Abstract: For making battery electrodes, a composite strip of a cast ribbon of an electrically conductive metal attached to and extending along an edge of a web of electrically conductive carbon fiber material, also called a carbon felt in some examples, with a plurality of spaced apart notches cast in the ribbon and opening to an edge of the ribbon spaced from the carbon fiber material. A rotatable drum with a mold cavity and a confronting casting shoe for supplying molten metal, such as liquid lead, to the cavity may be used in a casting machine to continuous cast the composite strip.

Abstract: A plant oil extraction apparatus may include a volatile solvent tank, an oil bearing plant material container for receiving at least some of the volatile solvent, a chiller for cooling volatile solvent to a liquid state in contact with the oil bearing plant material, a vessel for collecting at least some of the mixture of volatile solvent and plant material, a heater for heating at least liquid state volatile solvent to a gas state, a compressor for compressing volatile solvent gas to a higher pressure, and a heat exchanger to cool and condense at least part of the compressed solvent gas to a liquid state and to return at least part of the condensed liquid volatile solvent to the solvent tank. The cycling of the apparatus may at least in part be controlled by an electronic controller and a human machine interface may be used by an operator to input data to the electronic controller.

Abstract: For making battery electrodes, a composite strip of a cast ribbon of an electrically conductive metal attached to and extending along an edge of a web of electrically conductive carbon fiber material, also called a carbon felt in some examples, with a plurality of spaced apart notches cast in the ribbon and opening to an edge of the ribbon spaced from the carbon fiber material. A rotatable drum with a mold cavity and a confronting casting shoe for supplying molten metal, such as liquid lead, to the cavity may be used in a casting machine to continuous cast the composite strip.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for recovering an alcohol solvent from a liquid mixture of the solvent and plant oil and decarboxylating the plant oil may include, pressurizing the liquid mixture to a super-atmospheric pressure, recirculating the pressurized liquid mixture a plurality of times through at least one membrane separator to separate some of the solvent from the mixture to provide a concentrated mixture of the plant oil with less solvent, reducing the pressure of the liquid concentrated mixture to less than 15 psig, heating it at a pressure of less than 15 psig to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the solvent in the concentrated mixture, removing sufficient heat from the vaporized solvent to condense it to a liquid solvent at atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions, and heating the plant oil to a temperature desirably of at least 215° F. to decarboxylate the plant oil.

Abstract: A battery paste application machine is equipped with a battery paste application hopper assembly. The battery paste application machine can be employed in a larger manufacturing operation to produce lead-acid batteries. The battery paste application hopper assembly furnishes automated control of one or more parameters of battery paste delivery. Volume of battery paste at the time of delivery can be automatically controlled, pressure of battery paste at the time of delivery can be automatically controlled, or both volume and pressure can be automatically controlled. Depending on the parameters controlled, the battery paste application hopper assembly can include a housing, a paste delivery roller, a feed roller, a scraper bar, a first actuator, and/or a second actuator.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for extracting plant oil from plant material by cooling an alcohol solvent to a temperature of ?40° C. or lower, contacting the plant material with the cold solvent to extract plant oil to provide a solvent and plant oil mixture, heating the mixture to convert the solvent to a gaseous state to thereby separate the solvent from the plant oil, and cooling the separated gaseous solvent to a liquid to recover the solvent. The apparatus may include a heat exchanger to cool the alcohol solvent, a centrifuge configured to receive and contact a batch of plant material with the cold solvent to extract oil from the plant material to provide a solvent and oil mixture, and a programmable logic controller to monitor and control the temperature of the cold solvent, and control the centrifuge to agitate the solvent in contact with the plant material.

Abstract: A process of and apparatus for dehydrating an alcohol/water mixture may include pressurizing the mixture to at least 40 psig, heating the pressurized mixture to a temperature of at least 170° F., passing the heated and pressurized mixture through at least one Zeolite separator to produce separate streams of water and pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol, and using the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to at least in part heat pressurized mixture and to cool the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol. At least some implementations may include cooling the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to a temperature below its boiling point at atmospheric pressure. At least some implementations may include applying a vacuum to the water stream side of the Zeolite separator. At least some implementations may include cooling the stream of water to a temperature of less than about 200° F.

