Battery receptacle

A battery receptacle for receiving a plurality of batteries for providing a direct current to an electrical device is disclosed. The battery receptacle has a plurality of battery slots each defined by a positive terminal end wall, a negative terminal end wall, and a battery support surface between each positive terminal end wall and each negative terminal end wall. Each positive terminal end wall supports a positive lead for engagement with a positive terminal of each of the plurality of batteries, and each negative terminal end wall supports a negative lead for engagement with a negative terminal of each of the plurality of batteries. Each of a plurality of diodes are coupled to each of the positive leads and to a common positive device lead, and each of the negative leads are coupled to a common negative device lead, for connecting the plurality of batteries in parallel to provide the direct current to the electrical device and for reducing any reverse current from any one of the plurality of batteries to another of the plurality of batteries when the plurality of batteries are placed in the first and second battery slots.