US1040131A - Electric-light socket. - Google Patents

Description

T. A. C. BOTH. ELECTRIC LIGHT SOCKET. APPLIGATIQN FILED 1520.2, 1911,

1,040,1 31 Patented 0011.1, 1912..

WIT/VESSES #(29 L 4.9 /E m BV miv" T. A. C. BOTH.

ELECTRIC LIGHT SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED DBG.2,1911.

1,040,131. Patented 0ct.1,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE ZEE SOCKET AND MFG. C0., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- BATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC-LIGHT SOCKET.

To all 'whom 'it Imuy con-cem:

Be it known that I, ToNJEs AUGUST CARL BOTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and vuseful Improvements in Electric-Light Sockets, of which the follow'- ing is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a art of the same.

This invention relates to electric light sockets and more particularly to forming the electric light base in one' or more parts as a strain rehef without any additional expense in the manufacture of the base.

My invention further relates to a' new and improved method of attaching the screw shell to the base and to certain elements and details of construction to be later described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings showing illustrative embodiments of my invention, and in which the same reference numerals refer to similar parts in the several figures, Figure l is a' front elevation, a portion of the device being shown in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a horlzontal section substantially on the line 2--2 4of Figs. l and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the base` `and screw.'

shell on line ffl-3" of Fig. 1;,Fig. 4 is a rear elevation with relation to Fig. 1 and partly broken away for the purpose of clearer illustration; Fi 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of al modi vertical section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3 looking up in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig, 6 is a detail lan View of the supporting. memberto ho dthe screw shell or lamp holding member to the base. I preferably use this supporting member as the center contact of my socket. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the supporting member shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the screw shell; Fig.' 1'0 is a side elevation of a modification in which the base is formed of two complementaryparts; Fig. 11 is a side elevation partly broken away of this modification, the base bein rotated 90 from the position shown in ig. 10; Fig. 12 is a detail vertical Specification of Letters Patent.

fication; Fig. 5 is a Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

vApplication led December 2, 1911. Serial No. 663,543'.

section substantially on the line 12--12 of i Fig. 11; Fig. 1.3 is a horizontal section on the line 18-13 of Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a plan view of the supporting member of the screw shell. I preferably use this supporting member as the center contact of my socket..

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary side elevation of another modification.

In the illustrative embodiments of my in l vvention shown in the drawings, 1 is an electric light socket formed of the base 2 and the lamp supporting member 3. 'This lamp supporting member is usually in the form of a screw shell and for the sake of clearness in description I will hereinafter refer to this element as a screw shell, it however being understood that in both the claims and the specification when I use the word screw shell I mean any element which holds the lamp or consuming device.

It has been found in practice very desirable to relieve the binding posts of electric light sockets from any strain, blow or pressure which may be thrown u on the feed wires,'as for example the fee wires 4 and 5, Fig. 1. Various expedients have been resorte to, to accomplish this result.

Bv my invent-ion I form the strain relief y directly in the base, preferably when the base is being manufactured. These bases are usually formed of some insulating ma terial such as porcelain and their manufacture is a large element in the cost of electric lightv sockets.v To reduce the cost of molding or forming theinsulating base 2 I form my`- strain relief so that it is lmade at the Sametime that the base is molded, whether that base be made of one or more parts. In addition to this feature, which greatlyA rel duces the cost of the manufacture of aporcelain base, I form my strain relief without any cross holes that is, I employ no holes made -by mandrels or cross pins or other parts usually arranged in the molds substantially atan angle, usually a right angle, to the draw of the molds in molding the insulating base. By this means the insulating base, in my invention, including the strain relief, is made at one operation by simply using two dies or molds properly shaped to form the apertures 6 and 7, which extend through the base. I also preferably though not necessarily form grooves 8 and 9 on one side of the base at yan angle to the apertures 6 and 7 and similar grooves 10 and 1-1 on the other side of the base to receive l their respective feed wires 4 and 5 as shown in Fig. 1. It willbe readily seen that these apertures 6 and 7 as well as the grooves 8, 9, 10 and 11 will all be formed in the base 2 'at one operation without the labor and eX- pense incident to employing cross holes in molding or otherwise forming the base. At the same time I preferably mold grooves 12 and 13 in opposite sides of the base 2 for the. reception of the binding post 14 carried by the screw shell 3, and for the reception of the arm 15 carried by the supporting member 16 for the lamp holding member 3. This supporting member 16 I preferably use as a center contactl for the electric light socket. It is referably provided with a body member 1 and a downwardly bent finger 18 to contact. directly with the center Contact of the lamp or consuming device, and with upwardly and outwardly extending wings 19, 19, each wing being provided with a bendabl ear 20 formed by the slots 21, 21 partly severing the ear from thenarms. Itis also provided with the arm 15 as a binding post.

