Abstract: This apparatus for clearing and removing the bulk material from a pile of bulk material comprises a movable bridge, at least one scraper arrangement which is movable along this bridge and a bulk material conveyor arrangement which is also supported by the bridge and arranged in the proximity of the base of the heap, at least one movable bulk material activating tooth being held by the bridge in the region before this conveyor arrangement. In this way large stones or stone chippings are also reliably removed with rest of the bulk material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary gate valve arrangement with a gate valve housing, a rotatably mounted gate valve rotor arranged therein at right angles to the material flow direction and having a part-cylindrical sliding part which co-operates with a sealing arrangement containing a cassette-like rectangular sealing frame with a sealing element running around it, the sealing frame being received in the receiving channel formed in the housing in such a way that through flow of material is unimpeded and the sealing frame can be simply and quickly inserted and withdrawn without the removal of essential parts of the rotary gate valve.

Abstract: In accordance with a new method of casting electrode grids for electric lead storage batteries in a mold, premature solidifying of the melt is prevented before the end of the mold filling period by an additional heating pulse applied to the melt during the mold filling process, as well as by the use of a good heat conducting mold material. The cooling down to the unmolding temperature is also accelerated. Because of the short dwell time of the lead within the mold, there simultaneously results a short machine cycling period. The separate pulse heating of the melt is preferably carried out by an induction heating apparatus, the alternating field of the inductor located within the mold walls producing heat through eddy current production within the molten molded body.

Abstract: The accumulations of molten lead which correspond to the lugs and frames of molded starter battery plates can be caused to solidify at the same rate as the much thinner grids of the plates by providing a mold having inserts made from a material whose thermal conductivity is higher than that of the base material of the mold in the regions of the mold which are used to form the lugs and frames, provided these inserts are disposed as close as possible to a system of cooling channels. The ratio of the thermal conductivity of the material from which the inserts are made to the thermal conductivity of the base material of the mold should approximate the ratio of the material accumulations on the lugs and frames to that on the rest of the grid.

Abstract: The electrode stacks, formed of zig-zag packages of strip electrodes with interposed separator, are inserted through side openings into the cells, and the block casing is closed by welding on a side wall.

Abstract: The plate stacks are positioned for further processing in a clamping arrangement with clamping elements between stacks. Each element is displaceable by an amount of play X with respect to its neighboring element.

Abstract: The grid frame surfaces of the plate block are bridged in electrolytically conductive manner. As a result of the forming process, these surfaces exhibit sufficient traces of active mass. A brush-like instrument is used, whose bristles are capillaries which communicate through an electrolyte container. In a closed multi-cell battery, each plate block is contacted at its grid frame through the filler opening by the capillaries of an instrument supported above the filler opening. The battery voltage is measured at the terminals. This would otherwise be measurable only after filling with electrolyte.

Abstract: A thinned or weakened line surrounds a portion of the cell enclosure above the acid level.

Abstract: Expander is introduced into the negative electrode in the form of particles encapsulated with material which gradually releases the expander over the life of the battery.

Abstract: A valve body has outlet ducts to be positioned below the surface of the molten lead, and a head rotatable with respect to the body. The head has recesses which terminate in slots that can be aligned with the outlet ducts to open the valve. These slots have smaller cross-sections than the ducts. The body also has open ended passages which align with the outlet ducts when the valve is closed.

Abstract: Apertures in internal partitions provide gas passages. A separator chamber with narrow liquid return slot leads to a gas outlet hose coupling.

Abstract: Plate blocks are clamped by pneumatically inflatable multilayer elements.