US1803096A - Lamp-socket-plug tap - Google Patents

Description

April 28; 1931. CLEMENCE 1,803,096

LAMP SOCKET PLUG TAP Filed Nov. 15, 1927 INVENTOR Ellioiir Clemencg Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED sr'rs PATENT OFFICE ELLIOTT CLEMENOE, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY 'MEsnE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro

ronnrio v or CONNECTICUT THE MONOWA'IT ELECTRIC CORPORATION, OF

narnenron'r, conivncr cur, A con- LAMP-SOGKET-PLUG TAP i Application filed November 15, 1927. Serial No. 233,438.

The present invention relates to lamp socket plug taps and is more particularly directed toward a plural lamp socket" having provisions-for connecting in four electrical devices such as two lamps or other threaded connectors and two attachment plug caps or other forms of pronged connectors.

The present invention contemplates a device of this nature which consists essentially of. a casing made out of two like halves of molded insulating material and within which is housed the contacts for-the various outlets.

According .to the present invention, all of the metal parts except the external male screw shell (where it is employed) may be inserted into one of the casing halves and held thereby in position without the employment of solder,

' whereupon the other casing half may be placed in position and the two parts-secured together by a bolt passing through the casing. Where the current supply portion of the electrical connector is in the form of a screw shell,.tl1is screw shell is adapted to be placed in position after the casing parts and inclosed elements have been secured together.

It connects with the inclused conductors to .ing the component units into a complete assembly. 1

Another advantage relates to the manner of amplifying the internally mounted metallic circuit forming members, by the addition of a few simple, additional metallic parts, with proper positioning spaces in the outer insulator body, the capacity of such taps is doubled in capacity, thereby permitting the connecting of and distribution of electric cur ent from a single socket to four separate circuits, simultaneously. v

In the present embodiment a single, preferably threaded,tap or plug connection permits of attachingmy device to a socket, and in turn is provided with a pair of threadedsockets, whereby two other threaded circuit connections may be made, and intermediate of these latter sockets but adjacent thereto, is oppositely located a pair of plug in connections for cooperation with the blade contacts of attachment plugs, taps, and the like.

These and other capabilities will be ascertained as the herein description proceeds, and p it is obvious that modifications may be made 1n the structure herein without departing ,from the spirit of this inventionor the scope.

of the appended claims.

Inthe drawings Fig. 1 is a side view of my device, assembled; Fig. 2 is an open view thereof with one of the enclosingv insulator members removed; Fig. 3 isan open View. of one of the insulator halves; Fig. 4 is anagmentary side viewof the upper or light socket connection end of either of. the'insulatorhalves; Fig. 5 is a combined view of the side and endviews of the major metallic circuit. conducting elements; Fig. 6 1s a triple VIGW,

showing the plan, side and end views of the -minor metallic circuit conductor; Fig. 7 is a side view, reduced, of device, showing the same 1n position to receive twosimultaneous prong taps;.F1g. 8 1s a side new ofone 'ofthe internally mounted threaded socket shells; and Fig. 9 isa view of the same, ro-

tated at about 90Vdegrees. v

In Fig. lthe electrical connector 1s shown;

as comprising a main threaded contact ferrule 1, which may be screwed. into any, screw socket for direct, connection toa source of electric current. Branching from the ferrulel are a pair of divergentthreaded sockets 2 and 3 for receiving therein lamps or othe'rthreaded connectors for a continuation of these two separate circuits as desired. I Centrally of these latter divergent ,sockets2and 3 are located, upon opposite sides of my complete device, one each of a pair of plug taps A and 5, see also Fig. 7, into which may be plugged also for simultaneous use,if desired, a'pair of pronged plug-in taps 6 and 7, whereby two other circuits may be connected thereto;

Thus it will be noted, that, plus a main socket connection, I have provided four additional circuit connections, for distribution of current to as many separate circuits singly or together.

