Switched emergency battery system

A dual battery, comprising:

• a housing having first and second terminals extending therefrom, said terminals configured for attachment to conventional vehicle battery cable systems;
• first and second batteries disposed within said housing;
• means for maintaining electrical communication between said first and second batteries and said first and second terminals;
• switch means for selectively conducting current from said second battery to one of said first and second terminals when said switch means is on, said switch means configured to inhibit current flow from said second battery to said terminals when said switch means is off;
• charge means for permitting current flow from at least one of said terminals to said second battery when said switch means is off;
• wherein said charge means comprises a diode having a resistor in series therewith, said resistor exhibiting a resistance which varies as a function of power dissipated thereby such that the level of current flowing through said diode is in the range of about 0.3 to 3 amps.

A dual battery, comprising:

• a container;
• a main battery disposed in the container comprising a series of main battery elements;
• a reserve battery disposed in the container comprising a series of reserve battery elements;
• a main pair of positive and negative terminations disposed near opposite ends of the series of main battery elements;
• a reserve pair of positive and negative terminations disposed near opposite ends of the series of reserve battery elements;
• electrical connectors connecting the negative terminations of the main and reserve batteries and the positive terminations of the main and reserve batteries, one of said electrical connectors including a changing circuit which comprise a diode and a resistor connected in series with the diode for limiting the amount of current which flows through the diode
• and further comprising a switch for selectively interrupting one of the electrical connectors, said switch being connected in parallel with said charging circuit.

A dual battery, comprising:

• an elongated container having a bottom wall, a plurality of side walls, an open upper end, a first series of spaced internal cell walls for defining a series of main cell compartments, a second series of internal cell walls for defining a series of reverse cell compartments, and a partition wall for isolating the main cell compartments from the reserve cell compartments;
• a cover which fits over and is secured to the open upper end of the container;
• a series of main battery elements each comprising a plurality of battery plates disposed in each of the main cell compartments;
• first intercell electrical connectors for joining each of the main battery elements in series;
• a series of reserve battery elements each comprising a plurality of battery plates disposed in each of the reserve cell compartments;
• second intercell electrical connectors for joining each of the reserve battery elements in series;
• a main pair of positive and negative terminations disposed near opposite ends of the series of main cell compartments;
• a reserve pair of positive and negative terminations disposed near opposite ends of the series of reserve call compartments;
• electrical connectors connecting the negative terminations of the main and reserve batteries and the positive terminations of the main and reserve batteries;
• and
• a switch for selectively interrupting one of the electrical connectors.