Battery cable connector

A cable connection assembly which includes a screw or bolt member threadably receiving a nut member prior to insertion through the aperture of the battery cable and into the threaded aperture of the battery terminal. The nut member is withdrawn to a point adjacent the head of the bolt member. The bolt member is then passed through the cable aperture and hand tightened into the terminal aperture. Thereafter, in one embodiment, a first tool engages the bolt head and a second tool engages the nut, whereupon the nut is tightened against the washer cable end. In the process, the torsional force on the battery terminal is substantially eliminated, with the tightening of the nut, while maintaining the position of the bolt, placing a slight axial force on the terminal during connection. For disconnection, both tools are attached to the respective parts, and the nut is loosened while the bolt is maintained in position, resulting in no torsional force on the terminal. Alternatively, either or both of the nut member and bolt head may include wing members for enabling manual operation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts. 
Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to battery cable connectors, and more particularly, 
to a battery cable connector for an automobile storage battery having a 
terminal with a threaded female aperture for connection of the cable 
thereto. 
Description of the Prior Art 
Lead-acid automobile storage batteries generally have terminals for 
electrical connection, via cable, to the electrical system of the vehicle. 
Some such batteries have battery posts, usually top mounted, for 
connection to a clamping member of a battery cable. Other such batteries 
have side mounted terminals. For batteries with side mounted terminals, a 
pair of terminal members are encapsulated or encased within the storage 
battery housing or casing, with the terminal members being electrically 
conductive metallic material, with a boss portion having a central 
threaded aperture. Battery cables are connected to the terminals by means 
of bolt members which pass through apertured conductive washer head 
portions of the battery cables. 
With either type battery, a significant percentage of the total causes of 
battery failure is attributable to excess stress on the storage battery 
terminal. With post type terminals and lead like clamp connectors, 
attachment and removal is sometimes accomplished with screwdrivers and 
pliers, and even hammers, which tends to displace the post from its axial 
orientation, thus inducing stress, and ultimately, internal electrical 
connection fatigue and breakage. 
With side terminal batteries, after insertion of the bolt through the 
washer head portion of the battery cable, the bolt is inserted into the 
threaded aperture and tightened down. During this tightening, a wrench is 
normally employed and a torsional force is applied. In many instances, 
even though the bolt is snug, a mechanic, be it a home mechanic or 
professional mechanic, will apply an extra fraction of a turn. This 
torsional force is resisted only by the metal surrounding the threaded 
terminal aperture. In some instances, this terminal aperture is within a 
cylindrical boss member encapsulated in the housing. On loosening of the 
bolt member, a torsional force is applied in the reverse direction. These 
torsional forces are repeatedly applied in the forward and reverse 
direction as the battery cables are connected and disconnected over the 
life of the battery, thus resulting in metal fatigue at the terminal 
within the interior of the housing or casing. 
The following patents have been uncovered in a search of prior art for the 
herein disclosed invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,439, entitled "Battery 
Charger Adapter", issued on Jan. 1, 1974 to Valentino, and shows accessory 
means for attachment to a battery charging device. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,079, is entitled "Battery Cable with Detachably 
Retained Connector", and issued to Jennings et al on Dec, 23, 1975, such 
patent disclosing a cap device for protecting the cable form the elements 
with the cap device being retained by the cable. 
Another device is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,504, entitled 
"Sealed Battery Cable Termination", such patent issuing to Julian et al, 
on Sept. 8, 1981, the disclosure being directed to the construction of an 
end of a battery cable. 
Storage battery constructions are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,337,301, issued June 29, 1982 to Rorer et al, entitled "Aircraft 
Battery"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,414, entitled "Battery", which issued to 
Solomon on Jan. 10, 1984. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,435,486, entitled "Quick Disconnect Battery Installation 
and Charging System", issued March 6, 1984, to Pomara et al, and shows a 
storage battery with a carrying strap, which battery may be lowered into a 
box-like housing. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,357, entitled "Housing Assembly for Aircraft 
Batteries", issued to Rorer et al on June 19, 1984, and discloses a 
battery construction. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,486, entitled "Terminal Support member", issued Sept. 
18, 1984, and discloses a side terminal arrangement for receiving threaded 
members. 
Terminal extender members are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 
4,673,240, entitled "Side Mount Universal Battery Terminal", such patent 
being issued to Byfield, Jr. on June 16, 1987. 
Another side terminal construction is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,482,618, 
entitled "Aircraft Battery", which issued to Orsino et al on Nov. 13, 
1984. 
German Patent No. 2,216,606 depicts a construction exemplary of the side 
terminal storage battery and depicts a battery cable attached thereto by a 
bolt engaging a threaded aperture in the battery terminal member. 
Australian Patent No. 47,392, published April 11, 1974, is entitled 
"Improvements in Electrical Storage Batteries", and discloses a method for 
constructing a lead-acid storage battery with side terminals. 
The foregoing batteries depict various methods and arrangements for battery 
terminals, and connections thereto. A primary concern with some of these 
patents is simply protecting the terminal once the cable is attached, or 
providing an extender, or showing a particular construction. In accordance 
with an aspect of the invention, it is accordingly an object of the 
invention to provide a new and improved cable connector arrangement for 
attaching a battery cable to a battery terminal having a threaded 
aperture. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are accomplished by 
providing a cable connection assembly which includes a screw or bolt 
member threadably receiving a nut member prior to insertion through the 
aperture of the battery cable and into the threaded aperture of the 
battery terminal. The nut member is withdrawn to a point adjacent the head 
of the bolt member. The bolt member is then passed through the cable 
aperture and hand tightened into the terminal aperture. Thereafter, in one 
embodiment, a first tool engages the bolt head and a second tool engages 
the nut, whereupon the nut is tightened against the washer face of the 
cable end. In the process, the torsional force on the battery terminal is 
substantially eliminated, with the tightening of the nut, while 
maintaining the position of the bolt, placing a slight axial force on the 
terminal during connection. For disconnection, both tools are attached to 
the respective parts, and the nut is loosened while the bolt is maintained 
in position, resulting in no torsional force on the terminal. 
