GB2120004A

GB2120004A - Electric storage battery installation and battery clamp for use therein

Info

Publication number: GB2120004A
Application number: GB08306689A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Elwell
Original assignee: Lucas Industries Ltd
Current assignee: ZF International UK Ltd
Priority date: 1982-03-23
Filing date: 1983-03-11
Publication date: 1983-11-23
Also published as: ES290881Y; ES284850U; ES290881U; GB2120004B; GB8306689D0; NL8301028A; ES286686Y; ES284850Y; ES286686U

Abstract

An electric storage battery installation including an electric storage battery 11 having at least one hold down rib 22 of a first predetermined height, a battery supporting platform 14 and an associated battery clamping arrangement 17, the clamping arrangement 17 being dimensioned to co-operate with a hold down rib 22 of a second predetermined height greater than said first predetermined height, and a hold down rib conversion piece releasably mounted on the battery or the clamping arrangement, the conversion piece accommodating the difference between said first and second predetermined heights so that hold down rib and said clamping arrangement co-act by way of the conversion piece. The invention further resides in a battery, a clamp arrangement, and a conversion piece. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric storage battery installation and battery clamp for use therein This invention relates to an electric storage battery installation primarily, but not exclusively, for use in a road vehicle, and to an electric storage battery, a clamp, and a clamp ing conversion piece for use in such an installation.

It is known, for the purpose of securing an electric storage battery, to provide the battery casing adjacent its base and on its opposite side or end walls with protruding ribs, one on each side or end wall, the ribs extending parallel to the casing base and thus lying horizontal in use. These ribs are commonly known by the name "hold down" are provided either on both end walls, or both side walls, or, in some instances on both side walls and both end walls.

In a conventional battery installation the battery rests on a horizontal platform abutting or closely adjacent to a low wall upstanding from the platform. A flange protrudes from the wall and one of the battery case hold down ribs engages beneath the flange so that at that end of the battery the wall and flange prevent horizontal movement of the battery towards the wall and vertical movement of the battery away from the platform. The flange and the top surface of the hold down ribs are usually inclined in a manner to permit easy insertion of the hold down under the flange.

The platform includes some convenient means, for example walls or projections which engage the sides of the battery casing base to restrict horizontal movement of the battery relative to the platform in the direction of the length of the flange and a clamp co-operates with the hold down rib and the casing at the end of the battery remote from the wall and flange. The clamp is releasable, usually incorporating a screw threaded bolt which cooperates with the platform, and when in position the clamp presses down on the hid down rib at the end of the battery remote from the wall and flange and so completes the location and securing of the battery relative to the platform.

The clamping arrangement comprising the wall/flange combination and the clamp are dimensioned to suit a particular hold down rib configuration. For example it is common to produce batteries with the outer edge of the top surface of the hold down ribs positioned 1 9mm. above the lower surface of the battery casing base. Thus the wall/flange combination of the platform and the clamp of the clamping arrangement are so dimensioned as to accommodate and co-operate with hold down ribs of 1 9mm. height.

Unfortunately a single standard hold down rib height is not universally accepted and battery installations of lower hold down rib height, for example 10.5mm, exist. Clearly a clamping arrangement designed for a 1 9mm height will not adequately secure and locate a battery having a 10.5mm hold down rib height, and since the wall/flange combination and clamp are often part of the structure of a vehicle body at least two ranges of batteries having the appropriate hold down rib heights must be produced if the whole of the market is to be supplied with batteries. It is an object of the present invention to minimise this problem.

An electric storage battery installation according to the invention includes an electric storage battery having at least one hold down rib of a first predetermined height, a battery supporting platform and an associated battery clamping arrangement, the clamping arrangement being dimensioned to co-operate with a hold down rib of a second predetermined height greater than said first predetermined height, and a hold down rib conversion piece releasably mounted on the battery or the clamping arrangement, the conversion piece accommodating the difference between said first and second predetermined heights so that said hold down rib and said clamping arrangement co-act by way of the conversion piece.

