US1295588A - Lamp-socket switch. - Google Patents

Description

R. C. PFLEAGER.

LAMP SOCKET SWITCH,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. I917.

1395,58. Ptented Feb. 25, 1919.

- acitizen of the United States,

curios.

:aoscon c. rrLnaenn, or rniiannnrnm, PENNSYLVANIA.

' tamr socxnrswxrcm sive form of socket switch particularly designed for use in 'rangement of parts the relatively quick making and breaklng of being such as to cause the circuit of which said switch constitutes a art.

' nother object of the invention is to provide a form of switch constructed for use with a candelabraor Edison-base socket, and designed for operation by a suitable lever adjacent its lower end.

A further object of. the invention is to provide a socket switch of the general type indicated which shall have its parts so arranged as to permit free wires through its body or central stem with out requiring the provision or formation of openings in the latter.

' It is als desired to provide a switch with a novel form ofstem particularly adapted for attachment to a candelabra socket oran Edison socket.

l The, invention further contemplates a socket switch capable of being operated by the rotation of its-movable member in either direction together with such a disposition of the contacts as will cause them to be at all times within closed compartments with a view to preventing short circuiting between said arms or arcing as well as possible leakage of current to the metallic parts of the device.

I also desire to provide a novel arrpngement of switch contacts and mom tings therefor, particularly adapted for use with in an elongated casing structure such as an imitation candle. v

These objects and other advantageous ends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in verti cal section, illustrating a switch constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 is a'vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig.1;and W Fig. 3 is a. detached perspective View illustrating certain. or the'parts going to make up the preferred form of my swltch.

' specification oftenets Iatentr imitation candles, the arpassage of the I without departing from arms.

tively 90 Patented Application sled June 1,1 9'1 7." vsteal Nb. 172,210.

In 7 the above drawings, 1 represents a branch or supporting arm of a lighting fixture which is usually madetubrilarfonthe accommodation of a pair of currentbonductors 2 and 3 and this arm terminates inia boss or head 4: having an externally threaded outlet 5. On this outlet is screwed a coupling member 6 made in the form" of an internally threaded sleeve having at one-end a hexagonal, collar 7 for the receptionof a wrench. Threadedinto this coupling is a tubular stem 8 likewise threaded. at; its upper end and having in turn threaded upon it a flanged, internally "and externally threaded collar 9.

In the form of my invention ShOWDQin the drawings this collar has mountedupon' it a tubular stem extension1O -threadedcat its upper end for the reception of the threaded stem or plug 11 of a lamp'so'cket.12.' "lv Said socket is designed for the reception of an Edison base incandescent lamp 13 andwith the switch mechanism-hereafter?- described, the stein, conductors, etc., is designed to. be

inclosed within a glass tube 14 simulating a' candle and said casing, which is usually of white glass, extends from socket 12 down to a flat annular plate 15 which in the case shown, is rotatably: mounted upon a canopy or ornamentalmetal base,

structure 16 supported by the head or boss 4 on the tubular fixture branch 1. 1

Obviously, if desired the stemv extension 10 may be omitted and the 11 of the socket 12 screwed directly into the upper threaded end of thecolla'r 9- or if desired, other forms of socket such as that customarily designed for use in candelabra may be threaded upon or'withi'n said collar my invention-"; -it being obvious that theinclosing leasing or imitation candle would in such case be made of suitable length. g V

As shown in Fig. 3, the upper end. of the tubular stem 8 has two outwardly extending lugs or arms 17 preferably formed by pressing out opposite'po'rtions of itsstructure and these are designed to fit into opposite radial recesses 19 formed in aninsulating sleeve'18 so as to immovably hold it on the upper part of said: stem-below said lugs or At pointsonithe sleeve 18 respecdistant from the slots 19, are formed elongated recesses extending parallel with thelongitudinal axis of the structure and designed for the reception of a pair of the top of the 00 supporting plug ios contact strips 20 and 21. The upper ends of these strips are provided with binding screws or terminals 22 and their lower ends are laterally extended and curved as indicated act-23 and- 24 to form part of or conform with the wave-shaped lower edge of away from its circular flange 31 by a spring '32 mountedbetween the bottom of the tube v andthe lower end of the rectangular part 29. This rectangular vertically slidable sleeve '30 passes through a rcctangularopening in the operating plate orhandle 15 so v that it withthe sleeve 28 is necessarily rotated when said operating plate is turned.

nected-to it a circular washer 34 of sheet- 1 1 3 metal which is rotatable upon the sleeve 6 so .1 0

The latter is provided with a handle 33 wherebyit may be conveniently manipulated and has soldered or otherwise rigidly conas to guide and properly position said operating plate 15'.

