US1103250A

US1103250A - Separable attachment-plug.

Info

Publication number: US1103250A
Application number: US51214709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Reuben B Benjamin
Original assignee: Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1909-08-10
Filing date: 1909-08-10
Publication date: 1914-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 1931-07-14

Description

' R. B. BENJAMIN. SEPARABLE ATTACHMENT PLUG.

' I APPLICATION FILED AUG.10, 1909. Lmfifimn Patented July m, 1914;

. I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. @1 25? Z fl {it 12 R. B. BENJAMIN. SEPARABLB ATTACHMENT PLUG;

- v APPLICATION I'iLED AUG. 10, 1909- l ].@3 %5@ Patented July M, 11.9%

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Improvements part of UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILL

INOIS, ASSIG-NOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

EPARAZBLEATTACHMENT-PLUG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at (.hicago, of Illinois, have invented new and useful in Separable Attachment- Plu gs, of which the following-is a full, clear, concise; and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in separable attachment-plugs, the ob ect ot the invention being to provide a device in which the part which makes connection directly with the stationary socket may be readily separated, when desired, from the part which carries the binding terminals to which are secured the leading-out conductors, the device being so constructed, however, that accidental separation is not likely to occur unless an abnormal strain be placed upon the conductors, when the parts may separate in order to prevent damage being done to the device or the stationary socket, or the wires being torn loose from the binding terminals of the. device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which is so constructed that when it is desired to manually*separate" the two parts thereof without jarring the'iixture which carries the socket with which connection is made this may be done by givinga slight rotation to the part which is grasped by the hand, this being the part which carries the binding screws and wires.

Heretofore, as separable attachment plugs have usually been constructed, the separation of the parts has been effected by simply withdrawing one of the parts from the other with a straight pull. This has proven to be objectionable in many instances as where the socket with which connection is made forms a chandelier carrying a number of lamps and shades therefor. When a direct pull is exerted to separate the parts the separation is resisted for a time until the force exerted becomes great enough to overcome the resistance of the clips or other parts which tend to hold the members of the plug together whereupon these members separate with a sudden jerk which is liable to cause damage to the chandelier, shades and the like. By the use of my invention this difficulty is overcome, it being possible Specification of Letters Patent.

in the county of Cook and State,

Patented July 14,1914.

-Application filed August 10, 1909. Serial No. 512,147.

to separate one part of the plug from the other without any undue force being em-' ployed or vibration caused.

In the accomplishment of the above objects I provide a cap member. which is arranged to be screwed into the stationary socket, which cap member carries a side contactand an end contact arranged for engage ment with the corresponding contacts of the socket. I'then provide a plug member from which extend the leading-out wires, said plug member being arranged'tobe inserted into the cap member and, when soinserted, to make electrical connection bet-ween certain contactscarried thereby and the contacts of said cap member, the contacts of the plug being electrically connected with the binding terminals to which the wires are secured. Electrical connection is thus made between the wires and the contacts of the stationary socket. I also provide means whereby an abnormal strain exerted in a direction which would tend to cause the plug member to pull out of the cap member will not be resisted to such an extent as to prevent such separation, although any such strain as would ordinarily be placed upon the device will be insufficient to cause the parts to separate. The interlocking parts upon the two separable members are arranged to make connection when one of saidmembers is thrust directly into the other. After the parts have thusbecome locked together suflicient resistance to the separation of said parts is ofiered'to prevent the same from separating under ordinary conditions, as

above stated, but if a sh ht rotation is given plug member being forced out of the cap member to some extent, thus insuring the parts remaining detached from each other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device with the two separable members put together; Fig. 2 is a bottom'plan view of the upper or cap member, or that member which is arranged to be inserted into a socket; Fig. 3 is a top *plan view of the lower or plug member; Fig. l is a bottom plan view of the plug member, the insulating cap which incloses the lower part of the same being removed; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device with the separable members connected to each other; Fig. 6 illustrates the device ring.

tion being taken on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 4:,

looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a portion of the plug member, the section being'taken on thel'ine 8 -8 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

in the several figures of the drawings, 10 is an-insulating base member which occupies the upper portion and extends somewhat beyond the upper end of a. threaded metallic ring 11. Below the threaded part of the ring the same is drawn in slightly at 12, the base 10 resting upon the shoulder formed by thus drawing in the material of the ringgand beingfurtber held in place by the indented semicircular bosses 12 on the To hold the base against upward movement in the ring the base is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed cavities 13, the material of'the ring at its upper edge being turned over into these recesses at 14. Surrounding-the lower portion of the ring is an insulating sleeve 15, the latter being prevented from slipping off the lower end of the threaded ring by forming the ring with ahead 16 at its lower edge and beading the insulating sleeve at 17 so that the head on thering'oecupies the bead in the sleeve.

