CA1133987A - Electrodes for use in the extrusion-fusion welding of lead parts through an aperture in a battery case - Google Patents

Abstract

IMPROVED ELECTRODES FOR USE IN THE EXTRUSION-FUSION WELDING OF LEAD PARTS THROUGH AN APERTURE
IN A BATTERY CASE

Abstract of the Disclosure The present invention provides a novel electrode construction, for use in extrusion-fusion type battery intercell welders, which uniformly con-trols the area of contact between members to be welded at the completion of the extrusion process in order to produce consistent, high-quality welds exhibiting higher strength and superior durability.

Description

3g87 , . --1--IMPROVED ELECTRODES FOR USE IN THE EXTRUSION-FUSION WELDING OF LEAD PARTS THROUGH AN APERTURE
IN A sATTERY CASE

sackground of the Invention The present invention relates generally to apparatuses for making intercell welds in electric storage batteries and in particular to those apparatuses where electrodes are oriented on `
either side of a partition or other aperture in a battery case, lugs or other battery parts are placed at each side of that aper-ture, contact produced therebetween, current passed through the :
lead parts to melt the same, and pressure applied generally for the purpose of providing an electrical connection through the 10 aperture. Such an apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,013,864.
It has long been known that lead parts on either side of a partition with an aperture formed therein can be welded through that aperture using any one of a number of techniques.
In the lead acid battery art, the most common site for welding ~ ;~
through an aperture is during the formation of intercell connec-tions, that is, in making the electrical connections between one battery cell and the next and/or between the endmost battery cells and the ~L1339~

exterior battery terminal of the battery. Since connections through apertures of this sort, in addition to being electrical, must provide a liquid seal from cell to cell to prevent "pumping", some 5 attention has been directed in the art concerning various methods for insuring that an intercell con-nector, in addition to providing a ~ood electrical connection, will also exhibit good sealing charact-eristics.
U. S. Patent No. 3,687,734 generally discloses a connector for electricall~ connecting two elements of a storage ba~tery through an aperture wherein at least one of the connector lugs is pro-vided with a passage extending therethrough. Molten 15 material from an internal portion of the connector exits through this passage during the heat fusion step as a result of pressure from a heat energy build-up. ~he patentee attempts by this structure to avoid the problem of blow-outs or lead expulsion 20 which has been encountered by many practitioners in this art.
Another attempt to avoid "blow-out" is disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 3,476,611 wherein inter-cell connections are made by a projection welding 25 process from pins which extend through the partition between two adjacent battery compartments, which pins have dimensions such that, when they are fluidized during the process, the volume o~ the pin material does not exceed the volume defined by -the 30 walls of the opening.
Such attempts inherently involve tolerence and positioning problems during manufacture and assembly of the parts and battery. ~lore recently, ; other methods have been developed for producing 35 battery intercell electrical connections, which methods have ~enerally been referred to as "extrusion-fusion" type methods. For example, in U. S. Patent -~45 o ~L33~7 No. 3,79 ,086 a method is disclosed wherein flat surfaced connector lugs are nlaced on each side of the battery partition wall, adjacent an aperture.
The connector lugs are extruded by a pair of opposed S electrodes into the aperture until they meet, where-upon an electrical welding current is applied. When the weldin~ current ceases, the connector is allowed to cool. U. S. Patent No. 3,793,086 states:
"It should be emphasi~ed that reduction of the initially applied shear force during the welding cycle is essential.i If the high applied shear force is main-tained during the welding cycle, molten lead will be squirted from the welding joint and an imperfect joint can result."
Another approach to the problem of blow-outs is that disclosed, for example, in U. S. Patent No.
4,046,062 wherein separate hold-down sleeves are employed to clamp the lugs into sealing engagement 20 with the partition wall aperture prior to and during the extrusion-fusion process. After clamping, metal is extruded until contact is made, electric current is passed through the extruded metal to melt it, and, under the continuing force of the electrodes, 25 metal is caused to flow into any voids in the aperture while, at the same time, extruding more metal out of the lugs into the aperture until the aperture is packed fulI of lug metal.
In U. S. Patent No. 3,869,316 a similar 33 extrusion-fusion system is disclosed wherein high density polyurethane pads are provided around each of the electrodes to clamp the lugs tightly against the walls of the intercell connection during the extrusion, fusion and cooling steps.
In U. S. Patent No. 3,723,699 the problem of blow-outs or lead expulsion is expressed in a projection welding context wherein the lugs are pro-vided with upstanding annular ribs which surround the hole in the partition wall and are caused to !45 ~3~

