US1767690A - Vacuum-tube socket - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1930.

G. J. MEUER ET AL VACUUM TUBE SOCKET Filed Sept. 15, 1924 q11v VENTORS 4 A TTORIVE r Patented June 24, 1930- UNITED STATES rlATEN OFFICE GEORGE J. MEIIER AND WILLIAM," C. STEVENS, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN- OBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, '10 CUTLER-HAMMER, INC., 0]? MILWAUKEE, WIS- CONSIN, A GORPORATION OF DELAWARE VACUUJll-TUBE SOCKET Application filed September 18, 1924. Serial No. 737,516.

This invention relates to vacuum tube sockets.

An object of the invention is to provide'a socket of the above character of extremely simple and durable construction.

A further object is to provide a' socket I having contact clips of improved form.

A further object is to provide a socket I having separately molded shell and base portions with-novel means for detachably holding. the same in assembled relation.

A further object is to provide a socket enabling insertion or removal of a tube by a straight telesco ic movement.

A further ob ect is to provide a relatively large positive contact area of the tube prongs or electrodes and the contact clips.

A still further object is to improve and simplify the construction of such sockets in general, including wide spacing of the current carrying parts both in air and insulation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the socket; with the parts in assembled relation;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with a portion of the shell broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the socket;

Fig. 1 isa vertical section on the line 4:el of Fig. 3;

Fig. '5 is a vertical section on the broken line 5-5 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the contact clips.

Referring to the drawing, in which like parts are designated by like characters of reference in the several figures, the socket comprises a base 10 of insulating material,

' preferably of the type comprising a filler and an organic binder and sold commercially under the name of Thermoplax; said base having a recess 11 therein adapted to receive a relatively thin cylinder or shell 12 of insulating material, such as the phenolformaldehyde condensation product sold commercially under the name of Bakelite.

Base 10 .is provided with a projection 13 adapted to cooperate with a notch 14 in the shell 12 for insuring proper angular positioning of a given point in the circumference of upturned lugs or ears 17 and 18. Lugs 17 are adapted to be definitely positioned Within shell 12 for cooperation with the prongs or electrode terminals of a vacuum tube (not shown). Thus, base 10 is provided with channels'or grooves 19 for insuring positive radial alinement of the clips 16 with respect to shell 12, and said clips are secured to the base by screws 20. Said screws are located in countersunk portions 21 of the base (Fig. 4:), and project through holes 22 into engagement with the inbent screw threaded portions 23 of clips 16 for securing the latter to the base. Holes 22 are enlarged at the upper ends thereof as indicated at 24 to accommodate the portions 23 of the clips. Lock washers 25 are preferably provided on screws 20 for more rigidly securing clips 16 in position. i

vAs clearly shown at 26 in Fig. 5, the clips 16 are adapted to engage or bite into the walls of openings 15in shell 12 upon tightening of the screws 20, thus serving to rigidly clamp the base and shell against relative longitudinal movement.

Referring more particularly to the contact clip as shown in Fig. 6 and the other figures, the lugs or ears 17 at the inner end the tube or the socket. The lugs 17 thus provide a clip contact with the prongs of other to provide for positioning of a circuit wire to be soldered or otherwise suitably secured thereto. The clips 16 are of reduced width adjacent the lugs 18 to permit ready bending of the latter downwardly over the base 10 for underwiring, as indicated in dotted lines at 27 in Fig. 2. By the provision of integral or one-piece metallic elements to bridge the vacuum tube electrodes and the circuit wires, perfect electrical conductivity therebetween is insured inasmuch as the usual binding posts and joints are eliminated,-it being noted that the screws 20 are not a part of the electric circuit. However, it is obvious that if necessary or desirable the nuts 28 may serve to bind the circuit wires to the respective clips 16. Said nuts are primarily intended, however, to lock the screws 20 against rotation, and are preferably provided with polygonal sides and also with slots 29 in the tops thereof, to permit tightening by either a wrench or a screw driver. r

The shell 12 is provided at the upper'end thereof with a vertical notch 30 for cooperation with the usual pin or projection on a vacuum tube to insure engagement of the prongs of the latter with the proper contacts of the base. The usual indicia may.

be provided on the base for insuring proper circuit connections.

In assembling the device, tube 12' is inserted into recess 11 of base 10, the engaging portions 13 and 14 insuring proper loca- I tion of the notch 30 with respect to the sary to effect contaetingand holding'of the prongs of said tube by the resilient clip several contact clips 16 which are inserted through openings 15 and then clamped to base 10 by means of screws 20,. said clips 16 serving, as aforestated, to securely clamp the shell and base together. By our improved construction the pairs of lugs or cars 17 are relatively widely spaced within shell 12, thus insuring proper current carrying characteristics of the conducting elements of the device.

