US 12,002,943 B2
Battery electrode continuous casting shoe, machine and method
Roel Mendoza, Palms, MI (US); Aleksandar Mrdenovic, Fort Gratiot, MI (US); Michael Romeo, St. Clair, MI (US); and John O. Wirtz, Fort Gratiot, MI (US)
Assigned to Wirtz Manufacturing Company, Inc., Port Huron, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/441,053
Filed by Wirtz Manufacturing Company, Inc., Port Huron, MI (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/054796
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 20, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/190333, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 24, 2020.
Application 17/441,053 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2019/027144, filed on Apr. 12, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/820,580, filed on Mar. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0190312 A1, Jun. 16, 2022
Int. Cl. B22D 11/06 (2006.01); H01M 4/04 (2006.01); H01M 4/22 (2006.01); H01M 4/583 (2010.01); H01M 4/66 (2006.01); H01M 4/68 (2006.01); H01M 4/84 (2006.01); H01M 10/06 (2006.01); H01M 10/12 (2006.01); H01M 10/14 (2006.01); H01M 4/02 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 4/0485 (2013.01) [B22D 11/0637 (2013.01); B22D 11/064 (2013.01); H01M 4/22 (2013.01); H01M 4/583 (2013.01); H01M 4/661 (2013.01); H01M 4/685 (2013.01); H01M 4/84 (2013.01); H01M 10/06 (2013.01); H01M 10/12 (2013.01); H01M 10/14 (2013.01); H01M 2004/021 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. For a battery grid or electrode continuous casting machine with a rotary drum with a mold cavity therein, a casting shoe comprising:
a body with a face configured to confront the rotary drum and extending axially over at least an axial extent of the mold cavity of the rotary drum;
at least one orifice slot with an elongate opening into the confronting face of the body;
at least one longitudinally elongate molten metal supply passage opening into the at least one orifice slot along at least substantially the extent of the elongate opening of the at least one orifice slot into the confronting face and extending upstream of the elongate opening into the confronting face relative to a direction of flow of molten metal through the elongate opening;
an excess molten metal return passage separate from the at least one supply passage and opening into the confronting face downstream of the elongate opening into the confronting face of the at least one orifice slot relative to a direction of rotation of the rotary drum; and
an excess return passage in the body separate from the at least one supply passage, communicating with the return passage opening into the confronting face, having a molten metal inlet adjacent one of its ends, a molten metal outlet adjacent the other of its ends, and being configured to receive excess molten metal from the return passage opening into the confronting face and to discharge such excess molten metal through the molten metal outlet of the excess return passage, wherein the excess return passage is configured to receive a supply of molten metal through its inlet and to discharge such molten metal and excess molten metal from the return passage opening into the confronting face through the outlet of the excess return passage.
 
13. For a battery electrode continuous casting machine with a rotary drum with at least one mold cavity therein for casting a metal strip attached to a strip of carbon fiber material, a casting shoe comprising:
a shoe body with a face configured to confront the rotary drum and extending axially over at least an axial extent of the at least one mold cavity of the rotary drum;
at least one orifice slot in the body and opening into the confronting face of the body with the opening made by the at least one orifice slot being elongate parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotary drum and the at least one orifice slot configured to supply molten metal into the at least one mold cavity and into engagement with a portion of the strip of carbon fiber material;
at least one elongate molten metal supply passage opening into the at least one orifice slot and extending longitudinally upstream of the confronting face and the opening made by the at least one orifice slot relative to a direction of rotation of the rotary drum past the at least one orifice slot;
at least one longitudinally elongate excess molten metal return passage separate from the at least one orifice slot and the at least one supply passage and opening into the confronting face downstream of the opening made by the at least one orifice slot into the confronting face relative to the direction of rotation of the rotary drum past the at least one orifice slot;
a molten metal supply passage having an inlet adjacent one of its ends, an outlet adjacent the other of its ends, and communicating with the at least one supply passage opening into the at least one orifice slot; and
an excess return passage in the body separate from the molten metal supply passage, having a molten metal inlet adjacent one of its ends, a molten metal outlet adjacent the other of its ends, communicating with the at least one return passage opening into the confronting face, and being configured to receive excess molten metal from the at least one return passage opening into the confronting face and discharge such excess molten metal through the outlet of the excess return passage.