US1078813A - Lamp-socket. - Google Patents

Description

C. A.. VETT-ER. A

vLAMP SOCKET. A'PPLIoATmN Pimm s112124, 1912.

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

lpy lh SATS CLARENCE A. VETTER, F PITTSBURGH a 'n irren,

, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE LAMP-SOCKET.

Application filed September T 0 aZZL/ohom it may con-corn Be it known that i, CLARENCE A. Vn'rriin,

' a citizen of the Unit-ed States, residing at- Pittsburgh, in the county ofifillegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention refers to the class of socli:` ets of incandescentlamps. A,

It 'has for its object to provide a keyless socketadapted to operate for making and breaking the current by rotation of the lamp and its base within a receiving portion of a socket, which portion is rotatably secured 'to a fixed portion of a socket, in such a manner as to prevent separation.

The device is so constructed as to vprovide for opening and closing thecireuit to the lamp filaments and to prevent removal ofthe lamp after being once inserted, without destruction. This feature is important and one of' the valuable characteristics of the device, so as to prevent loss of lamps.

rlhe invention, as constructed, and for the purpose of accomplishing such objects, con- 'sists generally of a base portion of insulating material liavingterminal connections, a relatively rotatable lamp holding portion, and an outer protecting shield construct-ion, and adapted' to operate in the manner more fully hereinafter described.

Referring now to the drawings illustrating one preferred form of the'inve'nt-ion Figure l is a view in side elevation ot a complete socket and lamp. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the base, indicated by the line II. Il. ot Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a lan view of the upper relatively stationary oase, indicated by the horizontal section line III. 1H. of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of the rotatable base, detached. Fig. 5'is a plan view 0i- 4the ro'- vtatable base, illustrating a modied construction. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view showing means for temporarily holding the rotatable base.

In the drawings, the base is generally designated by the letter A and is adapted to receive and support an ordinary standard electric lamp bulb B, which is provided wit-h the usual threaded socketvportion b. The base A is surrounded by a` two-part cap or shield a, af, overlapping and interiitting the' Specication of Letters latent.

`atented Nov. i8, i913.

ai, 1912. semi no. 722,150.

one with the other in the customary way, the

sion c2 extending over and surrounding the base portion b of the lamp B. Such parts of the construct-ion are of ordinary and well-known form, and the cap a is provided with a terminal neck, through which are introduced the current supply wires c, (Z. lVithin the upper-portion of the shell is iixedly secured the insulatingrbase 2 made of porcelain, liber, or other suitable material, to which is rotatably connected the rotatable base 3 by a central stem or pin 4. Said pin may be in the form of a screw, as shown, the lower end of which is provided with a screwhead 5, the" upper end having a vided at each end for insurinor free rotation. As thus connected it will he Seen that, when the parts are assembled .and a lamp is inserted, access to the connecting stem 4 is absolutely prevented.

The washer 8, at the upper end of stein-4, is extended downwardly to one side of the base 2 wit-hin a suitable receiving recess therein and turned downwardly, and it is provided with a terminal binding post con- Iterminals d is connected therewith and in The central portion of the lamp base b, makes contact against the lower end of stein 4, and its washer 7, thereby' establishesfone of the circuit connections with the filaments. Tliebase 2 is provided with a pair of spring controlled contact terminals l0 and 10 mounted in suitable bushings 11 and' 11 re'- s'1iectively, having springs 12 and 12 .respect-ively, seated attheir inner ends against retaining screws or abutments 13 'and 13 reis utilized for conducting the current, for

cured by screw 13 against bushing 11, and extends outwardly, downwardly and. laterally by an extension 15, having a binding screw 16 for attachment of the other conductor c, The4 opposite spring-actuated terminal 10' is merely for the purpose of 'gagementof the hase 2'against base 3.

