Continuous rotary hole punching method and apparatus

1. An apparatus for continuously rotary punching an array of closely-spaced holes in a deformable strip comprising a cylindrical female die having a plurality of spaced recesses formed about its periphery and mounted for rotation in a frame, a cylindrical male/female die having a plurality of alternating spaced punches and recesses formed about its periphery and mounted for rotation in said frame for mating the punches of the male/female die with corresponding recesses in the female die, and a cylindrical male die having a plurality of spaced punches formed about its periphery mounted for rotation in said frame for mating of the punches of the male die with corresponding recesses in the male/female die, whereby interaction of the punches of the male/female die with corresponding recesses of the female die and interaction of the punches of the male die with the recesses of the male/female die index the strip with the female, male/female and male dies during rotation.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , in which said apparatus additionally comprises means for continuously ejecting punch-out material from the female die and from the male/female die during rotary punching of the deformable strip.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , in which each of the punches in the male/female die has a shoulder formed on each side of the punch for supporting the deformable material and defining the recesses for mating with the punches in the male die.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , in which the means for continuously ejecting punch-out material comprises a plurality of angular segments mounted in an annulus formed in proximity to the perimeter of the dies continuously about the perimeter of the dies adapted for controlled radial travel of the angular segments during rotation of the dies, each angular segment having at least one ejector pin for radial reciprocal travel in a die recess, whereby outward radial travel of the pin ejects punch-out material from the recess.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , in which each die has a plurality of spaced cam rollers extending loosely across the die in the annulus in proximity to the die perimeter, each cam roller passing through an angular segment for moving said angular cam segment radially inwardly and outwardly in the die, and a pair of opposed stationary cam raceways mounted in the frame at each side of the die for receiving opposite ends of the cam rollers for controllably moving the cam rollers radially inwardly and outwardly as the die rotates.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , in which said cylindrical female die comprises a plurality of discs assembled side-by-side, each disc having a plurality of the spaced recesses formed about its periphery in lateral alignment across the die, said cylindrical male/female die comprises a plurality of discs assembled side-by-side, each disc having a plurality of the alternating spaced punches and recesses formed about its periphery in lateral alignment across the male/female die for mating of the punches of the male/female die in lateral alignment across the male/female die with corresponding recesses in the female die in lateral alignment across the female die, and said cylindrical male die comprises a plurality of discs assembled side-by-side, each disc having a plurality of the spaced punches formed about its periphery in lateral alignment across the male die for mating of the punches of the male die with the corresponding recesses in the male/female die in lateral alignment across the male/female die.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the spaced recesses formed on the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female and the male die, and the punches formed on the male die are variably spaced about the periphery of each of said dies.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the spaced recesses formed on the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female and the male die, and the punches formed on the male die are equispaced about the periphery of each of said dies.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the recesses formed in the female die, the punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are variably spaced and in lateral alignment across the dies.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the recesses formed in the female die, the punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are equispaced and in lateral alignment across the dies.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the spaced recesses in the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are variably spaced about the periphery of the dies and in lateral alignment across the dies.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which the spaced recesses in the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are equispaced about the periphery of the dies and in lateral alignment across the dies.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which in which the spaced recesses in the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are variably spaced about the periphery of the dies and staggered across the dies.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , in which in which the spaced recesses in the female die, the alternating punches and recesses formed on the male/female die and the punches formed on the male die are equispaced about the periphery of the dies and staggered across the dies.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the deformable strip is lead or lead alloy for manufacturing battery plates, said battery plates having a plurality of longitudinally-spaced transverse rows of punched holes representing up to about 96% material removed with a residual wire thickness as thin as 0.010 inch.