It will be recognised that where the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the conversion piece, then the battery can, by removal of the conversion piece, be engaged by a clamping arrangement of the first predetermined height when necessary and thus only one range of batteries need be manufactured, and a selection of conversion pieces can be provided to accommodate different clamping arrangement heights. Similarly where the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the clamping arrangement, the clamping arrangement can, by removal of the conversion piece, be used with batteries wherein the hold down rib is of the second predetermined height.

Again a selection of conversion pieces can be provided to accommodate batteries having other hold down rib heights.

Preferably the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery.

The invention further resides in a battery for use in an installation as specified above, the battery comprising a casing having on at least one of its walls a horizontally extending, outwardly protruding, hold down rib, and a conversion piece releasably mounted on the battery, the hold own piece seating on the upper, clamping surface of the hold down rib, and thus in effect increasing the height of the hold down rib.

Preferably, where the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery, the conversion piece is provided with one or more projections, and said hold down rib of said battery has one or more corresponding apertures for receiving said one or more projec tions releasably to mount the conversion piece on the battery.

Conveniently said projections are posts extending into correspondingly shaped bores in the hold down rib.

Desirably said posts are transversely resilient, and engage as a snap fit in their respective bores.

Alternatively said posts are a press fit in their respective bores.

Desirably said posts and bores extend vertically, the bores extending through the top surface of the hold down rib.

Alternatively said bores and posts extending transversely, the hold down rib being provided with one or more cut out regions into which extensions of the conversion piece fit, the extensions of the conversion piece carrying the posts which extend into transversely directed bores in the battery case wall.

As a further alternative the projections of the conversion piece are in the form of legs of dove-tail cross section which engage in corresponding dove-tail section grooves extending vertically in the hold own rib.

As a still further alternative the projections of the conversion piece are of inverted Tshape and engage in correspondingly shaped transversely directed recesses in the hold down rib.

As a yet further alternative the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery by the provision, on the conversion piece, of one or more extensions which pass beneath the lower surface of the hold down rib so that the hold down rib is received within the conversion piece.

Conveniently the extension or extensions of the conversion piece are upturned at their free end to lie within recesses in the lower face of the hold down rib.

As a further alternative means of releasably mounting the conversion piece on the battery the conversion piece includes a securing strap which passes around the battery.

The invention further resides in a clamping arrangement wherein a part of the clamping arrangement arranged to co-operate with the battery hold down rib has releasably mounted thereon a conversion piece for accommodating the difference in height between the height of the clamping arrangement and the height of the hold down rib provided on the battery.

