GB2104280A - Battery plate assembling and stacking apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for alternately stacking finite numbers of n+1 negative battery plates 12 and n positive battery plates 14 a negative battery plate 12 is provided at both the top and bottom ends of the stack 16. The apparatus 10 includes a pair of stacking stations 18, 20 arranged in a side-by-side manner, a transfer device 22 for dropping negative plates 12 at an assembling point 24, and a moving conveyor belt 26 for transporting positive plates 14 to the assembling point 24 and interposing a single positive plate 14 between each of the negative plates 12 at the assembling point 24. The alternately arranged positive and negative plates 14, 12 are continuously fed first to one stacking station 18 or 20 and then to the other stacking station 20 or 18. In order to provide a negative plate 12 at both the top and bottom ends of the resulting stacks 16, two negative plates 12 are dropped at the assembling point 24 whenever the required number of positive plates 14 for a stack 16 has passed the assembling point 24. One of the negative plates 12 is directed to one stacking station 18 or 20 and the other negative plate 12 is directed to the other stacking station 20 or 18. Thus, the resulting stacked group 16 of negative and positive plates 12, 14 is provided with a negative plate 12 at both the top and bottom of the stack 16. The resulting stacked groups 16 of negative and positive plates 12, 14 are then removed from their respective stacking stations 18 and 20 by take-off conveyors 28 and 28a. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Battery plate assembling and stacking apparatus This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for stacking plate-like articles and more particularly to a method and apparatus for continuously alternately stacking finite numbers of at least two different types of plate-like articles in groups.

While the instant invention has features which make it applicable for many purposes in various fields, the present disclosure is directed particularly to the handling of wrapped battery plates used in manufacturing lead-acid batteries. As is well known, present day automotive and industrial batteries are made up of a number of cells wherein each cell includes a plurality of alternately arranged positive and negative plates. The positive cells are wrapped in a micro-porous plastic envelope.

In the Applicants' co-pending Application No.

8202173 (corresponding to U.S. Application No.

231003 filed on the 4th February, 1981), there is disclosed a method and apparatus for alternatingly stacking positive and negative battery plates in groups. The apparatus disclosed therein includes an endless belt conveyor on which positive battery plates are deposited at a spacing interval equal to the length of two negative plates. A negative plate is deposited on the endless belt conveyor in the space provided between the positive plates until the required number of positive plates has been desposited on the endless belt conveyor.At this point two negative plates are deposited into the space provided between the positive plates and the arranged plates are sequentially removed by a stacking conveyor and then deposited on a take-off conveyor as a stack of alternately arranged positive and negative plates having a negative plate at both the top and bottom ends of the resulting stack.

The aforementioned endless belt conveyor on which the positive and negative battery plates are sequentially arranged requires a substantial amount of floor space. As today's cost of manufacturing floor space is very expensive, it is highly desirable to produce a plate stacking apparatus which requires a minimum amount of floor space.

The apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention continuously produces groups of vertical stacks of alternately arranged n+1 negative and n positive battery plates wherein each stacked group has a negative plate at both the top and bottom ends of the vertical stack.

Briefly, the continuously stacking apparatus comprises first and second stacking stations, means for continuously serially feeding negative battery plates to an assembling point, means for continuously serially feeding positive plates to the assembling point, and interposing a positive plate between each of the negative plates at the assembling point, and means for directing the flow of the alternately arranged battery plates to one or the other of the stacking stations.

After the last positive plate in each desired stacking, the speed of the negative plate feeding means is momentarily increased to serially deliver two negative plates to the assembling point without interposing a positive plate therebetween. One of the two negative plates is delivered to the stacking station currently receiving the flow of plates and the other negative plate is delivered to the other stacking station for forming the bottom plate of the next stack to be formed. A counter for counting the number of positive plates is a desired stack transmits a signal for momentarily increasing the speed of the negative plate feeding means.

Each stacking station is provided with a take-off conveyor for transporting the stack of alternately arranged plates to a subsequent operation.

An object of this invention is to provide a process and apparatus for continuously alternately stacking finite numbers of positive and negative battery plates with a negative plate at the top and bottom of the stack.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent during the course of the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for continuously alternately arranging and sequentially stacking positive and negative battery plates; and Figure2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the mechanism for directing the flow of alternately arranged battery plates to one or the other of the stacking stations.

