Abstract:
A hand hold connecting member having first and second ends threadably receiving respectively the first and second threaded and remove ends of the first and second threaded rod members, said first handle threaded end and said second handle reverse threaded end being in opposed relation whereby rotation of the connecting member controls the spacing of the handle members and attached grip members; each of said grip members including the inwardly extending flanges thereof having an equal dimension transverse to the axis and extending equally in opposite directions from the axis by a distance at least two times greater than the width of the first and second plate members whereby attachment of the carrier onto a rimmed battery enables positioning of the extending flanges underneath sections of a rim around the peripheral top of the battery.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    In a principal aspect, the present invention comprises a vehicle battery carrier which includes opposed gripping members connected by a handle member that telescopically receives the gripping members to adjust and maintain their spacing and thereby effect a grip on an item such as the side walls of a vehicle battery.  
           [0002]    Gripping, lifting and transport of a battery from the compartment for a vehicle engine or some other battery compartment in a vehicle may be effected by various types of battery carriers. For example, a flexible handle loop which includes grippers at its opposite ends may be utilized to engage and lift a battery, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,217. However, release of the loop will cause release of the grip upon the battery.  
           [0003]    An alternative carrier device includes a pair of gripping members connected by a scissors type connection wherein the angular relationship of the connecting scissor members may be set and adjusted, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,820,837 and 4,055,364. Such a carrier may, when the handle or scissor members are released, not retain its grip on the battery.  
           [0004]    Thus, there has developed the need for an improved battery carrier which will permit access to restricted spaces and which will enable gripping and maintaining a grip on a battery.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    Briefly, the present invention comprises a battery carrier which includes first and second opposed gripping members that are arranged to grip into the sides of a vehicle battery, for example. Each gripping member has a projecting handle member extending upwardly from the gripping member and then inwardly so that the inner ends project or extend toward one another in opposed relation. A hand held connecting member then engages the opposed sections or elements of the handle members in a manner which permits adjustment of the spacing of the gripping members and retaining the gripping members in the fixed, spaced relationship. In a preferred embodiment, the hand held connecting member comprises a reversibly threaded tube which telescopically receives opposite threaded inner ends of the handle members. By rotating the hand held connecting member, one is able to adjust and maintain the spacing of the gripping members attached to the handle members. The gripping members may include an edge or tooth design to facilitate gripping by the carrier. The carrier may be attached to a vehicle battery, for example, and will remain engaged with the battery so long as the hand held connecting member has been operated to adjust the spacing of the gripping members to tightly grip the battery.  
           [0006]    Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved vehicle battery carrier device, which will not only grip and hold a battery or similar item, but also will retain a grip on the carried item, such as a battery, when the carrier device or handle thereof is released.  
           [0007]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, yet rugged, easily assembled and easily manipulated or utilized battery carrier device.  
           [0008]    A further object of the invention is to provide a battery carrier device which permits adjustment of the spacing of gripping elements designed to engage and grip a battery.  
           [0009]    Yet another object of the invention is to provide a battery carrier device which is easy to adjust and manipulate to accommodate various sizes of batteries.  
           [0010]    A further object of the invention is to provide a batter carrier device which may be utilized in restricted spaces.  
           [0011]    These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in a detailed description which follows. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0012]    In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the carrier device of the invention deployed for gripping and carrying a vehicle battery, for example;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the battery carrier device of FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the battery carrier device of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an isometric view of alternative embodiment of the carrier device of the invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a front elevation of the battery carrier of FIG. 4;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is an exploded isometric view of the battery carrier of FIG. 4; and  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is an end view of the battery carrier of FIG. 4. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0020]    Referring to the figures, the vehicle battery carrier of the invention is designed to support and carry automobile batteries  10 , for example. Typically, an automobile battery  10  will have a generally rectangular, parallelepiped shape with opposed side walls  12 ,  14 . Often, such a battery  10  is positioned in a vehicle in a receptacle, compartment or other restricted access position or space. Thus, it is desirable to provide a device which will engage with opposite walls  12 ,  14  of the battery and affect movement of the battery, not only vertically by lifting the battery, but also by sliding movement or horizontally so as to facilitate removal from an engine compartment, for example.  
         [0021]    The battery carrier device of the invention includes a first gripping member or channel  16  and an opposed gripping member or channel  18 . Channel  16  includes a horizontal, elongate channel section  20  that fits on the top edge of battery  10  and a depending leg  22  with an inwardly projecting tooth or rib  24  to engage a side wall  12 . Alternative constructions are possible. That is, the horizontal run  20  may be in the form of a series of legs or elements as may be the vertical run or section  22 . The rib  24  may also be in the form of multiple teeth. The tooth  24  is designed to grip, fit into, or cut into the side wall  12  so as to enhance the holding function of the carrier. The second gripping member  18  likewise has, in a preferred embodiment, a horizontal run  26  and a vertical or depending run or leg  28  with an inwardly projecting rib or tooth  30 . Generally channels  16 ,  18  are mirror images of one another. Preferably, the channels  16 ,  18  are elongate and extend laterally across the width of the item (battery) to be carried. This arrangement functions to balance the load and spread the load of the item carried.  
