Method of filling a battery plate grids with non-flowable battery paste

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A LEADACID BATTERY PLATE, COMPRISING: I. STARTING WITH A CONDUCTIVE GRID HAVING THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: A. THE GRID HAS A RECTANGULAR FRAME WITH AN INTEGRAL LUG ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND RIBS INTERCONNECTING THE FRAME MEMBERS AND DEFINING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THE GRID INTERSTICES; B. THE INTERSTICES OF THE GRID OCCUPY AT LEAST 40% OF THE AREA OF EACH FACE OF THE GRID; C. THE STRENGTH OF THE GRID IS SUCH THAT IT WOULD BE DAMAGED WHEN PASTED BY A TRADITIONAL LUNDTYPE OR WINKELTYPE PASTING MACHINE; II. SUPPLYING TO ONE FACE OF THE GRID A PASTE PREPARED BY MIXING LEAD OXIDE, LEAD PARTICLES, SULPHURIC ACID AND WATER, SAID PASTE HAVING A GLOBE PENETRATION NUMBER FROM 18 TO 28; III. PASSING THE GRID UNDER A SONOTRODE HAVING A SHARP EDGE DIPPING INTO THE PASTE; IV. VIBRATING SAID SONOTRODE AT AN ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY WHILST SUMULTANEOULSY HEATING A SUPPORT ON WHCIH THE GRID RESTS TO PREVENT THE PASTE STICKING TO THE SUPPORT,SAID SHARP EDGE INTORDUCING ULTRASONIC ENERGY INTO SAID PASTE WHEREBY SAID PASTE FLOWS INTO AND THROUGH SAID INTERSTICES; V. MOVING THE GRID RELATIVE TO THE SONOTRODE AND SUPPORT SO AS TO PASTE THE ENTIRE GRID; VI. SUBJECTING THE PASTE ON SAID OTHER FACE OF THE GRID TO ULTRASONIC ENERGY TO SMOOTH THE PASTE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A LEADACID BATTERY PLATE, COMPRISING: I. STARTING WITH A CONDUCTIVE GRID HAVING THE FOLLOWING FEATURES: A. THE GRID HAS A RECTANGULAR FRAME WITH AN INTEGRAL LUG ON ONE SIDE THEREOF AND RIBS INTERCONNECTING THE FRAME MEMBERS AND DEFINING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND THE GRID INTERSTICES; B. THE INTERSTICES OF THE GRID OCCUPY AT LEAST 40% OF THE AREA OF EACH FACE OF THE GRID; C. THE STRENGTH OF THE GRID IS SUCH THAT IT WOULD BE DAMAGED WHEN PASTED BY A TRADITIONAL LUNDTYPE OR WINKELTYPE PASTING MACHINE; II. SUPPLYING TO ONE FACE OF THE GRID A PASTE PREPARED BY MIXING LEAD OXIDE, LEAD PARTICLES, SULPHURIC ACID AND WATER, SAID PASTE HAVING A GLOBE PENETRATION NUMBER FROM 18 TO 28; III. PASSING THE GRID UNDER A SONOTRODE HAVING A SHARP EDGE DIPPING INTO THE PASTE; IV. VIBRATING SAID SONOTRODE AT AN ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY WHILST SUMULTANEOULSY HEATING A SUPPORT ON WHCIH THE GRID RESTS TO PREVENT THE PASTE STICKING TO THE SUPPORT,SAID SHARP EDGE INTORDUCING ULTRASONIC ENERGY INTO SAID PASTE WHEREBY SAID PASTE FLOWS INTO AND THROUGH SAID INTERSTICES; V. MOVING THE GRID RELATIVE TO THE SONOTRODE AND SUPPORT SO AS TO PASTE THE ENTIRE GRID; VI. SUBJECTING THE PASTE ON SAID OTHER FACE OF THE GRID TO ULTRASONIC ENERGY TO SMOOTH THE PASTE.

Claim 9

A method of manufacturing lead-acid battery plates, comprising the following steps: a. positioning above a support a sharp edge of a sonotrode, the sharp edge defining with said support a gap; b. vibrating the sonotrode at an ultrasonic frequency; c. supplying to the grids of the battery plates to be formed a conventional non-flowable lead-acid battery paste; d. feeding the grids one by one through said gap, said gap being dimensioned so that said sharp edge dips into said paste and causes the paste to flow, and an inclined surface on said sonotrode being utilised to guide said paste under said sharp edge; e. heating the support to prevent the paste from sticking to the support; f. inverting the grids after they have passed the sonotrode; and g. using a further sonotrode to smooth the paste caused to flow through the grid by the first sonotrode.

Claim 10

A method of manufacturing lead-acid battery plates, comprising the following steps: a. positioning above a support a sharp edge of a sonotrode, the sharp edge defining with said support a gap; b. vibrating the sonotrode at an ultrasonic frequency; c. supplying to the grids of the battery plates to be formed a conventional non-flowable lead-acid battery paste; d. feeding the grids one by one through said gap, said gap being dimensioned so that said sharp edge dips into said paste and causes the paste to flow, and an inclined surface on said sonotrode being utilised to guide said paste under said sharp edge; e. heating the support to prevent the paste from sticking to the support; f. inverting the grids after they have passed the sonotrode; and g. using a further sonotrode to smooth the paste caused to flow through the grid by the first sonotrode.

Claim 12

A method of manufacturing lead-acid battery plates, comprising the following steps: a. positioning above a support a sharp edge of a sonotrode, the sharp edge defining with said support a gap; b. vibrating the sonotrode at an ultrasonic frequency with an amplitude in the range of 0.0025 to 0.25 mm; c. supplying to a grid a non-flowable paste prepared by mixing lead oxide, lead particles, sulphuric acid and water, said paste having a Globe Number from 18 to 28, and the grid having a rectangular frame with an integral lug on one side thereof and ribs interconnecting the frame members and defining with one another and the grid frame interstices which occupy at least 40% of the area of each face of the grid; d. feeding the grid through said gap, which is dimensioned so that said edge dips into the paste and causes said paste to flow, an inclinded surface on the sonotrode being utilised to guide the paste under said sharp edge; e. heating the support to prevent the paste from sticking to the support; f. inverting the grid after it has passed the sonotrode; and g. using a further sonotrode to smooth the paste caused to flow through the grid by the first sonotrode.

Claim 13

A method of manufacturing lead-acid battery plates, comprising the following steps: a. positioning above a support a sharp edge of a sonotrode, the sharp edge defining with said support a gap; b. vibrating the sonotrode at an ultrasonic frequency with an amplitude in the range of 0.0025 to 0.25 mm; c. supplying to a grid a non-flowable paste prepared by mixing lead oxide, lead particles, sulphuric acid and water, said paste having a Globe Number from 18 to 28, and the grid having a rectangular frame with an integral lug on one side thereof and ribs interconnecting the frame members and defining with one another and the grid frame interstices which occupy at least 40% of the area of each face of the grid; d. feeding the grid through said gap, which is dimensioned so that said edge dips into the paste and causes said paste to flow, an inclinded surface on the sonotrode being utilised to guide the paste under said sharp edge; e. heating the support to prevent the paste from sticking to the support; f. inverting the grid after it has passed the sonotrode; and g. using a further sonotrode to smooth the paste caused to flow through the grid by the first sonotrode.