The invention further resides in hold down rib conversion piece arranged to be releasably mounted on a battery or a battery clamping arrangement.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a battery; Figure 2 is a part-sectional fragmentary view of the battery of Fig. 1 in a battery installation; Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view of an electric storage battery in accordance with one example of the present invention; Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3; Figure 5 is a view in the same direction as Fig. 3 of a conversion piece in accordance with one example of the present invention; Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 in Fig. 5; Figure 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a modification; Figure 8 is a view in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 7; Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 in Fig. 7; Figure 10 is a sectional view on the line 10-10 to an enlarged scale;; Figure 11 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a conversion piece similar to that shown in Fig. 5 in position; Figure 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11 of a modification; Figure 13 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of a further modification of the conversion piece, Figure 14 is a view similar to Figs. 11 and 12 illustrating the conversion piece of Fig. 13 in position, Figure 15 is a view similar to Figs. 11 and 12 of a further modification; Figure 16 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of an alternative; Figure 1 7 is a view in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 16, Figure 18 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the conversion piece for use with the battery illustrated in Figs. 1 6 and 1 7; Figure 19 is a view similar to Fig. 16 of a further alternative, Figure 20 is a view similar to Fig. 18 of a conversion piece for use with the battery illustrated in Fig. 19;; Figure 21 is a sectional view illustrating the conversion piece of Fig. 20 mounted on the battery of Fig. 19; Figure 22 is a view similar to Fig. 11 illustrating a further alternative mechanism for releasably mounting the conversion piece on the battery; Figure 23 is a view similar to Fig. 22 of a modification thereof, Figure 24 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating an arrangement in accordance with a further example of the present invention; Figure 25 is a perspective view of a battery illustrating a yet further mechanism for releasably mounting a conversion piece; and Figure 26 is a plan view of the conversion piece illustrated in Fig. 25.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings it can be seen that a known form of battery includes a moulded synthetic resin casing 11 having at both ends thereof an integrally formed hold down rib 12. The hold down ribs 12 protrude from their respective end walls of the battery casing and have a top surface 13 at a predetermined height above the base surface of the battery casing 11. A battery installation, for example in a road vehicle, incorporating a battery of the kind illustrated in Fig. 1 has a support surface or platform 14 upon which the battery is placed. Upstanding from the platform 14 is an end wall 15 the upper free edge of which is bent over to define a flange 16. The battery casing is moved along the platform 14 until one of its hold down ribs 12 is positioned against the end wall 15 beneath the flange 16.It will be noted that the flnge 16 and the top surface of both hold down ribs 12 are inclined to facilitate insertion of the hold down ribs 12 beneath the flange 16. The hold down rib 12 at the opposite end of the battery is engaged by a clamp 17 which is releasably secured in a clamping position by a screw threaded bolt 18 the shank of which extends through the clamp 17 and co-operates with the platform 14 or a part associated therewith. It will be recognised that when the bolt 18 is tightened the battery is held against vertical movement in one direction by the platform 14 and against vertical movement in the other direction by the clamp 17 and flange 16 co-operating with their respective hold down ribs 12.The platform 14 will normally be horizontal in use, and horizontal movement of the battery relative to the platform 14 is prevented in one direction by the wall 15, and in the other direction by the clamp 17. Movement of the battery in a transverse direction is usually restricted by means of ribs, or walls (not shown) provided on the platform 14.

It will be recognised that the clamping arrangement defined by the wall 15 and flange 16 combination and the clamp 17 are designed to co-operate with hold down ribs of a predetermined height. The dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate an alternative hold down rib height which is found on many batteries, and it will be recognised that the clamping arrangement designed for use with the greater hold down rib height will not successfully locate and retain a battery having hold down ribs of the lower height.

In accordance with the examples of the present invention illustrated in the remaining drawings the battery is manufactured with the existing hold down ribs 12 of the lower height, and a removable conversion piece is provided whereby the height difference between the existing ribs 12 and the clamping arrangement is accommodated. Since the conversion pieces are removable it will be recognised that the existing ribs can be used with an appropriately sized clamping arrangement merely by removal of the conversion pieces.

Throughout the remainder of this description it will be assumed that the clamping arrangement is as illustrated in Fig. 2 in that it will include a wall 15 and flange 16 combination together with a clamp 17. Moreover it will be assumed that the battery is provided with hold down ribs of the lower height on both of its end walls. It is to be understood however that the hold down ribs could be provided alternatively on the side walls of the battery, or as a further alternative on both the side walls and the end walls. Furthermore, it is to be understood that in some instances it would be possible to provide a hold down rib on one end or side wall only, and to provide a corresponding modification in the clamping arrangement. It will also be understood that the clamping arrangement could comprise two clamps 17 rather than a clamp 17 and a wall/flange combination.As a further alternative the clamping arrangement could comprise a pair of wall/flange combinations with no clamp 17, the battery being engaged between the walls 15 by being slid horizontally between the walls so that the ribs pass beneath the flanges of the walls.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6 the battery casing 11 is manufactured with a pair of hold down ribs 22 (only one of which is shown in the drawings) the ribs 22 being of the lowest standard height, and having four circular cross-section bores extending therein from the rib upper surface 23.