Referring now to Figure 1,there is illustrated an apparatus designated in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 which continuously and alternately deposits individual negative and positive battery plates 12 and 14, respectively, in stacked vertical group 16 having a negative plate 12 at both the top and bottom ends of the stacked vertical groups.

Briefly, the apparatus 10 includes a first stacking station 18, a second stacking station 20, an overhead transfer device 22 for continuously feeding negative battery plates 12 to an assembling point 24 and an elongate belt conveyor 26 for continuously feeding the positive battery plates 14 to the assembling point 24. The assembling point 24 is the end of the conveyor 26 adjacent the stacking station 18. The transfer device 22 and the belt conveyor 26 extend outwardly from the direction of flow of the stacked group 16 from the stacking stations 18 and 20 on take-off conveyors 28 and 28a, respectively.A pivotal diverter mechanism 30 aligned with the conveyor 26 allows the alternatingly arranged battery plates 12 and 14 moving from the assembling point 24 to either drop directly into the first stacking station 18, or conveys and drops the battery plates 12 and 14 into the second stacking station 20.

More specifically, as illustrated in Figure 1, the stacking stations 18 and 20 each include an adjustably mounted L-shaped support member 32 having a base portion 32a for horizontally receiving the battery plates 12 and 14 and a sidewall 32b for aligning the plates in the vertical stack 16. The base portion 32a is provided with a pair of parallel grooves 34 and 34a through which the upper belt flights of the conveyors 28 and 28a pass for trans porting the stacked group 16 of battery plates away from the stacking stations.

The transfer device 22 is of the type disclosed in copending United States patent application Serial No. 231,379 filed February 4, 1981 and assigned to the assignee of this application.

Briefly, the transfer device 22 illustrated in Figure 1 includes a conveyor 36 having a pair of spaced apart, parallel, endless flights 36a and 36b for moving vertical stacks of negative battery plates 12 beneath an endless suction belt section 38 having an end portion overlying the belt 26a of the conveyor 26. As disclosed in the aforementioned patent application Serial No. 231,379, the suction conveyor 38 is adapted to pick up the top battery plate from the stack of negative plates 12 and drop them individually onto an inclined chute 40 which directs the plates to the assembling point 24.

The elongate conveyor 26 is a conventional conveyor and its endless belt 26a is employed to convey positive battery plates 14 to the assembling point 24.

The endless belt 26a is moved in the direction of the arrow by conventional drive means (not shown).

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the diverter or transfer mechanism 30 generally comprises an endless belt conveyor 42 having a pair of spaced apart flights 42a and 42b aligned with the belt 26a of the conveyor 26. The conveyor flights 42a and 42b are entrained around drive pulleys 44-44a and idler pulleys 46-46a, respectively. The pulleys 44-44a and 46-46a are mounted on a rotatable drive shaft 48 and an idler shaft 50, respectively, which may be rotatively mounted in and cantilevered from a vertically arranged elongate support 52. The end of the conveyor 42 adjacent the assembling point 24 is movable from a lower horizontal position to an upper out of the way position. Accordingly, the end of the plate 52 supporting the drive shaft 48 is horizontally pivotally mounted (not shown) on a vertical supporting frame 54.The other end of the plate 52 may be moved vertically upwardly by a cylinder 56 mounted between the frame 54 and the idler shaft 50, thus moving that end of the conveyor 42 upwardly and away from the adjacent end of the conveyor 26. Thus, when the conveyor 42 is swung upwardly, the battery plates 12 and 14 flowing from the assembling point 24 will drop into the first stacking station 18 and when the conveyor 42 is in its lower horizontal position, the battery plates 12 and 14 will flow to the second stacking station 20.

The battery plates 12 and 14 are caused to drop in a horizontal manner from the ends of the conveyors 26 and 42 by roller devices 58 and 58a, respectively.

To this end, each roller device 58 and 58a includes a roll 60 rotatably mounted on a shaft 60a extending transversely across the ends of each conveyor 26 and 42 disposed above the first and second stacking stations 18 and 20, respectively. The roll 60 is mounted to engage the upper surface of the plates 12 and 14 so as to hold them horizontal until they clearthe end of the conveyors 26 and 42. In this manner the plates will drop into the stacking stations in a substantially horizontal position. One end of the roll shaft 60a may be mounted in an arm 62 secured to a horizontal bracket 64 affixed to the vertical frame 54.