bite into the partition wall, in an attempt to mini-mize flow and providing a good mechanical key between the lugs and partition wall, thus mini-mizing the possibility of xelative sliding movement 5 between the lugs and partition wall.
Accordingly, as seen from the above-described prior art references, considerable problems have been experienced with blow-outs, particularly where lead i5 extruded into the aperture of the partition with 10 the intent of filling the same. Extrusion-fusion welding processes have nonetheless achieved consid-erable success in the industry.
Since the development of extrusion-fusion welding processes, other problems have also been en-15 countered in controlling the types of welds whichare obtained under actual production conditions in battery plants. It ha~ long been known, for example, that variations in such parameters as the electrical welding current, squeezing pressure, and in the 20 dimensions of the connector lugs and/or the partition or casing wall thickness has a direct effect on the quality of the weld. In the past, these parameters were adjusted and the resulting welds were then inspected to determine the quality thereof. This 25 adjustment and inspection process continued until welds meeting the predetermined criteria were obtained. After this initial set-up procedure, which can be very time consuming and laborious, an attempt is then made to maintain these param~ters 30 constant throughout the subsequ~nt production. Un-fortunately, changes in one or more of these para-meters during the ensuing produc~ion could have a detrimental effect on the quality of the welds pro-duced thereby. In some cases, these welds will tend 35 to overheat and blow out, while in other cases, cold or incomplete welds may be formed.
Although, as stated above, a n~nber of ~;~

~33~

conditions may account for the variability from weld to weld under conditions, I have found that the con-dition of the lugs contributes substantially to the great variability in weld performance. Lugs are 5 typically cast of lead alloys which harden as they age, and, which during the ~ battery manu-~ . , .
facturing operations may acquire varyinq surfacecharacteristics. For example~ lugs which are cast in conventional parts molding machines may have a 10 slight residue of oil or other film which adheres thereto from the casting machine (as, for example, films used to aid in release of the parts which are cast). Those lugs may then age in the ba~tery plant for varying lenghts of time deoending upon their 15 sequence of use. During storage they may be exposed to varying quantities of lead oxide dust and/or other contaminants present in the battery plant, and may be subjected to various additional contaminants depending upon the operations employed to fuse 20 those lugs to their respective stra~s. In some battery manufacturing plants, the lugs may be cast in a "Cast-on" machine or may be otherwise formed and fused to the straps with a much lesser degree of aging prior to final battery assembly. Once associated with the 25 groups, the lugs are particularly prone to contam-ination as a result of shedding or other direct or indirect exposure to the active material of their associated groups or elements. Finally, depending upon the manufacturing process employed to make the 30 cases, variable contaminations of the lug surfaces routinely occurs.
Prior art extrusion-fusion techniques, to the extent they have attempted to control parameters of surface contamination, tend to rely on sensing 35 the establishment of an electrical current path through the lugs at or near the completion of the extrusion process, that is, at the time contact is created between the lugs within the cellular o ~L~33~1~7 aperture. Unfortunately, variations in surface contaminations of the lugs considerably change the surface resistance of the lugs; therefore, tech-niques which sense the establishment of a certain 5 de~ree of electrical contact within the aperture tend to begin the weld cycle relatively earlier or later depending upon how dirty the lug surfaces are at their points of contact, i.e., how much lug con-tact area need be established in order to trigger 10 the weld cycle. Other prior art techniques have focused upon controlling the pressure of extrusion to thereby presumably establish a uniform contact area between the lugs~ regardless o their surfaces contamination. Due to the variability in aging 15 processes however, and the consequent variations in the hardness of the lugs to be extruded tdepend-; ing upon the age of those lugs), close control of extrusion pressure from weld to weld results in ~ariations of contact area between the lugs.
Other prior art technigues have used mechanical stops to limit the extrusion of the extruding apparatus in order to establish a uniform contact area between the lugs. However, variations in lug dimensions will effect the contact area 25 thereby rendering this technique less than satisfactory.

Summary of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a modified electrode configuration for use in an 30 extrusion-fusion type of welding system, and more particularly, a welding system which obviates any necessity for time consuming, laborious set-up procedures, variable pressure control, separ~te clamps, or particular lug or aperture configurations, 35 and which produces an extremely homogeneous weld with .