The insulator housing '8 comprises a pair of duplicate parts, identical in structure, and seatings, having a single unkeyed meeting as indicated by the line 9, Fig. 7 whereby they match together to form a complete enclosure, but these halves are connected at these planes, against moving, by the keying action of the various contained circuit forming elements, which rest, purposely, half of their structures in each half of the insulator housing 8. By this arrangement, the mating halves of the housing may 'be assembled upon their contained circuit forming conductors and be held in firm assembly by a single centrally located locking screw and nut, generally noted by 10, Figs. 1 and 2, through bore 11, Fig. 3, suitable countersunk seats being provided at the exterior of these bores to permit of keeping the head of the screw lO-and its nut below the outer surface of the exterior of the housing 8. The duplicate halves of the housing 8 are provided at their sockets 2 and 3 near the bot tom thereof with an annular grove 12, which in assembly receives the flared flange 13 of the threaded metallic socket shell 14, which in turn has an upwardly, outwardly upstand ing connector 15 thereon, Figs. 8 and 9, which fits into the grooves or seats 16 and 17 shown in Fig. 3 of each of the sockets 2 and 3, and is'suflicient in length to extend outside of said groovesf'as shown in Fig. 2, thereby to make electrical contact with the threaded metallic ferrule or male screw shell 1, at its interior,

the said ferrule 1 being fitted thereover and Q'sions 20, Fig. 4, thereby forming locking inde-nts 21, Fig. 1.

The parts of housing 8 are, further, provided with a continuous Y shaped channel or seat generally denoted by 22, 23, 24 and 25, which runs from the top 19 down the center thereof, and dividing near the center thereof as at 24, 25, and terminate at the divergent chambers of the sockets 2 and 3. In this continuous channel or seat is located a flat, conformed, metallic conductor generally de- 'noted by 26, Figs. 2, and 5, and as shown in the latter figure comprises a single piece of flat metal, having two downstanding arms 27, 28 bent from an upper angle-shaped contact junction 29, which in assembly, Figs. 1 and 2, resiliently projects above the upper end of the neck 19, for making the inner contact with a stock screw socket normally installed in the source of electric supply. The housing 8 at this point is provided with a flaring wedge like seat 32 in which the lower angled portions 30 and 31 of the contact 29 are seated to resist inward thrust and displacement.

The contact 26, further, has divergent extensions 33, 34 extending from the arms 2728, Fig. 5, and these in turn havetwo extensions 3536 respectively, which are bent inwardly, and as indicated in the sprung, seated position in Fig.2, these latter extensions form the center contacts for the sockets 2 and 3..

Upon this socket circuit forming contact 26, is also affixed one leg of the prong-lug formingcircuits, and this comprises a resilient, two tongued contact member having an arm 37 which is riveted to the leg 27 of 'con tact 26, and is provided at its lower end with a pair of opposed, bent, spring contacts 38 and 39. These latter contacts when in assem bled position in the housing 8. are received in seat 40, Figs. 2 and 3, and blade contact openings or prong plug bores 41 Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which extend entirely through to the exterior of the housing 8 and form with said contacts 38 and 39, one leg of the circuit for the prong plugs 6 and 7, Fig. 7.

The other leg of the prong plug circuit is formed by a separate, simple spring contact as shown in the three views Fig. 6, and com.- prises a somewhat cruciform structure formed of a two tongued contact 42-43, the base of which 44,.is riveted centrally of a single cross-contact member 45, at right angles thereto, the outer ends of the contact 45 being slightly bent, so as to resiliently engage the outer surface of the opposed threaded socket members 14, shown in Fig. 2, when this cruciform contact 4445 is introduced into seat 46 and prong-plug bore 47, which like rectangular bore 41 passes to theexterior of the housing 8, and forms the other leg of the circuit to that described for parts 3839.

Thus the socket circuits and 3) are closed as follows, from ferrule, through arm 15 of the socket screw shells 14, to any screwed in connector (not shown) thence across to bent extensions 35.36 to spring contact29, thus completing the two socket circuits.

For the both opposing prong circuits, the current flows as follows, from the ferrule 1, to arms 15 of the socket ferrules 14, thence through the arms 45 of the cruciform contact to its spring contacts 42-43, thence across plugs 6 and 7, Fig. 7, to spring contacts 38-39, thence to arm 37 to central upper contact 29.

In order to take up the torsional strain of screwing in and out of lamps or threaded plugs in the sockets 2 and 3, I have provided a dual key arrangement in the housing 8, such provision being the cutting of a pair of notches 4l8l8 upon the opposite sides of the threaded screw shells l l, as at Fig. 8, and forming of corresponding upstanding key abutments 47' a7' in each part of the housing as at Figs; 2 and 3. The interengagement of these parts prevents the contact arm 15 on the screw shells 14 being misaligned in assembly or twisted out of position in use. Thus it will be observed that four circuits may be simultaneously connected into my improved socket, or a single circuit may be plugged, in, at will, without possibility of short circuit, and in a compact plug of few parts.

