GB2041631A - Manufacture of battery electrodes - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for filling tubular electrodes of electric storage batteries with active material comprises, a rotary turret (11) provided with jigs (21), in which the tubular plates can be located, disposed around the periphery of the turret, means (15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23) for supplying wet active material to each of the jigs, means (12, 13) for rotating the turret through a series of indexed steps, a horizontal conveyor (52), for the electrodes, tangential to the turret, and each jig (21) comprising a framework (95) pivoted at its lower end movable from a position in which it is positioned above the horizontal feed conveyor to a position in which it is disposed below the supply means (20). The horizontal feed conveyor (52) is provided with a registry mechanism (305) so arranged that, when an electrode arrives beneath the framework (95), positioned over the conveyor (52), the registry mechanism is actuated to locate the electrode in a bottom clamp (135) of the framework and in side gripper means (160, 184, 185) which then close so as to grip the electrode at one end and to grip one or more of the tubes at each side of the electrode at or adjacent the other end of the electrode, the registry mechanism then retracting whereby the framework can then move to the upright position carrying the electrode with it. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Manufacture of battery electrodes The present invention relates to the manufacture of battery electrodes of tubular type and is concerned in particular with a method of filling the tubes of such plates with active material and apparatus for carrying out the method.

The invention though not limited to such arrangements, is described with particular reference to tube arrangements in which the tubes are a single preformed assembly since this facilitates assembly of the tubes onto the spines of the electrode.

The present invention is concerned particularly with the techniques described in the specification of our British Patent No. 1,530,120, and with improvements in the mechanised filling method disclosed in the specification of British Patent Application No.

15401/76.

According to the invention claimed in the specification of British Patent Application No. 15401/76 a method of filling tubular electrodes for electric storage batteries comprises securing each electrode in a jig at a loading site in an inverted position with the bottom ends of the tubes open and located at the upper end of the jig and the top ends of the tubes closed and located at the lower end of the jig, and clamping a manifold over the open ends of the tubes of the electrode, conveying the electrode in the jig along a pathway to an unloading site and supplying battery active material to the electrode in the jig so that the battery active material is introduced through the said manifold into the tubular electrodes as an aqueous slurry through the upwardly facing open bottom ends of the tubes, so as to fill the electrode with battery active material during the passage of the electrode from the loading site to the unloading site, unclamping and removing the manifold from the upwardly facing open bottom ends of the tubes, closing the open bottom ends of the tubes of the electrode, removing the filled electrode from the jig, and returning the empty jig from the unloading site to the loading site.

The jig is preferably conveyed in a series of indexed rotary steps, the dwell time of each step being sufficient to enable an electrode to be loaded into a jig or unloaded from the jig and the number of steps between loading and unloading being such as to provide a time 1.1 to 5 times the time required to fill the electrode and preferably 2 to 3 times the time required to fill the electrode.

Preferably the slurry is supplied continuously to the electrode i.e. both during the steps and between steps.

The movement of the jig from one indexed step to another is preferably utilized to control the commencement and the cessation of the supply of slurry to the electrode and the commencement of the bottom barring operation, The electrodes are preferably conveyed through a circular pathway and it is preferred to supply the electrodes mechanically to the jig by means of a horizontal conveyor, on which the electrodes rest, disposed tangentially to the loading site. Each jig is preferably provided with lifting means for engaging an electrode on the horizontal conveyor and lifting the electrode into the jig and then clamping it into position, and for unloading the electrode by a reverse operation onto a horizontal conveyor disposed radially to the unloading site.

The invention also extends to apparatus for carrying out the method which comprises, a rotary turret provided with jigs, in which tubular electrodes can be secured, disposed around the periphery of the turret, and a manifold for each jig adapted to be removably clamped to the open end of an electrode, a slurry supply tank located below the rotary turret for supplying battery active material composition as an aqueous slurry, and provided with means for keeping the solids in suspension in the slurry and slurry supply means for supplying slurry from the tank to each of the manifolds, slurry control means for controlling the slurry supply means, the slurry control means incorporating a pressure relief machanism so that when the pressure in the slurry supply to an individual manifold exceeds a preset value, the slurry is diverted from the manifold, indexing means for rotating the turret through a series of indexed steps of equal duration, and a bottom barring mechanism adapted to be disposed above the filled tubes in the jig in place of filling manifold.

Each manifold is preferably mounted so as to be retractable from each jig and preferably is provided with sealing means enabling it to sealingly engage the jig so that the slurry can be supplied to the interior of the tubes under some pressure if desired.

The slurry control means preferably also incorporates an "on-off" mechanism preferably under the control of the indexing means so that slurry can only be supplied to a manifold when it is in a predetermined indexed position.

The bottom barring mechanism preferably comprises a bottom bar supply means adapted to feed bottom bars sequentially to the jig in the correct orientation and bottom bar insertion means adapted to push a bottom bar into the ends of the tubes.