~33~87 a uniform grain structure and surprising strength heretofore unknown and unachievable in battery manu-facture.
The superior characteristics of the welds 5 (and batteries produced therewith) result from numerous features incorporated in applicant's novel electrodes. One such feature is the novel electrode tip of applicant's invention. Applicant has recog-nized that the extrusion portion of the electrode, 10 that is, the tip portion which initially upsets the metal to cause the initial contact thereof within the a~erture, should be disposed generally away from a forging portion, that is, a portion which, in addition to other functions, tends to limit the 15 extrusion of the electrode during the cold extrusion phase, whereby the degree of metal to me~al contact t- within the aperture is uniformly limited.
Applicant has also found that ~ pro-viding an annular forging portion on the electrode 20 surrounding the aperture to forge the lug around the aperture at least during the aperture-filling compression process, that the problem of blow-outs is eliminated and a substantially denser, stronger, gas-free, homogeneous weld is attained.

2~ In the preferred embodiment, the annular forging portion is configured with a contacting surface which is forced into ~he lug in order to create a sealing zone of high compression lead surrounding the aperture. The forging portion also includes an 30 inner ~eveled surface which additionally forges lead adjacent to the high compression sealing zone towards the central axis of the aperture. The annular forging portion further acts as a cold heat sink for lead disposed adjacent to that portion 35 of the electrodes, to prevent the melting of same.

,.,1 1~33~87 ~8-Applicant has ound that it is not nec-essary to use differential pressures during the initial upsetting and subsequent compression pro-cesses. Accordingly, far greater lug, partition S and aperture tolerances are established so that weld powers, hold-times and hold-pressures exhibit substantially greater latitudes than here-tofore exhibited by prior art devices.
Accordingly, a primary object of the 10 present invention is the provision of a novel bat-cry having intercell welds exhibiting superior strength and quality.
Another object of the present inven-tion is the provision of an extrusion-fusion type 15 of apparatus for forming intercell welds through an aperture in a lead acid storage battery where-in the degree~metal to metal contact within the aperture is uniformly limited to a predetermined magnitude prior to fusion.
A further object of the present in-vention is the provision of an apparatus for producing intercell welds in automotive storage batteries while overcoming attendant problems with blow-out.
An additional object of the present invention is the provision of an extrusion-fusion type of apparatus for forming intercell welds in a lead acid storage battery wherein significantly greater lug, paxtition and 30 aperture misalignments may be suitably accom-modated without re-adjusting to compensate for same.
These and other o~jects of the present invention will become apparent from the following 3s more detailed description.

~,,j, ' ~33~37 g Brief Description of the Drawin~s Figure 1 i5 a perspective view of the preferred embodiment electrode of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross-section of the por-tion of a b~ttery showing flat lugs disDosed on either side of an intercell partition with an aperture formed therein and with two preferred embodiment eIectrodes similar to that illustrated 10 in Figure 1 above shown disposed in their standby positions spaced apart from the lugs and oriented generally axially with the aperture of ~he part-ition through which the intercell connection is to be formed.
Figure 3 is a cross-section similar to the view shown in Figure ~, wherein the electrodes have been moved into contact with the lugs and have begun to extrude portions of those lugs into the aperture formed in the intercell partition.
Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged cross-section similar to Figures 2 and 3, wherein the electrodes have proceeded with the ~orging step to a point where metal-to-metal contact between the lugs is established within the aperture and 25 at a point where the contacting surface of the forging portions of the electrodes have con-tacted the lugs.
Figure 5 is a cross-section similar to Figures 2 and 3, wherein fluidization of lead 30 within the aperture has been effected and the electrodes bought further toqether so that the molten metal fills the aperture.
Figure 6 is a cross-section simiiar to Fisures 3-5, wherein the connection is complete 35 and the electrodes have been withdrawn therefrom, `(`-145 ~3L33987 ~10-showing the completed w~ld configuration.
pe~SDect; ~/e, Figure 7 is a pF~ Y~væ view of a strap and lug showing the external appearance of a lug in which an intercell connection in accordance with the 5 present invention has been made.