The bores 24 are spaced along the length of the rib, and as is clear from Fig. 4 the rib can, if desired, be hollow. The conversion piece 25 of each rib 22 is moulded in synthetic resin material, and includes a lower surface 26 inclined at the same angle as the upper surface of therib 22, a rear surface 27 which abuts the wall of the casing 11, an upper surface 28 shaped and inclined to co-operate with the clamping arrangement of the battery installation and a front surface 29 which will, in use, be contiguous with the front surface of the rib 22. Integral with the conversion piece 25 and protruding from the face 26 thereof are four bifurcated posts 30 the legs of which are barbed. The conversion piece 25 is engaged with the battery casing 11 by inserting the posts 30 through the bores 24 until the surface 26 of the conversion piece 25 seats on the upper surface 23 of the rib 22.The bifurcated posts 30 are resilient, and thus by virtue of their resilience and their barbed nature a snap fit action is provided, the bars snapping outwardly after passing through the bores 24. Thus each conversion piece 25 is releasably retained on its respective rib, and the height of each conversion piece is of course so arranged that the effective height of the new hold down rib produced by the combination of the conversion piece and the produced by the combination of the conversion piece and the original hold down rib 22 corresponds to that of the clamping arrangement of the installation in which the battery is to be utilized.

Figs. 7 to 10 illustrate a conversion piece 25a similar to that of Fig. 5. The conversion piece 25a is formed as a hollow moulding nd has posts 31 which are solid by comparison with the bifurcated posts 30 of the convversion piece 25. It will be recognised that in some instances the hold down rib 22 on the battery may be solid rather than hollow, and particularly in such instances it may be preferable to use a conversion piece having solid posts 31 instead of the bifurcated posts 30 of the piece 25. The posts 31 are accepted as a push fit within plain bores in the hold down ribs. In such an arrangement of course the retention is by virtue of the frictional fit of the posts 31 in their respective bores.Such a friction fit can, if desired, be used also with hollow hold down rib constructions but a tight fit of the posts 31 in the bores will be required in view of the relatively small area of contact between posts and bores.

Fig. 11 shows the conversion piece 25b in position on a rib 22 but modified in that the plane of the split of each of the posts 30 is turned through 90 .

Fig. 12 illustrates a modification similar to that of Fig. 7 to 10 wherein the conversion piece 25cis a hollow moulding, the post 31 being longer and extending from the top wall of the moulding rather than from integral ribs as in Figs. 7 to 10. Figs. 13 and 14 illustrate a modification wherein in place of cylindrical posts 30, 31 the conversion piece 25d is provided with strip-like blades 32 in place of the cylindrical posts. The blades 32 are received as a push-fit in respective elongate slots in the top surface of their respective hold down rib 22. Again retention is by virtue of the push-fit of the blades in the slots.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 15 the hold down rib 22 of the battery case 11 is illustrated by the broken line, and the hold down rib is cut away in a plurality of places to accommodate vertical extensions of a moulded coversion piece 33. The rear face of each extension of the conversion piece 33 has projecting laterally from it a plain post 34 which is received as a press fit in a bore 35 in a thickened region 36 of the battery casing 11.

Clearly there are numerous ways in which the conversion piece 25 can be releasably mounted on the battery casing 11. Figs. 16, 17 and 18 illustrate a further construction, and it can be seen from 'its. 16 and 17 that the hold down rib 22 of the battery casing 11 is provided with two vertically extending channels 37 of dove-tail cross-section. The corresponding moulded conversion piece 38 (Fig.

18) has corresponding vertically extending legs 39 of dove-tail cross-section. The conversion piece 38 is attached to the battery by inserting the legs 39 into the channels 37 and sliding the conversion piece vertically downward until the lower surface of the conversion piece 38 abuts the top surface of the hold down rib 22.