It is preferred to supply the electrode mechanically to the jig by means of a horizontal conveyor, on which the electrodes rest, disposed tangentially to the loading site.

The invention in its broadest aspects, thus extends to apparatus for filling tubular electrodes of electric storage batteries with active material which comprises, a rotary turret provided with jigs, in which the tubular electrodes can be located, disposed around the periphery of the turret, first means for supplying wet active material composition to each of the jigs, second means for controlling the first means, means for rotating the turret through a series of indexed steps of equal duration, a horizontal conveyor, on which the electrodes may rest, the conveyor being disposed tangentially to the turret, and each jig is provided with lifting means for engaging an electrode on the horizontal conveyor and lifting the electrode into the jig and then clamping it into position, and for unloading the electrode by a reverse operation onto a horizontal conveyor disposed radially to the unloading site.

In a preferred form of the present invention, each jig comprises a framework pivoted at or adjacent its lower end arranged to be movable from a position in which it is positioned above the horizontal feed conveyor to a position in which it is disposed below the first means for supplying wet active material compositions to the jig, the framework being provided with an openable bottom clamp and side gripper means, the horizontal feed conveyor being provided with a registry mechanism arranged so that when an electrode arrives beneath the framework positioned over the conveyor the registry mechanism is actuated to locate the electrode in the bottom clamp of the framework and in the side gripper means which then close so as to grip the electrode at one end and to grip one or more of the tubes at each side of the electrode at or adjacent the other end of the electrode, the registry mechanism then retracting whereby the framework can then move to the upright position carrying the electrode with it.

The registry mechanism preferably comprises stop means adapted to be positioned on either side of the horizontal conveyor on lifting means and underneath support means associated with the stop means and arranged to be moveable between a lower position when their upper surface is at or below the upper surface of the horizontal conveyor and an upper position when their upper surface is above the conveyor, whereby the electrode can be lifted into the bottom clamp and side gripper means of the framework.

The registry mechanism preferably also includes tube positioning means arranged to push the open ends of the tubes inwardly and then to engage tubes at or adjacent the edges of the electrode and draw them out to a precisely defined predetermined spacing whereby they register precisely with the side gripper means.

In another aspect of the invention in apparatus in accordance with the invention each jig is provided with an operable upper clamp adjustably mounted on a support which also carries a manifold for supplying active material to the interior of the tubes of a plate carried in the jig.

The upper clamp preferably has a fixed rear jaw and pivoted front jaw pivoted so as to swing outwards and upwards when opened out of the path of the electrode as it is carried up to the filling position by the framework of the jig.

The front clamp is preferably pivoted on a common axis parallel to its length, to one end of each of two levers which are connected at the other ends to a rod mounted for rotation in a first fixed support along a common axis parallel to the first axis and positioned above and to the rear of it, both the said axes being above and to the rear of the rear jaw, the front jaw also being slidingly connected by rearwardly extending side arms to sliding pivots located for sliding movement in slots at right angles to and behind the rear jaw and behind the top said axes but in the same plane as the rear jaw, a third lever of the same size as the first two levers being connected to the rod located on the second axis at one end parallel to the first two levers and being pivoted at its other end to the end of the output piston of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder the other end of which is pivoted to a second support fixed relative to the first fixed support rearwardly of the said slots and the rear jaw from the first fixed support.

The invention may be put into practice in a number of ways and certain specific embodiments will be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a filling station, incorporating an automatic rotary filling unit, for filling tubular battery electrodes with active material; Figure 2 is a diagram showing the indexing positions for the rotary filling unit as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of the filling unit as shown in Figure 1 provided with mechanical electrode loading and unloading means; Figure 4 is a plan view of an infeed conveyor and registry mechanism in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a side elevational cross section on the line V-V of Figure 5 looking down the conveyor to the inlet end;; Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view partly cut away and partly in section of the registry mechanism, shown in Figure 4; Figures 7to 12 show detailed views of the mechanical loading and unloading means in accordance with the invention; Figure 7 is a side elevation of the lower portion of the apparatus showing the electrode presented to the upper clamp just before the upper clamp closes; Figure 8 is a side elevation from the same side as in Figure 7 in partial cross section showing the upper portion of the apparatus showing the top end of the electrode just after the upper clamp has closed and just afterthe filling manifold has engaged the upper surface of the top clamp;; Figures 9A and 9B are a composite plan view of the side gripping clamps taken on the line IX-IX of Figure 7 shown for clarity and economy of description in a state which it would never occupy in use namely with one side gripped closed in Figure 9A and the other half open in Figure 9B; Figure 10 is a side view of the upper clamp, shown diagrammatically in Figures 7 and 8, on an enlarged scale, in the closed position as shown in Figure 8; Figure 11 is an underneath plan view of the upper clamps shown in Figure 11 on the same scale; and Figure 12 is a front view of the filling manifold shown in Figure 8 on the same scale as Figure 8.

