Rechargeable battery pack and combination thereof with lantern

A rechargeable battery pack has a rectangular case formed in two box halves secured together at a seam about the top, side and bottom panels thereof, two rechargeable batteries positioned in the case between the bottom and side panels and front and rear panels and cross-ribs extending inwardly from the interior surfaces of the front and rear panels, a transformer for charging the batteries positioned between the front and rear panels by U-shaped flanges extending inwardly from the interior surfaces thereof, two terminals extending through openings in the top of the case formed at the seam and spring biased outwardly by coil springs deployed between the top panel and the heads of the terminals, two secondary terminals mounted within the case and including flexible spring blades self-biased into contact with the feet of the terminals within the case, and wiring connecting the batteries with the secondary terminals for current draw and with the transformer for recharging including a line cord from the transformer through an opening found at the case seam to a plug. When the batteries are of the lead acid type, the flexible spring blades have a free position leaving an air gap relative to the terminal feet, thereby minimizing the possibility of shorting the batteries. The rechargeable battery pack is used in combination with a lantern which has a rib structure accommodating both a standard lantern battery and the rechargeable battery pack, which has different dimensions.