Battery construction and method of connecting terminals to electrodes

A bi-polar battery (10) has a terminal of an electrically-conductive lead-based or other low melting point metal with a connector strap (78) fused to a row of lead-based lugs (48) of electrode plates (26) that extend from the interior of a heat-sensitive battery case (12) of plastics material through a slotted pocket (52) formed in a case wall (14), that contains a bed of glass beads (84) which effectively isolates the electrode plates (26) from the strap (78) whilst providing support for the lugs (48). The ends (14,16) of the battery case (12) have insulator and positioning sections (56,58) into which pre-moulded terminals (60) are fitted so that they can be subsequently heated into a melt for amalgamation to the lugs (48,50) without heat damage to the case (12) and so that the terminals (60) are precisely located on the ends (14,16) of the battery case (12). A lug-terminal amalgamation process is disclosed in which the glass beads (84) are fed into a first slotted pocket (52) in a one wall (14) of the battery case (12) through which the lugs (48) of a first set of electrode plates (26) extend so that a sealing and heat-insulating bed is provided between the connector strap (78) of the terminal (60) and the body of the electrode plates (26) within the case (12). Flux is applied to the lugs (48) and the strap (78) in the fusing area, and the strap (78) is subsequently installed over the lugs (48) which protects the lugs (48) from heat damage. An induction coil (90) is then placed over the strap (78) and energized for a given period of time so that the strap (78) changes to a molten state and flows onto the bed and between the lugs (48) to fuse therewith. The coil (90) is removed and the terminal (60) and lugs (48) are cooled so that the molten metal solidifies to complete the terminal connection. The process is repeated for joining a second terminal to a second set of electrode plates (32) of different polarity than the first set.