The rotary filling unit shown in Figure 1 consists of an indexed rotatable turret 11 driven in conventional manner by a motor 12 via an indexing mechanism 13 of appropriate conventional form. The turret 11 is mounted for rotatory movement above a slurry holding tank 14 from the top edge of which a skirt 15 extends outwardly so as to catch slurry issuing from the tubular electrodes during filling and direct it back into the tank 14. The motor 12 and indexing mechanism 13 need not necessarily be located below the tank 14.A pump 16 (not shown) supplies slurry from the tank 15 via a feed tube 17, which extends up through the turret 11, via a conventional rotary joint 23, and preferably flexible radial feed tubes 19 (only eight of which are shown in Figure 1, there being twelve in the actual unit) to twelve, preferably retractably mounted, filling heads 20 arranged to cooperate with twelve jigs 21.

The manifolds are shown in the filling position in Figure 1 and their preferred upward and rearward movement is desirably controlled automatically by the indexing mechanism 13. This permits automatic bottom barring to be carried out after the electrodes have been filled.

The feed tubes 19 preferably also incorporate individual valve mechanisms 22 (only one of which is shown in Figure 1) desirably located just above the filling head 20. These valves 22 are preferably provided with a bypass mechanism so that when they are in a state to prevent passage of slurry to the filling heads the slurry is automatically returned to be tank 14 e.g. by gravity. These valves are preferably also provided with a pressure relief mechanism so that as soon as the pressure in the feed tube 19 reaches a preset value e.g. to 40 p.s.i. the valve shuts and the bypass mechanism operates.

The valves 22 are preferably also provided with an on-off function controlled automatically by the indexing mechanism 13 so that the valves can be positively closed when they are in particular index positions.

In an alternative embodiment the multiple outlet rotary joint 23 could be replaced by a single outlet rotary joint feeding a ring main 24 (not shown) disposed adjacent the filling heads 20 and provided with similar individual feed control and bypass valves as the arrangement described with reference by Figures 1 and 3, though the bypass could be either to the tank 14 or back to the ring main 24. The ring main 24 could be provided with one or more pumps (not shown) to ensure that there was no settling of slurry in the ring main.

The jig and manifold mechanism will be described below in detail with reference to Figures 7 to 12.

Referring now to Figures 1 the turret 11 has twelve indexed positions. The index mechanism is preferably arranged to have a rapid movement (e.g. 0.1 to 1 second) between index positions and a relatively long dwell time at the indexed positions (erg.1 to 30 seconds or 2 to 5 seconds). The positions are labelled Ato L in Figure 2.One preferred indexing arrangement is for position A to be the loading position at which a tubular electrode consisting of a porous multi-tubular sheath threaded onto a multielement metallic conductor assembly having a current take off lug, one element of the assembly being located in each tube, is located in the jig 21 with its lug pointing downwards, the top ends of the tubes, which are now at the bottom, being closed by the conductor assembly and their bottom ends (bottom in use but now at the top) being open to receive the slurry from the filling head 20.

The electrode is clamped in the jig 21 and the head 20 is clamped to the top of the jig at position B. The jig is now indexed to position C, the first filling position. the indexing movement typically takes 0.5 seconds. When the electrode is of a size which typically takes 10 seconds to fill to the desired cut off pressure, e.g. 20 p.s.i., the dwell time at each filling station may be 2 seconds. The electrode thus indexes round via positions C, D, E, F, to position G which it reaches after 15.5 seconds during the whole of which time slurry is being supplied to it.

The filling head 20 is retracted whilst the electrode dwells in position H and the jig then moves round below the stationary bottom barring apparatus 36 at position I. The bottom bar is located in position at position I and driven home The bottom barring apparatus 36 consists of a vibratory bowl feeder 35 which orientates the bottom bars and feeds them sequentially down a chute 37 to a location chamber 38 in which they are aligned with the openings in the end of the multitubular sheath. They are then pushed into place by a punch 39 driven by a pneumatic cylinder 40 under control of the indexing mechanism 13 and a separate punch 41 and cylinder (not shown) drive the bottom bar home. The filling head is brought back into position at position B for the next electrode. After bottom barring the electrode is unloaded at position J.

The jig 21 and filling head 20 are washed down at positions K and L.

The general layout of the mechanical loading and unloading means in accordance with the invention is shown in Figure 3.

Sheathed spined electrodes 10 are fed manually from a table 51 (see Figure 3) along a horizontal belt conveyor 52 disposed tangentially to the turret 11.

The electrodes are arranged transverse to the conveyor with their lugs towards the turret. A movable portion of the jig pivoted to the turret is arranged to pivot down over the conveyor 52 when the jig reaches position A, engage the electrode and carry it up to the vertical filling position.