Detailed Description of the Drawings Although specific forms of the invention have been selected for illustration in the drawings, anJ
the following description is dra~m in specific 10 terms for the purpose of describing these forms of the invention, this description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
Referring now to Figure 1, there is 15 shown the improved electrode generally referred to as 10. The electrode 10 comprises a conical extrusion portion 12 having a vertex 14. The conical extrusion portion 12 is surrounded by a concentric, circular forging portion 16 having a 20 contacting surface 18, which is more clearly shown in Figures 2-6. Both the conical extrusion por-tion 12 and the forging portion 16 are disposed on one end of a cylindrical hody 20. The conical extrusion portion 12 is preferably positioned 25 coaxially with the cylindrical body 20 with the plane of the contacting surface 18 being su~stan-tially perpendicular to the coincident axes. A
jaw mount 22 is provided on the opposite end of the cylind~ical body 20 from conical extrusion portion 30 12 and forging portion 16 in order to enable the electrode to be conveniently mounted on welding jaws (not shown). As shown more clearly in Figure 2, the ~orging portion includes an outer beveled surace 24 and an inner beveled surface 26 both of which slope .

;r~-145 `
~33 ., away from the contacting surface 18. The outer beveled surface 24 is the result of the inclusion of a draft on the outer end surface of the forging portion 16. In the preferred embodiment, the draft angle is three degrees. The inner beveled surface 26 terminates in a recess 28, the sur-face of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical body 20~ It has been empirically determined that the angle of the inner beveled surface 26 can range between three degrees and fifteen degrees and still be effective in mini-mizing weld blow-outs as will be subsequently described. In the preferred embodiment, the angle is between five and eight degrees. A surface 27 ex-tends from the base of the conical extrusion portion 12to the surface of the recess 28 at a draft angle which, in the preferred embodiment, is equal to three degrees. The distance between the base of the conical portion 12 and the surface of the recess 28 is substantially equal to one-sixteenth of an inch in the preferred embodiment. The electrode 10 is constructed of a material having ~od electrical conductivity and hardness character-istics.
Referring now to Figure 2, there i~ shown a cross-section of a portion of a battery partition 30 having an aperture 32 formed therein and having lugs 34 and 36 disposed thereagainst to overlap aperture 32. The orientation of the electrodes, designated generally 38 and 40, with respect to the aperture prior to welding is also illustrated. The lugs 34 and 36 are shown to comprise generally flat surfaces which may lie up against the complimentally opposing surfaces of partition 30. The lugs are selected to be or a wid~h and height so that precise alignment with respect to the aperture 32 is not necessary. The importance of this fact resides in ~-145 . ~ , .

~33~
-12_ paxt upon the fact that each lug 34 and 36 is formed or cast as part of straps 42 and 44 respectively, which, although not shown, are welded to a plurality of battery plates which make up a group of elements 5 of the battery and which, during the assembly pro-cess, are slipped into the case generally in the direction shown by arrows A and B in Figure 2, so that portions of the lugs 34 and 36 overlap the partition aperture 32.
It will also be noted from ~igure 2 that the use of lugs 34 and 36 with flat surfaces dis-posed thereon allow the finished groups to be in-serted down into the case without fear that any .
particular portion of the lugs will hang up on 15 the partition, and further without the problems attendant with projection welding techniques for first getting the groups into the battery cells and then for positioning the projections in the apert.ure, as more iully described for those 20 techniques in U. S. Patent No. 3,364,076.
As seen in Figure 2, the electrodes des-ignated generally 38 and 40 are al.igned substan-tially coaxially with aperture 32. The conical extrusion portions 12a and 12b terminate in Yer-2S texes 14a and 14b for initially contacting thelugs and for extrudiny the same into the aperture 32. The diameter of the base of the conical ex-trusion portion 12 is substantially equal to the diameter of the aperture 32. ~owever, when used 30 in a production environment, it may he necessary to make the dia,meter of the base smaller than the diameter of the aperture in order to compensate or misalignment due to production alignment tolerances.
A misalignment; wherein a portion of the conical 35 extrusion portion overlaps a portion of the edge of the aperture, can cause pinching and plastic inclusions in the weld which detrimentally affect t~

