US2204269A - Battery terminal clamp - Google Patents

Description

K. F. BROWN BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP June 1l, 1940.

Filed July 30, 1937 Patented June 11, 1940 PATENT orFlcl-il 2,201289 BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Kenneth F. Brown, Burbank, Calif., assigner to National Cable & Metal Co., Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California l Appiiauon July 3o, 1937, serial No. 156,507

Z Claims.

This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of a battery terminal clamp or connector which is constructed so thatit may be securely clamped upon and uniformly engaged and maintained in perfect electrical contact with a battery terminal Without being bent, distorted or damaged, or damaging the battery terminal 4 or renderingthe clamp diiiicult of removal and replacement. w Another object is to provide a terminal clamp such as described, which makes for easier and more reliable installations and eliminates the gouging and damaging of the battery terminals, uneven contacts and consequent electrical con- 15 nection failures, by reason of means located outwardly of the clamping bolt for causing an effective application of` the clamping forces without distorting the clamp.

I have shown in the accompanying drawing a zu preferred Aform of battery terminal clamp embodying'my invention, subject, however, to modication, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing: z5 Fig. l represents a fragmentary sectional view of the present-day type of clamp, showing the distortion caused by excessive tightening thereof, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the clamp or connector of this invention, as .o when applied to a battery terminal,

Fig. 3 is a top plan viewof the clamp or connector of this invention, as when removed,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clamp shown in Fig. 3, u Fig. 5 isa side elevation oi the clamp shown in Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the clamp applied to the terminal Iof a battery. o l One embodiment of the battery terminal connectoror clamp of this invention, as shown inl detail in the accompanying drawing, comprises an apertured, radially split body 'l having an integral socket 8 for a iiexible conductor 9, and formed with opposed lugs ID extended outwardly from opposite sides of the split. The lugs- Ill are provided with transverse and a'igned bolt receiving openings I I and with laterally extended abutments I2 on the opposed faces thereof. These abutments are outwardly-spaced from the openings II and extend in the direction of/one another so that they will engage or meet upon thetightening and clamping of the body I around a battery terminal A of a battery B, as particuu larly shown in Figs. 2 and 6.

lugs, as well as the ends of the jaws.

(ci. ris-259) It is now seen that the connector or clamp of this invention may be molded, cast, die stamped, or otherwise produced in one-piece form, such that the split body l defines two arcuate jaws 'la and 1b, having the lugs IIJ, or what may be I considered as the jaw ends, extended outwardly from the jaws proper, and the abutments I2v extended laterally from opposed faces of said lugs or ends at points spaced outwardly from the bolt receiving openings I I. 10

l'I'he connector is clamped around the battery terminal'by means of a bolt lI3 which is extended through the openings II, and has a nut I4 adjustable thereon in the customary manner.

The abutments I2 in being spaced outwardly 15 from the bolt I 3, will engage one another and hold apart the other opposedv portions of the This arrangement causes the force or leverage applied by the bolt to contract the body 'l uniformly with- 0 out causing distortion thereof or of the lugs. v

As shown/in Fig. 1, when the nut I5 of the conventional clamp it is tightened excessively or as is necessary to secure the clamp on the battery terminal Il, the jaws of the clamp, as nu Well as the lugs Il! thereof, and bolt I9 are often bent and distorted. Moreover, the ends of the jaws will bite into and distort the battery terminal, due to the fact that the llugs will bend and force the ends ang-ularly into the terminal. By 3o comparison with my improved clamp shown in Fig. 2, it is seen that tightening of the nut of the latter will cause a uniform clamping action without bending or distorting of the parts of the clamp, due primarily to the peculiar leverageac- 3e tion which results from having the abutment portions I2 arranged to engage one another at points outwardly 'of the bolt. Should excessive pressure be applied to an extent that might cause the lugs to bend or distort, this would tend to ,la bring the arcuate vjaws together arcuately and uniformly as is desired, and without distortion, due to the peculiar application of the clamping forces'as aforesaid, and the battery terminal will not be gouged or distorted, as shown in Fig. l. 4,5

While I have shown two abutments I2, it is obvious that one laterally extending and somewhat larger abutment rnay be employed for the same purpose as said two abutments.

I claim: to

1. A battery terminal clamp comprising an apertured, radially split body adapted to be yclamped around a battery terminal, alined lugs vided with transverse bolt receiving openings, y laterally extending alined abutment portions of substantially uniform length, carried by said lugs at the free ends thereof and adapted to Contact.

one another when said lugs are moved towards l one another, and means on said body affording A,a batteryv terminal and being capable of deformation when tightly clamped, opposed spaced lugs formed integral with and extending outwardly from said body on opposite sides of the split thereof and being -also capable of deformation when tightly clamped, said lugs having bolt receiving openings, and opposed'abutment portions for'med integral with and extending from opposed faces of said lugs ,at/ points spaced outwardly from said openings"` and arranged to abut at a g point which ison the center line of the clamp and also substantially centrally of the space between said lugs, to prevent unequal deformation of said lugs and said body when said lugs are drawn towards one another for .tightly clamping the body on a battery terminal.

KENNETH F. BROWN.

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