The preferred form of jig is shown in Figures 7 to 12.

The preferred form of infeed conveyor registry mechanism is shown in Figures 4 to 6.

Referring to Figure 4, the horizontal conveyor 52 has two spaced apart tracks 300 to 301 with adjustable spacers 302 (only some of which are shown) located on their top faces to space apart adjacent electrodes.

The tracks are mounted on shafts 303 so that their separation can be varied so as to accommodate electrodes of various lengths.

The electrode registry mechanism shown generally at 305 is also adjustably mounted on shafts 306 for movement parallel to the conveyor tracks and on shafts 307 for movement transverse to the conveyor tracks. A shroud 304 is positioned above the track 301 to ensure that each electrode is flat on the conveyor, before it reaches the registery mechanism 305.

The registry mechanism 305 provides for three separate movements to be applied to the electrode.

The function and sequence of the movements will briefly be described and then the mechanism used to achieve these movements will be described.

An electrode is conveyed along the conveyor tracks which move at a constant speed appropriate to the speed of the registry mechanism, the turret mechanism and the spacing of the bars 302.

The electrode is positioned against the rear edges of a pair of bars 302 with its open bottom end on the conveyor 300. When it arrives at the registry mechanism 305 it is arrested by stops 310 and 311 and the conveyor continues to slide past underneath the plate. An electrode squeezer bar 312 on the mechanism 305 rotates downwards from a raised position against the rear tube of the open end of the electrode squeezing it inwards slightly more than is necessary and then releases the squeezing force.

The squeezer bar has a bottom plate 313 which fits beneath the edge of the plate and the top surface of which is in the same plane at this stage in the sequence as the top surface of the conveyor 300.

A pair of pawls 315 and 316 seen in Figure 6 each mounted on horizontal plates 317 and 318 located at the same level as the electrode now move forward so as to enter the two tubes next to the end tubes of the electrode with the outside edges of the pawls against the inside faces of the spines in these tubes.

A jib with its clamps open rotates in a horizontal position from the previous turret position L to position A opposite the registry mechanism 305 so as to be disposed over the conveyor tracks 300 and 301.

The registry mechanism then rises carrying the electrode with it resting on the plates 317 and 318 at its open bottom end, and resting on a plate 320 which extends across below the top end of the electrode outside the conveyor 301.

This movement lifts the electrode into contact with the rear clamp face of the bottom clamps of the jig and into contact with the rear clamp faces of the side gripper mechanism of the jig in the preferred jig arrangement described below.

At the same time the pawl 315 moves outwardly so that the spines are brought to the correct positions and the tubes register correctly with the side grippers of the jig. The side grippers and the bottom clamp of the jig then close. The pawls 315 and 316 are retracted transversely to the conveyor, the jig swings up, the pawl 315 is retracted back to the starting position shown in Figure 5 and the register mechanism 305 drops back to its starting position shown in Figure 6. At the same time, the squeezer bar 312 swings back up to allow the next plate to pass underneath it. The cycle is then repeated with the next electrode on the conveyor.

The mechanism 305 has a lower base position 331 carried on the shafts 307 which are mounted on a support 330 mounted on the frame of the machine.

The lower base portion 331 has four vertical shafts 332 mounted in it and carries a vertically orientated pneumatic cylinder 333. An upper base portion 334 is mounted on the shafts 332 and is engaged by the output piston of the cylinder 333 so that it can be moved up and down by the cylinder 333. The portion 334 carries a base plate 335 adjustably attached to it which extends out below the upper path of the conveyors through beyond the conveyor 301 and then carries a mounting brcket 336 for the lifter plate 320 and the stop 311. The base plate 335 has to be adjustably attached to the portion 334 so as to accommodate variation in the separatin of the conveyor tracks for different sized plates.

Front and rear support brackets 337 and 338 are mounted on the upper base portion 334 and carry a pair of shafts 339 arranged parallel to and above the base plate 335. The squeezer bar and pawl mechanisms are carried on these shafts 339 by means of a carrier body 340 mounted on the shafts 339 and adjustably secured to the output piston of a pneumatic cylinder 341 which is mounted on the bracket 338.

The body 340 carries the pawl mechanism 316 (see Figure 6) and the pawl mechanism 315. The pawl 315 is carried on a movable pawl carrier 342 by means of shafts 343 disposed parallel to the conveyor which are mounted in the carrier body 342. The carrier 342 is connected to the output end of a pneumatic cylinder 344 (see Figure 5) which is mounted in a gap in the underside of the body 340.

The body 340 also carries on its upper side an actuating cylinder 345 for the squeezer bar mechanism. The cylinder 345 (see Figure 4) lies parallel to the conveyor and rotates the squeezer bar via a crank 346 and a bearing 347.