The upper edge of the rotatable insulating sleeve 28 has an outline complementary to that of the lower edge of the part '25 of the sleeve 18 ;'-that is to say, it is made to have a wavy or undulating outline, formed with the same curves as those of the adjacent end 7' of said fixed. sleeve. This rotary sleeve has edge of thesleeve 28. I in that form of my invention shown, these cp'acting edges of the fixed and rotary sleeve each have four similar curved recesses and 4b rigidly fixed to it a metallic ring 35 in elec-,.-

trical connection with a pairof contacts '3 G and 37 so mounted that their upper faceslie in and constitute part of theundulatlng top in-the case .of the sleeve 18, .the two contacts 23 and 24 are mounted at the bottoms of two of theserecesses which are oppositely placed. On-the other hand, the contacts and 37 are mounted respectively on two opposite elevated or proJectmg parts of the sleeve 28. Obviously, in one of the positions .of the sleeve 28,v its contacts 36 and 37 respectively engage the contacts 23 and .24: of

, the sleeve'18, while when said first sleeve is turned through an angle of substantially 90 in either direction, said contacts 36 and 37 engage a portion of the edge of the enlarged part25 of the sleeve 18 at the bottoms of two recesses diametrically opposite those having the contacts 23 and 24 and these latter contacts similarly receive a pair of projec tions' of the edge of the sleeve 28 respectively midway-between or 90 displaced from th each pair of coacting contacts is two projections carrying the contacts 36 and37.

- The two conductors 2 and 3 pass through the supporting arm 1 and the sleeve 8 into the upper partof the latter where they extend out through the openings adjacent the arms or tongues 17 One of said conductors,

as 2,- is then connected to a binding screw of .the ,ontact strip 20,. while the other is exten "ed up between the stem extension 10 and 'theinner wall of the casing 14, to

one of the socket terminals 38. A third conductor 39 is likewise extended from the binding. screw constitutin the terminal of the contact strip 22 and tie second terminal 40 of the socket 12. As shown in Figs; 1 and 2, the various contacts 36-37and 232 1, with their associated contact strips and terminals, are all inclosed within an insulating sleeve 41 of insulating material such as hard fiber which is inwardly flanged at its upper end and has a central opening 42 for the passage of the upper end of the stem 8 and two branch openings 43 and 44: for the passage of the conductors 3 and 39.

Assumin that the'switch is closed, 6. 6., that the contacts 36 and 37 are respectively lnengagement with the contacts 23 and 24:, current is free to flow from the conductor 2 to-the terminal 22, throu h the strip 20 to the contact 23, thence to the contact 36, ring 35, contacts 37 and 24, strip 21 and conductor 39 to the lamp socket terminal 10 and 4 through the lamp. Thence the current flows to the terminal 38 and to the conductor 3, which leads from the device above described and out through the tubular arm 1.

e If it be desired to break the circuit of the lamp by opening the switch, the plate 15 is turned by means of the handle or arm 33 through an angle of 90, andthis move ment is transmitted to the sleeve 30, thence,

to the rectangular base portion 29 oft-he sleeve 28, which is thus likewise turned through an angle of 90. *The various pro- "jec tions of the edge of this sleeve thereupon ride up on and ultimately pass over the pro JGCtIOHS of the lower edge of the sleeve 18, for which purpose the sleeve 28 is forced to slide downwardly upon the stem 8 against the action of the spring 32. After said projections of this sleeve have passed-beyond the highest point of the sleeve 18, said spring acts tomove them at a. comparatively high rate of speed into the recesses of said second sleeve and in so doing forces the sleeve 28 toward .the latter, the parts ultimately coming to rest with the contacts of. one sleeve respectively displaced through arcs of 90 from those of the other sleeve.

