Electrical power supply

Claim 2

A power supply comprising: output terminals; a plurality of batteries; means for sequentially coupling said plurality of batteries, one at a time to said output terminals, said means for sequentially coupling one of said batteries at a time to said output terminals comprising means for uncoupling from said output terminals the then coupled battery upon a change from normal of a predetermined battery characteristic and simultaneously coupling another battery, not previously coupled, to said output terminals.

Claim 3

A power supply as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for sequentially coupling said plurality of batteries, one at a time to said output terminals comprises a plurality of relays and diodes, one relay and one diode being connected in series across the terminals of each one of said plurality of batteries except for the last one of said plurality of batteries connected to said output terminals, said last battery being directly connected to said output terminals.

Claim 4

A power supply as defined in claim 2 wherein said predetermined battery characteristic is the output voltage and said coupled battery is uncoupled from said output terminals when said output voltage of said coupled battery falls below the normal operating voltage of said battery.

Claim 5

A power supply as defined in claim 3 wherein means are provided for actuating the first of said plurality of batteries coupled to said output terminals and said relays iNclude means to actuate the next battery to be coupled to said output terminals from the power available from said battery just previously coupled to said output terminals.

Claim 6

A power supply as defined in claim 4 wherein said plurality of batteries are reserve cell batteries.

Claim 7

A power supply as defined in claim 4 wherein said batteries are dry charged batteries.

Claim 8

A power supply comprising: output terminals, a plurality of normally inactive batteries, said plurality of batteries each having an output voltage of zero when inactive and an output voltage greater than zero when active; means for activating a first one of said plurality of batteries; means for sequentially activating said plurality of batteries, one at a time, after said first one has been activated from the power available from the just previously activated battery when a predetermined characteristic of said just previously activated battery reaches an abnormal level; means for applying the output voltage of each of said plurality of batteries, including said first battery, to said output terminals when said battery is activated; and means for removing the output voltage of each battery, except the last battery activated, when said predetermined characteristic reaches said abnormal level, whereby said plurality of batteries are sequentially activated and the output voltage of each battery is sequentially applied and removed from said output terminals.

Claim 9

A power supply comprising: output terminals, a plurality of normally inactive batteries, said plurality of batteries each having an output voltage of zero when inactive and an output voltage greater than zero when active; means for activating a first one of said plurality of batteries; means for sequentially activating said plurality of batteries, one at a time, after said first one has been activated from the power available from the just previously activated battery when a predetermined characteristic of said just previously activated battery reaches an abnormal level; means for applying the output voltage of each of said plurality of batteries, including said first battery, to said output terminals when said battery is activated; and means for removing the output voltage of each battery, except the last battery activated, when said predetermined characteristic reaches said abnormal level, whereby said plurality of batteries are sequentially activated and the output voltage of each battery is sequentially applied and removed from said output terminals.

Claim 10

A power supply as defined in claim 7 wherein said plurality of batteries are dry charged batteries.

Claim 11

A power supply as defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of batteries are reserve cell batteries.

Claim 12

A power supply as defined in claim 7 wherein said means for applying said output voltage of each battery to said output terminals when the battery is activated comprises a plurality of relays one less in number than the number of said plurality of batteries, said plurality relays each having first and second normally closed contacts, each of said first contacts of said plurality of relays being coupled between said output terminals and a different one of said plurality of batteries except for the last battery activated, said last battery activated being directly connected to said output terminals.

Claim 13

A power supply as defined in claim 10 wherein said relays are each sequentially activated by a different battery of said plurality of batteries, except said first one, when the said battery associated with that relay is activated and means are provided to lock open said first and second contacts of each said relay when the relay is energized thereby permanently uncoupling the just previously activated battery from said output terminals when said predetermined characteristic of that battery reaches a said abnormal level.

Claim 14

A power supply as defined in claim 11 wherein said predetermined characteristic is internal battery pressure.

Claim 15

A power supply as defined in claim 12 wherein a plunger is provided with each of said batteries and a normally open switch is provided across the battery terminals of each of said batteries, except for the last battery activated, said plungers each rising above the top of its associated battery to close the switch associated with that battery when said internal battery pressure reaches said abnormal level and thereby establishing a circuit for activating the next battery to be activated from said power available from the just previously activated battery.

Claim 16

A power supply as defined in claim 13 wherein said plurality of batteries are reserve cell batteries.

Claim 17

A power supply as defined in claim 13 wherein said batteries are dry charged batteries.

Claim 18

A power supply as defined in claim 7 wherein said predetermined characteristic is internal battery pressure.

Claim 19

A power supply as defined in claim 7 wherein said predetermined characteristic is battery output voltage.

Claim 20

A power supply as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of batteries are dry charged batteries.

Claim 21

A power Supply as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of batteries are reserve cell batteries.

Claim 22

A power supply as defined in claim 1 wherein said predetermined battery characteristic is the battery output voltage.