INTERNAL JUMPER CABLE SYSTEM

Abstract: An internal jumper cable system for jump-starting an internal combustion engine without an auxiliary external power source. This system utilizes the existing battery (12) of the engine being started as the sole power source for the starting and ignition circuits, but it bypasses all possible circuit elements and resistances in the ignition system by means of a jumper cable (34) to provide maximum power to the ignition coil (14). The system is universally applicable to all know makes and models of internal combustion engines. It may be used, under difficult starting conditions, in conjunction with a conventionl jumper system connected to an auxiliary external power source, each system augmenting the starting power provided by the other system.

Description: -1- Description tr c * Internal Jumper Cable System Technical Field This invention relates to internal combustion engines 5 wherever used, as in motor vehicles and stationary installations. Background Art The basic principle of the invention is well known. It is utilized, for example, by car thieves. It has 10 been put on the market (by one of the present applicants under the trademark "Quickstart") in the form of substantially conventional jumper cables having conventional spring-biased clamps or clips. The closest prior patent art known to applicants is 15 Patent No. 2,075,431 issued to F.M. Du Laney on March 30, 1937 (Cl. 123-148). This patent shows two methods of providing an ignition jumper system, one utilizing an auxiliary dry cell battery, the other providing a low resistance path through only part of the ignition coil. 20 The problem with the prior art, including the Quickstart jumper cable, is that it cannot readily be applied to all makes and types of storage batteries and ignition coils. Moreover, the use of conventional spring-biased clamps or clips defeats the basic 25 objective of the invention which is to remove as much resistance as possible from the ignition circuit. * Disclosure of Invention The invention differs from the prior art in that it is universally applicable to all known makes and models 30 of internal combustion engines, including all known makes and forms of storage batteries and ignition coils. OMPI -2- It is also universally applicable in the sense that it can be pre-installed in all known storage batteries and ignition coils for future use by means of plug-in connectors. The invention also differs from the prior art in that it assures direct contact with the battery terminal (as distinguished from the existing battery terminal clamp or nut) and it assures direct contact with the coil terminal or lead. The invention is also applicable to insulator-enclosed battery terminals which are inaccessible to conventional spring-urged clamps. The present invention does not exclude the concurrent use of conventional jumper cables connected to an auxiliary external power source, e.g., the storage hattery of another motor vehicle. In event the jumper cable system herein claimed cannot start the engine with the existing battery alone, it may be used in conjunction with conventional jumper cable means and an auxiliary power supply. In such case, the conventional jumper means would operate through and benefit by the claimed jumper cable system, bypassing the ignition circuit elements and resistances which the claimed system bypasses. The object of the present invention is to reduce the resistance between the battery and the ignition coil to a minimum, thereby delivering maximum battery voltage to the coil and, through the coil, to the spark plugs. This object is achieved by excluding from the ignition circuit all unnecessary circuit elements and connections and bypassing all possible resistances. An advantage of the present invention, directly- attributable to the nature of the connectors utilized therein, is that the conditions that sometimes cause hydrogen gas explosion are largely averted. Brief Description of Drawings Fig. 1 is a simplified circuit diagram showing the principle of an internal jumper cable system, as herein claimed, incorporated into a conventional ignition circuit for a conventional internal combustion engine. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one preferred form of the jumper cable herein claimed, connected between a storage battery and an ignition coil, one of the connectors comprising a V-notched contact blade. Fig. 2A is a fragmentary view showing the V-notched contact blade in engagement with the positive terminal of the battery. Fig. 3 is another fragmentary perspective view showing a second preferred form of the invention in which the V-notched contact blade is mounted on a spring-biased clamp. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the details of the V-notched contact blade as mounted on a spring-biased clamp. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view showing the V- notched contact blade held in engagement with the positive terminal of a battery. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly broken away and in section, showing the details of a conventional tee tap connector which may be used to connect the claimed jumper cable to the positive terminal of an ignition coil through the lead connected -'to said terminal. Fig. 7 is still another fragmentary perspective view showing a third preferred form of the invention, wherein plug-in connectors are used at both ends of the jumper cable to connect the cable to the positive terminals of a storage battery and ignition coil. 00195 -4- Description of Illustrative Embodiments of the Invention Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that simplified, representative ignition circuit 10 for a conventional motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine, comprises a storage battery 12 as the power source, an ignition coil 14, a distributor 16, spark plugs 18, and interconnecting conductors. Between the positive terminal 20 of the battery and the positive terminal 22 of the ignition coil are the following elements (among others in a standard motor vehicle) : a cable 24, a starter solenoid 25, a conductor 24a, an ignition switch 26, a second conductor 28, a ballast resistor 30 and a third conductor 