Obviously therefore, the circuit between v quickly brokenand if the movable sleeve 28 1s furtherrota'ted-through an angle of 90, said circu'it is likewise quickly made as the movneeaase able contacts are brought into engagement with the fixed contacts. It is particularly to be noted that in all cases the coacting contacts are 'inclosed within chambers having walls of insulating material, which walls I y are provided by the coacting portions of the leevcs 18 and 28 and the inclosing tube or protected f injury as well as. efiectually -,In view of the above'described arrangement; the variousparts of the switch are I "concealed within the casing let, being so protected by the insulating structures that the-possibility of a leak occurring to any of" operating handle 33, is-practically negligible Likewise the danger of short'circuiting between contacts of different polarity or the the metallic. par-ts in connection with the production of destructive arcs is practically I together; a tubular casing mclosing said parts a otaryactuatlng member mounted belo e casing; and an element 00 ectthe parts getting out completely avoided and the structure is so made that there is little likelihood of any of of order or requiring repairs.

I claim':-' s '1. The combination of a supporting member; two sleeves thereon. having their adjacent edges of? complementary outline, one -sleeve .being rotatable and longitudlnally slidable two-connected contacts on one edge of said. movable sleeve; tWo other contacts a on =-.the adjacenf edge of the other sleeve;

means for j-yieldi ngly pressing said sleeves ingthe-movable sleeve with said actu ing, member. 1 f

2. The coinbin'ation of a supporting megatwoisl'eeve'sthereon having their ad 40 cent edges 'of-fcomplementary outline, one

v sleeve} being rotatable-and longitudinally slidableftwoiconnected contacts on one edge I vof saidmovable sleeve; two other'contacts onv the adjacent edge of the other sleeve; 'means foryiel'di-ngly pressing said. sleeves together; a tubular casing inclosingsaid *-,:parts-;. a rotary actuating member mounted below the casing; and an element connect ing" the movable sleeve with said actuating member, consisting of a third sleeve slidable on but non-rotatably fixed to both the movable sleeve and said actuating member.-

3. The combination in an electric switch of a supporting structure; a plate rotatably mounted thereonand having an opening of tudinally slidable therein edge of the latter body adjacent the first insulating body and respectively connected to the terminals; with two other contacts mounted on the first insulating body in posltion to respectively cooperate with those on the second body.

4. The combination of a tubular supporting structure; an insulating body fixed to said structure; a second insulating body mounted below the first body and rotatable:

on said supporting structure; two pairs of contacts mounted on the adjacent edges of said insulating bodles; a metallic ring mounted on one of thebodies and electrically connectlng the contacts thereon; two

terminals on the other insulating body respectively connected .to its-contacts; a sprmg mounted under the lower and movable insulating body; a projecting arm for turning said latter body; with means for moving it longitudinally of the supporting structure when it is turned.

5.-The combination in' an electric switch of a supporting structure; ametallic plate rotatably mounted thereon and having an opening of other than circular outline; a Y

sleeve non-rotatably fitting'the opening of said plate and rotatable therewith; a spring in said sleeve; a body ofinsulating material sleeve and longibody of insulating ;materi al mounted above said first body; two pairs of cooperating contacts respectivelyzon' the, adjacent edges of said insulating bodies; means for electrically connecting the contacts of one pair;

terminals respectively connected to the other pair of contacts; and means for causing longitudinal movement of the first body of insulating material when it is turned.

6. Theeombination in an electric switch. of a fixed tubular spindle; two'insulating sleevesof which one is fixed to said spindle and the other is rotatable thereon; terminals on said fixed sleeve; contacts also on said sleeve respectively connected to said terminals and mounted on the edge thereof adjacent the second" sleeve; a metallic ring on said second sleeve; contacts on the edgcof the'latter sleeve coacting with the contacts of the fixed sleeve and respectively connected to said ring; a metallic sleeve rotatably mounted "on the spindle and connected to the second insulating sleeve to cause rota: tion thereof while permitting it'to slide on the spindle; a spring between said insulating sleeve and the metallic sleeve; and a plate including a projecting arm and having an opening nonrotatably receiving the metallic sleeve. 1 I

In witness whereof-I afilx my slgnature.

' ROSOOE O'PFLEAGER)

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