The operation described above is thus achieved as follows: Starting from the position shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 the electrode arrives and is arrested by the stops 310 and 311. The cylinder 345 pushes out its piston and rotates the squeezer bar 312 from its raised position to its lowered position and it squeezes the electrode.

The cylinder 341 then pushes out its piston so as to move the body 340 carrying the pawls 315 and 316 forwards simultaneously so that they enter into the open ends of the tubes of the electrode.

The cylinder 333 then pushes out is piston and raises the portion 334 away from the portion 331 carrying with it the base plate 335 and the body 340 thus raising the electrode carried on the plate 320 and the plates 317 and 318.

The cylinder 344 then pushes out its piston moving the pawl carrier 342 outwards parallel to the conveyor and with it the pawl 315 which thus brings the tubes of the electrode to the correct position in the back faces of the side grippers, which then engage the electrode. The bottom clamp also closes.

The cylinder 341 then retracts the carrier body 340 withdrawing the pawls 315 and 316 from the tubes, the jig swings up with the electrode. The cylinder 345 retracts its piston rotating the squeezer bar 312 up away from the conveyor, the cylinder 333 retracts its piston lowering the carrier plate 335 and the carrier body 340, and the cylinder 344 retracts its piston bringing the carrier body 342 and the whole mechanism back to its starting position.

At the end of the filling cycle the moveable portion of the jig 21 is used to achieve mechanical unloading.

The electrode is thus lowered down over a radially disposed unloading conveyor 70 the plate 50 is released onto the conveyor 70 which conveys it out away from the moveable portion of the jig and onto another conveyor 72.

We now refer to Figures 7 to 12. These Figures show the arrangement of the jig 21 which is in accordance with the invention. The turret (not shown) has upper and lowr horizontal support plates 80 and 81 for each jig.

A double angle bracket 82 (see Figure 7) is bolted to the lower plate 81. This bracket has an inwardly facing L shaped bracket having horizontal and vertical arms 83 and 84 reinforced by a web 85 and an outwardly extending U shaped bracket formed by the lower end of the arm 84, an inclined arm 86 and a horizontal arm 87, all reinforced by a web 88.

A horizontal pivot support 89 is bolted to the lower face of the arm 87 and carries a push button switch 90. A moveable electrode support frame 95 is pivoted to the support 89 by a horizontal pivot 96 essentially at its lower or inward end, only a short leg 97 extending below the pivot. The leg 97 carries an adjustable stop member 98 positioned so as to engage the switch 90 when the frame 95 is brought to a horizontal position.

The arm 84 also carries a horizontal pivot support 100 which is bolted to it. This pivot support also has two vertically disposed upwardly opening bores 101 and 102 (of which only 101 is shown). The lower ends of a pair of main support rods 103 and 104 (not shown) are secured in these bores 101 and 102 by set screws 105 and 106 (of which only 105 is shown).

The upper ends of the rods 103 and 104 are secured by set screws 112 and 113 (of which only 112 is shown) in vertical holes 107 and 108 (of which only 107 is shown) located in a horizontal upper rod holder plate 110 which is bolted to the upper support plate 80 of the turret.

A main actuating piston 120 is pivoted to the pivot support 100 at one end 121 whilst the output end 122 of its piston 123 is pivoted horizontally to the electrode support frame 95 at a position 125 just above the pivot 96 but sufficiently removed therefrom for the cylinder to be able to move the frame 95 from a horizontal to a vertical position whilst carrying a full electrode. The piston 120 also carries a push button switch 130.

The frame 95 has a lower clamp 135 having front and rear jaws, 136 and 137 containing removable inserts 138 and 139 providing the teeth of the jaws.

The rear jaw 137 carries a pair of spaced apart flanges 141 and 142 (of which only 141 is shown) having adjustable bores 143 and 144 (of which only 143 is shown) extending parallel to the frame 95.

A pair of gripper supporting tubes 150 and 151 (of which only 150 is shown) are clamped vertically with their lowr ends in the bores 143 and 144 secured therein by bolts passing through the flanges 141 and 142. A pair of gripper carrying rods 152 and 153 are mounted in the upper ends of the tubes 150 and 151 and adjustably secured thereto by clamps 154 and 155 (of which only 154 is shown). A side gripper mechanism 160 (shown in side elevation in Figure 7 and in plan view from above in Figure 9) is mounted on the upper ends of the rods 152 and 153.

When electrodes of different size from that shown in Figure 7 (the electrode is indicated by the reference 170) are to be filled the relative positions of the tubes 150 and 152 and 151 and 153 are adjusted so that gripper mechanism 160 is still spaced the same distance below the top end of the electrode 170.

The gripper mechanism is shown in Figures 9A and 9B. Figure 9B shows the position of one gripper 184 before it is moved in to hold the electrode.