~ ~33~

the quality of the weld. Conseauently, the phase "substantially equal to" is intended -to include differences in diameters which are necessitated by practical implementation considerations such 5 as compensation for production alignment toler-ances. In the preferred emhodiment, when welding l-hrough an aperture having a diameter substantially equal to seven-sixteenths of an inch, ~he diame~er of the base of the conical ex~rusion portion is 10 substan~ly equal to three-eights of an inch.
With a base diameter equal to three-eighths of an inch, the heigh~ of the vertex 14 should lie within a range of one-thirty-second of an inch to three-thirty-seconds of an inch and is prefer-15 ably one-sixteen~h of an inch. This range of heights has been empirically determined and relates to the functional requirements of the conical extrusion portion 12 as will be hereinafter described.
The diameter of the concentric, circular forging portion must be small enough to preclude overhanging an edge of the lug, but large enough to prevent overlapping any portion of the aperture edge in order to minimize blow-outs in the w~ld and also large enough to stall further cold extrusion of the lugs, both of which features will be more fully described hereinafter. The diameter should fall within the range of one-half to five-eighths inch. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the circular contacting surface 1& is substantially equal to five-eighths of an inch. Threaded bores S0 and 52 are additionally provided in each elec~rode to receive threaded shafts for mounting ~he electrode jaws (not shown). As previously stated, the electrodes should be of sufficient hardness to ex-hibit acceptable durability during the lead and leadalloy wor~ing processes to which they are to be subjected. For this purpose, No. 25 beryllium =1~ .., copper i5 the preferred material from which the extrusion ~ortion 12 and forging portion 16 may be milled or otherwise formed.
Referring now to Figure 3, electrodes 38 and 40 have begun to move together in the dir-ections of arrows C and D to a point where the conical extrusion portions l~a and 12b have begun to contact lugs 34 and 36 into extruded portions 34a and 36a o those lug5 into the aperture 32.
10 The conical shape of the extrusion portion 12 causes the lug material ~o be forced into the aperture and away from its center, a wedge-like effect whieh terds to fill the aperture with lug material. At the position illustrated in Fiyure

3, the contacting surfaces 18a and ]8b of the forging portions 16a and 16b have not yet begun to contact the lugs 34 and 36.
Figure 4, which is a areatly enlarged cross-section similar to Figure 3, illustrates 20 the continued movement of the electrodes together to a point where the contacting surfaces 18a and 18b of the forging portions 16a and 16b have contacted the surfaces of the lugs 34 and 36 and are slightly embedded therein at which point 25 further movement of the electrodes is stalled.
In the preferred embodiment, the contacting sur-faces become embedded to a depth equal to about ; 0.005 inch before the movement of the electrodes actually stops. At this point, extruded portions 30 34a and 36a have made the desired degree of con-tact within the aperture 32. The force supplied to the electrodes 38 and 40 which urges them in the directions indicated by the arrows E and F
is of such a magnitude that the extrusion por-35 tions 12a and 12b will extrude the hardest ofthe lugs to be welded, while at the same time being insufficient to overcome the stalling effect of the ...,i, ~C-145 ~339~37 forging portions 16a and 16b in the softest of lugs after the contacting surfaces 18a and 18b of the forging portions 16a and 16b have made contact with the surfaces of the lugs 34 and 36, respectively.
5 In the preferred embodiment, with diameter of the contacting surface being equal to five-eighths of an inch, this force is substantially equal to 680 pounds. The stalling effect of the forging portion 16a and 16b efectively limits the extrusion move- :~
10 ment of each of the electrodes to the axial distance measured from the vertex 14 of the extrusion portion 12 to the intersection of the plane containing the contacting surface 18 with the axis of the electrode.
In the preferred embodiment, this distance is sub-15 stantially equal to one-half the thickness of the battery partition 30. When used for welding through battery partitions having nominal thickness of 0`.070 inch, the contacting surface 18 is .035 inch from the vertex 14. Accordingly, it may be seen 20 that for this phase of the process, the relative thickness of the lugs 34 and 36 are immaterial to the proper functioning of the extruding oortions 12a and 12b and the proper contacting area will always be formed within the aperture upon engage-25 ment of the contacting surfaces 18a and 18b withthe lugs 34 and 36, respectively.
A~ter the proper contact area has been established between the lug portions 34a and 36a, a current is applied by the electrodes through the 30 lugs in order to fluidize the lead within the aperture. This current is applied immediately upon the establishment of the proper metal-to-metal contact area within the aperture and the movement of the electrodes together continues in a smooth and 35 uninterrupted fashion as shown in Figure 5, wherein it may be seen that ~he forging portions 16a and 16b, in combination with the extrusion portlons 12a , ~,, ~i ~3~1~17 and 12b, have continued to move together in the directions E and F to force the lead to completely fill the aperture 32 in the partition 30O In the preferred embodiment, each electrode continues to 5 move for a distance substantially equal to 0.025 inch.
As previously stated, the relationship of the height of the conical portion 12 verses the diameter of its base, a relationship which defines 10 the included ansle or sharpness of the cone, has been empirically determined. S~ith a base diameter of 3/8 inch, the sharpest cone has a height of 3f 3~ inch and the flattest has a height of 1/32 inch. It has been found that sharper cones, c~n-15 not adequately function to follow in and hydraul-ically fill the aperture with fluidized lead since the forging portion would bottom out before the aperture has become filled. This creates voids or "worm tholes" which have a detrimental effect on 20 the ~-~al-ti~`of the weld. In addition, the-greater height of the cone causes a deeper de~ression 76 ~see Figure 7) in the lug which would tend to weaken the completed weld. In addition, it has been found that flatter oones do not permit the 25 uniform establishment of the proper initial con-tact area within the aperture. ~lso, an entirely flat extrusion portion was found to cause plastic inclusions in the weld a~ well as non-uniform initial heat contact area.
It should be noted that as the aperture 32 is being filled with lead, the forging portions 16a and 16b are further embedded into the exterior surfaces of the lugs 34 and 36. In the preferred embodiment, the contacting surface 18 of each 35 electrode becomes embedded in the lug to a total depth of approximately 0.030 inch. This penetra~
tion of the contacting surfaces 18a and 18b of the `-145 ., ~ .

