Method and apparatus for manufacturing batteries
AssigneeEberle Equipment Inc.
InventorsKelly L. Eberle, William K. Eberle, Terry R. Eberle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pot of molten lead is situated adjacent to a mold chamber containing a mold. A displacement piston is lowered into the pot to displace lead into the mold chamber to fill the mold. The displacement piston them allows the lead to flow back into the pot, leaving the lead in the mold. A battery handler then lowers a battery into the mold to cast lead straps onto the lugs of the battery. Water is forced through a passageway in the mold chamber to cool the lead in the mold. Air is then forced through the passageway to remove the water. The battery handler then removes the battery from the mold and a heating unit begins to preheat the mold chamber for the next battery.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing batteries, comprising the steps of:
- lowering a displacement piston into a pot of molten lead to force the lead to flow into a mold chamber containing a mold to heat the chamber and to fill the mold;
- raising the displacement piston to allow the molten lead to flow out of the mold chamber, leaving the lead in the mold;
- lowering a battery until lugs on the battery plates enter the lead in the mold;
- cooling the mold to harden the lead, forming straps on the lugs of the battery;
- and
- raising the battery to remove the battery from the mold after the straps have been formed.
An apparatus for casting straps onto lugs on battery plates of a battery, the apparatus comprising:
- a pot containing a quantity of molten lead;
- a mold chamber;
- a mold located in the mold chamber;
- a displacement piston located in the pot;
- displacement means for moving the displacement piston into the pot to cause some of the lead to flow out of the pot into the mold chamber to fill the mold, and for removing the displacement piston from the pot to allow the molten lead to flow out of the mold chamber back into the pot, leaving molten lead in the mold;
- a battery handler for moving a battery until the lugs on the battery plates of the battery are inserted into the molten lead in the mold, and to remove the battery from the mold after straps have been formed on the lugs;
- and
- cooling means for cooling the mold chamber to harden the lead to form straps on the lugs.
An apparatus for casting straps onto lugs on battery plates of a battery, the apparatus comprising:
- a pot containing a quantity of molten lead;
- a mold chamber having walls;
- a mold located in the mold chamber;
- a displacement piston located in the pot;
- a piston and cylinder assembly for moving the displacement piston into the pot to cause some of the lead to flow out of the pot into the mold chamber to fill the mold, and for removing the displacement piston from the pot to allow the molten lead to flow out of the mold chamber back into the pot, leaving molten lead in the mold;
- and
- a battery handler for moving a battery until the lugs on the battery plates of the battery are inserted into the molten lead in the mold, and to remove the battery from the mold after straps have been formed on the lugs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.