Battery post clamp member

Claim 1

A battery connector, for connecting a battery cable to a battery terminal, comprising a pair of cooperable clamp members disposed in side-by-side non-crossing relation, each having a recess in its opposing face, each of said recesses being generally semicylindrical and aligned to form a generally cylindrical bore in the assembled structure, a torsion spring comprising a coiled helical portion terminating at its ends in tangentially extending leg portions, said spring having its coiled portion thereof disposed in said bore with each leg portion disposed adjacent to and engaged with a respective clamp member for inserting forces on said clamp members to retain said clamp members in assembled relation, each of said clamp members having a further recess therein, disposed to form cooperable terminal-engaging portions adapted to clamp a battery terminal therebetween and connecting means connecting said clamp members at opposed faces, intermediate said spring recesses and said terminal engaging recesses, said connecting means being fixedly carried by one of said clamp members and slidably engaging the other of said clamp members for maintaining said members in operative aligned relation but permitting separating movement thereof, one of said clamp members having means thereon for the reception and securing of the conductor of a battery cable, said connecting means comprising a relatively thin flat metallic strip having a pair of ends, and said clamp members including respective slots receiving said flat metallic strip, said slots being so designed that said strip is received in one of said slots by a press fit and is slidable in the other of said slots.