~L~3391E~7 C~

forging portions 16a and 16b into the .surface of the lugs 34 and 360 respectively, during fluidization of the lead within the aperture will prevent the expul- ;
sion of molten lead from the aperture, commonly known as blowout.
At the present time, it is not fully understood how the forging portions lGa and 16b act within this environment to eliminate problems of blowout. It is theorized that the circular con-tacting surface 18 which surrounds the aperture pro-duces an annular zone of high compression lead which acts as a seal preventing lead expulsion from the weld zone. It is further theorized that the inner beveled surface 26 of the forging portion 16, in acting to form or force that portion of the lug interiorly adjacent the contacting surface 18 toward the weld zones sets up stresses internally within the lug which additionally act to confine the weld nuggets to prevent expulsion. Finally, the depth of the recess 28 between the extrusion portion 12 and the forging portion 16 is believed to pro-vide a certain degree of relief for lead squeezed between the electrodes, and that lead may actually be forged up into the annular recess 28 in the electrode rather than be expulsed from the weld zone.
Referring now in particular to Figure 6 wherein the electrodes 38 and 40 are being with~
drawn in the directions G and H, respectively, to reveal a finished weld, it may be seen that the final intercell connection designated genexally 70 is extremely homogeneous and completely lacking the air pockets or "worm holes" which typify welds pro-duced by prior art processes. At the present time, it is also not unde~stood why the apparatus of the present invention consistently produced weld nug~
gets which, upon sectioning and etchin~ to show ~-145 33~8~

grain structure, e~hibit an extremely wide weld zone 72 which is generally disposed in the configuration shown in Figure 6.
In Figure 6 and Figure 7, the final configuration of the intercell connection produced by the improved electrode of the present invention is clearly illustrated. This intercell connection is, as aforesaid, characterized by large uniform weld nugget 72 which is disposed to completely fill the aperture 32 within partition 30. Annular depressions 74a and 74b which have been formed by the forging portions 16a and 16b of the electrodes 38 and 40, respectively, are seen encircling the center of the connection, while central concave, conical depressions 76a and 76b are disposed in the center of the intercell connection.
In order to determine the comparative strengths of the intercell weld illustrated in Figure 6, the weld produced using the improved electrodes of the present invention was tested against conventional welds produced by a conventional "stepped electrode".
Shear tests were conducted on standard lead and antimony lugs which were welded with similar currents through partition apertures. In all instances, a three and one-quarter inch air cylinder was uti lized in order to provide shearing force across the lug on one side of the partition while the lug on the other side of the par-tition was held rigidly. The values obtained by these tests rep-resent the air pressure supplied to the three and one-quarter inch cylinder, and, accordingly, are proportional to the pounds of shear force supplled to each intercell connection in order to break the same. Intercell connections produced using the prior art "stepped electrodes" are found to shear generally at between 100 to 120 pounds of air pressure. By comparison, intercell connections pro-duced by the improved electrodes of the present invention generally ~v ~: .,,~

31L~L33~87 C~

sheared between about 190 to 200 pounds o~ pressure.
Acc~rdingly, use of applicant t S invention enables B the formation of intercell ~ which are not sensitive to dimensional irregularities in the 5 lugs to be welded or the precis~ alignment of those lugs with respect to the aperture through the intercell partition is to be made.
It will be understood that various changes in the details, matexials and arrangements 10 of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

,, ~ .

