Heater unit for dispensing metered portions of molten lead

1. A heater unit for dispensing metered portions of molten lead, the heater unit comprising:

a lead reservoir in the heater unit for retaining molten lead;

a heater body adjacent to the reservoir for providing heat to the molten lead;

a cavity in the heater unit capable of selectively receiving a metered portion of molten lead from the lead reservoir;

a mechanical actuator supporting the lead reservoir, heater body and cavity for conjoint movement between a first position for receiving lead into the lead reservoir and a second position for dispensing molten lead from the cavity.

2. A heater unit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a container heater and a cover heater, the container heater being adapted to heat an open end of a battery container and the cover heater being adapted to heat an open end of a battery cover at substantially the same time for sealing the cover to the container.

3. A heater unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein the container heater includes lug openings for receiving lugs of a battery plate, the container heater being adapted to heat the battery plate lugs simultaneously with the open end of the battery container.

4. A heater unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein the container heater and the cover heater can be maintained at a temperature different from a temperature of the heater body.

5. A heater unit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a shuttle plate moveable relative to the lead reservoir between a fill position and a dispense position, the cavity being located in the shuttle plate for movement with the shuttle plate, the cavity dispensing the metered portion of molten lead when in the dispense position.

6. A heater unit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising passages in the heater unit for directing an inert gas generally above the lead reservoir and into the cavity.

7. A heater unit as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a lead passage for receiving a strip of lead into the lead reservoir when the apparatus is in the first position, the heater body being capable of providing heat to melt the strip of lead to form the molten lead.

8. A heater unit for dispensing metered portions of molten lead, the heater unit comprising:

a lead reservoir in the heater unit for retaining molten lead, the lead reservoir including an opening for delivering lead from the reservoir;

a heater body adjacent to the reservoir for providing heat to the molten lead;

a shuttle plate having a cavity therein sized to receive a predetermined amount of molten lead for dispensing a metered amount of lead, the cavity including an exit opening, the shuttle plate being slidably mounted on the heater unit for movement relative to the lead reservoir and heater body between a fill position in which the cavity is in fluid communication with the opening in the reservoir for receiving molten lead from the reservoir and the exit opening of the cavity is blocked, and a dispense position in which the cavity is out of fluid communication with the lead reservoir and the exit opening of the cavity is unblocked for dispensing a metered amount of molten lead from the cavity.

9. A heater unit as set forth in claim 8 wherein the heater body is adjacent to the shuttle plate for maintaining lead in the cavity in a molten state.

10. A heater unit as set forth in claim 9 wherein the heater body receives at least a portion of the shuttle plate.

11. A heater unit as set forth in claim 8 further comprising passages in the heater unit for directing an inert gas.

12. A heater unit as set forth in claim 11 wherein the cavity is in fluid communication with the inert gas passages in the dispense position.

13. A heater unit as set forth in claim 8 further comprising another opening in the lead reservoir and another cavity having an exit opening in the shuttle plate, said other cavity being in fluid communication with said other opening in the lead reservoir in the fill position and the exit opening of said other cavity being blocked in the fill position.