Alternatively, either or both of the nut member and bolt head may include 
wing members for enabling manual operation. 
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become readily 
apparent from a reading of the specification, when taken in conjunction 
with the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements 
in the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a 
perspective view of a battery terminal 10, a washer-shaped end 14 of a 
battery cable 16 and the battery cable connection arrangement including 
conductive bolt member 20, and nut member 22. The battery terminal 10 is 
molded into the normally thermoplastic material of the housing of the 
storage battery, with internal electrical connections (not shown) likewise 
encased in the material. The internal electrical connections are attached 
to the lead plates of the storage battery. In any event, the battery 
terminal 10 is formed of a conductive material and has a portion which may 
be generally cylindrical and has a face portion 11 which projects slightly 
beyond the adjacent side surface of the battery. A threaded aperture 12 is 
formed in the terminal for attachment of a battery cable coupler member 
thereto. 
The battery cable 16 is a heavy gauge conductor with an insulation cover, 
such as rubber, polyethylene, or the like, with the end 14 including an 
aperture 17 formed within the enlarged conductive washer-shaped member, 
designated 15, which is usually surrounded by a peripheral collar of the 
same insulation material. With a conventional connector arrangement a bolt 
is inserted through the aperture 17 into engagement with the threaded 
aperture 12 of the terminal 10. 
A wrench is used to engage the head of the bolt and the bolt is then 
tightened, thus applying torsional force to the washer-shaped end 15, 
which torsional force is transmitted to the face 11 of the terminal 10. To 
minimize the application of torsion, in some arrangements, the head of the 
bolt is small compared to the size of the threaded shaft portion, thereby 
requiring a smaller wrench, and thus, hopefully, limiting the amount of 
torsional force which may be applied to the terminal 10. This arrangement 
is shown in the above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,079. With a reduced 
size bolt head, attachment of clamps to these head is very difficult, such 
as when jump starting the vehicle, or charging the battery thereof. 
In accordance with the present battery connection arrangement, a bolt 
member 20 is provided, which may be provided with a conventional head or 
may be a cap screw, for engagement by an Allen type wrench. With a cap 
screw, a hexagonal recess, such as shown in broken lines 20a, is formed in 
the head of the bolt member 20. A nut member 22 is threaded onto the 
threaded shaft 21 of the bolt 20. The nut 22 may be a conventionally 
configured fastener member or may have an integrally formed flange or 
washer portion positioned for facing relation with the portion 15 of the 
battery cable 16. The shaft portion 21 of the bolt member 20 is of a 
length more than sufficient for receiving the nut member 22 thereon while 
permitting the portion 21 to he passed through the washer-shaped portion 
15 into engagement with the aperture 12 of the terminal 10. 
For attachment, the nut member 22 is hand threaded to a position proximate 
the head of the bolt 20, that is, it is threaded to the right as viewed in 
the drawings. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 21 of the bolt 
member 20 Is passed through the aperture 17 of the end 14 of the battery 
cable 16 into engagement with the threaded aperture 12 of the terminal 10. 
The bolt 20 is then hand threaded into the opening several turns. Then a 
first tool, such as wrench 26 is used to grasp the head of the bolt member 
20, and a second wrench 28 is used to grasp the nut 22. 
With the head of the bolt 20 maintained in a fixed position, the nut 22 is 
then rotated about the threaded shaft portion 21 of the bolt member 20 
toward the face of the washer-shaped portion 15 of the battery cable 16. 
The tightening continues with the bolt 20 position held in fixed 
non-rotating relation to the battery terminal 10. Although there is a 
slight force applied to the face 12 of the terminal 10 as the 
washer-shaped member 15 is urged into contact therewith, this force is 
more of an axial force. That is, the resulting force is in the direction 
of the centerline of the aperture 12 and shaft 21 of the bolt member 20. 
This force of the nut 22 against the face 12 of the terminal 10 does not 
result in bending or twisting of the terminal 10, thereby prolonging the 
life of the battery. 
As an alternative, the nut member 22 may be of the type known as a "wing 
nut", that is, a nut member having opposing laterally projecting 
integrally formed members which may be grasped by the fingers for 
tightening or loosening. These wings are depicted by broken lines in FIG. 
1 as elements 22a and 22b. 
For release of the connection, first and second tools, such as wrenches 26 
and 28 are again used, with the bolt 20 held stationary and the nut 22 
unthreaded to loosen the tension against the washer-shaped portion 15 of 
the battery cable 16. Thereafter the bolt 20 may be hand removed. With the 
wingnut member, the second wrench member 28 may be eliminated. In 
addition, the head of the bolt member 20 may likewise be provided with 
"wings" to enable a totally manually operable storage battery cable 
connector arrangement. 
In any event, with the battery cable connection arrangement according to 
the invention, undue stress and fatigue on the terminal 10 are 
substantially minimized or eliminated, thereby precluding one of the major 
causes of battery failure. In addition, with the battery cable connection 
arrangement herein described, the end of the bolt 20 which protrudes from 
the side of the battery facilitates attachment of clamps from a battery 
charger. 
While there has been shown and described a preferred embodiment, it is to 
be understood that various other adaptations and modifications may be made 
within the spirit and scope of the invention.