# US 4,400,120 A · Apparatus for removing temporary side terminals from batteries

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 4,400,120 A
- Document ID: US4400120A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/152,090
- Filed: 1980-05-21
- Granted: 1983-08-23
- Earliest claimed: 1980-05-21
- Assignees: General Battery Corporation
- Inventors: William J. Eberle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4400120A

## CPC

- B65G 47/244: by turning them about an axis substantially perpendicular to the conveying plane
- B23C 3/00: Milling particular work; Special milling operations; Machines therefor (milling gear-teeth B23F, {heat assisted machining B23P25/00})
- B65G 2203/042: Sensors
- H01M 50/55: on the same side of the cell
- H01M 50/553: Terminals adapted for prismatic, pouch or rectangular cells
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y10T 29/49108: Electric battery cell making
- Y10T 29/53135: Storage cell or battery
- Y10T 408/03: Processes
- Y10T 408/3806: with plural simultaneously operational work stations
- Y10T 408/3839: with presser-foot
- Y10T 408/385: Rotatable about parallel axes
- Y10T 409/303808: including infeeding
- Y10T 409/306048: with means to advance work or product
- Y10T 409/30616: with means to precisely reposition work
- Y10T 409/306944: In response to work condition
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B23C: MILLING (broaching B23D; broach-milling in making gears B23F; arrangement for copying or controlling B23Q)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

In an apparatus simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from at least one multi-celled, lead acid storage battery case having a pair of said terminals, said apparatus comprising horizontally reciprocating transverse cutting means, said cutting means further comprising a plurality of multi-positionable milling heads slideably set into a work station, each of said heads further having a cutter adapted to remove a side post terminal, the method of removing said terminals, comprising:
(a) transporting said battery case into said apparatus on conveyor means to a position wherefrom said terminals may be removed wherein said transporting step further comprises:
(i) intercepting and guiding skewed or misaligned battery cases against a sidewall of said conveyor to assume a properly oriented position for said side removal operation;
(ii) periodically closing a pivotable gate to stop said battery case at a time and position within said apparatus so that said cutting means, when actuated, will properly engage said case to remove said terminals; and
(iii) opening said gate at the completion of said side terminal removal operation, so that the finished case may be transported out of the apparatus for further processing;
(b) actuating said reciprocating cutting means so that they may advance across said conveyor to engage said battery for terminal removal;
(c) sensing that said battery case is correctly positioned on said conveyor relative to said advancing milling heads, and disengaging and reversing said advancing cutting means in the event that said case is not correctly positioned;
(d) clamping said battery case within said apparatus with spring biased buffer means so that said battery case will not move during terminal removal;
(e) machining off said temporary side terminal post, by said advancing milling heads; and
(f) disengaging said milling heads by retracting said cutting means; and
(g) transporting said machine battery cases out of said station.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said apparatus is adapted to machine the side terminals off of a plurality of batteries, the step of inserting means between the batteries being machined so as to properly position each of them relative to said advancing milling heads.

### Claim 3

An apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from at least one multi-celled lead acid storage battery case having a pair of said terminals, said apparatus comprising:
(a) a frame,
(b) conveyor means attached to said frame and adapted to carry said battery case into said apparatus for side terminal removal therein and further adapted to carry said battery out of said apparatus after said pair of side terminals have been removed; said conveyor means comprising:
(i) horizontal guide means adapted to intercept skewed and misaligned batteries on said conveyor prior to their being carried into said apparatus and to redirect them to a properly oriented position for said side post removal operation; and
(ii) pivotal gate means located at the exit of said apparatus, said gate being adapted to pivot inwardly to stop the passage of a battery case on said conveyor, said stoppage being at a place and at a time so that said case is properly positioned relative to said cutting means so that temporary side posts will be machined off when said cutting means is actuated, and further to pivot to an open position to allow said case to exit from the apparatus; and
(iii) sidewall means associated with said conveyor and adapted to restrain said battery during said machine operation
(c) horizontal reciprocating transverse cutting means, said cutting means comprising:
(i) a horizontally disposed, transversely movable reciprocating table mounted on said frame so that it may advance over said conveyor to engage said stopped battery for said cutting operation;
(ii) separator means attached to the front of said table and forwardly directed said separator being adapted to sense if said battery case is properly positioned relative to said cutting means and further to cause said cutting means to reverse its direction so that said cutters will not contact said stop battery case, if it is not properly positioned; and
(iii) spring biased buffer block means adapted to contact said battery and clamp them securely against said sidewall means of said conveyor means so that it will not move during said removal operation; and
(d) controlling means adapted to control and actuate said conveyor means and cutting means.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said apparatus is adapted to simultaneously machine the side terminals off of a plurality of batteries and said separator means is adapted to be inserted between said batteries so as to properly position each of them relative to the cutting means of said apparatus so that said side terminals will be properly machined off.

### Claim 5

An apparatus for simultaneously removing temporary side post terminals from at least two storage batteries, said apparatus comprising:
(a) work station means positioned adjacent to said retained battery, said work station further comprising:
(1) movable milling table including drive means for moving said movable milling table toward and away from said retained battery; and
(2) at least two milling means mounted on said table, and
(i) said movable milling table being horizontally disposed and reciprocally mounted so that when said drive means is actuated, said table is advanced so that said milling means engages said temporary post terminal and removes it wherein said milling table is further adapted to be retracted by said drive means after said terminal has been removed, wherein said work station means further comprises:
(ii) sensor means attached to said movable milling table to advance therewith, said sensor means having at least one separator block adapted to fit between said batteries and separate them to properly position them relative to said advancing milling means, said separator block being further adapted to provide a signal causing said milling table drive to retract said milling table in the event that said advancing separator block can not advance between said batteries; and
(b) frame means;
(i) said work station and drive means being operably attached to said frame means for receiving and retaining said storage battery wherein said frame means comprises conveyor means adapted to carry said storage battery into said apparatus for said side post terminal removal and further comprising horizontal guide means adapted to intercept skewed and misaligned batteries on said conveyor means and to re-direct them into a position properly oriented for side post terminal removal.