Method of assembling multicell electric storage batteries

Claim 1

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series with each plate in each cell being substantially coplanar with one plate in every other cell comprising forming a laminated structure from a plurality of superposed substantially planar plate arrays, each array comprising both positive and negative plates and each plate being connected to at least one further plate in the same array by at least one link, the arrays being superposed in the laminated structure so that the plates of each array are in registry with those in each adjacent array and the superposed plates of adjacent arrays are of opposite polarity and separated by a separator material, and severing selected links to thereby form a battery element having a plurality of stacks of plates of alternating polarity, which stacks constitute the individual cells of the battery element and in which each plate, with the exception of every other plate in the stack of plates in the two electrical end cells, is electrically connected by an unsevered link to only a plate of opposite polarity in the same array, whereby the unsevered links connect the cells in series in the finished battery, and every alternate plate in the stacks of plates in the two electrical end cells is connected to no other plate.

Claim 2

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series with each plate in each cell being substantially coplanar with one plate in every other cell comprising forming a laminated structure from a plurality of superposed substantially planar plate arrays, each array comprising both positive and negative plates and each plate being connected to at least one further plate in the same array by at least one link, the arrays being superposed in the laminated structure so that the plates of each array are in registry with those in each adjacent array and the superposed plates of adjacent arrays are of opposite polarity and separated by a separator material, and severing selected links to thereby form a battery element having a plurality of stacks of plates of alternating polarity, which stacks constitute the individual cells of the battery element and in which each plate, with the exception of every other plate in the stack of plates in the two electrical end cells, is electrically connected by an unsevered link to only a plate of opposite polarity in the same array, whereby the unsevered links connect the cells in series in the finished battery, and every alternate plate in the stacks of plates in the two electrical end cells is connected to no other plate.

Claim 6

A method of assembling an electric storage battery comprising providing a plurality of elongated plate arrays each having two rows of battery plates extending side-by-side, the plates of each row being connected and certain plates in one row being electrically connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces to a plate in the other row, forming a laminated structure by superposing the plate arrays interleaved with sheets of separator material in such a manner that each plate in each plate array is adjacent to a plate of opposite polarity in the adjacent plate array and the bridge piece of adjacent plate arrays are offset in the direction of the length of the rows thus forming a plurality of stacks of bridge pieces spaced apart in the direction of the length of the laminated structure, forming a plurality of cuts in each side of the laminated structure, the cuts on the two sides being offset in the direction of the length of the laminated structure do thereby form two lines of stacks of plates of alternating polarity of which certain plates in each line are connected to a plate of opposite polarity in the other line by a respective bridge piece and severing the laminated structure thereby removing from it a battery element comprising one or more stacks of plates.

Claim 7

A method of assembling an electric storage battery comprising providing a plurality of elongated plate arrays each having two rows of battery plates extending side-by-side, the plates of each row being connected and certain plates in one row being electrically connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces to a plate in the other row, forming a laminated structure by superposing the plate arrays interleaved with sheets of separator material in such a manner that each plate in each plate array is adjacent to a plate of opposite polarity in the adjacent plate array and the bridge piece of adjacent plate arrays are offset in the direction of the length of the rows thus forming a plurality of stacks of bridge pieces spaced apart in the direction of the length of the laminated structure, forming a plurality of cuts in each side of the laminated structure, the cuts on the two sides being offset in the direction of the length of the laminated structure do thereby form two lines of stacks of plates of alternating polarity of which certain plates in each line are connected to a plate of opposite polarity in the other line by a respective bridge piece and severing the laminated structure thereby removing from it a battery element comprising one or more stacks of plates.

Claim 13

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series with each plate in each cell being substantially coplanar with one plate in every other cell comprising providing a plurality of elongated plate arrays each having two rows of battery plates extending side-by-side, the plates of each row being connected and certain plates in one row being electrically connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces to a plate in the other row, forming a laminated structure by superposing the plate arrays interleaved with sheets of separator material in such a manner that each plate in each plate array is adjacent to a plate of opposite polarity in the adjacent plate array and the bridge pieces of adjacent plate arrays are offset in the direction of the length of the rows thus forming a plurality of stacks of bridge pieces spaced apart in the direction of the length of the laminated structure, forming a plurality of cuts in each side of the laminated structure, the cuts on the two sides being offset in the direction of the length of the laminated structure to thereby form a battery element comprising two lines of stacks of plates of alternating polarity of which certain plates in each line are connected to a plate of opposite polarity in the other line by a respective bridge piece.

Claim 14

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series with each plate in each cell being substantially coplanar with one plate in every other cell comprising providing a plurality of elongated plate arrays each having two rows of battery plates extending side-by-side, the plates of each row being connected and certain plates in one row being electrically connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces to a plate in the other row, forming a laminated structure by superposing the plate arrays interleaved with sheets of separator material in such a manner that each plate in each plate array is adjacent to a plate of opposite polarity in the adjacent plate array and the bridge pieces of adjacent plate arrays are offset in the direction of the length of the rows thus forming a plurality of stacks of bridge pieces spaced apart in the direction of the length of the laminated structure, forming a plurality of cuts in each side of the laminated structure, the cuts on the two sides being offset in the direction of the length of the laminated structure to thereby form a battery element comprising two lines of stacks of plates of alternating polarity of which certain plates in each line are connected to a plate of opposite polarity in the other line by a respective bridge piece.

