a battery charger having positioning and support apparatus for aligning batteries of varying sizes is disclosed . a recess in the battery charger housing has tapering sides which produce a charging pocket wider toward the front of the charger than toward the rear . batteries of varying thickness have sloping sides which conform to the angle of taper of the battery charger . rib members on the tapering sides engage slots in the batteries such that the batteries upon insertion into the charging pocket are initially guided by the tapering sides and then accurately positioned by the rib members .