.