1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of storage batteries and in particular to devices for efficiently charging gangs of such batteries prior to first use. More particularly, the invention relates to devices for quickly and efficiently interconnecting gangs of new batteries for purposes of initially charging the batteries prior to first use.
2. The Prior Art Background
Storage batteries are well known in commerce today. Conventionally, however, there is a great deal of non-conformity in the placement of the terminals on storage batteries. That is to say, batteries are often OEM products, and the physical configuration thereof, including in particular the placement of the terminals thereon, may often be a function of the space provided by the designer and manufacturer of automobiles or the like. As a result, the desired placement of the terminals varies considerably among purchasers of the batteries. About the only thing that is consistent between the batteries purchased by different manufacturers is that the same conventionally are generally rectangular in shape.
After storage batteries are manufactured the same must be charged prior to use. Battery manufacturers generally charge many batteries at once by ganging them into groups of 26 or so and connecting them in series to a source of electrical power. The charging operation causes the temperature of the batteries to rise and the elevated temperature slows the charging operation. So it is not unusual for the charging operation to proceed with the gang of batteries located in a cooling tank. In such a tank, the lower casings of the batteries are surrounded by cooling water up to a point just below the terminals.
There are two basic types of batteries those with terminals on the top and those with terminals on the side. In the past it has been the practice during the initial charging operation to screw temporary terminals into each battery to be charged. This has been desirable because the permanent battery terminals are often not large enough to accommodate the connectors of the charger or to handle the relatively large currents employed during charging.
Once the temporary terminals are screwed into the battery casing, heavy duty cables are used to gang the batteries together. The end batteries in the gang are provided with special terminals to facilitate the attachment of the first battery in the series connected gang to the positive connector of the charger and to facilitate the attachment of the last battery in the series connected gang to the negative connector of the charger.
The procedures used in the past are very labor intensive because of the need to manually screw the temporary terminals into the casing, place the charging cables on the terminals, remove the cables after charging, and remove the temporary terminals. Moreover, particularly in the case of batteries with side terminals, the screws and washers tend to last for only a short period of time due to the stresses imposed thereon during the charging operation. This increases the costs of materials used during the charging operation.
Due to the foregoing, the charging operation has in the past been inefficient and labor intensive. Accordingly there has been a long felt need for devices which might make this battery charging operation more efficient and less labor intensive. In particular there has been a need for a simple device for easily and efficiently interconnecting adjacent batteries of a gang of batteries undergoing simultaneous charging.
The prior art problems discussed above may be alleviated, and perhaps eliminated entirely, by the present invention which broadly provides a generally U-shaped clamp for use in quickly and efficiently connecting an electrically conductive charging cable to a terminal of a conventional storage battery to be charged. In accordance with the concepts and principles of the invention, the clamp desirably includes an elongated main body portion having a longitudinally extending axis and first and second longitudinally spaced ends. The clamp of the invention may also include a first elongated leg member that desirably is connected to the main body portion at the first end thereof. The first leg member may preferably extend away from the main body portion in a direction transverse to the axis, and the same may have a clamping end segment disposed in laterally spaced relationship relative to the axis.
The clamp may also desirably include a second elongated leg member that is connected to the main body portion at the second end thereof. The second leg member also desirably extends away from the main body portion in a direction transverse to the axis, and the same may have an electrically conductive cable connector carrying end segment that is also disposed in laterally spaced relationship relative to the axis. The clamp desirably includes an electrically conductive cable connector that is carried by the electrically conductive cable connector carrying end segment.
In accordance with the concepts and principles of the invention, the leg members ideally are configured and arranged so as to embrace a battery located therebetween with the electrically conductive cable connector in contact with a terminal on one of the sides of the battery and with the clamping end segment in contact with the opposite side of the battery. Ideally the leg members are resiliently biased toward one another so as to securely urge the electrically conductive cable connector into electrically conducting contact with the terminal.
Desirably, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first leg member may be detachably connected to the main body portion. Even more desirably, the first leg member and the main body portion may be detachably connected by a hinge structure that includes an internally rounded cavity and a complementary protruding rounded member positioned in the cavity. Preferably, the hinge structure is configured and arranged so as to permit the clamping end segment to swing relative to the main body portion toward and away from the electrically conductive cable connector. Ideally, in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the cavity may be located on the main body portion and the protruding rounded member may be located on the first leg member. In accordance with a particularly preferred form of the invention, the clamp may include a spring that is operatively engaged between the first leg member and the main body portion in a position to resiliently urge the clamping end segment toward the electrically conductive cable connector.
Desirably, for ease of manual manipulation, the main body portion may include a handle. Preferably, the main body portion and the leg members may be formed from an electrically non-conductive and corrosion resistant material. Ideally, the material used for forming the clamp components may comprise a polypropylene.
In further accordance with the concepts and principles of the invention, the electrically conductive cable connector of the clamp may desirably include an elongated protrusion that is adapted and configured to make good electrical contact with a terminal fitting of a storage battery. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, it goes almost without saying that the electrically conductive cable connector should be formed from an electrically conductive material. Ideally, the electrically conductive material may comprise lead.
In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the same may be in the form of a device for interconnecting the terminals of adjacent batteries to facilitate simultaneous charging of the batteries of a gang of batteries. In accordance with this aspect of the invention, the device may desirably include a pair of the U-shaped clamps described above. The device of this aspect of the invention may desirably include an elongated, flexible electrically conductive cable that extends between and interconnects the respective electrically conductive cable connectors of the pair of clamps.