         [0022]    The first gripping member or channel  16  has a handle member  32  attached thereto. The handle member  32  includes a first vertical run  34  and a second horizontal run  36  with a threaded end  38 . Similarly, a second handle member  40  attaches to channel  18  and includes a vertical run  42 , a connected horizontal run  44  and a threaded end  46 . The ends  38 ,  46  are axially aligned and in opposed relation to one another in the preferred embodiment. Handle members  32 ,  40  attach respectively to the midpoints of channels  16 ,  18  to facilitate balance of the load to be carried by the carrier, though for special situations, the members  32 ,  34  may be offset from the center of channels  16 ,  18 . A handle connecting member  50 , which includes an internal threaded passage  52 , may be threadably connected with the ends  38 ,  46  respectively. Thus, the ends  38 ,  46  are threaded in opposite directions and threads within the opposite ends of bore or passage  52  of connecting member  50  are compatible with the threads  38 ,  46  respectively. Rotation of the connecting handle  50  about its centerline axis will cause the handle members  32 ,  40  to move toward or away from each other in accord with the sense and pitch of threads on the ends  38 ,  46 . In this manner, the gripping channels  16 ,  18  are moved inwardly or outwardly, depending upon desires and needs. When attaching the assembly to a vehicle battery, the connecting handle  50  is rotated so as to cause the channels  16 ,  18  to move closer to one another thereby causing the teeth  24 ,  30  to engage the side walls  12 ,  14  respectively. Thus, the carrier is tightly engaged with the sides of the battery  10 . The carrier and battery  10  may then be lifted or moved laterally so as to take the battery from its position within a vehicle or to place the battery in a desired location. Reversing the operation effects removal of the carrier from engagement with battery  10 .  
         [0023]    Other types of adjustable connecting mechanisms for connecting handle  50  and the telescoping ends  38 ,  46  may be utilized to engage those component parts and insure that they will remain fixed in relative position to one another after appropriate adjustment. For example, some type of sliding connection may be provided, along with a means for locking the elements together. Another equivalent option is to provide a threaded connection for only one of the two opposed handle members  34 ,  40 . The particular shape of the handle members  34 ,  40  as well as their cross sectional shape, dimensional extents and orientation may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The particular configuration and shape of the channel members  16 ,  18  may also be varied. Importantly, some type of means for gripping the sides  12 ,  14  of the battery  10  are considered to be appropriate. More than one set of the handle members  32 ,  40  may be used with a single set of channels  16 ,  18 . In such circumstance, the handle members may be connected to function together or separate to function independently. Thus, while there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIGS. 4 through 7 illustrate a second and preferred embodiment of the invention. Referring to those figures, the first channel  60  and a second channel  62  having a substantially identical construction and positioned opposite one another. Each include an upwardly extending second plate  64  and  66  welded thereto. The plate is a flat planar steel plate and is welded substantially at the midline axis  68  extending between the midpoint of the channel or gripping members  60 ,  62 . The plates  64 ,  66  are generally congruent in size and shape. Each plate  64 ,  66  extends upwardly from an upper run  70  and  72 , respectively associated with the gripping channels  60  and  62 , respectively. The upper or horizontal run  70  and  72  extends an equal distance from opposite sides of the center line axis  68  and the plates  64 ,  66  are parallel.  
         [0025]    The channels  60  and  62  further each include depending vertically extending runs  74  and  76  which project or extend on opposite sides of the midline axis  68  in an equal and opposite direction and thus extend at least as far as the horizontal runs  70  and  72 , respectively. Projecting inwardly at an angle in the range of about 45° from the vertical plate  74  and  76  are gripping ledges or flanges  78  and  80 , respectively, attached and extending inwardly from the vertical plates  74  and  76 . The gripping edges  78  and  80  extend in equal and opposite directions inwardly from the midline axis  68  toward each other and are coextensive with the planar vertical plate runs  74  and  76 . In the preferred embodiment the channels  60  and  62  include a horizontal plate run  70 , a vertical plate run  74  and a gripping flange  78  all of which are coextensive in their extension in opposite directions from the midline axis  68  and in the preferred embodiment extend at least two to four times the width of the upstanding plates  64  and  66 , the width thereof being identified as the width  82  in the figure.  
         [0026]    Extending inwardly along a center line axis  84  from plates  64 ,  66  are first and second threaded rods  86  and  88 . The rods  86  and  88  are welded at one end to the plates  64  and  66 , respectively. The opposite ends are threaded and may be threadably engaged by a threaded handle  90  having internal threads. The threaded rods  86  and  88  are threaded in a reverse or opposite sense and the internal threads within the handle  90  are appropriately compatible therewith. Thus, by rotating the handle  90  in one sense about the axis  84 , the gripping flanges  60  and  62  move together. Rotation in the opposite sense will cause the flanges of the gripping sections  60  and  62  to become spaced one from the other. Preferably the distance between the axes  68  and  84  is in the range of one to two inches. This distance is minimized in order to diminish the impact of any twisting or torque associated with tightening the handle  90  thereby tending to cause separation of the gripping members  60  and  62 . Preferably the distance between the upper flanges  70  and the axis  84  is no more than two to three times the width  82 . Importantly, the gripping members  60  and  62  extend at least three inches in opposite directions from the axis  68  so as to provide in effect a member which can sufficiently clasp against the rim of a battery, for example, or any other item which can be carried without slippage and to accommodate the rims which are discontinuous, broken, or otherwise imperfect. That is the result of extending flanges  78  and  80  which fit under a rim  90  of a battery. However, if a rim  90  is broken or discontinuous the flange  78  extends for an adequate distance to ensure that the gripping action will be maintained. With the construct of the present invention it is possible to ensure such gripping action. Further by welding or attachment of the plates  64  and  66  to top run or horizontal runs  70  and  72 , respectively, and providing narrow vertical runs  74  and  76 , access to restricted areas within an engine department is promoted. This feature differentiates, among others, the present invention and prior art constructions.