Referring now to Figure 1, the stack of negative battery plates 12 is moved into a position beneath the suction conveyor 38 by the conveyor 36 where the top plate of the stack of plates is sequentially picked up by the conveyor 38 and deposited on the chute 40 for transport to the assembling point 24 located at the end of the conveyor 26.

Likewise, a series of positive battery plates 14 may be sequentially deposited on the belt 26a of the conveyor 26 from a plate wrapping machine (not shown) for transport to the assembly point 24. As is conventional, each positive plate 14 is wrapped in an envelope of micro-porous plastic material (not shown).

referring now to Figure 1, the apparatus 10 is in a position to stack a group of alternately arranged battery plates in the second station 20.

The movement of the suction conveyor 38 is synchronized with the movement of the belt conveyor 26 to initially deposit a negative plate 12 at the assembling point 24to become the bottom plate of the stack 16. Thereafter, a positive plate 14 is interposed between each negative plate 12 at the assembling point 24 until the desired number of plates has passed through the assembling point. At this time, a conventional counting device (not shown) triggers a control device (not shown) to shift the diverter mechanism 30 to its upper position, thus allowing the plates to drop into the first stacking station 18. Just prior to the shifting of the diverter mechanism 30, the speed of the vacuum conveyor 38 is momentarily increased to deposit two negative plates 14. The leading negative plate will continue to travel to the second stacking station 20, the diverter mechanism 30 shifts and the trailing negative plate will drop into the first stacking station 18 serving as the bottom plate of the stack 16 to be formed therein.

Conventional electrical control devices (not shown) are provided for coordinating the operation of the various conveyors which are driven by conventional drive means (not shown). Since these elements are not part of the instant invention, further discussion thereof is not deemed necessary.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims (10)

1. A method of continuously assembling groups of vertical stacks of n+1 negative and n positive battery plates in alternating order with a negative plate position on both the bottom and the top of each vertical stack, comprising the steps of: a) assembling a stacked group of n+1 negative and n positive plates by alternatingly dropping the plates at a first stacking station with a negative plate beginning and ending the stacked group; b) directing another group of alternatingly arranged n .1 negative and n positive plates and dropping them at a second stacking station after the n+1 number of negative plates have been dropped at said first stacking station; and c) successively conveying the groups of alternatingly arranged plates from their respective stacking stations.

2. An apparatus for continuously assembling groups of vertical stacks of n + 1 negative and n positive battery plates in alternating order with a negative plate positioned on the top and bottom of each stack comprising: a) a first stacking station; b) a second stacking station; c) means for serially feeding and depositing a first group of n+1 negative plates to said first stacking station; d) meansforseriallyfeeding and depositing n positive plates to said first stacking station and depositing a single positive plate between each of the n+1 negative plates; and e) means for directing a second group of n+1 negative plates and n positive plates to said second stacking station after the last negative plate of the first group has been deposited in said first stacking station.

3. The invention defined in claim 2 including means for successively transporting a group of alternately stacked plates from each said stacking station.

4. The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said means for serially feeding the n+1 negative plates to said stacking stations comprises an overhead endless vacuum belt conveyor and a chute for depositng the plates by gravity at said stacking stations.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said means for serially feeding the n positive plates to said stacking station comprises an endless belt conveyor whose speed is synchronized with the speed of said vacuum conveyor for depositing a single positive plate between each of the n+1 negative plates at said stacking stations.

6. The invention defined in claim 5 including means for momentarily increasing the speed of said vacuum conveyor for sequentially depositing two negative plates at said stacking stations ahead of the next series of n positive plates and directing one of said negative plates to one said stacking station and the other said negative plate to the other said stacking station.

7. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said directing means comprises an endless belt conveyor which is pivotally disposed between said first and said second stacking stations for directing the plates to one said station and then to the other said station.

8. The invention defined in claim 7 wherein the movable end of said pivotal directing conveyor is disposed adjacent the end of the conveyor transporting the positive plates, and including means for swinging the end of said directing conveyor away from the end of said positive plate conveyor for depositing alternatingly arranged plates at said first stacking station.

9. The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said directing conveyor and said endless belt conveyor each include means for causing the plates to drop horizontally into said stacking stations.

10. The invention defined in claim 9 wherein each said horizontal dropping means comprises a roller extending transversely across and contacting the upper surface of the battery plates.