In some cases I may form the supporting member for the screw shell as an insulating member 100, Fig. 4 having arms 101, 101, only one being shown, which extend out through slots 102, 102, only one being shown, in the screw shell 103. These a'rms coperate with the recesses 104, 104 in the base 105 and in this manner hold the screw shell to the base. The center contact 106 is sup'- ported in any suitable manner such as being riveted to the insulating supporting member 100 by the rivet 107 which will be received in an opening 108 in the top of the screw shell 103 so that there will be no danger of a short circuit between the screw shell 103 and the center contact 106.

The screw shell 3 may be formed in various ways but I preferably provide it, Fig. 9, with different slots 22, 22 4and 23 and with a. binding post 14 preferably formed integral with the screw shell 3 by cutting out. a lip 24, Fig. 9, and bending it back upon itself to form the binding post 1 4 for thereception of the binding screw 25.

At thesame time that the base 2 is being molded I form the shouldered apertures 26, Fig. 3,"and also the shouldered apertures 27, 27, Figs. 2 and 8. These shouldered apertures' 26 and 27 are also made without using cross holes. The larger portion 28, 28 of the shouldered apertures 27, Fig. 5, in the insulating base 2 receives the wings 19, 19 of the screw holding member or center contact 16. These wings 19, 19 are threaded through the apertures 22, 22 in the top of the screw shell 3, Figs. 4 and 9, the arm 15 of the center contact extending through the aperture 23 in the screw shell, Figs. 9 and 3, the arm 15 serving as a binding post for the binding screw 29. Between the center contact 16 and the top of the screw shell 3 I insert any suitable insulation 30. After the center contact 16 has been connected to the base 2, and with it the screw shell 3, by sliding the wings 19, 19 within the large openings 28, 28`in the base, I preferably though not necessarily, bend down the bendable ears 20, 20, Figs. 7 and 8', by passing any suitable tool as 31 from the rear through the smaller part 32 of the shouldered aperture 27 so that the ear will be bent down behind the shoulders 33 (Fig. 8). This serves to securely hold the screw shell and center contact from relative movement with relation to the base. The binding screw 25 is passed through the smaller portion of the shouldered aperture 26 and coperates with a nut 34 in the larger portion of the aperture.

In assemblingthe feed wires they are fed through the apertures 6 and 7 in opposite directions, one of them being connected to the binding post 15 of the center contact and the other to the binding post 24 of the screw shell by the respective bindin screws 29 and 25. It will be readily seen tiat any strain, pressure or pull upon the feed wires 4 or 5 will be transmitted directly to the insulating base and there absorbed without danger of having the strain transmitted to the different binding posts and screws. My invention also does away with the necessity of forming a knot in the feed wires just above the base 2. It further permits the wiring of the socket with the minimum amount of time and labor.

My electric light socket is preferably surrounded by the usual easing 35 and cap 36 (Fig. 1) though these form no part of my invention. In the cap I preferably use the bushing having a shoulder 38 to coperate with the coperating shoulder 39 of the cap 36. The insulation 40 is preferably provided with a portion extending beneath the bushing'so as to keep it in its proper position. I also, though not necessarily, form a projection 41, Fig. 1 on the insulating base 2 which may coperate with a groove 42 in the insulation 43 to keep the base from turning in the casing though this rib 41 and the groove in the insulation may be omitted without departing from my invention.

In some cases I form my insulating base of a plurality of parts, preferably two, but in this form of my invention illustrated-in Figs. 10 to 14, the strain remover is also formed without cross holes and at one operation in the molding of the different sections ofthe base. In this form of my invention the insulating base 44 (Fig. 10) is formed of two complementary members 45 and 46, each-of them being provided with apertures 47, 48, respectively, which are formed in the respective sections 45 and 46 of the base when they are molded., The different feed wires 49 and 50 are threaded through the base 44 from different sides, the feed wire 49 passingv through the aperture 48 and then down to the binding screw 51. The other feed wire 50, Fig. 12, isvfed in the opposite direction through the aperture 47,

Ythence around the exteriorv groove 52 until it engages with the binding screw 58 con.- nected to the center contact 54.

