Ring lugs!! Sounds like the original battery holder dissolved around the solder lugs attached to the rivet button contacts. Someone removed the remiansw and left the rivet button and solder lugs flapping in th' breeze. Lotsa' Keithley's and old cutie pies suffered the same fate.
Digikey handles a complete line of the famous Acme aluminum cell holders which the manufacturers used almost exclusively in those older items. Occasionally, they would strike out on their own and kludge up a special holder, but not often with the nice acme holders avaialable.
Warning, The cheapo plastic Radio Shack holders are really attacked by alkaline battery ooze and I once had one fail by plastic embrittlement after the first set of batts when the unit was accidentally left on.
Richard Hull
Created on Wednesday, January 31, 2001 10:04 AM EDT by Richard Hull