Figure 9A shows the side gripper 185 gripping the two outer tubes of the electrode. The grippers 184 are pivoted at 172 and 173 are moved simultaneousliy to the closed position by the operation of the cylinders 174 and 175. When required, the grippers are retracted by the reverse operation of the cylinders 174 and 175.

The gripper mechanism 160 is mounted on a support bar 161 which is itself clamped to the top ends of the rods 152 and 153. The gripper mechanism consists of two identical parts arranged symmetrically round the median line of the mechanism.

Each side has a frame having a front fce 162, 163 bolted to its half of the bar 161, a pivot supporting lug 164, 165, at its front outside edge and cylinder supporting arm 166, 167 extending behind the bar and inclined towards the median line of the mechanism and cranked downwardly and ending in a horizontal support for a vertical pivot 172, for the free ends of a pair of cylinders 174, 175 which are pivoted by their free ends to the pivots 172 and 173.

The cranking of these arms 166 and 167 enables the gripper mechanism 160 to be located near the top of the electrode without interfering with the upper clamp mechanism 190 which will be described in detail below.

The output ends 176, (see Figures 9A and 9B) 177 of he pistons of the cylinders 174 and 175 are bolted to vertical plates 178 and 179.

Each lug 164 and 165 has pivotedtitagripper crank 182, 183 having a front gripper arm to which a toothed gripper 184, 185 is attached and an actuating arm 186, 187, to which the plates 178 and 179 respectively are pivoted. Each gripper 184,185 has two teeth and is arranged to engage the two outside tubes of the electrode. the front face 162 and 163 are secured to the bar 161 by a bolt 189 passing through a slot 188 (shown only for the face 163) so that the combined length of the front faces 162 and 163 can be varied to suit the width of the plate which is to be filled. The face 162 is shown by way of illustration only in an extended position in Figure 9B. In use the faces 162 and 163 would be secured symmetrically to the bar 161.

The grippers are also shown by way of illustration only in an unsymmetrical state; in use they would be operated in unison. The arm 185 is shown fully closed, the arm 184 just under half open, the open position being with the arms 184 and 185 withdrawn so as not to extend in front of the faces 162 and 163.

As mentioned bove an upper clampig mechanism 190 is provided bove the side gripper mechanism to engage the top of the electrode when it is in an upright position. The upper clamps also provides a seal around the tops of the tubes and a surface against which a filling manifold mechanism shown generally at 260 can seal.

The filling manifold mechanism 260 (shown in Figures 8 and 12) and the upper clamp 190 are both carried on an upper support frame 230 which is slideably mounted on the rods 103 and 104 by four lugs 231,232,233 and 234 two of which, 231 and 233 are clampable so as to secure the frame rigidly to the rods. The position of the frame on the rods is adjusted depending on the length of the plate which is to be filled.

The frame 230 also has four lugs 236, 237, 238 and 239 extending forward from the frame opposite the lugs 231,232,233 and 234 respectively.

Vertical support rods 240 and 241 for the filling manifold are secured between the lugs 236 and 237 and 238 and 39 respectively.

The filling manifold mechanism 260 is carried o a frame 261, a pair of sliding cylinders 262 and 263 attached thereto being slideably mounted on the rods 240 and 241. The frame has a pair of side arms 264 and 265 extending between the cylinders 262 and 263 and front cylindrs 266 and 267 and braced by a central cross member 268 and front and rear cross members 269 and 270 (not shown).

Afilling head control valve assembly 275 (see Figure 12) is mounted on the cross member 269 and its slurry output 276 is connected to the inlet orifice 277 of the manifold 280 itself.

A cylinder 290 is mounted vertically on the frame 230 by means of a bracket 291 and the output end of its piston is connected to the rear cross member 270 of the frame 261.

Thus when the cylinder 290 extends its piston the manifold 280 is pushed downwardly and when the piston is retracted the manifold is retracted upwardly.

The manifold 280 is mounted on pistons 281 and 282 extending up against compression springs located in the front cylinders 266 and 267 so as to provide a sealing force between the bottom face of the manifold and the top surface of the upper clamp.

The manifold 280 has a row of spigots 285, preferably provided in a removable insert, arranged so as to project into the top ends of the tubes of a plate located in the upper clamp.

The upper clamp 190 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 10 and 11.

The clamp has a stationary frame 191 bolted to the bottom face of the lugs 237 and 238 of the upper support frame 230. The frame 191 has a front face 192 to which is bolted a removable rear jaw 193 which thus remains stationary in use. The frame also has side arms 194 and 195 extending back at right angles from the front face. The rear outside faces of these side arms have outwardly facing channel members 196, 197, each defining a horizontal slot attached to them. The side arms are then cranked inwardly and inclined downwardly as rear arms 198 and 199 and afford, at their rear most ends, a horizontal pivot 200 for one end of a cylinder 201 which operates the upper clamp.

