Abstract: A venting plug for a wet, lead-acid storage battery, a battery containing the same, a method of molding the venting plug body, and a mold for molding the venting plug body are disclosed. The sealing surfaces of the venting plug do not include a mold parting line along which acid from inside of the battery could seep between the seal and sealing surfaces. The venting plug body, however, includes a coupling structure that includes a mold parting line. The sealing surfaces of the venting plug body are molded by a single plate such that no mold parting line results along the sealing surfaces, while the coupling structure is molded by plurality of mold components such that a mold parting line results in the vicinity of the coupling structure.

Abstract: A battery including a rope handle which engages a handle bracket on a conventional battery container. The rope handle includes a grip and a rope, the proximal end of the rope being molded into, or otherwise secured to, the grip and a cylindrical plug molded on the distal end of the rope. The grip includes a retaining recess comprising a counterbore presenting a bearing surface, and lateral slot between the upper and lower surfaces of the grip and extending radially from the counterbore to present a substantially keyhole-shaped opening. In assembly, the distal end of the rope is advanced laterally through the slot portion of the keyhole-shaped opening until the counterbore is positioned subjacent the plug. The plug is then moved downward into the counterbore. To hide the rope ends in the preferred embodiment, a cover can be snapped in place over the top of the grip.

Abstract: A battery including a rope handle which engages a handle bracket on a conventional battery container. The rope handle includes a grip and a rope, the proximal end of the rope being molded into, or otherwise secured to, the grip and a cylindrical plug molded on the distal end of the rope. The grip includes a retaining recess comprising a counterbore presenting a bearing surface, and lateral slot between the upper and lower surfaces of the grip and extending radially from the counterbore to present a substantially keyhole-shaped opening. In assembly, the distal end of the rope is advanced laterally through the slot portion of the keyhole-shaped opening until the counterbore is positioned subjacent the plug. The plug is then moved downward into the counterbore. To hide the rope ends in the preferred embodiment, a cover can be snapped in place over the top of the grip.

Abstract: An improved method of bonding battery cell terminal posts to cover bushings is disclosed. The battery cell terminal posts are made of lead alloy material and the cover bushings are made of solder alloy material having a significantly lower melting point than the terminal posts. The bushings are bonded to the terminal posts by heating the terminal posts and bushings to a temperature above the melting point of the material of the bushing, but below the melting point of the material of the post, to effect a secure and leak proof connection without melting of the terminal posts and with lesser chance for damage to the plastic cover. The plastic cover further includes integrally formed annular mold sections in the form of upstanding bosses which completely surround respective bushings and posts.

Abstract: A battery including a container, a cover and an end wall stiffener block. The container is molded with a compartment between an outer and an inner end wall into which the stiffener block is inserted. The stiffener block is preferably made of a stiff plastic or of metal. The stiffener block and compartment are sized so that a contacting relationship is maintained between the inner wall, the block, and the outer wall. The inner wall also maintains a contacting relationship with the active internal components of the battery. During assembly, both the inner and the outer end walls are heat-sealed to the cover, such that the compartment is entirely sealed.

Abstract: A method of making lead-acid batteries uses a container standardized for a twelve-volt battery and dual flag straps in the inner cells so that batteries with voltages of two, four, six, or twelve can be preselected as desired, the more preferred embodiments having one terminal cell with either two terminal bases or dual flags so as to minimize the assembly equipment required.

Abstract: A method for making a plurality of lead-acid cells requiring a constant width, a height varying from a maximum to a minimum to accommodate plates of varying height and a cell depth to accommodate a minimum to a maximum number of plates is disclosed which utilizes blow molding to form a jar precursor which is cut to the height desired, and, in its preferred aspects, including use of a mold and insert sets which simplify tooling and change-over time, as well as a cover and jar design which simplifies the heat sealing of these components.

Abstract: A lead-acid batteries having terminals designed to readily receive charging leads. The battery terminal and the charging cable lead utilize complementary configurations which interlock and provide an intimate and reliable connection between the terminal and lead. More specifically, an interlocking connection formed by a lead having two parallel legs which slide into slots formed in the wall of the side terminal has proven particularly effective. The interlocking terminal-lead connections eliminate the need of threadingly engaging and disengaging fasteners or adapters during charging that are normally necessary for side terminal batteries.

Abstract: An electric storage battery, preferably a lead-acid battery, such as used for starting, lighting and ignition of an automobile or the like, includes a handle attached to the cover of the battery through a pin-and-button structure which is attached to the battery by insertion into an insertion aperture and is then moved into an assembly position where the handle can be rotated from a rest position adjacent the side of the cover to an upright, service position for carrying the battery.

Abstract: A method of providing a molded plastic component for a bipolar battery comprising a metal substrate subject to warpage upon molding to form a plastic frame about the periphery of the metal substrate, and the molded plastic component itself, comprises preheating the metal substrate and then injecting a plastic having shrinkage characteristics which match those of the heated metal substrate so as to provide a plastic frame wherein the plastic-metal interface has a reliable seal and is free from residual stresses.

