Abstract: A fail safe power supply system specially adapted for supplying power to devices such as lights. A battery is provided to supply power to the devices, and during normal operation, charge on the battery is maintained within selected levels by a charging control system that is connected to a source of commercial power. During a commercial power outage, the battery continues to supply normal power to the devices for a prolonged period of time, usually until commercial power is restored, thus obviating the necessity for a separate backup power source.

Abstract: A fail safe power supply system specially adapted for supplying power to devices such as lights. A battery is provided to supply power to the devices, and during normal operation, charge on the battery is maintained within selected levels by a charging control system that is connected to a source of commercial power. During a commercial power outage, the battery continues to supply normal power to the devices for a prolonged period of time, usually until commercial power is restored, thus obviating the necessity for a separate backup power source.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for conditioning batteries such as those of the nickel-cadmium type for which deep discharge prior to recharge is desirable. Mechanical programming plates having different patterns of apertures for batteries of different characteristics are provided. When a battery is to be conditioned, one of the programming plates having an aperture pattern representing the characteristics of that battery is attached to the battery and the combined battery/programming plate is positioned on the battery conditioner. A surface of the conditioner contains programming pins that sense the aperture pattern on the programming plate and automatically program the discharging/charging circuits to provide a discharge/charge sequence that is tailored to the particular characteristics of the battery being conditioned.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for conditioning batteries incorporates a programming device having different signatures for batteries of different characteristics. When a battery is to be conditioned, one of the programming devices representing the characteristics of that battery is attached to the battery and the combined battery/programming device is positioned on the battery conditioner. A surface of the conditioner contains a reading device that reads the signature of the programming device and automatically programs the discharging/charging circuits to provide a discharge/charge sequence that is tailored to the particular characteristics of the battery being conditioned. Programming devices can include mechanical complementary protrusions and apertures, bar codes, magnetic strips, magnetic spots with Hall-Effect readers, electrical parameters, built-in wire coding, and other suitable complementary signatures and readers.