Abstract: A system for setting a specific value of a variable operating parameter of a machine usable with a plurality of different tools each requiring a different specific value of the operating parameter. The system may include a tag associated with a specific tool and containing stored data of a predetermined desired value of an operating parameter of the machine for the specific tool, a reader of the tool stored data of the desired value and a controller of the machine which uses at least some of the stored data to set the predetermined desired value of the variable operating parameter of the machine for its use of the specific tool or of a variable operating parameter of another machine which is dependent on the specific value of at least some of the stored data of the tag of the specific tool used in the machine.

Abstract: For making battery electrodes, a composite strip of a cast ribbon of an electrically conductive metal attached to and extending along an edge of a web of electrically conductive carbon fiber material, also called a carbon felt in some examples, with a plurality of spaced apart notches cast in the ribbon and opening to an edge of the ribbon spaced from the carbon fiber material. A rotatable drum with a mold cavity and a confronting casting shoe for supplying molten metal, such as liquid lead, to the cavity may be used in a casting machine to continuous cast the composite strip.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for recovering an alcohol solvent from a liquid mixture of the solvent and plant oil and decarboxylating the plant oil may include, pressurizing the liquid mixture to a super-atmospheric pressure, recirculating the pressurized liquid mixture a plurality of times through at least one membrane separator to separate some of the solvent from the mixture to provide a concentrated mixture of the plant oil with less solvent, reducing the pressure of the liquid concentrated mixture to less than 15 psig, heating it at a pressure of less than 15 psig to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the solvent in the concentrated mixture, removing sufficient heat from the vaporized solvent to condense it to a liquid solvent at atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions, and heating the plant oil to a temperature desirably of at least 215° F. to decarboxylate the plant oil.

Abstract: A process of and apparatus for dehydrating an alcohol/water mixture may include pressurizing the mixture to at least 40 psig, heating the pressurized mixture to a temperature of at least 170° F., passing the heated and pressurized mixture through at least one Zeolite separator to produce separate streams of water and pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol, and using the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to at least in part heat pressurized mixture and to cool the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol. At least some implementations may include cooling the pressurized and heated dehydrated alcohol to a temperature below its boiling point at atmospheric pressure. At least some implementations may include applying a vacuum to the water stream side of the Zeolite separator. At least some implementations may include cooling the stream of water to a temperature of less than about 200° F.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for extracting plant oil from plant material by cooling an alcohol solvent to a temperature of ?40° C. or lower, contacting the plant material with the cold solvent to extract plant oil to provide a solvent and plant oil mixture, heating the mixture to convert the solvent to a gaseous state to thereby separate the solvent from the plant oil, and cooling the separated gaseous solvent to a liquid to recover the solvent. The apparatus may include a heat exchanger to cool the alcohol solvent, a centrifuge configured to receive and contact a batch of plant material with the cold solvent to extract oil from the plant material to provide a solvent and oil mixture, and a programmable logic controller to monitor and control the temperature of the cold solvent, control the centrifuge to agitate the solvent in contact with the plant material for a period of time and to rotate for a period of time to separate the mixture from the plant material.

Abstract: A plant oil extraction apparatus may include a volatile solvent tank, an oil bearing plant material container for receiving at least some of the volatile solvent, a chiller for cooling volatile solvent to a liquid state in contact with the oil bearing plant material, a vessel for collecting at least some of the mixture of volatile solvent and plant material, a heater for heating at least liquid state volatile solvent to a gas state, a compressor for compressing volatile solvent gas to a higher pressure, and a heat exchanger to cool and condense at least part of the compressed solvent gas to a liquid state and to return at least part of the condensed liquid volatile solvent to the solvent tank. The cycling of the apparatus may at least in part be controlled by an electronic controller and a human machine interface may be used by an operator to input data to the electronic controller.