.~ ' .
'~.; ,

Claims (21)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1. In an apparatus having electrodes for extruding, in response to a force applied along a predetermined axis, and fusing, in response to an applied electrical current, lead parts through an aperture in a battery case to form a connection therethrough, an improved electrode comprising an extrusion portion and means for limiting the degree of contact between the lead parts within said aperture prior to the application of said electrical current.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said extrusion portion comprises a conical projection having an axis which substan-tially coincides with said predetermined axis and a vertex, said vertex being displaced from said means for limiting con-tact by a predetermined distance along said predetermined axis.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said means for limiting contact comprises a forging portion which is annularly disposed around said conical extrusion portion.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said forging portion includes an annular contacting surface disposed around said conical extrusion portion.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said forging portion includes an inner beveled surface which slopes away from said contacting surface toward said conical extrusion portion.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said annular contacting surface is disposed in a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of said conical extrusion portion and intersects said axis at said predetermined distance from said vertex.

7, The invention of claim 6 wherein said predetermined distance is substantially equal to one-half the thickness of the portion of the battery case through which said aperture is formed.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said inner beveled surface terminates in an annular recess surface between said extrusion portion and said forging portion.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein said aperture is circular and said conical extrusion portion includes a circular base, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the diameter of said aperture.

10. The invention of claim 1 wherein said extrusion portion comprises a right circular conical projection having a base, an axis which substantially coincides with said predetermined axis, and a vertex, said vertex being displaced from said means for limiting contact by a predetermined distance along said predetermined axis.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said means for limiting contact comprises a forging portion which is circular and is coaxially disposed around said conical extrusion portion.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said forging portion includes a planar, circular contacting surface having inner and outer perimeters which are coaxially disposed around said conical extrusion portion, the plane of said contacting surface being perpendicular to the axis of said conical extrusion portion and intersecting said axis at said predetermined distance from said vertex.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said circular forging portion includes an inner beveled surface which slopes away from said inner perimeter toward said conical extrusion portion at a predetermined bevel angle.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein said inner beveled surface terminates in a circular recess surface between said extrusion portion and said forging portion.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein said predetermined bevel angle has a magnitude within a range of three degrees to fifteen degrees.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the ratio of the height to the diameter of the base of said right circular conical extrusion portion lies in a range of from 1:12 to 1:4.

17. In an apparatus having electrodes for extruding and electrically fusing lead parts through an aperture in a lead-acid battery case to form a connection therethrough, the improvement wherein said electrode comprises distinct upsetting, compression, and forging portions, said forging portions being disposed generally away from said aperture relative to said upsetting and compression portions by a distance of less than one-half of the thickness of the portion of the battery case through which said aperture is formed, whereby the degree of contact between the lead parts within the aperture is limited by contact between said forging portion and said lead parts prior to the softening of said lead parts during said fusing.

18. In an apparatus having electrodes for extruding, in response to a force applied along a predetermined axis, and fusing, in response to an applied electrical current, lead parts through an aperture in a battery case to form a connection therethrough, an improved electrode comprising a centrally dis-posed extrusion portion; and means for limiting the degree of contact between the lead parts within said aperture prior to the application of said electrical current, operatively associated with said extrusion portion and forming part of said electrode.

19. The invention of claim 18 wherein said extrusion portion and said limiting means are associated with a terminating end of said electrode.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein said limiting means extends outwardly from the terminating end of said electrode, and is peripherally spaced from said extrusion portion.

21. In an apparatus having electrodes for extruding, in response to a force applied along a predetermined axis, and fusing, in response to an applied electrical current, lead parts through an aperture in a battery case to form connection therethrough, an improved electrode comprising a centrally disposed extrusion portion, for extruding portions of said lead parts into said aperture; and means for contacting other portions of said lead parts surrounding said extruded portions and for limiting the degree of contact between said lead parts within said aperture, prior to the application of said electrical current, in accordance with the degree of contact between said contacting means and said other portions of said lead parts.