Auxiliary wire connections for side post batteries

A mount for attachment of a pair of cables to a side terminal of a battery has a stud releasably connected to the terminal for receiving the perforated lug of one of the cables with the stud having a fastener for releasably attaching thereto the perforated lug of the other cable.

The present invention relates to cable connections for side terminal 
batteries including primary power and auxiliary cables and their 
associated grounding cables through use of side post studs releasably 
attached to the terminals. 
As distinguished from upstanding posts for receiving clamps to connect 
cables to batteries, in current use also are batteries which have side 
terminals for such purpose. Various types of fasteners, usually bolts, are 
employed to connect the cables to the terminals. It is also not uncommon 
to provide auxiliary cables for add-on electrical equipment requiring 
modification of the mounts which couple the primary cables with the side 
terminals of the battery. 
There have been many suggestions for such modifications, including 
lengthened battery terminal bolts, special adapters, spacers, insulating 
boots, terminal covers, wing nuts and other miscellaneous parts. But none 
have proved to be fully successful. 
The problems lie not only in high manufacturing costs but, more 
particularly in ease of attachment and detachment without risk in the 
process of damaging or misplacement of a multiplicity of relatively small 
component parts. Moreover, in such modifications, corrosion problems, 
short circuiting problems and problems of loosening have not heretofore 
been satisfactorily met. 
In accordance with the instant invention, therefore, there is provided, for 
each side termi-nal respectively, a single composite, fully assembled 
mount which employs a strong, one piece, solid, metallic, inexpensive side 
post stud, having not only a means for releasable connection of the stud 
to the battery terminal but a means for releasable attachment thereto of 
an auxiliary cable. Among the many attributes is the novel way the 
terminal lug of the primary cable is clamped against the side terminal of 
the battery; the advantageous way an insulating sheath on the stud is used 
to preclude accidental disassembly; and the extremely simple and handy way 
the lug of the auxiliary cable is releasably connected to the stud.

In FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings there is fragmentarily illustrated a 
conventional battery 10 (as for use in automotive vehicles) for generating 
voltaic electricity and provided with the usual, internal cells (not 
shown) containing electrodes and an electrolyte as is well known. The 
battery 10 is of the type which has a pair of metallic side terminals 
protruding beyond its case, one only being shown and designated by the 
numeral 12. As is common, the terminal 12 has an outwardly facing hole 14 
provided with internal screw threads. 
Shown also in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 is a pair of cables 16 and 18 for operable 
connection to the terminal 12 through use of the mount of our instant 
invention, utilizing the hole 14. The insulated cable 16 is provided with 
a metallic, perforated, terminal lug 20 molded around conducting strands 
22 after removal of a portion of insulating sheath 24 of the cable 16. The 
cable 18 is also provided with a metallic, perforated, terminal lug 26 
conventionally attached to its conducting strands 28. 
The aforementioned mount includes a side post stud 30 in the nature of a 
one-piece, solid, metallic body having an element at one end thereof in 
the nature of a boss 32 extending through a perforation 34 in the lug 20 
and into the hole 14 as seen in FIG. 4. The boss 32 has external screw 
threads which mesh with the threads within the hole 14. 
The stud 30 is also provided with a member (separated from the boss 32 by 
an annular groove 36 in the stud 30) in the nature of a first continuous, 
outwardly extending flange 38 for clamping the lug 20 against the terminal 
12 when the threads of the boss 32 are in mesh with the threads in the 
hole 14. 
The stud 30 has a second, continuous, outwardly extending flange 40 
adjacent the flange 38 but of a slightly greater diameter than the 
diameter of the flange 38, it being noted that the flange 38 is disposed 
between the flange 40 and the groove 36 and that the lug 20 has a cavity 
42 enclosing the flanges 38 and 40 and communicating with the perforation 
34. Moreover, the lug 20 has a continuous, inturned lip 44 surrounding the 
perforation 34 and clamped between the terminal 12 and the flange 38. 
Additionally, the stud 30 has a polygonal head 46 at that (outer) end 
thereof opposite to the inner, free end of the boss 32 provided with 
wrench-engaging flats 48 used to rotate the stud 30 when the boss 32 is to 
be attached to the terminal 12. The outer end of the head 46 has a socket 
50 extending thereinto toward the flange 40 and provided with internal 
screw threads. A fastener 52 (such as a bolt) having a lockwasher 54 
passes through perforation 56 of the lug 26 and into threaded engagement 
with the head 46 within the socket 50. 
Structure for preventing displacement of the stud 30 from the lug 20 
includes an insulating, protective sheath 58 which covers the lug 20. The 
sheath 58 has an inner lip 60 clamped between the lug 20 and the terminal 
12 and an outer lip 62 surrounding the head 46. The lip 62 readily yields 
to pressure of the flange 40 when the stud 30 is inserted into the shield 
58 as the flange 40 is moved into the cavity 42; yet, the lip 62 maintains 
full assembly of the lug 20, the stud 46 and the sheath 58 upon removal of 
the boss 32 from the terminal 12. 
The power cables 16 and 18 are shown and above described only in 
association with the positive pole of the battery 10. The same 
instrumentalities are contemplated for association with the negative pole 
of the battery 10 including a grounding cable attached to a second side 
terminal of the battery and an auxiliary grounding cable releasably 
connected to a second side post stud. 
When the mounts are used with a vehicle battery, the cable 16 and its 
associated ground cable are employed in the usual manner whereas the cable 
18 and its associated grounding cable are used for any desired add/on 
electrical equipment such as mobile radios, alarm systems, etc. Our 
corrosion resistant mount permits all connections to be made directly at 
the battery 12 to lessen the possibility of short circuits and resulting 
vehicle damage. 
The auxiliary cables are especially advantageous for use with a jumper 
cable assembly 64 having a connector harness 66 provided with battery 
clamps 68. Conventional couplings 70 may be employed between the harness 
66 and the two auxiliary cables 18 and 72.