US2751571A - Battery post clamp - Google Patents

Description

June 1956 J. L. COLYER 2,751,571

BATTERY POST CLAMP Filed Nov. 6, 1953 INVENTOR. I Jamasleelloglei:

United States Patent BATTERY POST CLAMP James Lee Colyer, Evansville, Ind.

Application November 6, 1953, Serial No. 390,535

2 Claims. (Cl. 339-228) This invention is a clamp for use particularly in attaching electric conductors to the posts or terminals of batteries, the primary object of which is to provide a clamp which may be quickly and easily attached securely to the post to make proper electrical contact therewith and which may be quickly and easily removed from the post by simple means and in such manner as to obviate the possibility of breakage or damage to the post or to the battery with which it isconnected.

Because of the rigid construction of battery post clamps of the kind currently in use, it frequently becomes necessary in attaching the clamp to the post to use considerable force, as with a hammer or other driving means, to force the clamp down upon the battery post to secure the clamp thereto and in proper contact. Frequently such operations destroy the connection of the post with the plates in the battery body, resulting in a damaged or destroyed battery. Likewise, in removing the clamp from the battery post, it is usually necessary to exert considerable force with damaging effects either upon the post or to the plates with which it is connected. The principal object of the present invention is to so construct the clamp that it may be easily and quickly applied to the post without the exercise of force, made secure thereon by simple methods, and which possesses inherent characteristics causing the same to automatically release itself from the post upon the application of easy pressures to disengage the securing means.

With these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in a novel clamp structure which provides a pair of clamping arms or jaws to embrace the battery post and which under normal conditions are spaced apart a distance greater than the transverse dimension of the post and possessed of inherent characteristics, such as resiliency, tending to maintain the arms so spaced. Simple means are employed for bringing the arms together in clamping contact with the post and against the inherent tendency of the arms to separate, whereby the clamp may be easily and quickly applied without force, tightened to bring about a positive and firm contact with the post, and equally and as easily operated to release the arms from clamping contact so that the clamp may be lifted from the post.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a battery post clamp constructed in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a metallic blank from which the clamp is formed, and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view showing the improved clamp properly applied to a battery post and showing as applied thereto a modification to augment the expanding action of the clamp arms.

In the construction of the clamp, a sheet of suitable material, either of metal or other conductor, is employed, this sheet being initially shaped as shown in Fig. 2. The sheet, generally indicated at 4, constitutes an Velon- Patented June 19 1956 gated strip as shown having lateral deflections 5 intermediate its ends to combine in providing a neck for the attachment of a battery cable 6 as shown in Fig. 3. Of whatever material the strip is formed, it must possess a certain degree of resiliency or tension spring action .so' that when bent upon itself, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the arms 7 will embrace the post 8 sufiiciently loose to enable the clamp to be easily slipped over the post freely and loosely. The neck portions 5 are here shown as located intermediate the ends of the blank so that when the latter isbent into its final shape the neck portions will coincide with one another and will be bent longitudinally to conform to the size and shape of a conductor to be engaged in electrical contact with them.

The arm portions 7 are shaped so as to conform generally to the outer surface of the battery post. In instances where the post is of uniform diameterfrom top to bottom, the inner surface of the arms 7 will correspond thereto, while in instances where the post increases in diameter from top to bottom, the internal surfaces of the arms 7 will be correspondingly formed, as indicated in the top plan in Fig. 3.

The outer portions of the arms 7, beyond the post engaging areas thereof, are straightened as shown, and the free ends of the body are bent outwardly at right angles, as at 9, and their extremities turned rearwardly at substantially right angles to the portions 9 to provide retaining toes 10. The longitudinal edges of the blank are bent upon the lines 11 at right angles to the arm portions 7 to provide ribs 12 extending throughout the lengths of the arms in spaced parallelism. The outer extremities of the ribs 12 engage beneath the inturned toe portions 10 as shown. The inner walls of the clamp arms near their outer ends are provided with openings 13 of sufficient size to accommodate a clamping bolt indicated at 14. This bolt is provided at one end with a fixed head 15 and at its opposite end with a nut 16 to engage with the ribs 12 as well as with the portion 9, and below the toe 10, to be firmly held by the arm during any turning action of the threaded bolt 14.