Abstract: A system for setting a specific value of a variable operating parameter of a machine usable with a plurality of different tools each requiring a different specific value of the operating parameter. The system may include a tag associated with a specific tool and containing stored data of a predetermined desired value of an operating parameter of the machine for the specific tool, a reader of the tool stored data of the desired value and a controller of the machine which uses at least some of the stored data to set the predetermined desired value of the variable operating parameter of the machine for its use of the specific tool or of a variable operating parameter of another machine which is dependent on the specific value of at least some of the stored data of the tag of the specific tool used in the machine.

Abstract: A method of making a grid for a battery plate of a lead-acid battery. A substantially planar web is manufactured to include a plurality of spaced apart and interconnected wire segments, which at least partially define substantially planar surfaces, have a plurality of transverse lands, and interconnect at a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces between the wire segments. The web is reformed to change the cross-sectional shape of the wire segments. Other aspects may include simultaneously reducing the thickness of at least a portion of the web while reshaping the wire segments, and/or providing a controlled surface roughness on at least one of the surfaces of the web to increase surface area of the grid and thereby promote adhesion of an electrochemically active material to the grid.

Abstract: A method of making a grid for a battery plate of a lead-acid battery. A substantially planar web is manufactured to include a plurality of spaced apart and interconnected wire segments, which at least partially define substantially planar surfaces, have a plurality of transverse lands, and interconnect at a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces between the wire segments. The web is reformed to change the cross-sectional shape of the wire segments. Other aspects may include simultaneously reducing the thickness of at least a portion of the web while reshaping the wire segments, and/or providing a controlled surface roughness on at least one of the surfaces of the web to increase surface area of the grid and thereby promote adhesion of an electrochemically active material to the grid.

Abstract: A method of making a grid for a battery plate of a lead-acid battery. A substantially planar web is manufactured to include a plurality of spaced apart and interconnected wire segments, which at least partially define substantially planar surfaces, have a plurality of transverse lands, and interconnect at a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces between the wire segments. The web is reformed to change the cross-sectional shape of the wire segments. Other aspects may include simultaneously reducing the thickness of at least a portion of the web while reshaping the wire segments, and/or providing controlled surface roughness on at least one of the surfaces of the web to increase surface area of the grid and thereby promote adhesion of an electrochemically active material to the grid.

Abstract: A method of making a grid for a battery plate of a lead-acid battery. A substantially planar web is manufactured to include a plurality of spaced apart and interconnected wire segments, which at least partially define substantially planar surfaces, have a plurality of transverse lands, and interconnect at a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces between the wire segments. The web is reformed to change the cross-sectional shape of the wire segments. Other aspects may include simultaneously reducing the thickness of at least a portion of the web while reshaping the wire segments, and/or providing controlled surface roughness on at least one of the surfaces of the web to increase surface area of the grid and thereby promote adhesion of an electrochemically active material to the grid.

Abstract: Apparatus for piling in stacks a plurality of successive individual battery plates moving at a high rate of speed. Synchronized plates are transferred to a carrier conveyor which advances them into work stations with the leading edge of each plate raised generally vertically above its trailing edge. Sequentially in one and another of the stations, each plate is rapidly stopped so that a plurality of succeeding synchronized plates are each disengaged from the carrier and deposited in a stack on an elevator underlying each station. The elevator is retracted as each plate is deposited so that the next plate can be received on the stack. Periodically, the depositing of plates is switched from one station to another and stacks of plates are removed from the elevator associated with each station so that another stack can be formed on the elevator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for piling in stacks a plurality of successive individual battery plates moving at a high rate of speed. Synchronized plates are transferred to a carrier conveyor which advances them into work stations with the leading edge of each plate raised generally vertically above its trailing edge. Sequentially in one and another of the stations, each plate is rapidly stopped so that a plurality of succeeding synchronized plates are each disengaged from the carrier and deposited in a stack on an elevator underlying each station. The elevator is retracted as each plate is deposited so that the next plate can be received on the stack. Periodically, the depositing of plates is switched from one station to another and stacks of plates are removed from the elevator associated with each station so that another stack can be formed on the elevator.