In assembling the multiple lamp socket, the contact assemblies illustrated in Figure 5 are inserted in place with the divergent extensions 33 and 34 in the passageway interconnecting the upper ends of the socket openings and so that the spring tips 35 and 36 are in place to contact with the center contact of the lamp or the like. One of the spring contacts 38 or 39 passes down into one of the blade receiving holes 41 and the body portion 27 of the connector extends up through the , passageways 22 and 23 and out through the opening in the tip of the housing part. The contact assembly shown in Figure 6 is placed with the strip 45 in the cross channel as with one of the blade contacts 42 or 43 housed in the laterally extending opening l7. The screw shells 14: are placed in position with the flanges 13 thereof resting in the grooves 12, the notches 4:8 engaging the lugs 47 and with the strip extensions 15 extending out from the channels 16 and 17. The other housing part may then be placed in position on the projecting conductors-and the bolt 10 secures the housing parts and inclosed conductors together as a unit. The male screw ferrule 1 may then be passed down onto casing composed of two casing halves of the tip of the casing and pressed into the recesses 20 to secure it in place.

It is obvious that the invention may be embodied in many forms and constructions, and I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of the many forms. Various modifications and changes being possible, I do not limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a socket of the class described, a conductor comprising a pair of resiliently connected arms bent from an upper angleshaped contact junction, and having two divergent contact extensions inwardly turned at their extremities, and a third contact interat their extremities,

intermediate of said divergent contacts, upon tacts carrying a pair of opposed resilient prong engaging contacts thereon at right angles to said divergent contact arms.

* 3. In a socket of the-class described, a conductor comprising a pair, of reslliently connected arms bent from an upper angleshaped contact junction, and having two divergent contact extensions inwardly turned, a thirdcontact riveted one arm thereof, and an opposed resilient prong engagingcontact riveted thereon, located at right angles to said divergent contact arms 4. In a plural lamp socket, an insulating;

casingcomposed of two casing halves of molded insulating material secured together, said casing having a male socket shell receiving upper tip and a pair of downwardly divergent socket provided with bottom forming end walls and a pair of laterally extending openings for blade contacts, there being a cross channel shell receiving openings each extending from the bottom of one socket opening to the bottom of. the other socket opening and commluucating with the two lat-- orally extending openings for blade cont-acts, said-cross channel also communicating with a passageway extending out through the center of thetip, and

for one side of the circuit, said unit having a preassembled contact unit two center contacts for the sockets, two spring contacts for the blade contact openings and a supply lead extending out through the tip center, and being insertibleinto one of the casing halves before the other half is placed inpositiona' i I '5. In a plurallamp socket, an insulating molded insulating material secured together,

said casing having a pair of divergent socket receivingopenings whose adjacent sides are and a contact member molded insulating material secured together,

said casing havlng a male socket shell receiving upper tip and a pair of downwardly divergent socket shell receiving openings whose adjacent sides are interconnected by a cross channel which communicates with two laterally-extendin g openings for blade contacts, each socket opening being provided with a bottom forming end wall havinga passageway extending from the outer portion of thesocket opening through the bottom wall and to the outside of the casing adjacent the tip, a pair of socket shells in the socket openings, a contact member disposed in the cross channel and engaging the outside of the shells, the contact member having spring blade contacts in the blade contact openings, and a male screw shell on the tip, the socket shells shaving strips extending through said passageways to connect the socket shells to the male shell.

7. In a plural lamp socket, an insulating casing composed of two casing halves of molded insulating material secured together, said casing having a male socket shell receiving upper tip and a pair of downwardly divergent socket shell receiving openings each provided with bottom forming end walls and a pair of laterally extending openings for blade contacts, there being a cross channel extending from the bottom of one socket opening to the bottom of the other socket opening and communicating with the two laterally extending openings for blade contacts, said cross channel also communicating with a passageway extending out through the center of the tip, a cross channel interconnecting the adjacent sides of the socket re ceiving openings and communicating with two laterally extending openings for blade contacts disposed parallel to the first mentioned openings for blade contacts, and passageways extending from the outer portions of the socket openings through the bottom walls of the sockets and to the outside of the casing adjacent the tip, a pair of socket shells in the socket openings, the shells having strips extending out through the last mentioned passageways, a contact member disposed in the cross channel and engaging the outside of the shells, said contact member having spring contacts in the last mentioned blade contact openings, a preassem'bled contact unit having two center contacts for the sockets, two-spring contacts for the first mentioned contactopenings and a supply lead extending out through the tip center, all said conducting parts being insertible into one of the casing halves before the other half is placed in position, and a male screw shell surrounding the tip and contacting with the strips extending from the socket shells.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th day of November, A. D. 1927.

ELLIOTT CLEMENCE.

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