Method and apparatus for making battery grids

Claim 1

A method for making a paired battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with integral lead conductors extending from opposite ends thereof, and molding an integral plastics member around said lead lug and said conductors, said member being formed of a pair of side-by-side rectangular frames each with a latticework of intersecting components in a center area thereof, a severable leg extending between facing sides of said frames securing said frames in said side-by-side relationship, and a pair of severable lugs each extending peripherally outward from a respective outer side of each of said frames opposite from said facing sides, said plastics molding step including molding said latticeworks to surround with said components thereof a respective one of said lead conductors, and molding facing sides of each of said frames to surround a respective opposite end of said lead lug, said severable plastics lugs being formed with sufficient rigidity to support said grid structure therebetween, whereby two separate battery grids are obtainable by severing said plastics lugs and leg from said frames, and severing said lead lug centrally thereof.

Claim 2

A method for making a paired battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with integral lead conductors extending from opposite ends thereof, and molding an integral plastics member around said lead lug and said conductors, said member being formed of a pair of side-by-side rectangular frames each with a latticework of intersecting components in a center area thereof, a severable leg extending between facing sides of said frames securing said frames in said side-by-side relationship, and a pair of severable lugs each extending peripherally outward from a respective outer side of each of said frames opposite from said facing sides, said plastics molding step including molding said latticeworks to surround with said components thereof a respective one of said lead conductors, and molding facing sides of each of said frames to surround a respective opposite end of said lead lug, said severable plastics lugs being formed with sufficient rigidity to support said grid structure therebetween, whereby two separate battery grids are obtainable by severing said plastics lugs and leg from said frames, and severing said lead lug centrally thereof.

Claim 7

A method for making a battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame, and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said battery grid structure being die cast and injection molded in a single die having channels formed therein defining said battery grid structure, wherein said molding steps include injecting molten lead into the channels in said die which define said lead lug and conductor, and thereafter injecting hardenable plastics into the channels in said die which define said integral plastics member, while said lead remains where it was cast.

Claim 8

A method for making a battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame, and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said battery grid structure being die cast and injection molded in a single die having channels formed therein defining said battery grid structure, wherein said molding steps include injecting molten lead into the channels in said die which define said lead lug and conductor, and thereafter injecting hardenable plastics into the channels in said die which define said integral plastics member, while said lead remains where it was cast.

Claim 9

A method for making a battery grid structure, molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame, and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said battery grid structure being die cast and injection molded in a single molding die having channels formed therein defining said battery grid structure, wherein said molding steps include blocking the channels in said die which define said integral plastics member from the channels which define said lead lug and conductor, injecting molten lead into the channels defining said lead lug and conductor, cooling said lead injected into said lead channels while simultaneously unblocking the previously blocked channels for plastics, and injecting hardenable plastics into the channels in the die defining the integral plastics member to form said member within said channels and around said lead lug and conductor.

Claim 10

A method for making a battery grid structure, molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame, and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said battery grid structure being die cast and injection molded in a single molding die having channels formed therein defining said battery grid structure, wherein said molding steps include blocking the channels in said die which define said integral plastics member from the channels which define said lead lug and conductor, injecting molten lead into the channels defining said lead lug and conductor, cooling said lead injected into said lead channels while simultaneously unblocking the previously blocked channels for plastics, and injecting hardenable plastics into the channels in the die defining the integral plastics member to form said member within said channels and around said lead lug and conductor.

Claim 11

A method for making a battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said molding including casting said lead lug and conductor and injection molding said plastics member around said lead lug and conductor, said casting and said molding steps being performed in a single die having a first set of channels therein defining said lead lug and conductor and a second set of channels defining said plastics member, the first and second sets of channels having points of intersection and the die having valves at the intersections selectively operable to block the channels of the second set from the channels of the first set, wherein said molding steps include operating the valves to block the channels of the second set from the channels of the first set; injecting molten lead into the channels of the first set to form said lead lug and conductor therein; operating the valves to open the channels of the second set to the channels of the first set, and injecting hardenable plastics into the channels of the second set to form said plastics member therein and around said lead at the intersections therewith.

Claim 12

A method for making a battery grid structure, comprising molding a lead lug with an integral lead conductor extending therefrom, and molding an integral plastics member around said lug and conductor, said member including a frame molded on a side thereof around said lug with said lug extending peripherally from said frame and a grid of intersecting perpendicular components in a center area of said frame with said components molded around said conductor to embed said conductor therein, said molding including casting said lead lug and conductor and injection molding said plastics member around said lead lug and conductor, said casting and said molding steps being performed in a single die having a first set of channels therein defining said lead lug and conductor and a second set of channels defining said plastics member, the first and second sets of channels having points of intersection and the die having valves at the intersections selectively operable to block the channels of the second set from the channels of the first set, wherein said molding steps include operating the valves to block the channels of the second set from the channels of the first set; injecting molten lead into the channels of the first set to form said lead lug and conductor therein; operating the valves to open the channels of the second set to the channels of the first set, and injecting hardenable plastics into the channels of the second set to form said plastics member therein and around said lead at the intersections therewith.

Claim 14

A method for die casting and injection molding in a single molding die a structure comprised of at least two discrete moldable materials, the molding die having a separate set of channels therein for each discrete material, the separate sets of channels having at least one point of intersection, comprising the steps of blocking at each intersection a channel of one set from a channel of another; injecting into the channels of the other set a first one of the moldable materials; unblocking at each intersection the channel of the one set from the channel of the other, and injecting into the channels of the one set and around said first one of said moldable materials at said at least one intersection another one of the moldable materials.

Claim 15

A method for die casting and injection molding in a single molding die a structure comprised of at least two discrete moldable materials, the molding die having a separate set of channels therein for each discrete material, the separate sets of channels having at least one point of intersection, comprising the steps of blocking at each intersection a channel of one set from a channel of another; injecting into the channels of the other set a first one of the moldable materials; unblocking at each intersection the channel of the one set from the channel of the other, and injecting into the channels of the one set and around said first one of said moldable materials at said at least one intersection another one of the moldable materials.

Claim 18

An apparatus for molding a structure consisting of at least two discrete moldable and hardenable materials, comprising a molding die having a separate set of channels therein for each discrete material, said channels together defining said structure, said sets of channels having at least one point of intersection; means at each intersection for blocking a channel of one set from a channel of another, and means for introducing into each set of channels a separate one of the materials, said blocking means being adapted to provide, in a first position, an aperture in said intersection through which only a first one of said materials can flow, and being movable to a second position at which said blocking means partially defines a flow channel about a hardened portion of said first material in said intersection, whereby with a channel of one set blocked from a channel of the other set at each intersection one of the materials may be introduced into the channels of the other set, and thereafter with the channel of the one set unblocked from the channel of the other set at each intersection another one of the materials may be introduced into the channels of the one set and around the one material at each intersection thereof.

Claim 19

An apparatus for molding a structure consisting of at least two discrete moldable and hardenable materials, comprising a molding die having a separate set of channels therein for each discrete material, said channels together defining said structure, said sets of channels having at least one point of intersection; means at each intersection for blocking a channel of one set from a channel of another, and means for introducing into each set of channels a separate one of the materials, said blocking means being adapted to provide, in a first position, an aperture in said intersection through which only a first one of said materials can flow, and being movable to a second position at which said blocking means partially defines a flow channel about a hardened portion of said first material in said intersection, whereby with a channel of one set blocked from a channel of the other set at each intersection one of the materials may be introduced into the channels of the other set, and thereafter with the channel of the one set unblocked from the channel of the other set at each intersection another one of the materials may be introduced into the channels of the one set and around the one material at each intersection thereof.