In use, a vacuum tube is inserted into shell 12 with the pin on said tube in alinement with notch 30, only a straight or vertical. movement. of the tube being necescontacts 17; whereas the tube may be re-- moved from the socket by a like vertical movement in the opposite direction.

By providing a socket in which the base and shell may be separately molded, the

same may be individually formed of different grades of insulating material, while also permitting various attractive color combinations of the insulating materials employed.

While we have shown but one form of What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vacuum tube socket comprising a molded insulating base having a recess in the' top surface thereof to provide a shoulder, a

separately molded insulating shell adapted to rest on said shoulder, cooperative engaging portions on said shell and-base to properly position the same and prevent relative rotary movement thereof, said shell having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein adjacent to said base, and a plurality of combined contact terminal and clip members secured to said base and extending inwardly through the openings in said shell, said members being adapted to positively engage the walls of said openings to thereby hold said base and shell against relative longitudinal movement.

2. A vacuum tube socket comprising a molded insulating base having a-circular recess in the top surface thereof providing a shoulder, a separately molded cylindrical insulating shell adapted to rest on said shoulder, said. shell having a longitudinal slot in each of its upper and lower edges, a projection on said base cooperating with the shoulders formed by the lower slot to insure proper positioning of said shell and to prevent relative rotary movement thereof with respect to the base, a plurality of combined contact and terminal members secured to the upper surface of said base and extending through said shellat spaced points in the circumference of the latter, said combined contact and terminal members having intermediate portions adapted to engage the walls of said shell to thereby clamp the latter to the base.

3. A vacuum tube socket comprising a molded insulating base having a circular I recess in the top surface thereof providing a shoulder, a separately molded cylindrical insulating shell adapted to rest on said shoulder, said shell having a longitudinal slot in each of its upper and lower edges, a projection on said base cooperating with the shoulders formed by the lower slot to insure proper positioning of said shell and to prevent relative rotary movement thereof with respect to the base, a plurality of combined contact terminals and clips removably and adjustably secured to the upper surface of said base and extending through said shell at spaced points in the circumference of the latter, said combined contact terminals and clips having intermediate portions adapted to engage the walls of said shell to thereby clamp the latter to the base.

4:. A vacuum .tube socket comprising -a molded insulating base having a substantially central opening, said base being ad ditionally recessed from its upper surface to provide a substantially annular shoulder, a separately formed tubular insulating shell adapted to rest on said shoulder, means integral with the shell and base respectively to insure a given relative rotary positioning thereof, said shell having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings adjacent to the lower end thereof, a plurality of combined contact terminals and clips freely insertable'through said openings in the shell and adapted to rest 'upon the upper surface of said base,-'1neans for adjustably clamping said combined contact terminals and clips to said base, and means on the former to positively engage the walls of said openings to thereby clamp said shell to said base.

5. 'A combined contact clip and terminal for vacuum tube sockets, comprising a singlemetal blank having a relatively long body portion and longitudinally alined end portions each offset end portion having a pair of integral lugs extending at substantially right angles to said body portion, the

lugs of each pair being bent upwardly with respect to said body portion into substantial parallelism with each other, and means on said body portion to provide for attachment thereof to a suitable support the lugs of one of said pairs being adapted to receive an electrode ofa vacuum tube and the lugs of the other pair being adapted for permanent attachment thereto of a terminal wire.

6. A combined contact clip and terminal for vacuum tube sockets, comprising a. metal blank having a relatively long body portion and opposite end portions each having a pair of integral lugs extending at substantially right angles to said body portion, the lugs at one end being relatively small, and being bent upwardly into substantial parallelism with each other'to receive a terminal wire, the lugs at the other end being also bent upwardly and having the tips thereof opening to provide for adjustable securea sin 1e current conducting member having a wiring terminal portion engaging the base,

said member also having a portion for con- I tacting with an electrode of a tube, and

said member also having an intermediate portion in clamping engagement with the li)nsulating shell to secure said shell to the ase. In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names.

GEORGE J. MEUER. WILLIAM C. STEVENS.

flared apart to facilitate passage of a vacuum tube electrode therebetween, said body portion being bent intermediate its ends to provide Qflset portions adapted to lie in parallel longitudinal planes, and-said body portion being also provided with a. screw-threaded CERTIFICATE r; CORRECTION;

' Patent No. 1, 767, 690.

I I GEORGE MEUER AL. 1

It is herebycertifi-ed that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction astoll'ows: Page 3, line 36, claim 5, strike .out the word "offset" and insert same after the word "alined" in line 35; "and that the said Letters Patent should beread with this correction therein that the same may conform'to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

\ Signed and sealed this 9th day of September, A.- D. -l930.

M. Moore, I

Granted June 24, "1930, to

(Seal) Acting'Cornmissioner of Patents.

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