The upper edges of the front wall 192 and the side and rear walls 194,195,198 and 199 are connected together by a web 202 which however has an aperture 203 extending through itto enable the cylinder 201 to operate the clamp.

The upper clamp 190 is attached to the lugs 237 and 238 as described above by bolts 205 and 206 extending up through this web 202.

The stationary frame 191 carries two horizontal bearings 207 and 208 on the upper surface of the web 202 just in front of the channel members 196 and 197. A rod 209 is supported for rotation in these bearings and is keyed to three levers 210, 211 and 212. The levers 210 and 212 are mounted outside the outside faces of the arms 194 and 195 and the lever 211 extends down through the aperture 203 in the web 202 opposite the pivot 200.

The lower end of the lever 211 is connected via a pivot 213 to the output end of the piston 214 of the cylinder 201. In the closed position of the clamp the levers 210, 211 and 212 are nearly vertical, the centre of the pivot 213 being displaced only a very small amount rearwardly of the centre of the rod 209.

The lower ends of the levers 210 and 212 are attached by pivots 216 and 217 to the front ends of the rear side arms 218 and 219 of the front jaw of the upper clamp.

Rectangular sliders 220 and 221 arranged to slide in the slots formed by the channel members 196 and 197 are pivoted to the rear ends of the arms 218 and 219.

The rear side arms extend forward and are cranked outwardly and then forwardly again as side arms 222 and 223.

A replaceable front jaw 224 is bolted to the front ends of the arms 222 and 223 and as indicated cooperates with the inner jaw 193 either to form a short clamp or a longer clamp depending on the width of plate which is to be filled.

Figure 11 is by way of illustration only in this respect and it will be understood that in use the jaws would be symmetrical about the median line 226 of the clamp.

The dimensions of the arms 222 and 223 and the length of the levers 210 and 212 are such that when the clamp is open the front jaw is swung upwardly and outwardly clear of the manifold 280 which at this part of the filling sequence will have been retracted upwardly.

The operation of the jig shown in Figures 7 to 12 will now be described.

When the jig reaches the end of position L in Figure 2 the indexing mechanism of the turret will have previously caused the cylinder 290 to have retracted the manifold 280 at position H, will have caused the cylinder 201 to open the top clamp at position J and will have released the side gripper mechanism 160 at position J, and the electrode support frame will be in a horizontal position having passed under water sprays at positions K and L.

The indexing mechanism stops the turret with the electrode support frame positioned bove an electrode feed conveyor e.g. 52 as shown in Figure 3 at position A. The lower clamp 135 is opened by dropping the front jaw 136 and this gives a signal to the control mechanism which causes the registry mechanism 305 to locate the electrode on the conveyor with its lug disposed towards the turret in the lower clamp 135 and against the rear jaws of the side gripper mechanisms. The lug actuates a switch and this gives a signal to the control mechanism which causes the cylindrs 174 and 175 of the side gripper mechanism to push their rods out and swing the gripper arms around to engage the side of the electrode.The control mechanism is now under the control of a time sequence and the registry mechanism retracts, the cylinder 120 retracts its piston and swings the electrode 170 in the frame 150 up into the vertical position. The flange 141 actuates the switch 130 which provides a check that the cylinder 120 has functioned and the sequence continues.

The control mechanism causes the cylinder 201 to close the upper clamp 190 at position B by retracting its piston and then at position B causes the cylinder 290 to extend its piston and push the manifold 280 down on to the clamp 190. This actuates a pressure switch when satisfactory sealing pressure is achieved and acts as a check that the cylinder 290 has functioned satisfactorily and the sequence continues. The control mechanism at position C then opens a valve unique to the filling head located in the filling head control assembly 275 and slurry flows down into the tubes of the electrode.

This filling sequence continues whilst the turret rotates the jig through positions C to G. When the pressure in the slurry supply builds up to the preset cut off value a pressure responsive valve in the assembly 275 cuts off the supply of slurry diverting it back to the main slurry supply.

The control mechanism now reverts to the turret indexing mechanism. When the jig reaches position H, the mechanism causes the cylinder 290 to withdraw the manifold 280 so as to permit bottom barring to be carried out. This occurs at position I.

The turret then rotates the jig round to position J.

The jig control mechanism now takes over again. The mechanism causes the cylinder 201 to open the upper clamp 190 and the cylinder 120 to then swings the electrode support frame 95 to the horizontal position over an outfeed conveyor, e.g. 70 in Figure 3. This causes the member 98 to operate the switch 90 and the control mechanism then lowers the front jaw 136 136 ofthe lower clamp 135 and causes the cylinders 174 and 175 to swing back the gripper arms 184 and 185 which frees the electrode which is then carried away by the conveyor 70.