32. Bypassing the ballast resistor is a fourth conductor 28a which connects the ignition switch to conductor 32. Bypass conductor 28a is in the starting circuit (usually 12 volts) as distinguished from conductor 28 which is in the operating circuit (usually 9 volts) . These elements and the connections among them (and other elements and connections in a conventional ignition circuit) comprise a series of cumulative electrical resistances which produce a substantial voltage drop in the system and a weakened spark. It is the function of the present invention to bypass as many of these resistances as possible to reduce voltage drop in the ignition circuit to a minimum. This is accomplished by providing a bypass circuit 34 in the form of a jumper cable 36 between the positive terminals of the battery and ignition coil. Turning now to Figs. 2 and 2A, it will be observed that jumper cable 36 is fitted with insulated connectors at both ends, connector 40 for contact with positive terminal 20 of the " battery, and connector 42 for connection with positive terminal 22 of the coil through lead 32. -5- Connector 42 comprises two interconnecting elements, a tee tap element 44 and a plug element 46. Tee tap 44 comprises a plastic body 44a which is adapted to snap around lead 32. The plastic body encases a blade 44b having two bifurcated ends: one end 44c cuts through insulation 32a of lead 32 and makes contact with wire 32b thereof; the other end 44d defines a socket for a blade 46a in plastic body 46b of plug element 46. Blade 46a is connected by crimping 46c or other conventional means to one end of jumper cable 34. It will be understood that connector 42 is not herein claimed per se; it is merely representative of various conventional connectors that may be used to tap lead 32. Referring to Figs. 2 and 2A, it will be seen that connector 40 comprises a V-notched blade which is connected by crimping 40a or riveting or any other conventional means to jumper cable 34. A plastic body or sleeve 40b on the closed end of the V-notched blade and on the crimping 40a thereof provides suitable electrical insulation as well as a handle for gripping and applying said V-notched blade to the positive terminal 20 of the battery. The manner of applying the blade to the terminal is simply to slide it onto the terminal, either below or above the standard clamp 48, until the edges 40d which define the V-notch 40c securely engage the terminal. It will now be understood that these V-notch edges are preferrably serrated and that the serrations are capable of scraping corrosion or other oxidized scale or foreign deposit from the surface of the terminal and biting into the terminal, thereby forming and retaining an effective electrical connection therewith. There now exists a jumper cable connection between the positive terminals of the battery and ignition coil, bypassing such ignition circuit elements as starter /00195 -6- solenoid 25, ignition switch 26 and ballast resistor 30, and enabling the battery to provide an effective spark between the spark plug electrodes sufficient to start the engine. The jumper cable apparatus of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is similar to that of Figs. 2 and 2A except that the V- notched connector blade is mounted on a spring-biased clamp 50. The handles of the clamp are enclosed in insulating sleeves 52 so there is no need for insulating body or sleeve 40b. As appears in Fig. 4, V-notched blade 40 is attached to one jaw of the spring- biased clamp by means of rivet 54 or other conventional fastening means. The clamp itself forms no part of the jumper cable circuit. In applying the jumper cable of Figs. 3, 4, and 5 to positive terminal 20 of battery 12, the clamp is used as a handle to slide the V-notched blade into secure engagement with the terminal, and it thereafter functions as the means of retaining the V-notched blade in secure engagement with the terminal. Following use of the jumper cable, the clamp is utilized as the means of disengaging the V-notched blade from the battery terminal. Fig. 7 shows another preferred embodiment of the invention wherein connector elements 60 and 62 are attached to the positive terminals of the battery and ignition coil, and insulated cooperative connector elements 64 and 66 are attached to the ends of jumper cable 68, whereby said jumper cable may be connected or disconnected relative to said terminals by means of said connector elements. Specifically, connector element 60 comprises a shank 60a having a hole 60b formed therein and a socket formation 60c extending from said shank. As shown in Fig. 7, shank 60a is secured to the positive terminal 70 of battery 72 by the same nut 74 which secures conventional cable 76 to said terminal. Connector element 64 is provided with a tongue which plugs into socket 60c of connector element 60. Connector element 62 corresponds to connector element 60 except for size, and it is secured to positive terminal 80 of the ignition coil by means of the same nut 82 which secures lead 32 to said terminal. Connector element 66 is like connector element 64 except that it corresponds to the dimensions of the socket formation 62a of connector element 62. Connector elements 64 and 66 may be secured to the respective ends of jumper cable 68 by crimping, swaging or other conventional means. The jumper cable may be connected to the battery and coil terminals by simply plugging its connector elements 64 and 66 into connector elements 60 and 62; it may be disconnected from said terminals by simply disconnecting the respective connector elements. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details illustrated in the drawings or the precise purposes stated in the specification. For example, V-notched connector 40 may have any functional V-shape which enables it to make and retain good electrical contact with a battery terminal when pushed onto the terminal. The V-shape of the notch accommodates terminals of different diameter, but for the purposes of the claims "V-notch" is intended to include "U-notch". As another example of the scope of the invention, it will be understood that its features, including the V-shaped connector, are applicable to standard jumper cables.

