Abstract:
An electrical connector to post-type batteries in which the electrical cable or the like is selectively settably gripped using jaw elements movable toward or away from each other.

Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to battery electrical connectors, and more particularly to such connectors useful for example in conjunction with so-called automobile batteries. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Such connectors known in the prior art include devices identical in their post and post-clamp portions with the preferred embodiment disclosed herein; however such prior art devices include wire-connecting portions for making a conventional crimping relationship rather than jawed selective wire-clamp portions; the three portions are in the same special relationship with one another as disclosed in the preferred embodiment herein, and formed like the latter from an integral biscuit-like (except for peripheral shape) flat cutout from tin-plated Alloy 260 cartridge brass sheet 0.050 inches thick. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is my conception that such an electrical connector more desirably includes integrally with its post portion a wire-clamp portion easily selectively connected mounted on a wire bundle by simple tightening of an integral clamp wall therearound. 
     In most preferred embodiments, the wire-clamp portion includes a pair of facing jaw surfaces, the jaws being hingedly connected through a bendable (about a longitudinal axis) wire-holding portion; each jaw includes along free edges flanges perpendicularly therefrom in directions away from the other jaw; a bolt bead cooperates with inner surfaces of the flanges of one jaw to prevent bolt turning; the jaw surface of the last-mentioned jaw lies in a plane parallel with that of symmetry of the post portion; and the jaw surface of the other jaw is the locus of lines parallel to that longitudinal axis and defining a plane at an angle of 30 degrees to that of the other before tightening through holes in the jaws of a bolt including the bolt head. 
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     My specification of a preferred embodiment follows. 
    
    
     DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the presently preferred embodiment, shown with its wire bundle. 
     FIG. 2 is a plan view of said embodiment. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevation thereof. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are end elevation views thereof. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view at  6 — 6  of FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 7 is a plan view of the blank for forming into the preferred embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     There is shown in FIG. 1 at  10  a conventional bundle of wires, covered as is conventional by separate wires insulation (not shown) and by insulation sleeve  10   a.    
     The wire bundle  10  is shown in FIG. 1 lying on the lower inside surface  12  (FIG. 5) of the bendable, cylindrical wire-gripping wire jaw portion, indicated generally at  14 . When nut  16  is further tightened, to bend portion  14  to bring the inner surface  18  of jaw element (indicated generally at)  20  into general parallelism with both the inner surface  22  of jaw element (indicated generally at)  24  and the plane of symmetry containing the centerline of post portion indicated generally at  26 , the insulated wire bundle  10  is clamped against generally semicylindrical portion  12  for about 180 degrees. 
     Jaw element  20  carries integrally three flanges  20   a,    20   b,  and  20   c.  Jaw element  24  carries integrally three flanges  24   a,    24   b,  and  24   c.  These flanges extend perpendicularly outwardly of flat central jaw surfaces  18  and  22 , from respectively locations longitudinally closest, intermediately close to, and farthest from the battery post portion  26 . Round hole  30  extends through the thickness of jaw element  24 . Round hole  32  extends through the thickness of jaw element  20 . Grooves  34 , parallel and triangular in cross-section in the plane of symmetry already mentioned, with apices in that plane pointing outwardly of the portion  14 , extend transversely and circumferentially about half way around inner surface  12 . 
     Neck  40 , defined on opposed transverse sides by opposed semicylindrical cut sheet portions  42  extending each almost 180 degrees, integrally joins wire-clamp portion  14  and battery post portion  26 . 
     Portion  26  is provided with flange  46  integral with neck  40  from which flange rises frustoconical wall  48  with upper edge  50 . Extending intermediately of the height of wall  48  within concentric frustoconical hole  52  therethrough from just about the bottom of said hole to just below the top of said hole are a multiplicity of blind (i.e., bottomed, not extending through the wall to its outer surface any more than to its top or bottom) slots  54 , each providing spaced sharp 90 degree edges. Each slot  54  has a length extending with its centerline generally corresponding with a line extending from the imaginary apex of the frustocone as extended along the imaginary plane of symmetry passing through that apex and the centerline of the particular slot  54 . Extending longitudinally into portion  26  about a plane parallel with those of edge  50  and flange  46  and about half way therebetween is slot  56 , extending circumferentially about 180 degrees and narrowing in height in the direction of its opening. 
     Flange  46  extends integrally to provide also a flange  58  for the post-clamp portion, indicated generally at  60 . Notches  62  are opposed to facilitate provision of flanges  64  extending integrally, perpendicularly transversely oppositely outwardly of portion  60 . Jaw elements  66  and  68  are integral with wall  48  and flanges  46  and  58 . Holes  70  provide for nut- and bolt-tightening down toward each other of jaw elements  66  and  68 , to secure clamping at post portion  26 . Protrusions  72  provide mutually engaging limits on movement together of the jaw elements. 
     Operation 
     Wire bundle  10 , from the end wires of which insulation has been stripped, is placed as shown in FIG. 1, and then nut  16  tightened on bolt  80  with square head  82  prevented from turning by abutting head surfaces  84 ; so that tightening moves surface  18  into general parallelism with surface  24 , conductively gripping in portion  12  the bundle  10 . The jaw elements  20  and  24  in respectively their surfaces  18  and  22  are selectively reversibly movable relatively toward and away from each other and selectably settable relative to each other at positions to which they have been moved. The sharp edges, pointing into the wires, of elements  34 , improve conductive contact. 
     Hole  52  of portion  26  is lowered into contact with a battery post of configuration to fit matingly. A nut is then tightened on a bolt (neither shown) through holes  70  of portion  60  to draw together jaw elements  66 ,  68  to provide tightly clamping mechanical and electrical contact between the battery post and the inner surface of wall  48 , contact aided by sharp-edged blind slots  54 , which tend to dig in. Undue tightening is restricted by protrusions  72 . 
     The new invention, with its easy means of connecting to or disconnecting from wire-clamping portion and wires, puts these operations with much easier facility in the hands of actual users, such as car owners. 
     Manufacture 
     First, I make a flat sheet metal “cookie” with perimeter to provide the ultimate shape of a connector, with cut-through holes  30 ,  32 , and  70  and slot  56 , and indentations  34 ,  54 , and  72 . The blank thus provided is then shaped into the configuration of the preferred connector embodiment. The slot  56  aids in forming; in the blanks its upper and lower portions from the half circles are parallel, but they come to slope toward each other centrally in forming the connector. 
     Other Embodiments 
     Other embodiments will occur to those in the art.