Booster handle

• US 4,685,760 A
• Filed: 02/24/1986
• Issued: 08/11/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Max D. Mize
• Original Assignee: Max D. Mize
• Inventors: Mize, Max D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MCGLYNN, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/831,836
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 339/255 P, 339/260, 339/261
• US Class Current: 439/822
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/24 with gripping jaws, e.g. crocodile clip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/28 End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve

Abstract

A battery contact clamp for use in charging storage batteries. A pair of members is pivotally secured to each other. Each member has a jaw and a plurality of teeth. A torsion spring urges the jaws together. A lug terminal is pivotally secured to one of the members to provide a connection joint for a cable.

Claims

1. A battery contact clamp for use in charging batteries within an automobile comprising

a lower member having a pair of lower parallel ears with aligned lower apertures and having one end terminating into a lower jaw portion having a structure defining a plurality of teeth;

an upper member having a pair of upper parallel ears with aligned upper apertures that register with the lower apertures of said lower parallel ears of said lower member when said upper parallel ears and said lower parallel ears mate, said upper member additionally having an end terminating into an upper jaw portion having a structure defining a plurality of teeth;

a rivet means passing through said lower and upper apertures pivotally securing said lower member to said upper member such that the jaw portions of the lower and upper member cooperate with each other respectively;

torsion spring means for urging said jaw portions together in a touching relationship about said rivet means and maintaining said jaw portions in a touching relationship when said clamp is in a closed posture, said torsion spring means having convolutions that are postioned around the rivet means and an upper end and a lower end that respectively engage the upper and lower members, said upper end and said lower end of said torsion spring means extend away from said rivet means in the same direction and in an opposed relationship with respect to each other.

a lug terminal means pivotally secured to said lower member, said lug terminal means being contacted biasing by said lower end of said torsion spring means to retain and urge said lug terminal engaged to the lug terminal means against the lower member.

2. The battery contact clamp of claim 1 wherein said lower end of said torsion spring means additionally comprises a structure defining a protruding lip that lodges over any cable engaged to the lug terminal means in order to additionally assist in retaining said any cable against the lower member, said lower and contacts said lug terminal means between the convolutions and the protruding lip.

3. The battery contact clamp of claim 2 wherein said lug terminal is generally U-shaped with a lug base and a pair of generally parallel walls integrally bound to said lug base, said lower end of said torsion spring means contacts biasingly one of said lug walls between the convolutions and the protruding lip.

4. The battery contact clamp of claim 2 wherein said lower end and said upper end of said torsion spring means extend towards rear ends of the lower handle and the upper handle.

5. The battery contact clamp of claim 2 wherein said lower member includes a lower handle having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of parallel handle walls and inside bottom.

6. The battery contact clamp of claim 5 wherein said lug terminal is generally U-shaped with a lug base and a pair of generally parallel walls integrally bound to said lug base.

7. The battery contact clamp of claim 6 wherein said lug base is pivotally secured to one of said handle walls of said lower member such that said lug walls extend towards the handle wall, opposed to the handle wall having said lug base pivotally secured thereto.

8. The battery contact clamp of claim 7 wherein said lower end of said torsion spring means contacts biasingly one of said lug walls to retain and urge the same against the inside bottom of said U-shaped lower handle of said lower member.

9. The battery contact clamp of claim 8 wherein each of said lug walls has a lug recess.

10. The battery contact clamp of claim 9 wherein said upper member includes an upper handle having a U-shaped configuration with a pair of parallel handle walls and inside bottom.

11. The battery contact clamp of claim 10 additionally comprising an insulation means bound entirely around said lower and upper handle including the respective inside walls and respective inside bottom of each of the lower and upper handle.

12. The battery contact clamp of claim 11 wherein said lower end and said upper end of said torsion spring means extend towards rear ends of the lower handle and the upper handle.

15. The method of claim 10 or 14 wherein said releasing step (d) includes the side teeth of the jaws of the handles closing around the counter-sunk battery bolt.

13. A method for connecting a battery contact clamp to a side-mount battery terminal comprising the steps of:

(a) grasping the pair of handles of said battery contact clamp which are riveted pivotally together and such has a U-shaped configuration and includes a jaw having a plurality of teeth formed and structured along a pair of sides and the front of the respective jaw, said teeth of said jaws of said handles being in a touching, occlusive relationship when said clamp is in a closed posture and urged biasingly together by a torsion spring means that convolutes the rivet and includes a pair of spring arms that extend from the convolutions of the spring in the same direction in an opposed relationship with respect to each other and into the U-shaped handles with one of the spring arms having a lip and contacting biasingly between the convolutions and the lip a lug terminal pivotally secured within one of the U-shaped handles to urge and hold the lug terminal within and against the inside of the U-shaped handle and protect the user from accidentally contacting any cable secured to the lug terminal;

(b) forcing the jaws of the handles apart by pressuring the handles against the spring arms of the torsion spring;

(c) positioning the open jaws of step (b) around a counter-sunk battery bolt within a side-mount battery terminal of a side-mount battery; and

(d) releasing the pressure off the handles such that the jaws of the handles close around the counter-sunk battery bolt.

14. The method of claim 13 additionally comprising passing a cable connected to the lug terminal underneath aid lip of said spring arm.