A spacing collar 17 loosely engages the bolt 14 immediately beneath the head 15 thereof and this collar is preferably provided with flat sides to be engaged by the spaced ribs 12 as well as by the portion 9 and toe 10 in order that the collar may be firmly held against rotation by the clamp arm.

In forming the blank into the shape shown in Fig. l, the arms 7 are so bent or formed as to normally maintain themselves in spaced relationship with the exterior of the post with which it is to be connected. The clamp, there fore, may be easily and quickly applied to the post without use of tools or pressures. When properly applied, the bolt 14 may be tightened, as with pliers or wrench, to draw the arms 7 together against the inherent tension of the material of which the clamp is formed into tight and snug engagement with the post. In this operation, the nut 16 will be held against rotation by engagement of its sides against the out-turned portions 9 and the spaced ribs 12. When proper clamping action has been brought about, it is obvious that a perfect electrical contact will be had between the arms 7 and the battery post 8. When it is desired to remove the clamp, it is but necessary to back off the bolt 14 with either wrench or pliers, and the inherent spring tension of the arms 7 causes them to assume their normal spaced relationship to release the clamp from the post whereupon it may be easily lifted therefrom. In this manner, it is readily seen that the clamp is self-liberating when the clamping bolt is loosened one or two turns with well known and simple tools. The collar 17 is applied to the bolt beneath the head thereof in order that the head may clear the ribs and out-turned portions 9 and thus provide freedom of rotation of the bolt without interference.

"'Indnstan ces'where *theinherent resiliency of the clamp may not be adequate to "about an automatic separation of the arms upon release of the connecting bolt, it may be found expedient toprovide additional means for bringing about arrn expansion. -S'uc'h means isrintlic'atetl in Fig. (if-the drawing-s, where'in a=strip o'f riesilien't spring metal 18'is-bent upon itself intermediate its ends topr ov ide spaced-substantially parallel egpandingarms L9, eah having openingsr the're'in to loosely'recive dhe 'bolt 1'4. Tit

' will be understood, of course, that the arms 19 will normally springapart but are brought together under-tension Whe'n th'e bolt is tightened. Infinstances'Wherethis additional expansion means is employed, the 'ribs 12 may he eliminated if desired. f e

' From-the for'egoin'g-it isapparent that have constructed a battery-terminal clamp of-extrem e1y-simple construction, Whie'h may be 'easily and quikly fabricated and shaped into complete 'form by simple and iinexpensive operations, and which will prove =highly practical and cfiicient in carrying out "the objects set forth.

'1 claim:

1. A clamp for engagement around a battery post comprising an elongated strip of resilient "metal bent upon itselfintermediate its ends to provide a pair of armsto he engaged with opposite sides of said post and normally spaced aparta distance greater than't he cross sectional dimension of said post, the ends of said arms having aligned openings therein, ribs projecting from the Ilongitudinal edges of said arms in spaced parallelism, the ends of *said arms bent outwardly at right angles thereto, -a

toe projecting rearwardly from the ends of said inturned portions, a nut engaged with one of said arms and held therein against rotation by said ribs and said inturned portion, and a bolt extending through the aligned openings in said arms and through said nut and engaged with the threads thereof.

2. A clamp for engagementaronnda battery post comprising an elongated strip of resilient metal bent upon itself intermediate its ends to providea .pair'of arms to be engaged with opposite sides of said post and normally spaced apart a distance greater than the cross sectional dimension of said ;p.ost, a rib extending :outwardly from each side edge of and substantially coextensive with said strip and at right angles thereto, a neck member projecting outwardly from each of said ribs at substantially the medial portion of said strip, and means for holding said arms in clamping engagement with said .post.

'References'Gited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I -1 ,66l, 375 Leighton t t 'Mar. v6, 192-8 1998;016 Hoover Apr. 1-6, 1935 l "2,5271 12 Garner Oct. 124, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1 762,301 France Jan. 18, 1934

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