Konker Battery Pliers

[Plyerman]

Ad from 1928 Beckley-Ralston catalog on pg. 11 of the June 2009 MVWC Newsletter : " terminal remover - terminal cleaner - post scraper - battery carrier - hammer - two screw drivers - four wrenches "  Trade name used by MARION MFG. CORP, MARION OH.

Boy that sure sounds like it, thanks Stan!

[bonneyman]

Here's an Indestro battery clamp lifter that I think is along the same lines as the OP's plier-tool.

[turnnut]

 that's one that I havn't seen before.

[john k]

Auto batteries in the 20s had two finger holes cast into each end of the case, standing proud, 1.5-2 inches above the case.   These hooks would have fit nicely into them to lift, as per the photo. 

[bill300d]

You mean like this John? I don't think I've seen one with the ears like that , at least that I can remember.

[john k]

I have seen one case outside a magazine.  Should have picked it up, was laying in an iron pile, hard rubber.  They used tar to seal over the top of the cells.  This one was long since empty. 

[ela]

I have seen many a strange looking tools never one like this one. I do see where each part has its own function.
Awesome tool,

[Bill Houghton]

...but it seems to me that the case would be bolted down at the bottom

I think the battery being bolted down at the bottom is a fairly modern thing.

Yep.  Back when I was a gas pump jockey in the 60s - we refilled the gas pumps by going out back and milking the dinosaur herd - pretty well all batteries were held down by brackets that sat atop the batteries, held down by long bolts that went into the base of the battery tray.  Two common patterns, as I recall: a bracket that surrounded the battery top (you had to be careful not to let the hot cable touch it) and one that went across the battery about in the middle.  The first kind was more or less universal for six-volt batteries, because six-volt batteries had a cap for refilling the electrolyte in the center of the top; the second kind was more flexible as to battery size.  Going back to the first kind, it wasn't uncommon to wind up with a top clamp that was larger than the battery, because the right size was out of stock when you had to replace one; for obvious reasons, you couldn't have one that was smaller than the battery.

They were easier to remove/install than some of the modern bottom-mounted clamps.  On our newer Volvo (2008), I needed a spring removal tool to remove and reinstall the clamp.  Volvo puts the battery in a plastic box, and thoughtfully provides a very long clamping bolt, but they seem to think mechanics have eight-inch-long fingers the dimensions of a feeler gauge for reaching the actual clamp.  And they were also easier to field engineer/modify, when you couldn't get the right kind.

[turnnut]

 and then there were the automobiles that had the battery under the drivers seat.  back in the early 50's, I had a 1937  Graham, and
  one day I had a hot seat with smoke, I pulled over and removed the seat, there was a broken seat spring that was touching the battery.

  I made a wood cover for the opening.  those were the days when sometimes we would bring the battery in the house at night on very
  cold nights. auto's have come a long ways.   

[Bill Houghton]

and then there were the automobiles that had the battery under the drivers seat.  back in the early 50's, I had a 1937 Graham, and one day I had a hot seat with smoke, I pulled over and removed the seat, there was a broken seat spring that was touching the battery.

That was a problem at times with the old VW bugs, too, which kept the battery under the back seat.  As I remember it now, they were issued with a factory cover over everything, but the cover didn't always survive the first battery change.  The buses were safer, but the battery was off to one side of the engine compartment, and you couldn't add electrolyte/water without a special low-clearance battery-water bottle, or a turkey baster and a mirror.  Or removing the battery, which was a pain.

And then we have the Triumph TR2 (and maybe TR3, can't recall), on which the two six-volt batteries, connected in series to make a 12-volt system, were one on each side of the driveshaft.  The cable went over the driveshaft, with a sheet metal shroud to keep it from rubbing; but if the u-joints cut loose, the driveshaft could beat the !@$%$&^ out of the batteries.

[Papaw]

I had an MGA and the battery was under the rear floorboard where you could't see the Lucas Smoke escaping !

[p_toad]

Ha ha...   love the batteries.   Years ago a friend had a Karmen Ghia and the battery was just loose in the trunk and i was out tooling around getting some practice on a stick since i hadn't driven one in a while.   Sudden stop pulled the battery loose on the one side and i couldn't get started again (well, not at first).

[Bill Houghton]

Ha ha...   love the batteries.   Years ago a friend had a Karmen Ghia and the battery was just loose in the trunk and i was out tooling around getting some practice on a stick since i hadn't driven one in a while.   Sudden stop pulled the battery loose on the one side and i couldn't get started again (well, not at first).

There was, originally, a hold-down on those.

[bonneyman]

Just found out Epstein has scans of old tool catalogs they have lying around. Was looking through their 1966 Herbrand catalog, and came across a "Battery lifter and scraper" plier that looks very close to the OP's tool. And they're claiming it's a design exclusive to them. Worth a look-see.

https://archive.org/stream/Herbrand1966ToolCatalog/herbrand1966catalog#page/n33/mode/2up

[Nasutushenri]

Bonneyman, that's this one, bought 40 years ago on the Amsterdam flea market.

Regards,
Henri

Herbrand and New Britain Pliers, Made in U.S.A. by Henri Nasutus, on Flickr