GB2361890A

GB2361890A - Handling Electrical Batteries

Info

Publication number: GB2361890A
Application number: GB0009632A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Gary Cottrell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-04-19
Filing date: 2000-04-19
Publication date: 2001-11-07
Also published as: GB0009632D0

Abstract

An electrical battery 60 for an armoured vehicle can be manoeuvred into, within and out of the vehicle by means of a carrier 10 and a leg 50 detachably secured to the carrier 10 and pivotable relative thereto about two orthogonal axes. The carrier 10 is adapted to the limited space within an armoured vehicle by being dimensioned and arranged so as in use to lie substantially within the overall longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the battery 60 and to extend no more than 50mm above it.

Description

2361890 HANDLING ELECTRICAL BATTERIES This invention concerns the handling

of electrical batteries especially but not necessarily exclusively batteries for armoured vehicles and the like.

Armoured vehicles are typically equipped with 12V 100Ah batteries the handling of which poses a number of difficulties. First, the batteries are heavy. -Mey are equipped with handles, but their weight of around 40kg each makes them difficult to manoeuvre and raises problems under Health and Safety regulations.

Second, the batteries of armoured vehicles need to be removed and replaced at regular intervals, typically once a month, for checking and maintenance, which is much more frequently than other vehicle batteries. Third, an armoured vehicle usually has a plurality of batteries, fbr increased power, to drive a variety of systems and for backup, and this multiplies the number of battery movements required.

Finally, the batteries may be located within the armour of the vehicle, as in the Challenger tank, in which case space restrictions add to the difficulty of handling the batteries.

It is an object of the invention to facilitate the handling of electrical batteries for armoured vehicles.

According to the invention there is provided apparatus for handling an electrical battery, which apparatus comprises a carrier for such battery and a leg detachably secured to the carrier and pivotable relative thereto about two orthogonal axes.

In use with an armoured vehicle the carrier is secured to a battery and an operative supports its weight by grasping the leg. Then the two-way pivotability between the leg and the carrier allows the assembly to be manoeuvered out of the confined space within the armoured vehicle.

Batteries for armoured vehicles are equipped with handles and the carrier preferably includes means for engaging the handles. The carrier may accommodate different kinds of handle by having means for engaging handles of one kind and alternatively handles of another kind. For security in handling the carrier may include means for gripping one or both of the handles.

The leg may be shaped, preferably geniculate, to improve ease of handling.

The apparatus may include electrically non-conductive caps for terminals of the batteries to avoid the possibility of a short circuit during handling.

The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings in which - is Figure 1 is an isometric view of part of apparatus for handling an electrical battery according to the invention, showing a carrier for a battery together with the proximal end of a leg to be detachably secured thereto; Figure 2 is an isometric view to a smaller scale showing the carrier of Figure 1 attached to a battery having handles of one kind; Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 showing the carrier attached to a battery having handles of another Wind; and Figure 4 is view similar to that of Figure 2 but further reduced in scale and showing the leg secured to the carder.

Referring first to Figure 1, a carrier 10 for an electrical battery comprises two mild steel angle-section side members 12 formed as mirror images of one another. Each side member 12 is formed with an upturn 14 at one end and a notch 16 near the other end. Between the ends of each side member 12 are a cut-out 18 and a detent 20.

The side members 12 are fixed relative to one another by a base plate 22 which may be fabricated or perforated (although this is not shown for simplicity of drawing). At one end of the base plate 22 a first cross member 24 is welded between the side members 12, and this cross member 24 is capped with a retaining piece 26 extending over the space between the detents 18 in the side members 12.

At the other end of the base plate 22 a second cross member 28 is welded between the side members 12.

A closure 30 formed with a turned down lip 32 is mounted between the side members 12 to be pivotable about a transverse axis A-A. The closure 30 can be pivoted downwards over the space between the notches 16 in the side members 12.

A catch indicated at 34 is hinged to the top of the second cross member 28 to be pivotable about a transverse axis B-B. The catch 34 comprises a plate 36, a flange 38 and two cheeks 40 each provided with a tab 42.

About the centre of the carrier 10 a pair or brackets 44 are welded to the base plate 22 to provide a trunnion mounting for a block 46, whereby the block 46 is pivotable about a transverse axis C-C. A peg 48 is pinned to the block 46 to be pivotable about an axis D-D orthogonal to the axis C-C.

1 The peg 48 has an end formed to fit into a corresponding end of a leg indicated at 50. (Figure 1 shows only part of the leg 50, which is shown in full in Figure 4). The matching ends of the peg 48 and the leg 50 are formed with corresponding holes 52 and 54. The leg 50 can thus be detachably secured to the peg 48 (and thereby the carrier 10) and held in place during use by means of a pin 56 inserted in the holes 54 and 52. The leg is then pivotable relative to the carrier about the two orthogonal axes C-C and D-D.

Referring now to Figure 3, this shows the carrier 10 as used to carry a battery 60. This battery 60 is of a kind having a rigid generally U-shaped handle pivotally mounted on a lug 64 at each end of the battery. It is pointed out that the overall length of the carrier 10 - some 280mm - is a little more than the length of the battery 60 excluding the lugs 64.

The carrier 10 is mounted on the battery 60 in this way. First the (positive and negative) terminal posts of the battery 60 are covered with non- conductive caps 66, made of nylon, to prevent the possibility of a short circuit by way of the carrier or otherwise. Next, with the carrier 10 tilted, one handle 62 is hooked over the upturns14 at the lower end of the carrier 10. The carrier is lain flat and then, with the closure 30 in its upward, open, position, the other handle 62 is hooked into the notches 16. Finally the closure 30 is pivoted downwards to hold this handle 62 in the notches 16. The assembly of carrier 10 and battery 60 can then be lifted by means of the peg 48.

