Abstract: A method of making an apparatus for continuously casting a lead alloy strip includes providing a drum having an aluminum outer circumferential casting surface. The outer circumferential casting surface of the drum is abraded with an angular abrading medium to wear away material from the aluminum outer circumferential casting surface of the drum and to create a coarse, irregular, and non-smooth abraded casting surface configured to reduce the rate of heat transfer and slow cooling of the lead alloy strip cast on the abraded casting surface.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously casting lead alloy strip on a casting surface on substantially the upper half of a rotatable casting drum from a pool of molten lead alloy at a high speed comprising imparting a coarse texture to the casting surface, providing a tundish containing a pool of the molten lead alloy at a predetermined temperature adjacent a substantially vertical upwardly-moving portion of said casting drum, the tundish having a graphite lip insert having an open front defined by a lip insert floor and opposed sidewalls cooperating with and commencing at a substantially vertical portion of the casting surface to contain said molten lead alloy in the lip insert, controlling the height of the surface level and temperature of the molten lead alloy in the lip insert, moving the casting surface upwardly through the pool of molten lead alloy by rotating said drum for depositing the lead alloy thereon, cooling the casting surface of the drum to solidify a strip of the lead alloy on substantially t

Abstract: An apparatus for direct casting of strip from a pool of molten metal includes a tundish having a feed chamber, a return chamber and a diverting chamber. A lip insert is inserted into the tundish and has an open front for cooperation with a casting surface. The apparatus includes a control mechanism configured to control the surface level of the pool of molten metal in the diverting chamber and in the lip insert, and a movement mechanism configured to move the casting surface upwardly through the pool of molten metal for the casting of metal on the casting surface. The casting surface is an aluminum surface of a cylindrical drum and has a coarse irregular surface formed thereon by biasing with crushed, angular silicon carbide or aluminum silicate.

Abstract: A method of continuously casting a lead alloy strip includes continuously supplying molten lead alloy to a tundish having a lip insert and containing a pool of molten lead alloy. The molten lead alloy is continuously supplied to the pool from a bath maintained at a temperature in the range of 575° to 750° F. The surface level of the molten alloy in the lip insert is controlled to produce a strip of desired thickness. The temperature of the lead alloy in the lip insert is controlled in a range of about 640° to 750° F. An abraded casting surface is moved upwardly through the pool for depositing the lead alloy thereon. The abraded casting surface is cooled to a temperature in the range of about 100° to 210° F. to solidify a strip of lead alloy, and the lead alloy strip is stripped from the abraded casting surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for direct casting of strip from a pool of molten metal includes a tundish having a feed chamber, a return chamber and a diverting chamber. A lip insert is inserted into the tundish and has an open front for cooperation with a casting surface. The apparatus includes means for controlling the surface level of the pool of molten metal in the diverting chamber and in the lip insert, and means for moving the casting surface upwardly through the pool of molten metal for the casting of metal on the casting surface. The casting surface is an aluminum surface of a cylindrical drum and has a coarse irregular surface formed thereon by biasing with crushed, angular silicon carbide or aluminum silicate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for continuously casting lead alloy strip on a casting surface on substantially the upper half of a rotatable casting drum from a pool of molten lead alloy at a high speed comprising imparting a coarse texture to the casting surface, providing a tundish containing a pool of the molten lead alloy at a predetermined temperature adjacent a substantially vertical upwardly-moving portion of said casting drum, the tundish having a graphite lip insert having an open front defined by a lip insert floor and opposed sidewalls cooperating with and commencing at a substantially vertical portion of the casting surface to contain said molten lead alloy in the lip insert, controlling the height of the surface level and temperature of the molten lead alloy in the lip insert, moving the casting surface upwardly through the pool of molten lead alloy by rotating said drum for depositing the lead alloy thereon, cooling the casting surface of the drum to solidify a strip of the lead alloy on substantially t

Abstract: The strip is cast on a chilled casting surface of a rotating drum from a pool of the molten metal contained in a tundish having a graphite lip insert seated therein cooperating with, the casting surface adjacent to the tundish to form and contain the pool of the molten metal. The tundish preferably contains a feed chamber, a return chamber, and a diverting chamber, the feed chamber and the diverting chamber effectively removing turbulence from the molten feed and the return chamber having a vertically adjustable weir dividing the return chamber from the diverting chamber for controlling the surface level of the pool of molten metal in the diverting chamber and the lip insert and for diverting a flow of molten metal to the return chamber. A preferred lead alloy is a low antimony-lead alloy which is cast into strip and is subjected to a heat treatment to permit expansion and shaping in subsequent production of expanded mesh battery grids.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for forming expanded mesh sheet from deformable strip by the steps of concurrently slitting and preforming the strip to provide transverse bands of slit and elongated wire segments projecting alternately from opposite sides of the plane of the strip separated by transverse bands of unslit strip, slitting the strip at alternate bands to extend slit segments in a staggered relation and laterally expanding the slit and preformed strip. Concurrent slitting and preforming and subsequent slitting can be effected by a cluster of three rolls or by a linear arrangement of pairs of opposed rolls.The invention has particular utility in forming expanded mesh sheet of exact final dimensions for use as battery grids from lead or lead alloy strip.

Abstract: A method of forming elongated slit segments in deformable strip includes concurrently slitting and preforming the strip by intermeshing substantially convexly shaped tool surfaces each having a linear leading portion and a linear trailing portion joined by a rounded apex portion. The linear leading and trailing portions are collinear with and generally define portions of the sides of a triangle which has a base with a length equal to the length of the strip being slit. The length of the side of the triangle corresponding to and collinear with the leading portion is less than the length of the side of the triangle corresponding to and collinear with the trailing portion, and the angle formed between the side of the triangle corresponding to the leading portion and the base is not greater than 90.degree..

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are disclosed for forming expanded mesh sheet from deformable strip by the steps of concurrently slitting and preforming the strip to provide transverse bands of slit and elongated wire segments projecting alternately from opposite sides of the plane of the strip separated by transverse bands of unslit strip, slitting the strip at alternate bands to extend slit segments in a staggered relation and laterally expanding the slit and preformed strip. Concurrent slitting and preforming and subsequent slitting can be effected by a cluster of three rolls or by a linear arrangement of pairs of opposed rolls.The invention has particular utility in forming expanded mesh sheet of exact final dimensions for use as battery grids from lead or lead alloy strip.