US2655640A - Battery terminal connector - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 13, 1953 H. LuNb uls-r 2,655,640

BATTERY TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed July 17, 1952 IN V EN TOR.

FIG. 7 HJAL Q AER LUNDQUIST I WKW AGENT Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to battery terminal connectors and has special reference to means for securing such a connector to a battery post.

It is well known that much difliculty is experienced in making battery cable connections. Once the connections are tightened in place, they are very difiicult to remove in the event the removing of the battery is necessary. I have determined that one cause of this difficulty is that mechanics and others are inclined to overly tighten the clamping bolt of the connector and thereby they overtax and lose the natural spring qualities of the metal of the connector, making it necessary to pry the connector apart to remove same from the battery post. In some cases, the connector must be pried from the post with a screwdriver or the like, and in so doing, the post or the battery itself may be damaged.

It is, therefore, one of my principal objects to overcome the need for excessive tightening of the clamping bolt to secure the connector on the battery post in as simple and inexpensive a manner as possible.

Another object is to provide for quick installation or removal of the connector.

Another object is to provide means for securing the connector firmly without damaging or impairing the natural spring qualities of the connector.

A further object is to provide a cable connector which may be secured to a battery terminal without the need of a wrench, as a screwdriver or the like may be used for either tightening or loosening the clamp of the connector.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent as the description of my invention proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing my invention on a battery terminal connector in clamping or holding position.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of the clamping units.

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the other of the clamping units.

Fig. 5 is a side view of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of Fig. 1 with the clamping units in open or released position.

Fig. '7 is a fragmental perspective view of the clamping unit and battery terminal connector in place on a battery part.

In the drawing, the reference numeral I indicates a battery having a post 2 on which the common battery cable connector 3 is mounted to 2 provide an electrical connection between the battery and a device to be powered, as. for example, a vehicle starter, or the like.

As shown, common battery cable connectors have a ring 4 which surrounds the battery post,

the ring being open at one end as at 5. A flange,

6 extends outwardly from the ring ion each of the spaced open ends of the ring. A bolt 1 extends through the flanges B-6 and has a nut 8 thereon for drawing the flanges 6-6 together to clamp the ring on the post. All of this is old in the art.

My invention comprises the addition to two clamping units 9 and 10, between the nut 8 and the adjacent flange 6. Portions of the two units closely resemble so-called lock-washers in that they are split rings or are annular in shape and are split or severed completely through on one side thereof. The units are of spring metal and have their free ends, II and 12- respectively, normally extended or bent away from each other whereby substantial pressure must be exerted on the units in a direction parallel with the axis of the washer to bring said ends to alinement with each other. When in alinement, said ends exert outward pressure on the confining or com pressing means, of course.

The units 9 and ID are somewhat similar though they have certain specifically diiTerent characteristics so that they may work coopera tively to exert a holding pressure on the battery clamp or connector. Each of the units 9 and [0 has a stem [3 and I4 respectively, extending therefrom in a direction substantially parallel with the plane of the units and each stem has a lug, I5 and I6 respectively, extending at right angles therefrom.

The stems l3 and I4 normally lie adjacent to each other when the units are mounted together on the bolt 1 between the flange 5 and the nut 8 in clamping or tightened position, see Figs. 1 and 7, the stems having similar contours so as to lie closely adjacent the terminal ring 4 as shown, and the lugs I5 and [6 extending in opposite directions to each other, as shown so as not to overlap and to permit the desired operation of the clamp ing units.

The lug l6 engages or overlaps a portion of the terminal 3 and acts as a stop to prevent rotation of the member ID. The lug l5 extends in the opposite direction to the lug l6 and serves as a convenient operating lever to permit rotation of the unit 9 to operate the clamp into clamping or released position.

As is clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 5, the members 9 and I difier from each other in another respect in addition to the opposite disposition of the lugs l and I6. The member 9 has its split which creates the free ends ll-l I diametrically opposite the split in the member In which creates the free ends l2. That is, the split in the member 9 is on the same side of the annular ring portion of the unit as is the lug l5, while in the member 1,. the split. is on the opposite side of the annular ring portion of the unit.

It will be readily seen that the above arrangement will bring the split or free ends II and 12 together as shown in Fig. 6 when the outer unit I5 is rotated 90'. In this position,.the split rings of the units lie in closely adjacent side by side relationship because the twist or bend of the rings is such as to permit the rings to come together. In this position, the rings take up the least lateral space between the flange 6 and nut 8, as is readily apparent, the nut being threaded onthe" bolt T to abut the rings when in the washers in this position sothat no. pressure is: exerted between the nut. and flange. In. this position the terminal connector isunlocked or in open or released position and: may be readily put on or taken off of the battery post 2 As soon as-the. battery terminal connector is-on the post 2', the member 9 may be rotated 90 tobring the stems l3 and I'd; into side by side relationship; The rotation of the'split' rings causes thespread ends I ii and F2 to apply pressure between the nut 8 and adjacent flange 8 and there-- by the flanges &-8 are forced-towardseach other causing the terminal 3* to grip. the battery post; But the time the ends HI and: 12' are. diametirically opposite each other and: the lugs t5 and: I6v are in substantial alinement. the maximum. clamping pressure is applied to the battery terminal and same is firmly heId' onthe post. 2: because of the. ends of. the split rings being normally biased away from. each other and then beingforced together by-the rotation of the one.- ring within. the limited. or fixed space between. the: nut 82 and the. adjacent flange 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

In a battery terminal connector having a split ring to surround a battery post, a pair of flanges extending from said post engaging ring in substantial alinement with each other, and a clamping bolt extending through said flanges with a nut on one end thereof: means to force said flanges towards each other. to. provide a grip for said post engaging ring on said post consisting of a pair of clamping units carried between said nut. and the adjacent one of said flanges, each of said units having an annular split ring of spring material surrounding said bolt, the adjacent ends of each of said spring rings being biased and disposed in opposite directions to each other, said splits being similar to each other so that said rings may lie in close abutting relationship when said splits are together and a minimum of space is occupied by said rings between said nut and its adjacent-flange, a stem extending from each of said spring rings to provide holding and operating means to control the rotation of each of: said spring rings relative to said bolt, and one ofsaid spring rings being rotatable one-half'turnon said bolt to bring the splits in said spring rings into diametrically 0pposed relation to each other--whereby a maximum space is tended to be occupied by said rings between said nut' and its adjacent flange to cause clamping pressure to be exerted to said flanges by the spring qualitiesot said rings tohold said post engaging ring firmly on a battery post;

HJALMER LUNDQUIST;

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,397,820 Newcomb Nov. 22, 1921 2,493,389 Casey .Ian. 3, 1950

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