Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – With control means energized in response to activator...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-23
2001-08-28
Hughes, Tom (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
With control means energized in response to activator...
C029S730000, C029S783000, C029S791000, C029S822000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279224
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a battery assembly apparatus in a conveyor line and more particularly to an apparatus and method having a pair of workstations and a single tool operable in each workstation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical lead-acid battery for a motor vehicle has a plurality of cells of interleaved positive and negative plates received in adjacent separate wells of a case with a sealed cover which together form the housing. The positive and negative plates of adjacent cells are electrically connected together by lead straps which are welded together through a passage in a common wall of the case between the adjacent cells.
A positive lead terminal post is electrically connected to the positive strap of the first cell and a negative lead terminal post is electrically connected to the negative strap of the last cell. Each post projects through the cover and is welded to its associated strap of the same polarity and sealed to the cover.
To mass produce lead-acid batteries, it is well known to transfer a plurality of cases along a conveyor to consecutive workstations to progressively form or assemble the components of the battery. Typically, at each workstation, a tool is raised and lowered relative to the case to assemble or work on the components disposed in the case. After working on one case or workpiece, the tool must be raised so that the case can be moved on its way to the next workstation and a subsequent case may be moved into position under the tool. The tool must then be lowered to perform work on the components in this case and raised again in this continuous cycle. The time needed to raise the tool, remove the case, advance the next case into the workstation and then lower the tool to the case wastes a considerable amount of time and thereby increases the time to assemble the components to make the batteries. Providing additional tools to simultaneously work on the components in more than one case at a time greatly increases the cost of the system and still suffers from this same inefficiency in which the tools must be raised or retracted and the conveyor advanced to remove the case and advance a subsequent case to the tools. Thus, there is a need for a more efficient apparatus and system which increases the productivity of a work tool to increase the number of batteries which may be formed or assembled in a given period of time and to lower the cost to work on or assemble the workpieces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An apparatus having at least two separate workstations to which battery cases are alternately advanced to provide at substantially all times, in at least one workstation, a battery case with components ready to be worked on by a tool carried by a shuttle which transfers the tool between the workstations. Desirably, after working on a component in a case in a first workstation, the shuttle carries the tool to a second workstation to work on a component in another case waiting in the second workstation. Simultaneously, the case in the first workstation, that was just worked on by the tool, is moved downstream away from the tool and a subsequent case is advanced into the first workstation so that it is ready to be worked on by the tool when the tool returns to the first workstation. Thus, the tool does not have to wait for a new case or workpiece to be advanced into position after performing work on a component in a case. Desirably, this dramatically increases the productivity of the apparatus or machine without substantially increasing the cost of the apparatus or machine as a whole.
In one embodiment, a plurality of machines are provided in line with one another to progressively assemble various components of lead-acid batteries. The tool of a first machine may be an intercell welder which electrically connects the various cells of a battery by welding one or more metal straps between adjoining cells. A second machine tool may comprise a heat sealer which provides and heat seals a cover onto the case of the battery. A third machine tool may comprise a terminal post welder or “post burner” which electrically connects and seals the battery terminals extending through the lid to metal bushings received on the terminals. A fourth machine tool may comprise a pressure tester which provides pressurized gas into the battery cell compartments or walls within the case and checks for any leaks within the battery. Desirably, each machine may use a single tool shuttled between the workstations at each machine so that the tool does not have to wait for a case or workpiece to be advanced as discussed above. Notably, without significantly increasing the cost of the battery assembly machine line or the floor space required for the assembly line, the number of batteries assembled for a given amount of time and tooling can be greatly increased.
Objects, features and advantages of this invention include providing a machine which has at least two workstations and a single tool shuttled between the workstations to greatly reduce the time between operations of the tool on a component of consecutive cases or workpieces, increases the productivity of the tool, can be substantially automated, may be used with a plurality of different tools to perform different operations on the components of the cases or workpieces, does not require a lot of floor space, is of relatively simple design and economical manufacture and assembly and in service has a long useful life.
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van Vuuren Stephanus Petrus Janse
Wirtz John O.
Hughes Tom
Jimenez Marc
Leko U.S.A., Inc.
Reising Ethington, Barnes, Kisselle, Learman & McCulloch, P.C.
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