The center Contact 54, Fig. 14,y has a body member 55 andk a downwardly extending tongue 56 to contact with the center contact of the lamp or other consuming device. It is also provided with two upwardly extending arms 57, 57. Each of these arms 57, 57 is provided with . fingers 59, 59 which extend substantially at right angles to the arms, Fig. 10..

Each of the sections 45, 46 in their meeting faces are provided with kerfs or cut out portions for the reception of the fingers 59, 59 so that when the two sections ofthe insulating base 45, 4.6 are brought face to face they will hold the screw shell 60 by means of the center contact 54 being mounted within the head of the screw shell and having its fingers 59, 59 received within the kerfs or cut out portions in the complementary faces of the insulating sections 45, 46. The center contact 54 is insulated from the head of the screw shell by means of any suitable insulation such as 61, Fig. 13.

I provide the head of the screw shell 60- with a lip 62, Fig. 12, which is preferably bent back upon itself. I then secure in any suitable manner to this lip 62 a plate 63, which coperates with a screw 64 which holds the two sections 45, 46 of the base together. rI`he base 44 is also provided with the indentation or recess 65 to permit the binding screw, 53 to come within the periphery of the base 44. In like manner I pro-l vide the base with the recess 66 to receive the binding screw 51 and its coperating binding post.

Another portion of my invention consists of providing a base, Fig. 15, with a strain remover which is formed at the same time that the base 67 is molded by forming upon it the ears 68, 68 provided with the apertures 69, 69 for the feed wires 70 and 71. 'Ihese ears and apertures 69, 69 are formed in the base at the same time that the base is molded without the aid of cross holes which would greatly increase the expense of manufacture.

Any pull, strain or blow upon the feed Wires 70, 71 will be transmitted to the strain remover which in this form of my invention consists of the apertured ears 68, 68 and will relieve the binding screws 72, 72 from such strain. The screw shell 73 and the center contact 74 are connected to the insulating base 67 in any suitable manner as for example in the other forms of my invention.

i Having-thus described this invention in connection with several illustrative embodiments thereof, to the details of which I do not desire to be limited, what I claim as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is setforth in the appended claims:

l. The combination in an electric light socket of an insulating base, a screw shell, a separate screw shell support, and coperating engaging surfaces on the base and separate screw shell support, adapted to hold together the base, the screw shell, and the screw shell support.

2. yThe combination in an electric light socket, of an insulating base, a screw shell, a separate center contact, and coperating engaging surfaces on the base and center contact adapted to hold together the base, center contact and the screw shell.

3. The combination in an electric light socket of an insulating base, a screw shell, a support and coperating locking surfaces on the support and the base adapted to hold the screw shell to the insulating base.

4. The combination in an electric light socket of an insulating base provided with locking surfaces, a screw shell, and a center contact provided with locking members to coperate with the locking surfaces in the base to hold the screw shell to the base.

The combination in an electric light socket of a'n insulating base provided with one or more transverse slots to coperate with a separate screw shell support, a screw shell, and a separate screw shell support provided with one or more wings to cooperate with the transverse slot-s.

6. The combination in an electric light socket of an insulating base provided with onel or more transverse slots to coperate with a center contact. a 'screw shell, and a center contact provided with one or more wings to coperate with the transverse slots in the base.

7. A center contact for an electric light socket comprising a body member, two upwardly and outwardly extending wings and an upwardly extending arm to receive a binding screw.

8. A center contact for an electric light socket comprising a body member, two upwardly and outwardly extending wings, and one or more bendable members carried by the wings.

9. A center contact for an electric light socket comprising a body member, two upwardly and outwardly extending wings, and one or more bendable ears carried by the wings.

10. The combination in an electric light ate with the transverse slots and the ears socket of an insulating' base provided with adapted to be bent down to coperate with one or more transverse slots, each slot 'havthe shoulders in said slot.

ing a reduced portion forming: a shoulder, a TONJES AUGUST CARL BOTH. 5 screw shell, and a center Contact provided Witnesses:

with one or more Wings and one or more LESTER H. APPEL,

bendable ears, the wings adapted to ooper- BENJAMIN STRAUSS,

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