GB831719A - Improvements in or relating to electric battery contact devices - Google Patents

Abstract

831,719. Batteries. ELECTRIC STORAGE BATTERY CO. Sept. 22, 1958 [Oct. 8, 1957], No. 30210/58. Class 53. A dry cell having terminals at the opposite ends of the cell is provided with a container having positive and negative external terminals, and internal contacts for engaging the cell terminals so arranged that whichever way the cell is inserted in the container the polarities of the external terminals remain unchanged. Fig. 1 shows the container 10 which is closed at the top by a cap 16 through which pass rivets 56, 58 forming the positive and negative terminals respectively and to which the conductors 601, 66<SP>1</SP> are connected. A spring 32 is connected to the rivet 56 and at its other end to the shank 42, Figs. 4 and 5, of a member 40 which forms the contact for the centre terminal of the cell when this is placed in the container with the centre terminal uppermost, as shown at C in Fig. 1. As shown in the exploded view, Fig. 5, the lower end 48 of the spring 32 passes through holes in insulating washers 46, 44 and a rectangular metal plate 28, and after being passed over the shank 42 the latter is bent over to secure the spring and the members 46, 44, 28, 40 together as shown in Fig. 4. The hole in the plate 28 is sufficiently large to prevent contact between the spring and plate, the corners 30 of which are bent downwardly. The plate is joined by a conductor 70<SP>1</SP> to the rivet 58. When the cell is in the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the terminal C of the cell is engaged by the member 40, Figs. 4 and 5, and is therefore connected through the spring 32 with the rivet 56, the corners 30 of the plate 28 do not touch the member 40 or any part of the cell, and the conductor 70<SP>1</SP> is idle. The negative rivet 58 is connected by a conductor 68<SP>1</SP> to a rivet 82 at the lower end of the container. The bottom screwed closure member 20 carries a spring contact 106 which engages the rivet 82, and has upstanding tongues 100 which make contact with the bottom of the cell so that the rivet 58 constitutes the negative terminal of the cell. When the cell is placed in the reversed position in the container, the corners 30 of the plate 28 engage the bottom of the cell. As the plate is connected through the conductor 701 to the rivet 58 this remains the negative terminal of the cell. The centre contact of the cell is now at the lower end and engages the centre portion of a spring contact 96 which makes contact with a rivet 80 joined by a conductor 62<SP>1</SP> to the rivet 56 which thus keeps its positive polarity.