Figs. 19, 20 and 21 illustrate a still further arrangement in which the hold down rib 22 is provided with a pair of recesses 41 which extend through the thickness of the rib and which are of inverted T-shape. The corresponding conversion piece 42 is moulded with correspondingly inverted T-shaped legs 43 which press fit into the recesses 41 when the conversion piece is offered with a horizontal motion to the rib 22.

In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 22 the conversion piece 44 has an extension 45 in the form either of a plurality of legs. or alternatively in the form of a continuous wall which overlies the front surface of the hold down rib 22 of the battery casing 11. The extension 45 includes, at its free end, a rightangled flange 46 which passes beneath the hold down rib 22 and the base of the battery, and in use is trapped between the base of the battery and the platform 14. Although the arrangement is shown in Fig. 2 In association with a hollow rib 22 it is to be understood that it can be used with a solid rib if necessary. However, the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 23 is primarily intended for use with a hollow rib, and the extension 45 includes a flange at its free end which passes beneath the wall of the rib 22, and is then turned upwardly to lie within the confines of the rib 22.Again, as with the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 22 the extension 45 can be either a continuous wall, or a plurality of legs.

Fig. 24 illustrates that if desired the conversion piece 46 can be arranged to be releasably mounted on the claim 17 rather than on the battery 11. Fig. 24 shows a moulded conversion piece 46 having a channel therein of L-shape cross-section, the chaanel receiving the upturned free end of the clamp 17. It will be understood that if the clamp 1 7 is to be used with a battery 11 having a hold down rib 22 of the appropriate height then the conversion piece 46 is removed to permit the clamp 17 to co-operate directly with the hold down rib of the battery.

Figs. 25 and 26 illustrate an arrangement which is particularly intended simultaneously to releasably mount a pair of conversion pieces 47 in association with the hold down ribs 22 at opposite ends or opposite sides of the battery casing 11. It will be seen that the two conversion pieces 47 are integrally united at one end by a flexible moulded strap 48 and at their opposite ends each include an integral moulded strap part 49. The two strap parts 49 are provided with an integral snap fit securing device 51 whereby after the double conversation piece unit has been "wrapped" around the battery the two straps parts 49 can be connected together so that the double conversion piece unit defines a loop encircling the battery, the conversion pieces 47 resting on the ribs 22 respectively.

It will have been noted that many of the drawings illustrate the hold down ribs 22 of the battery as having depressions in their top surface, and it will be noted also that the conversion pieces are provided with corresponding depressions. Inspection of Fig. 26 will reveal that one of the conversion pieces 47 has a single centrally disposed depression 52 while the other conversion piece 47 has two spaced depressions 53. The clamping arrangement which is utilized to locate and retain the battery in the battery installation will have projections corresponding to the depressions.Thus taking for example the clamping arrangement of the battery installation illustrated in Fig. 2 then the flange 16 of the wall 15 would, for example, be provided with a single centrally disposed projection to mate with the depression 52 while the clamp 17 would have a pair of projections positioned to mate with the depressions 53. In this way the orientation of the battery relative to the support platform 14 can be assured, since it would not be possible to engage the end of the battery carrying the depressions 53 with the flange 16.It will be recognised that this factor may be of importance in, for example, a road vehicle application wherein it is desirable to ensure that the negative terminal of the battery is always positioned adjacent one end of the platform 14 and the positive terminal of the battery is positioned adjacent the other end of the platform so that inadvertant reverse polarity connection of the battery to the wiring of the vehicle is avoided. Where the need to ensure correct battery orientation is not present the hold down ribs and the conversion pieces can have three appropriately spaced depressions (see Fig. 5) so as to be engageable at will with either clamps having a single projection or clamps having two projections.

The hold down ribs described above are integral with their respective battery casings.

It is to be understood however that the ribs could be separately moulded parts secured to the casing by heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, adhesive, or like techniques.