For the purpose ofl providing for circuit establishing and interlocking engagementbe- -tweei'i the' bases, the rotatable base 3 is prosh'ell af having the reduced annular eXtennection, as a screw 9, by which one of tli'e spectively. But one of such terminals, 10,-

which purpose awasher extension 14 is s'enut 6, suitable washers 7 and 8 being proelectrical communication with the stein Li.

vcen'tralizin'g or balancing the bearing en- 'hase of the threaded receiving shell '19, into `ivhich the base o of the lamp B is screwed,

as is Fig. 2.

Arranged between the conducting segment-s 17 are cor esponding non-conducting segments Q0, 20, ot insulating material, the ends o which abut against the ends of the conducting members 1T. Each of such ineinbers is provided with a spirally ascending bearing face` as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and one end of the insulating members 20 is ottset, as at 21, providing a 'retaining shoulder for the spring-controlled pins 10 and 1Q. Shoulder 21'is formed integrally with the insulating portion of the segment,` so that in the operation of the device, when pin 10 or 10 rides over from the conducting segment 17 and on to the insulating member 20, it Will bear by its side and end port-ion against insulation only, thereby absolutely7 preventing any circuit.` The other end ot each segment 2O merely abuts against the end of conducting segment 17, its bearing face being flush therewith, so that the pin will ride smoothly over from one to the other and come into circuit establishing bearing with segment 17.

From the foregoing description it Will he yclearly seen t-hat the shell 19 being iixedly secured to the rotatable base 3, the -lainp base may be tightly screwed into the threaded portion of the shell 19 clockwise, the pins 10 and 10 holding the base 3 and shell 19 tixedlyagainst rotation in that direction. The lamp having been thus tightly screwed into the base, with sufficient binding force, thelamp and base may then be rotated back- Wardly with base 3 quite freely to any eX- tent` the spiral face of the insulating and conducting segments l? and 20 respectively riding underneath the pins 10 and 10 which will successively tall behind the shoulders 21, locking the base 3 against rotation tclockwisef While the rotation of the lamp and base in the opposite or backward direotion Will effect the making and breaking of the J.circuit alternately` as desired.

The rextension of the shell a downwardly around'the base of the lamp and shell 19 positively prevents the holding' of the shell by any means, so as to prevent tampering with or unscrewing of the lamp therefrom. If, however-git is desired to provide the device With means for temporarily holding' the rotatable base so that the lamp may be unscrewed-froin the shell 19, as in the case of private or domestic use of lamps, where dthere is no danger of theft, and Where it is 'aiso desirable to remove the lamp bulb With- 'out breaking the globe, I provide the lockingdeviee 22 (Fig. 6) consisting'of a pin or stud carriedby a spring 23 on the shell o extending inwardly therethrough and adapted to register With a companion socket 2st of the rotatable base 3. rl`he stud is normally held out of engagement with the socket 24 by retraction ot the spring,r and when pressed inwardly and the base 3 is rotated in the usual way, it will spring into engagement and may he thus held, locking thc rotatable base against reversal. and allowing the lamp to he unscrcwcd in the usual manner. E breaking of the circuit may be accomplished in the manner already described.

It it is desired to merely prevent unsere-wingof the lamp butyvithout turning,r the current on or off, the segment construction otl the spiral bearing ring shown in Figi'. t may be substituted by a continuous ring Q5 ot` conducting' material, in contact communication with shell 19 and merely having one or more shoulders 21', preferably two for equalization of bearing for each pin, as in Fig. 5. in such case the current. will he maintained at any position, but the shoulders Qiu'ill interlock Withthe pins l0 and 10 allowing for screwing in oi' the lump in the manner described, but preventing unseren*- iug clue to thc tree rotation of the ringl with relation to the locking pins in the manner already described. In sucl` ease the current to tlte lamp may be controlled( hy other well known means, as by a wall lzey or switch.

