US1290623A - Electric tap. - Google Patents

Description

O. R. MARSH.

ELECTRIC TAP.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 23, 1915.

Pateted San. 7,1919.

2 SEETS-SHEETI cltlllflla lil-Il GLR. MARSH. ELECTRiC TAP. APPLxcATloN mm Nov. 2,3, 1915.

Patente Jan. 7, 1919.

Titz-:6:51.

ORLANDO R. MARSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC TAP.

j Specification f Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

Application led llovembe;` 23, 1915. Serial No. 62,985.

Toall whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ORLANDO R. MARSH, a citizen ofthe United States,-and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented vcertain new and useful Improvements in Electric Taps, of which the fol-low! ing is a specification. f-

rlhe general object of my invention is to vbe installed either when the standard electric device is initially installed or ata time subsequent to the initial installation; and

' which, when so initially or subsequently installed, shall become a substantial part of v the device to which it is applied.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electric tap which can be installed in conjunction with present devices without in any way altering or cutting such devices, and which at the same time, when installed will appear as a part of the device itself and not as an obvious attachment therefor.

My invention consists generally in the novel form, arrangement and construction of the parts and in the method of application, whereby the above named objects, together with others which will appear hereinafter are attained; and my invention will be more readily understood by reference to" the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment thereof.

In the'said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical view of a standard form of wall switch, mounted in a wall, some of the parts being shown in. elevation and others in section.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the switch with the canopy, or face plate, removed better to.

disclose the arrangement of the switch parts.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my novel switch complementer and an electric plug for coperation therewith.

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the application of the device shown in 3 to the switch.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the construction shown in Fig. fi with the ieee plate, or

canopy, removed to disclose more clearly the arrangement and coperation of the parts.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through an ordinary electric wall outlet .and bracket.

Fig. 7 is a face View illustrating my novel wall bracket complementer and electric plug for coperation therewith; and y Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating the device of Fig. 7 placed in coperating relation therewith.

In modern building construction it is the usual practice, where the building is wired for electricity, to provide wall switches for the more convenient operation of some of the lights, which are not within easy reach. With respectto other of the lights, however, such for example as a wall bracket, it is customary simply to provide a switch in the socket of the lamp. It often happens that it is desirable to operate some other electric device adjacent to a wall switch or adjacent to a wall bracket, and so, in some buildings,

, base board outlets are provided for this purpose. In a great many instances. however, no base board outlets are provided and even whi 'e they are provided they do not always provide the desired number of outlets in the desired locations. Furthermore, such base board outlets are expensive, that is to say, they cost as much to apply as any other outlet since they are a complete device in themselves and require the usual box, wiring, and insulation safeguards. It is mv purpose to provide a method of and a means for providing desired additional outlets which shall be adapted for use and application eitherA when the building is initially wired or at some subsequent time, but which, in either event, shall become in effecten integral part of the device to which it is attached and not simply a makeshift, protruding attachment which is both unsightly and unsubstantial. To this end I have devised a method and means whereby devices, such for example as a wall switch or :L -wall bra lret,can be complemented in such a way that they serve as a duplex or multiple outlet. To accomplish ythis purpose I provide a mat of insulating material substantially eoextensive with the wall box to which it is to be applied, and in this mat I arrange suitable electric contacts formedl and adapted to receive an electric plug at one end and to receive electric wires at the other. I provide a suitable opening in the mat Ito permit projection therethrough oi the electricel device which it surrounds, also pref- :ibly make the niet dat so that it can bev vthe canopy so that close inspection is necessary to determine that it is` not `simply n Well switch or n wall bracket of the usuel construction.

Hoving' thus stated 2generally the object, purposes, and construction of my device and its application to the uses intended, l shull novy describe it in detail in conjunction with several Well known forms of Wall boxes or outlets.

