Abstract: A sealing and insulating member for a cylindrical galvanic cell wherein said member comprises a plurality of vent membranes of non-circular configuration. The seal can readily be made from mineral filled polyolefin material by injection molding.

Abstract: A metal support disk for an electrochemical cell seal exerts a resilient outward radial force against the seal to maintain seal integrity over a wide range of operating temperature and, at the same time, exerts an upward force against the bottom of the metal end cap terminal of the cell to assure electrical contact between the anode inside the cell and the terminal. The disk includes a central, circular platform connected to an outer, sealing edge sealing flange by an annular flexure means which permits radially inward and outward movement of the sealing edge when the end of the cell is radially crimped during the sealing process. The crimping also moves the central portion of the disk up which results in the upward force being exerted against the end terminal. The flexure means is a sequential series of three annular, curved fibs with the first and third curved downward and the second curved upward.

Abstract: This invention relates to a seal for a cylindrical alkaline cell. The member includes a metal support having an annular spring disposed at the outer periphery. The spring is placed under compression by a radial crimp and the spring is adapted to expand and contract whereby the seal is maintained during thermal cycling. The member also includes a plastic grommet having an annular vent designed to open at very high pressures whereby said seal member is particularly useful in alkaline cells having little or no mercury whereby high internal pressures can develop.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for spot welding the anode structure of a succession of alkaline primary batteries with a focused beam of radiation generated by a stationary laser as the batteries are conveyed through the arrangement. The batteries are conducted along a circular work station in the form of a star wheel having the batteries arranged around a portion of its circumference. An optical focusing system is mounted for oscillation about the rotational axis of the star wheel in synchronous motion with each battery as it passes through the beam of radiation. The anode structure of each battery is positioned at the focal point of the optical focusing system whereby the optical focusing system focuses the radiation beam on one small area of the anode structure to produce a spot weld on the anode structure.