Abstract: A method for automatically installing covers on industrial lead-acid battery cells including the steps of placing cell groups within a cell jar, then automatically straightening the posts of the group. The cover is then placed on the jar containing the group, the cover is sealed to the jar, and the excess flash, which may have been produced during the cover sealing operation, is removed. Next, the posts are welded to bushings mounted in the cover. The sealed cell is then tested to insure that no leaks are present. Those cells passing the seal test will be passed on for further assembly operations while those cells which do not pass the seal test will be automatically shunted aside for subsequent manual inspection and rework where possible. The apparatus comprises a series of interlocked and interrelated conveyors, accumulators and pinchstop mechanisms which automatically convey the cells being sealed to machines which perform the operations delineated in the aforementioned method in the proper sequence.