The advantages of the invention will he readily understood and appreciatedv troni the foregoing description. rthe device is especially adaptable to use with` Igroup arrangements of lamps, in czmdeluhra or other installations. One or any desired number ot the lamps may he readily thrown out of circuit by merely partly turning one or more of the lamps While maintaining the full circuit supply to all or the bases. Also, each lamp is maintained in ycontinuous normal circuit 'conduct ing contact W'ith the iconducting;r elements of the base, so that all clanger of short cireuiting` burningr ofinsulation` etc., is avoided.

That I claim is:

1. The combination 'ot a lamp-carrying part, a terminal Wire-carrying part, a swivel connection, spring-actuated pins on one ot' raid parts, and shoulders on the other part, said pins and shoulders cooperating to jam or lock the lamp against removal.

. Q. lamp socket consisting of a base provided With a central swiveling stem and a laterally arranged spring-actuated locking abutment each forming conducting members, terminal wire connections in circuit therewith, a relatively rotatable lamp supporting base swivelcd on said stem having a spiraily threaded lamp receiving shell on its outer portion and a shouldered locking ring on its inner portion co-acting with said spring- Otlieruise the making and' po 'tion and a locking ring 'on its inner por-y tion composed'of segmental shouldered 1nsulatinc sections and alternatin conductinf1r sections -fcuming therewith spirally inclinedbearing faces, and means connecting the lamp receiving shell with the conducting sections, substantially as set forth.

4. A lamp socket consisting of a base pro-5 vided with a central swivelmg stem and a' laterally arranged springactuated locking abutment each forming conducting members, terminal wire connections in circuit therewith, a relatively rotatable lamp supporting base swiveled on said stem having atspira-lly threaded lamp receivingshell on its outer portion and a shoulderedv locking ring on its inner portion co-acting with said spring-actu ated locking abutment for arresting the lamp, receiving shell against rotation upon screwing a lamp thereinto .and for permitting freel rotation of the tightly inserted lamp and shell in the opposite direction, and means connecting the lamp receivingshell with4 the locking ring, substantially as set forth. l

5. In a lamp socket, the combination of a base portion having bindin post connections forcurrent supply wires, a central swivel pin in circuit with one of said connections, 'a spring actuated lstud abutment l and mountin therefor in circuit` with the,

other of sai connections, 'a relatively rotatable base swiveled on said pin, the pin extending therethrough and providing a central lamp contact, and a shouldered conducting ring and a lamp socket secured on Sonates of this patent. may be obtained the inner side of said rotatable base and connected to each other adapted to engage sald abutment and offer resistance to effect tight insertion of a lamp in the direction of screwfing into the socket and lto permit free reversal of the lamp andsocket in reverse direction, substantially as set forth.

6. In a lamp socket, the combination of a' base portion having binding post connections for current supply wires, a central swivel pin in circuit with one of said connections at its inner end and forming a lamp contact by its outer end, a Spring-actuated abutment and mounting therefor in circuit with the other of said connections, a relatively rotatable base swiveled on said pin, a 'spiral ,ring composed' of conducting and nonfconducting segments embodying insulating abutments, and a lamp socket secured on said rotatable base and connected with the conducting segments of said ring, substantially as set forth.

7. In a' lamp socket, the combination of a base portion having binding post connections for currentsupply Wires, a eentrahswivel pin in circuit wlth one of said connections at its inner end and forming a lamp contact by its outer end, a spring-actuated abutment and mounting therefor in circuit with the other of said connections, a relatively rotatable base swiveled on said pin, a spiral ring composed of conducting and nonoon ducting segments lembodying insulatingabutments, a lamp socket secured on said .rotatable base and connected with the con- 'ducting segments of said rlng, and a proltecting .shell surrounding sald bases and'extending over the lamp socket and inclosing the circuitl controlling means, substantially as set forth. v

In testimony whereof I hereunto atliX my signature the presence of two witnesses.

`CLARENCE A, VEITER.

Witnesses: C. M. CLARKE, FREDK. STAUB.

for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioneil of Patents, A.

Washington, D. G.

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