Method for making battery plates

1. A method of making a plurality of battery plates comprising:

forming a strip comprising a plurality of battery grids, each battery grid comprising a grid network bordered by a frame element and comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network;

deforming at least a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that the deformed grid wire elements have a first transverse cross-section at a point intermediate their opposed ends that differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of their opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the strip;

applying battery paste to the strip; and

cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of deforming at least a portion of the grid wire elements is performed before the step of applying the lead alloy coating to the strip.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of deforming at least a portion of the grid wire elements comprises stamping at least a portion of the plurality of grid wire elements.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the grid network and the frame element define opposed substantially planar surfaces, and each first transverse cross-section does not extend beyond the planar surfaces.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the strip comprises feeding a continuous strip comprising the lead alloy along a linear path aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip and punching material out of the strip.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the continuous strip is formed by continuously casting a melt of the lead alloy.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the continuous strip is formed by casting a melt of the lead alloy to form a slab and rolling the slab.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first transverse cross-section is non-rectangular and the second transverse cross-section is generally rectangular.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the strip comprises:

feeding a continuous strip of the lead alloy along a linear path aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip;

forming slits in the strip; and

laterally expanding the strip to form interconnected battery grids.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of forming the strip comprises melting the lead alloy and continuously casting the lead alloy to form the strip.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids comprises immersing the interconnected battery grids in a melt of the lead alloy coating.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the strip comprises spraying a melt of the lead alloy coating on the strip.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising quenching the strip in a fluid bath after applying the lead alloy coating to the strip and before the step of applying battery paste to the strip.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising age hardening the strip at an elevated temperature after quenching the strip and before applying battery paste to the strip.

15. A method of making a plurality of battery plates comprising:

forming a strip comprising a plurality of battery grids, each battery grid comprising a grid network bordered by a frame element and comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network;

deforming at least a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that the deformed grid wire elements have a first transverse cross-section at a point intermediate their opposed ends that differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of their opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the strip;

applying battery paste to the strip; and

cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates;

wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the strip comprises immersing the strip in a melt of the lead alloy coating and introducing a gas into the melt of the lead alloy coating while immersing the strip in the melt.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the strip comprises a lead-calcium alloy and the coating comprises a lead-tin alloy.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises between approximately 90 and 99 weight percent lead and between approximately 1 and 10 weight percent tin.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the lead-tin alloy further comprises antimony.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises between approximately 80 and 98 weight percent lead, between approximately 1 and 10 weight percent tin, and between approximately 1 and 10 weight percent antimony.

20. A method of making a plurality of battery plates, the method comprising:

melting a lead alloy grid material;

continuously casting the grid material to form a continuous strip;

punching grid material out of the strip to form interconnected battery grids, each interconnected battery grid including a grid network bordered by a frame, the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends, each opposed end being joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network;

deforming a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of its opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids; and

cutting the interconnected battery grids to form a plurality of battery plates.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising applying paste to the interconnected battery grids before cutting the interconnected battery grids to form a plurality of battery plates.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids comprises immersing the interconnected battery grids in a melt of the lead alloy coating.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the deforming step comprises stamping at least a portion of at least one of the grid wire elements at a position intermediate the opposed ends of the grid wire element before applying the lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising quenching the interconnected battery grids in a fluid bath after applying the lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids and before applying battery paste to the interconnected battery grids.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising age hardening the interconnected battery grids at an elevated temperature after quenching the interconnected battery grids and before applying battery paste to the interconnected battery grids.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the first transverse cross-section is generally non-rectangular and the second transverse cross-section is generally rectangular.

27. A method of making a plurality of battery plates, the method comprising:

melting a lead alloy grid material;

continuously casting the grid material to form a continuous strip;

punching grid material out of the strip to form interconnected battery grids, each interconnected battery grid including a grid network bordered by a frame, the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends, each opposed end being joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network;

deforming a portion of a plurality of the and wire elements such that a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of its opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids; and

cutting the interconnected battery grids to form a plurality of battery plates;

wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the interconnected battery grids comprises immersing the interconnected battery grids in a melt of the lead alloy coating and introducing a gas into the melt of the lead alloy coating while immersing the strip of interconnected battery grids in the melt of the lead alloy coating.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the grid material comprises a lead-calcium alloy and the coating comprises a lead-tin alloy.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises between about 90 and 99 weight percent lead and between about 1 and 10 weight percent tin.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the lead-tin alloy further includes antimony.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the lead-tin alloy comprises between about 80 and 98 weight percent lead, between about 1 and 10 wt. % tin, and between about 1 and 10 weight percent antimony.

32. A method of making a plurality of battery plates, the method comprising:

forming a strip of interconnected battery grids from a lead alloy grid material, each interconnected battery grid including a grid network bordered by at least one frame element, the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends, each opposed end being joined to one of a plurality of nodes to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network;

deforming a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of its opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the strip of interconnected battery grids; and

cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the first transverse cross-section is generally non-rectangular and the second transverse cross-section is generally rectangular.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the deforming step comprises stamping the at least one grid wire element at the position intermediate its opposed ends.

35. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of forming a strip of interconnected battery grids from a grid material comprises:

feeding a continuous strip of the grid material along a linear path aligned with the longitudinal direction of the strip; and

punching grid material out of the strip to form the strip of interconnected battery grids.

36. The method of claim 32 wherein the continuous strip of the grid material is formed by continuously casting a melt of the lead alloy grid material.

37. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the strip of interconnected battery grids comprises immersing the strip of interconnected battery grids in a melt of the lead alloy coating.

38. A method of making a plurality of battery plates, the method comprising:

forming a strip of interconnected battery grids from a lead alloy grid material, each interconnected battery grid including a grid network bordered by at least one frame element, the grid network comprising a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends;

deforming a portion of a plurality of the grid wire elements such that a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends differs from a second transverse cross-section taken at at least one of its opposed ends;

applying a lead alloy coating to the strip of interconnected battery grids; and

cutting the strip to form a plurality of battery plates;

wherein the step of applying a lead alloy coating to the strip of interconnected battery grids comprises immersing the strip of interconnected battery grids in a melt of the lead alloy coating and introducing a gas into the melt of the lead alloy coating while immersing the strip of interconnected battery grids in the melt of the lead alloy coating.