Abstract: A unitarily molded, snap-on heat shield for a standard automotive battery container having handle brackets extending from opposing side walls of the container, the heat shield having wedge-shaped coupling protrusions extending inwardly from cantilevered flaps in the heat shield side walls, the wedge-shaped protrusions riding along the handle brackets to cantilever the flaps away for the container side wall as the shield in moved downward over the container, the flaps snapping back inward toward the battery container as the protrusions pass the handle bracket to couple the heat shield to the battery container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for more efficiently fusing the straps of pre-formed terminal post members with plate lugs of a battery plate group utilizing a non-reusable, inexpensive plastic mold insert. The method includes positioning the battery plate group into an open top container with the lugs of the positive plates in one row and the lugs of the negative plates in another row, positioning the plastic insert into the container with the lugs of the plate group extending upwardly through the mold insert, positioning the terminal post members on the plastic mold insert with fingers of the straps thereof disposed between plate lugs of the respective rows, supplying additional unmelted lead into remaining spaces between the plate lugs, and heating, melting, and fusing the plate lugs, strap fingers, and added lead by induction heating to form interconnections between the positive and negative plates in the respective terminals.

Abstract: A method for fabricating bushings for lead-acid cells or batteries is provided which is amenable to automation and control and provides relatively porosity-free bushings comprising utilizing a mold having a cavity in the configuration of the bushing desired and a lead fill unit comprising a lead pot with the molten lead alloy for the bushing and a heated fill line and/or heated fill block wherein the mold and lead fill units are moved into alignment, heating such as induction heating to cause the solidified molten alloy at the end of the heated fill line or in the heated fill block orifice to become molten, gravity filling the mold and then moving the mold and lead fill unit out of alignment, the bushing preferably being cast in an upside-down orientation so as to minimize gas entrainment and/or particulate contamination.

Abstract: A multicell, lead-acid battery having spiral-wound cell elements and capacity adapters is disclosed, the battery comprising a container having a plurality of cell cavities, each cell cavity having a volume adapted to receive a spiral wound cell element of a specific maximum electrochemical capacity, a spiral-wound cell element being disposed in each cell cavity having a capacity less than the specific maximum capacity and of a size smaller than a cell element having the specific maximum capacity, thus creating a void volume in the cell cavity in which it is disposed, and a capacity adapter being disposed in each cell cavity which occupies at least a portion of the void volume.

Abstract: A method of making lead-acid cell-to-cell or battery-to-battery connections is disclosed which utilizes a non-conductive capture mold, made, for example, from polypropylene polymers, which capture mold has a base having holes allowing the capture mold to be placed over adjacent terminal posts of like polarity and upstanding walls having a height equal to that of the terminal posts, the capture mold serving to retain the lead alloy connector in place while the cell or battery connection is made, as by induction heating or the like.

Abstract: A lead acid storage battery and improved method of bonding battery cell terminal posts to cover bushings is disclosed. The battery cell terminal posts are made of lead alloy material and the cover bushings are made of solder alloy material having a significantly lower melting point than the terminal posts. The bushings are bonded to the terminal posts by heating the terminal posts and bushings to a temperature above the melting point of the material of the bushing, but below the melting point of the material of the post, to effect a secure and leak proof connection without melting of the terminal posts and with lesser chance for damage to the plastic cover. The plastic cover further includes integrally formed annular mold sections in the form of upstanding bosses which completely surround respective bushings and posts to contain melted material of the bushing during the heating operation and to form the terminals into final shape.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for more efficiently fusing the straps of pre-formed terminal post members with plate lugs of a battery plate group utilizing a non-reusable, inexpensive plastic mold insert. The method includes positioning the battery plate group into an open top container with the lugs of the positive plates in one row and the lugs of the negative plates in another row, positioning the plastic insert into the container with the lugs of the plate group extending upwardly through the mold insert, positioning the terminal post members on the plastic mold insert with fingers of the straps thereof disposed between plate lugs of the respective rows, supplying additional unmelted lead into remaining spaces between the plate lugs, and heating, melting, and fusing the plate lugs, strap fingers, and added lead by induction heating to form interconnections between the positive and negative plates in the respective terminals.

Abstract: A method for making a family of lead-acid cells requiring a constant width, a height varying from a maximum to a minimum to accommodate plates of varying height and a cell depth to accommodate a minimum to a maximum number of plates is disclosed which utilizes blow molding to form a jar precursor which is cut to the height desired, and, in its preferred aspects, including use of a mold and insert sets which simplify tooling and change-over time, as well as a cover and jar design which simplifies the heat sealing of these components.

Abstract: A continuous process for making lead-acid grids and plates for a family of cells and batteries requiring grids with a particular plate width and varying plate heights comprises expanding and slitting a continuous strip to provide the desired width and a grid having at least one side frame bar and an interconnected expanded mesh, pasting the expanded mesh with active material, determining the grid height desired and then cutting the expanded mesh strip transversely of the direction of travel to provide plates of the desired height while forming a plate lug from one side frame bar.

Abstract: A method of assembling a bipolar battery, most preferably a lead-acid battery, includes assembling the electrochemical components necessary to provide the necessary voltage and capacity, maintaining the electrochemical components under the desired compression and then sealing such electrochemical components as a unit utilizing various assembly components. The resulting bipolar battery in the preferred embodiment includes an electrolyte fill/vent box that seals the top of the electrochemical component unit and a vacuum box that seals the bottom surface.