The turret then carries the jig through psotions K and L back to position A again.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for filling tubalar electrodes of electric storage batteries with active material which comprises, rotary turret provided with jigs, in which the tubular electrodes can be located, disposed around the periphery of the turret, first means for supplying wet active material composition to each of the jigs, second means for controlling the first means, means for rotating the turret through a series of indexed steps of equal duration, characterised in that a horizontal conveyor, on which the electrodes may rest, is disposed tangentially to the turret, and each jig is provided with lifting means for engaging an electrode on the horizontal conveyor and lifting the electrode into the jig and then clamping it into position, and for unloading the electrode by a reverse operation onto a horizontal conveyor dis posed radially to the unloading site.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which each jig comprises a framework pivoted at or adjacent its lower end arranged to be movable from a position to which it is positioned above the horizontal feed conveyor to a position in which it is disposed below the first means for supplying wet active material composition to the jig, the framework being provided with an openable bottom clamp and side gripper means, the horizontal feed conveyor being provided with a registry mechanism arranged so that when an electrode arrives beneath the framework positioned over the conveyor the registry mechanism is actuated to locate the electrode in the bottom clamp of the framework and in the side gripper means which then close so as to grip the electrode at one end and to grip one or more of the tubes at each side of the electrode at or adjacent the other end of the electrode, the registry mechanism than retracting whereby the framework can then move to the upright position carrying the electrode with it.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 in which the registry mechanism comprises stop means adapted to be positioned in either side of the horizontal conveyor on lifting means and underneath support means associated with the stop means and arranged to be movable between a lower position when their upper surface of the horizontal conveyor and an upper position when their upper surface is above the conveyor, whereby the electrode can be lifted into the bottom clamp and side gripper means of the framework.

4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the registry mechanism also includes tube positioning means arranged to push the open ends of the tubes inwardly and then to engage tubes at or adjacent the edges of the plate and draw them out to a precisely defined predetermined spacing whereby they register precisely with the side gripper means.

5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 in which each jig is provided with an openable upper clamp adjustably mounted on a support which also carries a manifold for supplying active material to the interior of the tubes of a plate carried in the jig.

6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 in which the upper clamp has a fixed rear jaw and a pivoted front jaw pivoted so asto swing, outwards and upwards when opened, out of the path of the electrode as the electrode is carried up to the filling position by the framework of the jig.

7. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 6 in which the front clamp is pivoted, on a first common axis parallel to its length, to one end of each of two levers which are connected at their other ends to a rod mounted for rotation in a first fixed support along a second common axis parallel to the first axis and positioned above and to the rear of the first axis, both the said first and second common axes being above and to the rear of the rear jaw, the front jaw also bing slidingly connected by rearwardly extend ing side arms to sliding pivots bated for sliding movement in slots at right angles to and behind the rear jaw and behind the two said first and second common axes but in the same plane as the rear jaw, a third lever of the same size as the first two levers being connected to the rod located on the second common axis at one end parallel to the first two levers and being pivoted at its other end to the end of the output piston of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder the other end of which is pivoted to a second support fixed relative to the first fixed support rearwardly of the said slots and the other side of the plane of the slots and the rear jaw from the first fixed support.

8. Apparatus for filling tubular electrodes of electric storage batteries with active material which comprises, a rotary turret provided with jigs, in which the tubular electrodes can be located, disposed around the periphery of the turret, first means for supplying wet active material composition to each of the jigs, second means for controlling the first means, means for rotating the turret through a series of indexed steps of equal duration, characterised in that each jig is provided with an openable upper clamp adjustably mounted on a support which also carried a manifold for supplying active material to the interior of the tubes of an electrode carried in the jig.

9. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 8 in which the upper clamp has a fixed rear jaw and a pivoted front jaw pivoted so as to swing, outwards and upwards when opened, out of the path of the plate as the electrode is carried up to the filling position by the framework of the jig.

10. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 9 in which the front clamp is pivoted on a first common axis parallel to its length, to one end of each of two levers which are connected at their other ends to a rod mounted for rotation in a first fixed support along a second common axis parallel to the first axis and positioned above and to the rear of the first axis, both the said first and second common axes being above and to the rear of the rear jaw, the front jaw also being slidingly connected by rearwardly extending side arms to sliding pivots located for sliding movement in slots at right angles to and behind the rear jaw and behind the two said first and second common axes but in the same plane as the rear jaw, a third lever of the same size as the first two levers being connected to the rod located on the second common axis at one end parallel to the first two levers and being pivoted at its other end to the end of the output piston of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder the other end of which is pivoted to a second support fixed relative to the first fixed support rearwardly of the said slots and the other side of the plane of the slots and the rear jaw from the first fixed support.

11. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as specifically described herein with reference to Figures 1,2 and 3 or Figures 1,23 and 4,5,6,7, 9A and 9B or Figures 1,2 and 3 and 7,8,10,11 and 12 or Figures 1 to 12 inclusive of the accompanying drawings.