Battery plate feeder having low vacuum, high flow rate pick-up head

Abstract

A pickup mechanism for removing porous battery plates from a stack of battery plates includes a pickup head for removing a top plate from the stack of battery plates. An opening in the pickup head has an area that is at least 50% of the surface area of the plate. The air flow through the opening in the pickup head is at least 200 CFM and the vacuum at the pickup head is less than 7 inches of water.

1 . A pickup mechanism for removing porous battery plates from a stack of battery plates, comprising: 
 a pickup head for removing a top plate from the stack of battery plates, the pickup head having a pickup face with an opening having a predetermined opening area defined therein; and    a vacuum source connected to said pickup head adapted to pull the top plate against the pick-up head such that a surface area of the plate contacts the pick-up head, said vacuum source and said predetermined opening being sized such that a vacuum of less than 7 inches of water and an air flow of more than 200 CFM is created at said opening.    
   
   
       2 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 1  wherein said predetermined opening area is at least 50% of said surface area of the top plate.  
   
   
       3 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the vacuum created at said opening is between 2 inches of water and 7 inches of water.  
   
   
       4 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 1  wherein the air flow created at said opening is between 200 CFM and 800 CFM.  
   
   
       5 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 1  in combination with a platform for supporting the stack of battery plates disposed below the pickup mechanism, and in combination with an oscillation mechanism which moves said pick-up head downwardly toward said top plate to a point where said vacuum will pull said top plate off of said stack and up against said pick-up face, and then moves said pickup head upwardly to where said top plate can be removed from said pickup head by an outfeed mechanism.  
   
   
       6 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 5  in further combination with a lifting mechanism that raises said platform an incremental amount each time a plate is removed from said stack.  
   
   
       7 . A pickup mechanism for removing porous battery plates from a stack of battery plates, comprising: 
 a pickup head for removing a top plate from the stack of battery plates, the pickup head having a pickup face with an opening having a predetermined opening area defined therein; and    a vacuum source connected to said pickup head adapted to pull the top plate up against the pick-up head such that a surface area of the plate contacts the pick-up head,    said predetermined opening area being at least 50% of said surface area of the top plate.    
   
   
       8 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 7  wherein said vacuum source and said predetermined opening is sized such that a vacuum of less than 7 inches of water and an air flow of more than 200 CFM is created at said opening.  
   
   
       9 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the vacuum created at said opening is between 2 inches of water and 7 inches of water.  
   
   
       10 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the air flow created at said opening is between 200 CFM and 800 CFM.  
   
   
       11 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 7  in combination with a platform for supporting the stack of battery plates disposed below the pickup mechanism, and in combination with an oscillation mechanism which moves said pick-up head downwardly toward said top plate to a point where a vacuum at the predetermined opening will pull said top plate off of said stack and up against said pick-up face, and then moves said pickup head upwardly to where said top plate can be removed from said pickup head by an outfeed mechanism.  
   
   
       12 . The pickup mechanism of  claim 11  in further combination with a lifting mechanism that raises said platform an incremental amount each time a plate is removed from said stack.  
   
   
       13 . A method for removing a porous battery plate from a stack of battery plates comprising: 
 providing a stack of battery plates;    providing a pickup head having a pickup face with an opening having a predetermined opening area;    creating a vacuum of less than 7 inches of water and an airflow of more than 200 CFM at said opening; and    moving said pickup head toward said stack of battery plates to where a top plate in said stack is pulled away from said stack and up against its pick-up face.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said vacuum is between 2 inches of water and 7 inches of water.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said air flow is between 200 CFM and 800 CFM.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said vacuum may be insufficient to hold said plate on said pickup head indefinitely against the force of gravity.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the predetermined opening area is at least 50% of said surface area of the top plate.