Claims

1. An electric storage battery installation including an electric storage battery having at least one hold down rib of a first predetermined height, a battery supporting platform, and, an associated battery clamping arrangement, the clamping arrangement being dimensioned to co-operate with a hold down rib of a second predetermined height greater than said first predetermined height, and a hold down rib conversion piece releasably mounted on the battery or the clamping arrangeme#nt, the conversion piece accommodating the difference between said first and second predetermined heights so that said hold down rib and said clamping arrangement co-act by way of the conversion piece.

2. An installation as claimed in claim 1 wherein the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery.

3. A battery for us in an installation as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the battery comprising a casing having on at least one of its walls a horizontally extending, outwardly protruding, hold down rib, and a conversion piece releasably mounted on said rib, the hold down piece seating on the upper, clamping surface of the hold down rib, and thus in effect increasing the height of the hold down rib.

4. A battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conversation piece is provided with one or more projections, and said hold down rib of said battery has one or more corresponding apertures for receiving said one or more projections releasably to mount the conversion piece on the hold down rib.

5. A battery as claimed in claim 4, wherein said projections are posts extending into correspondingly shaped bores in the hold down rib.

6. A battery as claimed in claim 5, wherein said posts are transversely resilient, and engage as a snap fit in their respective bores.

7. A battery as claimed in claim 5, wherein said posts are a press fit in their respective bores.

8. A battery as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein said posts and bores extend vertically, the bores extending through the top surface of the hold down rib.

9. A battery as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein said bores and posts extend transversely.

10. A battery as claimed in claim 9, wherein the hold down rib is provided with one or more cut out regions into which extensions of the conversion piece fit, the extensions of the conversion piece carrying the posts which extend into transversely directed bores in the battery case wall.

11. A battery as claimed in claim 4, wherein the projections of the conversion piece are in the form of legs of dove-tail cross section which engage in corresponding dovetail section grooves extending vertically in the hold down rib.

12. A battery as claimed in claim 4 wherein the projections of the conversion piece are of inverted T-shape and engage in correspondingly shaped transversely directed recesses in the hold down rib.

13. A battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery by the provision, on the conversion piece, of one or more extensions which pass beneath the lower surface of the hold down rib so that the hold down rib is received within the conversion piece.

14. A battery as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conversion piece are upturned at their free end to lie within a recess or recesses in the lower face of the hold down rib.

15. A battery as claimed in claim 3, wherein the conversion piece is releasably mounted on the battery by the provision on the conversion piece of a securing strap which passes around the battery.

16. A battery clamping arrangement wherein a part of the clamping arrangement arranged to co-operate with the battery hold down rib has releasably mounted thereon a conversion piece for accommodating the difference in height between the height of the clamping arrangement and the height of the hold down rib provided on the battery.

17. A hold down rib conversion piece arranged to be releasably mounted on a battery and having a releasable mounting arrangement as mentioned in any one of claims 4 to 15.

18. A hold down rib conversion piece arranged to be releasably mounted on a battery clamping arrangement.

19. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

11 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

12 of the accompanying drawings.

23. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

13 and 1 4 of the accompanying drawings.

24. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

15 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

16 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.

26. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

19 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.

27. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

22 of the accompanying drawings.

28. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

23 of the accompanying drawings.

29. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig.

24 of the accompanying drawings.

30. A battery installation substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs.

25 and 26 of the accompanying drawings.

31. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.

32. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

33. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 11 of the accompanying drawings.

34. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings.

35. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14 of the accompanying drawings.

36. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 15 of the accompanying drawings.

37. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 16 to 18 of the accompanying drawings.

38. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 19 to 21 of the accompanying drawings.

39. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 22 of the accompanying drawings.

40. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 23 of the accompanying drawings.

41. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 24 of the accompanying drawings.

42. A battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 25 and 26 of the accompanying drawings.