Referring' first particularly to Figs. l to 5, inclusive, 2 represents the usual forni oil znetzil box used for the housing,Y of an electric device und which is permanently und rigidly secured in lthe will 3 of the building. When the terni wull is herein used, it shall be construed to nieun either the Well, iloonor ceiling. oi the building. ln this instance, the device which it. houses is o. 'wall switch `-ll/Vlrile nxy invention is not concerned Willi the exact ctnistruetion of the switch Wl, l shnlh nevertheless, brit dosr-ribe-the parts und its method or place-I ment in the wall bott The box 4 is inode oi' desired insulating; :unterlel and contains metal nir-` bers 5', '.7, and 8,' threaded to receive bindjinfr'srrcvvs il, y1G., l1. and i9. '13 und lslnre push buttons whereby tlio'knife blade tney be reused to Hinke or breuk the circuit between the opposite sides through the medium oi the devil-es ld :1nd 17, and 'i8 und if). filuitnble electric Wires 20, 21, 22, and Z3 nre cnrried to and secured upon the members 5, li, 7, sind respec tively. The switch box lis very rigidly and pernmnently,secured to the will box 2' by means o'l the plate flwhich extends between ears 25 oi the Well box, secured by the screws Q6 and to the box si b v ine-.ins of screws 27. To hide the switch 'parts Ytroni view, it is customary to providerw 'ffice pluto or canopy 28 which is secured to the plete 2i by ineens of screws 2.9 ings 30 in the plete Q4.

ln this innnner the Woll box il is rigidly secured in thefwull of. .the building. 3, nudA the switch and canopy i that the device. muy be opernted continuously without getting out oi' order. there must be no relulive movement oi' the pnrts whit-li should be fixed. The switch lust dcstribcd simply serves the purpose ol' ronvcnieully turning' on or oll n lmnp or other elw'lrirul unit :it sonu less convenient point. lt olli-'n luippeus that this switch is so lois. "egg couctingin with threaded openeeted that some other electrical device, such,

forexample, as n floor lamp, e piano lamp, or an electric fan, is desired in close proxiinit". To secure :in outlet for this `purpose7 it has been hitherto necessary to con- ;sider this desire when installing the Wiring und provide n bese bonrd outlet, or, es is generally the ense, to carry o Wire from n lmnp fixture to the device. Theirst cousideration is seldom given, and the second expedient unslightly. I obvite both of these objections by my novel method. For the purpose of providing on outlet at e point Aadjacent to n wall switch, I provide n nuit of insulating material 31, slightly larger than the Wall box 2 and provided with an opening 32 of sullicient size to nceonimodate the. switch 4. The inet 31 is provided with sockets 33 for the reception of the pins 34 of the plug 35 and with binding,T posts 36 and 37. I am not concerned with the actual form of plu and contacts :ind have therefore simply illustrated the pin and recess contact construction. find it convenient| to make a. slight depression 37 in the met adjacent the binding,r posts 36 und 37 'so that they do not, unduly project beyond the inner edge of the insulating met. l nlso provide the met 'with openins 38 above and below, through which e bin ingr screw may be placed as ivill bekshortly described. To apply this met to the switch, 'un is but. necessary to remove the canopy 28, loosen the screws 26 which hold the switch l in pince. und then bodily pull the switch outwardly. This can be readily done without interfering with the wiring, :is there is nlvnys suflicient slack in the Wires to permit such movement, and, in fact. the switch was originally/ so installed. This being done, the nuit 31 is slipped in place over the switch will t und tint. against the wall 3 of the build` I 'wires 36'* :Ind 36" to the proper binding' posts ot' theswiteh, the out-let which l pro vide muy be operated only when the switch is `in operative position.v or independentof the switch. :is nniy be desired. When the canopy 28 is replaced. es is indicated in Figa l. the. switch has substantially the ap penrzuu-e which it had before, except that it is set out. slightly Jroin the wall, hut by making the iusulntioninnt. of proper color, it is hardly noticenble. l desire to cull pnrlculnr attention to the tout that. no ports ot the switch have been filtered und thnt the outlet provided is rigidly and permanently secured to the woll box 2 so that there is llli sion and provided with an opening through which the bracket arin projects and means to secure the canopy 0n the bracket.

3. An outlet adapter comprisingin com- 5 bination a Wall box, an electric device in the Wall box, a mat for surrounding the Wall box, said mat being made up of sections having a central aperture to receive the electric device; electric contacts and binding posts in 10 one of the sections of the mat, means for sus pending the mat from the electric device and a canopy engaging the mat and secured in place on the electric device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 16th day of November, 1915, 15 in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORLANDO R MARSH Witnesses:

ARTHUR WM. NE S0 1 JOHN R. Lemme

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