US1671640A - Electrical attachment device - Google Patents

Description

May 29,Y 192s. 1,671,640

W. F. HENDRY ELECTRI CAL ATTACHMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 7, 1924 Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. HENDRY, OF OSSINING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MANHATTAN ELEC- TRICAL SUPPLY COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT lDEVICE.

appncaaun med January 7, 1924. serial no. 684,785.

This invention relates to improvements in electrical attachment devices, and more particularly to an improvedbase for attachment plugs.

The object of this invention is the provision of a base for attachment plugs which is of simple and sturdy; constructiomwhich may be readily assembledwithout the necessity of using screws or rivets, without the necessity of soldering joints therein, and which is iirmly held in its assembled condition without danger of the contact-making elements becoming loosened.

With this object in view, the` present ini vention. contemplates the provision of a single means for holding together the base including `a contactl shell and two contact springs. The single means :consists of a wire of suitable sizey which serves as a clamp for the whole structure. 4This is ac-` complished by knotting, bending, or otherwise rendering one end of the wire too large for being ulled out of a recessed portion of an` insu ating body. The other end, of the wire is spiralled into a contact-makmg surface and acts `also as thejother Jaw of the clamp. r y

Obviously., the invention is capable of various embodiments and a plications vwithout departing fromv the spirit thereof, and

. the present specication is merel a detailed description of a preferred vem odiment.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevationv of the base;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section of the base and a side elevation of a cooperating Ca y gig. 3 is a view ofone'end of the base; Fig. 4 is a view of the other end of the base;

Fig. 5 illustrates the wire serving as a clamp for the base assembly; and

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section along lines 6-6 of Fig. 3. U

1 is a body of insulating material provided with a knurled projecting rim 2 lby means of which it may be grasped, and with three longitudinal passageways 3, 4, 5 pro jecting therethrough. The passageways 3 and 5 are large enough to receive contacts 6 and 7, respectively, of the cap 8, adapted to engage resilient contact springs 9 and .10 provided within said passageways. A. disc ot insulating material 1l is provided on top ot the body 1. The disc is perforated at 12 and 13, said pertorations registering with the passageways t and 5, respectively. The

body 1. The upper end of the contact `spring 9 is turned down into contact `with the flange 15 of the shell 14 and is held in that position by the disc 11y bearing against it. The upper end of the contact spring 10 projects through the: perforation 13 in the disc 11 and` its end is turned at substantiall 90", terminating in an ear 16 through which a resilient wire 17 `may project. y

y Normall the wire 17 1s in the condition shown in ull lines in Fig. 5, that is to say, in the form of a straight rod havingits end piralled into a springvof a few convoluions.

The base is assembled` by placing thecon i tact shell 14 over the` end of the body 1, then .inserting the contact spring 9, then positioning the disc. 11 through the openlng 13 `of whichthe spring 10 lsinserted intou tools the loWer or free end of the wire is bent upinto a half loo 18 against` a recessed portion 19" of tie passageway ,4,

whereby it can no more be pulled out through the passageway 4. Instead of bend ing up the wire 17 in thel manner herein illustrated, it may be otherwise spread out or knotted to prevent* its withdrawal. `The other end of thewire is flattened out into a spiral 20, all the convolutions of which are in one plane. All the elements of the base will be rigidly held within the clamp formed by the wire 17, which clamp is relatively resilient and resists shaking and other strains better than screws or rivets. The end 20 of the wire serves to make contact with alamp socket or the like. If a light gauge wire is used for this pur ose and it 1s esired further to remove t e contactmaking surface 20 from .the shell 14 without increasing the width of disc 11, an additional small disc may be inserted just below a spiral 20. The curling of the upper end of wire 17 may be accomplished as a single operation during the assembly of the shell.

It will be seen, therefore, that the continuous piece of wire 17 constitutes a single unitary clamp by means of which the elements of the base are held in a mechanically and electrically assembled condition, andthe use of screws. rivets, soldering, etc., is obviated. The wire 1T may be produced f. in large quantities by means of automatic machinery, and the absenceof screws, nuts, rivets and the like in the assembly will materially speed up the assembly of the device,

' What I claim is:

1. An electrical attachment device comprising a body of insulating material, two contact springs, and a contact-marking surface; and a resilient clamp for holding all 'of said elements in a mechanically and electrically assembled condition.

2. An electrical attachment device comprising a body Vof insulating material, two contact springs and a Contact making surface; and a wire passing through said body and bent at its two ends to constitute a resilient clamp for all of said elements and also to constitute a second contact making surface.

3. An electrical attachment plug comprisfr an insulating body having three longipartially surrounding said body, a disc of insulating material, two perforations'in said disc registering with two of said passages, a .wire projecting through one of 'said passages and the corresponding perforation in the disc, having one of its ends held against removal from said passage and the other end bent toV clamp said disc, contact springs `in the two other passages, the end of one of said springs being clamped against said contact making' surface by said disc, and the end of the other spring projecting through the other perforation of said disc and being clamped to the latter by the bent end of said wire.

4. An electrical attachment plug, an insulating body having three longitudinal passages, a contact shell partially surrounding said body and provided with a flange bearing against the end thereof, a disc of insulating material positioned on to of said fiange, two perforations in said isc registering with two of said passages, a wire projecting through one of said passages and the corresponding perforation in the disc, having one of its ends held to prevent its removal from the passage and the other end curled againstthe top of said disc, contact springs in the two other passages, the end of'one of said springs being clamped between the body, the shell and the disc, and the end of the other spring projecting through the other perforation of said disc and being clamped to the latter by the curled end of said wire.

5. An electrical attachment plug consisting of an insulating body having three longitudinal passages the central one of which is provided with an offset portion, a screwthreaded contact shell partially surrounding said body and provided with a flange bearing against the end thereof, a disc of insulating material of substantially the same diameter as said body positioned on top of said flange, two perforations in said disc registering with the central and one yof the other passages, aresilient wire projecting through the central passage andthe corresponding perforation in the disc, having one -of its ends bent against the recessed portion yto prevent its slipping and the other end pressed in spirals against the top of said discto form a contact-making surface, contactsprings in the two other passages, the end of one of said springs being clamped between the body, the shell and the disc, and the end, of the other spring projecting through the other perforation of said disc and being clamped to the -latter'by the spiralled end of said wire.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of January, 1924.

WILLIAM F. HENDRY.

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