Figure 3 shows the attachment of a carrier 10 to another kind of battery 70.

The battery 70 has handles 72 on cords 74, and before attaching the carrier 10 each cord 74 is shortened, for ease of handling, by passing the handle through a loop in the cord. After this, and with the terminal posts of the battery 70 capped as described hereinbefore in relation to Figure 2, one handle 72 is located across the carrier 10 in the cut-outs 18 and under the return place 26. Next, with the catch 34 pivoted backwards ie open the other handle 72 is then located across the carrier 10 in the detents 20. Finally the catch 34 is pivoted shut so that the cheeks 40 thereof grip the handle 72 and hold it in place, the cords 74 being held taut. Now the assembly of carrier 10 and battery 70 can be lifted by means of the peg 48.

It is to be noted that, whatever battery is being handled, the carrier 10 is dimensioned and arranged to lie in use substantially within the overall longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the battery and to extend no more than SOmm above the battery, whereby the carrier makes a minimal intrusion into the limited space allowed for batteries in an armoured vehicle.

The two kinds of battery referred to in relation to Figures 2 and 3 respectively is have two standard forms of handle commonly used with armoured vehicle batteries. It will be appreciated that for secure handling the apparatus may be dimensioned so that in use the carrier 10 sits firmly on the top of the battery to be lifted, whether the handles are of one form or the other.

Referring now to Figure 4, the leg 50 is made of box-section mild steel and comprises a first part 80 extending from and in line with the peg 48, to which it has been secured as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1. The first part 80 is about 475mm long. The leg 50 has a second part 82, about 130Omm long, welded to and extending at right angles to the first part 80. A third part 84, about 60Omm long, is welded to and extends from the second part 82 back over and parallel to the first part 80. The leg 50 is reinforced with a brace 86 welded between the second part 82 and the third part 84. A handle 88 is welded to the second part 82 of the leg 50 and, to facilitate mechanical handling, a lifting eye 90 is welded to the third part 5 84.

In use, a battery is attached to the carrier 10 as shown in Figure 4 and as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 (or alternatively Figure 3) and the first part of the leg 50 is then secured to the peg 48 as described with reference to Figure 1. The battery may then be lifted by raising the leg 50. If the leg 50 is supported towards the free end of its third part 84, then the first part 80 remains substantially horizontal and the carrier 10 along with the battery is lifted substantially straight up, and the leg 50 may be rotated about the pivotal axis D-D. If the leg 50 is raised by means of the handle 88, then the second part 82 tilts away from the vertical, about the pivotal axis C-C. By selectively rotating and tilting the leg 50 the battery may be manoeuvred within a confined space, whilst remaining level.

The invention was used to remove a bank of four lead-acid batteries from an armoured vehicle where they were mounted in stowage trays adjacent the cab. First, one operative entered the cab and removed the stowage trays and disconnected the battery terminals, heaters and breather vent pipes. Nylon caps (as 66, Figure 2) were applied to the terminal posts. The operative then attached a carrier 10 to the nearest battery. A second operative guided a leg 50 into the cab from above and the first operative secured it to the carrier. The first operative climbed out of the cab and the second operative then lifted the battery and manoeuvred it out, tilting and turning as required under direction from the first operative. Nether operative is strained; and the battery remains level throughout its removal, so there is no acid spillage. In addition, and importantly, no operative is in the cab while the heavy battery is being manoeuvred therewithin.

The other batteries were then removed in the same way. The invention can be used to replace the batteries by reversing the procedure.

The invention may be modified in a number of ways. For instance, it is convenient to have the pin 56 held captive to the leg 50 by means of a cord or chain, and the caps 66 may be similarly connected to the carrier 10. Also, there may be a plurality of holes 52 andlor 54 to adapt to different battery locations.

The invention can be readily applied to the removal and replacement of batteries of armoured vehicles having other kinds of handles. (In fact, another kind of handle is currently being introduced. 7his has a cord like the cord 74 of handle 72, but shorter, so it does not have to be shortened as hereinbefore described with is reference to Figure 1) Further, whilst the invention has been specifically described in relation to handling batteries of armoured vehicles, those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may have other applications. It may, for instance, be useful in handling batteries elsewhere, eg in the engine compartments of other vehicles or motor vessels, or the carrier may be adapted to carry loads other than the batteries described.

Claims

I Apparatus for handling an electrical battery, which apparatus comprises a carrier for such battery and a leg detachably secured to the carrier and 5 pivotable relative thereto about two orthogonal axes.
2 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in Claim I wherein the carrier includes means for engaging handles of the battery.
3 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the carrier includes means for engaging handles of a first kind and alternatively handles of a second kind.
4 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the carrier includes means for gripping a handle of the battery.
Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the carder is dimensioned and arranged so as in use to lie 15 substantially within the overall longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the battery.
6 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the carrier is dimensioned and arranged so as in use to extend not more than 50mm above the battery.
7 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in any 20 preceding claim wherein the leg is geniculate.
8 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in Claim 7 wherein the leg comprises a first part detachably secured to the carrier, a second part extending orthogonally from the first part and a third part extending from the second part substantially parallel with the first part.
9 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a handle secured to the leg.
10 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery as claimed in any preceding claim comprising electrically non-conductive caps for terminal posts of the batteries.
11 Apparatus for handling an electrical battery substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

I.