The lower'p'ortion of the insulating base is chambered out 'at 18. From this chamber a' passage extends upward through the base and opens at the upper end of the latter.

A contact member comprising a strip 19,

which extends acrossthe upper end of the chamber in-the base and is provided with a downwardly extending leg 20 at each of its ends, is secured inposition in the chamber by means of a hollow rivet 21 which extends through the aperture of the base and is headed over at' its upper end to form a center contact member for the device. When the cap member, which comprises the base and threaded ring, is screwed into a socket electrical connection is made by the threaded ring with the threaded contact of the sm-ket" and by the contact member 21 with the center contact of the socket.

Thelower or plug member comprises an insulating base 21 made somewhat coneshapedand having a metallic ring 22 extending around its lower and larger portion, this'ringbeing turned over inward upon a shoulder 23 formed upon the base. The lower end of the ring 22 is drawn in under the base 21 and then extends downward to formf a neck: 2 having screw threads rolled. in the material thereof. A 'cap 25, whichinc'loses the threaded part 24 of the is formed of insulating material and has a neck portion 26 which is exteriorly screw threaded and screws up into the neck 24. Between the upper edge of the cap 25 and the shoulder caused by drawing in the material of the ring 22 under the base is arranged an insulating ring 27 which extends laterally beyond the edge of the cap so as tobe readily grasped by the fingers of a person. Upon the lower end of the base there is formed a projecting hump 28 which extends down fora short distance into the neck 26 of the insulating cap 25. When the leading-out conductors are in posit-ion and the cap 25 is screwed up in place the conductors are gripped between the inner wall ofthe upper end of the neck 26 and this hump 28, whereby the conductors are rin 22,

securely held and undue strain, which might otherwise be exerted upon the binding screws to tear the conductors from the same, is avoided.

When the base 21 and the ring 22 carried thereby, which form the insertible part of the device, are thrust into the lower end of the cap portion. of the device electrical conuection is made between the interior of the ring 11 and the exterior of the ring 22. To insure good electrical contact being made the ring 11 is provided with three inwardly projecting bumps 30 which make rubbing contact with the ring 22. A binding screw 31 is provided for making electrical connection of one of the leading-out conductors with the ring '22. this binding screw being carried by a tonguex32 formed by cutting the ring 22 vertically at each side of the screw' 31','the tongue being set back into a suitable recess formed in the base 21. The screw 31 is provided with a nut 33 located in the recess in the base, being prevented from rotating by the-shape of the recess. A passage 34 extends from the under side of the base up to the tongue 32, this passage being pro Theupper portion of the chamber 35 is en larged in diameter to receive a cup-shaped contact piece 37. The contact piece 37 is held in posit-ion by a plate 38 which is provided with apair of prongs 39, the latter being bent downward at a right angle with the body of .theplate and extendingthrough openings or passages which lead down from the chamber 35. The lower ends 40 of these prongs are turned outward and extend laterally into channels 41 in the under side of the base. A-binding screw 38* screws into the pelled to open.

. Within the other unlocks the device. 30 little efl'ort is required in revolving the plug plate 38 and has its head sunk in the cupshaped contact piece 37. An opening 37 is made in the contact piece 37 for the passage of the second wire to the binding screw 38 after the same has been brought up through the passage 36. The cup-shaped contact piece 37 has its side walls bowed outward intermediate its top and bottonn thus becoming an enlarged head which, when the lower or plug portion of the device is inserted into the upper or-cap portion thereof, is gripped upon oppositesides by the resilient, fingers 20 of. the contact piece 19 carried by the cap portion. The lower ends ,of the contact 'fingers 20 are inclined, inward and then outward so that when the parts are thrust together the contact fingers will be wedged apart to permit the head 37 to pass therebetween. I The inwardly projecting heels 42 upon the-contact fingers grip under the head 37 when the parts are put together, and thus hold the plug portion of the device locked to the cap portlon.