Claim 18

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series, with each cell being a stack of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material comprising: (a) providing a plurality of elongated and planar grid arrays of electrically conducting material, each array comprising at least two spaced rows of grids capable of being processed into the individual plates of the battery, with adjacent rows of grids connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces; (b) providing continuous sheets of electrically insulative separator material having a width approximately equal to the width of a single row of grids of the grid arrays; (c) pasting one grid row in each grid array with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into one polarity and an adjacent grid row with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into the opposite polarity; (d) forming a composite laminated structure from a plurality of superposed pasted grid arrays interleafed with the separator material, the grid arrays being superposed so that each grid row of one polarity is adjacent a grid row of the opposite polarity and separated therefrom by a respective sheet of separate material; (e) cutting the composite laminated structure transverse to the length of the rows to form lines of spaced stacks of discrete grids interleafed with separator material, the cuts being regularly spaced a distance equal to the spacing of the bridge pieces of the grid arrays; and (f) severing selected bridge pieces to form discrete grid arrays consisting of a predetermined number of grids corresponding to the number of cells of the battery, whereby a discrete battery unit is formed consisting of a plurality of stacks of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material, with each plate in each stack being connected to a plate in a stack in an adjacent row by a bridge piece but with every other plate in the two end stacks of the unit not being connected to another plate.

Claim 19

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, electrically connected in series, with each cell being a stack of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material comprising: (a) providing a plurality of elongated and planar grid arrays of electrically conducting material, each array comprising at least two spaced rows of grids capable of being processed into the individual plates of the battery, with adjacent rows of grids connected by regularly spaced bridge pieces; (b) providing continuous sheets of electrically insulative separator material having a width approximately equal to the width of a single row of grids of the grid arrays; (c) pasting one grid row in each grid array with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into one polarity and an adjacent grid row with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into the opposite polarity; (d) forming a composite laminated structure from a plurality of superposed pasted grid arrays interleafed with the separator material, the grid arrays being superposed so that each grid row of one polarity is adjacent a grid row of the opposite polarity and separated therefrom by a respective sheet of separate material; (e) cutting the composite laminated structure transverse to the length of the rows to form lines of spaced stacks of discrete grids interleafed with separator material, the cuts being regularly spaced a distance equal to the spacing of the bridge pieces of the grid arrays; and (f) severing selected bridge pieces to form discrete grid arrays consisting of a predetermined number of grids corresponding to the number of cells of the battery, whereby a discrete battery unit is formed consisting of a plurality of stacks of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material, with each plate in each stack being connected to a plate in a stack in an adjacent row by a bridge piece but with every other plate in the two end stacks of the unit not being connected to another plate.

Claim 32

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, with each cell being a stack of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material and with each plate in each cell being electrically connected in series to a plate in an adjacent cell except for every other plate in each of the two end cells comprising: (a) providing a plurality of elongated and planar grid arrays of electrically conducting material, each array comprising at least two spaced rows of discrete cast metal grids, with each grid in each row being connected to an adjacent grid in the same row by at least one temporary link and also to a grid in an adjacent row in the array by a bridge piece except for those grids that become every other plate in the two end cells; (b) providing continuous sheets of electrically insulative separator material having a width approximately equal to the width of a single row of grids of the grid arrays; (c) pasting one grid row in each grid array with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into one polarity and an adjacent grid row with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into the opposite polarity; (d) forming a composite laminated structure from a plurality of superposed pasted grid arrays interleafed with the separator material, the grid arrays being superposed so that each grid row of one polarity is adjacent a grid row of the opposite polarity and separated therefrom by a respective sheet of separator material; and (e) severing temporary links between adjacent grids transverse to the length of the rows to form a battery unit consisting of a plurality of spaced stacks of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material, the number of stacks corresponding to the number of cells of the battery.

Claim 33

A method of assembling a multicell electric storage battery having a plurality of cells, including two electrical end cells, with each cell being a stack of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material and with each plate in each cell being electrically connected in series to a plate in an adjacent cell except for every other plate in each of the two end cells comprising: (a) providing a plurality of elongated and planar grid arrays of electrically conducting material, each array comprising at least two spaced rows of discrete cast metal grids, with each grid in each row being connected to an adjacent grid in the same row by at least one temporary link and also to a grid in an adjacent row in the array by a bridge piece except for those grids that become every other plate in the two end cells; (b) providing continuous sheets of electrically insulative separator material having a width approximately equal to the width of a single row of grids of the grid arrays; (c) pasting one grid row in each grid array with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into one polarity and an adjacent grid row with an active material capable of being electrolytically formed into the opposite polarity; (d) forming a composite laminated structure from a plurality of superposed pasted grid arrays interleafed with the separator material, the grid arrays being superposed so that each grid row of one polarity is adjacent a grid row of the opposite polarity and separated therefrom by a respective sheet of separator material; and (e) severing temporary links between adjacent grids transverse to the length of the rows to form a battery unit consisting of a plurality of spaced stacks of alternating positive and negative plates interleafed with separator material, the number of stacks corresponding to the number of cells of the battery.