Claims: Claims What is claimed is: 1. An internal jumper cable system for an internal combustion engine ignition circuit, said circuit including a battery, an ignition coil, and circuit elements between the positive terminal of the battery and the positive terminal of the ignition coil, said internal jumper cable system comprising: a. a battery connector which is engageable with the positive terminal of the battery, b. a coil connector which is engageable with the positive terminal of the ignition coil, and c. a cable interconnecting said battery and coil connectors and bypassing the circuit elements between the positive terminals of the battery and ignition coil. 2. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the battery connector comprises: a. interconnecting plug and socket elements, b. one of said interconnecting elements being connected to the cable, c. the other of said interconnecting elements being adapted to be connected to the positive terminal of the battery, d. said interconnecting elements being separable to disconnect the cable from the positive terminal of the battery without disconnecting said other interconnecting element from said positive terminal. OMPI -9- 3. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ignition coil connector comprises; a.- interconnecting plug and socket elements, b. one of said interconnecting elements being connected to the cable, c. the other of said interconnecting elements being adapted to be connected to the positive terminal of the ignition coil, d. said interconnecting elements being separable to disconnect the cable from the positive terminal of the ignition coil without disconnecting said other interconnecting element from said positive terminal. 4. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the battery connector comprises a V-notched connector blade which is adapted to engage the positive terminal of the battery within its V-shaped notch. 5. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 4, wherein: a. the edges of said V-shaped notch being serrated for scraping insulating deposits from the positive terminal of the battery, b. thereby making effective contact between the connector blade and the positive terminal of the battery. 6. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 4, wherein: a. a clamp is provided for securing the V-notched connector blade to the positive terminal of the battery, OMP 001 -10- b. said clamp comprising a pair of opposed, pivotally connected, spring biased clamp jaws and handles, c. said V-notched connector blade being attached to one of said clamp jaws. 7. An internal jumper cable system in accordance with claim 3, wherein: a. the ignition circuit includes an insulated wire between the ignition coil and the battery, b. said insulated wire being connected to the positive terminal of the ignition coil, c. said other interconnecting element comprising a self-stripping tee-tap connector element which is adapted to pierce the insulation of the wire and make contact directly with the wire. 8. A push-on, pull-off connector for jumper cables and the like, said connector comprising: a. a connector blade being adapted to be secured at one end to a jumper cable or the like, b. the other end of the connector blade having a V-shaped notch formed therein to receive a battery terminal or the like when the connector blade is pushed onto the terminal, c. whereby the connector blade is adapted to make electrical contact with the terminal. 9. A push-on, pull-off connector in accordance with claim 8, wherein the edges of the V-shaped notch are serrated for scraping foreign deposits from the battery terminal or the like to make and retain effective contact therewith. OMH

Inventors: BARDES DALE LOWELL, MELTZER JACK A, BARDES, DALE, LOWELL, MELTZER, JACK, A.
Applicants: J C MFG CORP, J.C. MANUFACTURING CORP.
Application year: 1982
Main classification: F02P15
IPC codes: F02P15