The upper end of the base 21 of the plug portion is made Wedge-shaped,'being tapered off at each side of a line extending across the axis, as clearly seen in Figs. 3, and 6. When the parts are thrusttoget-her, as illus trated in Fig. '5, the lower, outwardly inclined portions of the contact fingers rest upon the inclined sides 43 of the base 21 but arenqt prevented from firmly gripping the head 37. If, however, a slight rotation be given to the plug portion of the device, the inclined lower endsofthe spring fingers are caused to rideu the inclines and are .com-

en the plug portion has beenrevolved far enough to carry the contact fingers nearly up to the highest points of the lnclines the lingers are opened sufficiently to release the head from their grasp, permitting the plug portion of the device to drop out of the cap portion. a f By the arrangement of a head upon the lower portion and resilient fingers upon the upper portion arranged to grip under this head, there is afi'orded a form of lock which is impositive, .and whichthus permitsthe device to be separated when an undue pull-- ing strain is exerted upon the parts, this look being, however, sufliciently positive in its action to give-all needed security against separation under normal conditions. By

theprovision of the wedge-shaped portion upon the upper end of the plug adjacent the head means are provided whereby a' slight rotation (at most a movement equal to onefourth of a complete revolution) of one. part Very member to separate the members, thus but little twisting effect is imparted to the upperi portion of the device. When the parts are brought to the proper angular relation to each other the plug portion is automatically thrust out by the resilient fingers, thus not only is no direct pull upon the plug required when the device is to be manually separated, but it is, rendered impossible to give such a pull to the device if the plug is turned to the unlocking position. It will thus be seen that in unlocking one part from the other the action is exceedingly smooth, there being complete freedom from the sudden breaking away of one part from the other, with the consequent tendency to a reaction, which is common'to, other separable attachment plugs, and which reaction results in damage to fixtures, shades and the like,

7 Having thus described my invention, what ters Patent, is:

1. An attachment plug comprising two separable members, one of said members having contacts for cotiperation with the contacts of a socket, and the other member having binding terminals associated therewith; means for locking said members together with said contacts in electrical communication with said binding terminals, said locking means being releasable upon the application of a predetermined force to said binding-terminal-carrying-member in a direct pull, and manually operable means for releasing said locking means and at the same time forcing'said members apart.

2. An attachment plug comprising two separable members, one of said members having contacts for cooperation with the with; means for locking said members tomunication with said binding terminals, said locking means being releasable upon the application of a predetermined force to said binding-terrninal-carrying-member in a direct; pull; and means for releasing said looking means and at the same time forcing said members apart, upon rotation of one of said members with respect to the other.

3. In an attachment plug, the combination of a pair of separable members, one of said members having contacts for cooperatien with the contacts of a socket, binding terminalscarried by the other of said members, means for looking said memberstogethe'r with said contacts and binding terminals in electrical communication with each other upon a direct thrust of one of said members toward the other, said lockin gmeans being releasable upon the application of a predetermined force to said binding-terminal-carrying-member in a direct pull, and means the. other. g

4.- An attachment plug comprising two separable members, one of saidmembers hecontacts of a socket, and the other member gether with said contacts in electrical com for releasing said locking mean upon rota-- *tion of one of said members with respect to 'ing provided with a center contact and an I claim as new and desire to'secureby Letouter contact ,for engaging the center contact and the threaded contact respectively of a socket, and the other of said members hav said last-named member being rotated.

An attachment plug comprising twoI separable members, one of said members b' ing provided with a center contact and an outer contact for engaging the center cond tact and the threaded contact respectively: of a .socket, and the other of said members, having binding terminals associated there-: with, said second-named member being formed with a cam surface; a contact head carried by said second-named member and electrically connected with one of the binding terminals thereof; and a spring clip carried by said first-named member and adapted to receive said head when said members are thrust together, said clip being electri' cally connected with one of the contacts of said first-named member, and said clip being arranged to be engaged by the cam surface of sz'zid second-named member and'o pened. thereby upon said second-named member being rotated.

(i. In a. separable attachment plug, the combination of a pair of telescoping members, external contacts carried by one of said members, binding terminals carried by the other of said members and arranged to be brought into electrical connection with said external contacts when said members are thrust together, one of said members- .having an incline formed thereon, a' head extending beyond said incliile, and resilient fingers carried by the other member and,

1,103,2gsd

thereby forced outof engagement with said head.

7. A separable attachment plug comprising' a pair" of telescoping members, one of said members being provided with a center contact and an outer contact for engaging the center contact and the threaded'contact respectively of a socket, and the otheri'of said members having binding terminalsassoclated therewith, said second-namedmeIIlher having an incline formed thereon; a

contact head carried by said second-named member and electrically connected with one of the binding terminals thereof;' and resilient fingers carried by said first-named member and electrically connected with one of the contacts thereof, said fingers being arranged to ride upon said incline when said second-named member is rotated and to be said contact-sleeve at the indented portion thereof. y

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

REUBENB. ENJ MIN; Witnesses: 4

\OHARLES G. Corn,

QHAs. L. HOPKINS,