US1888258A

US1888258A - Electrical cord take-up device

Info

Publication number: US1888258A
Application number: US502756A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bettinger Ina Letitia
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-12-16
Filing date: 1930-12-16
Publication date: 1932-11-22
Anticipated expiration: 1949-11-22

Description

ATTORNEY Nov. 22, 1932. n. L. BETTINGER ELECTRICAL CORD TAKE-UP DEVICE Filed Deo. 16, 1930 Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL conn 'rm-ur Dnvrcn .Application led December 16, 1930. Serial. No. 502,756.

My invention relatesin general Ato household utilities and in particular to 'a tensioning device for use in conjunction with electrical appliances, the principal object being 'to always keep the electrical cord through which current is supplied to the electrical appliance taut, thereby eliminatingv entanglement of the appliance with the cord or operator; unnecessary wear on the insulation whereby the current might be shorted; and also obviating the vexations arising in general from a loose dangling cord.

The device is especially adapted for use in connection with electric irons, Hoor lamps, and electrical vacuum cleaners. There has been a keen demand for such a contrivance, wherein is achieved the absorbing of the .slack when reverse movements are made in the operation of ironing, lighting, and sweeping as mentioned supra.

A further important object of the invention is in the incorporation of means for making` electrical contact between thev stationary cord and the conductors wound on the reel.

A still further object of the invention resides in its peculiar adaptability of design whereby it may he readily applied to an ironing board. iioor lamp, and an electric sweeper.

Other features of moment reside in the mechanical details wherein is contributed novelty of design and invention.

Still other distinguishing novel 'characteristics will be maniest as the disclosure follows.

In the accompanying drawing is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention as well as adaptations illustrating its potential use.

The views insaid drawing comprise:

A Fig. 1 illustrating in perspective one application of the invention for use with an electric iron;

A Fig. 2 illustrating in perspective one adaptation of the invention for use with an electric vacuum cleaner;

A Fig. 3 illustrating in perspective the invention apart from its attaching means;

A Fig. 4 showing a section taken on the 50 line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and in relation thereto a section through the attaching means where the device is applied to a vacuum cleaner;

A Fig. 5 showing a left hand elevationr of the attaching means shown in Fig. 4.

A Figy showing a fragmentary side elevation of the device to particularly illustrate the adjustable clamping element for attaching the device to an ironing board; and,

A Fig. 7 illustrating in perspective the sheave bearing. The invention as illustrated is shown applied to an ironing board (1) in Fig. 1, and to an electric vacuum cleaner (2) in Fig. 2.

Broadly the .principles of adaptation of the device for one use is generic to the ape5 plication of the device for the other use and is to be so understood.

The device comprises in combination an implement 3, a sheave 4, having encased therewith a iiat coil retractile spring 5, ball-bearingly mounted upon a circular bearing 6 to which an end Vof said spring is' fastened; means for making electrical contact between the stationary cord and the conductors wound on the reel 7 adapted to have a source ot electric current pass therethrough, means for connectingsaid switch in series and attaching means whereby the device may be fastened for utilization.

The implement 3 consists of abase portion 8 substantially V-shaped, the vertex of whose angle 9 is rounded in nature and which eX- tends throughout the length of the base portion. The implement simulates to a certain B5 degree an andiron, the base portion as before referred to being somewhat lower with relation to the front portion in the present'design.

Extending upwardly at right angles from l one end of said base portion is a; frontfportion 10,- the terminus of which is provided with an 'eye 11 through which an electric cord 12 is adapted to play. The base portion 8 is provided with feet 13 at one end into which rubber shoes, 14, are insertable and the front portion is also congurated into feet 15 provided with similar' receptacles into which like rubber shoes 16 are also insertable. The base portion is rounded as aforesaid so -that it may be coniigurated to the handle 17 of a vacuum'y cleaner and there are provided to aid in supporting the device to an ironing board. A

The V-groove has an elastic liner 23, and

a clamp 20 likewise has an adjustable elastic seat 24, both of which aid in gripping 'and preventing abrasion of the -device when coupled to the handle of a vacuum cleaner.

Extending transversely/with the front portion 10 is an arm 25. said arm has a downwardly-directed portion 26 Yinto which the fed into therace.

electrical terminals 27 and 28 are projected, and on the inside face of said downwardly directed portion is integralized the disc cap 29. At the axial center of said disccap is mounted the-circular bearing 6, the spindle 30 .of said bearing extending through said disc cap 29 and into said arm 25 wherein it is housed and to which it is secured by a pin 31.

The circular bearing 6 has in addition to the spindle 30 a circular flange 32 which is provided with an external circumferential chamfer 33 whereon the sheave 4 is ballbearingly mounted. In line of the axis of the spindle 30 adjacent the circular flange 32 is continued a rounded portion 34 and into the latter recited portion is cut a slot 35 intoV which one end of the fastened.

` As aforesaid the sheave 4 is mounted torotate upon ball bearings on bearing 6. To provide for a ball bearing seat in the sheave in which the balls 36 may travel, there is provided an internal circumferential chamfer 37, similar to the external circumferential chamfer in the circular bearing 6. r

The balls 36 are fed into the race 38 after the assembly of the, sheave and bearing through a slot 39 which is later plugged up or welded.

0n one face of the sheave is encased the coil spring 5, one end as aforesaid being securelv fastened in the slot 35, the other end of said spring is fastened to the casing 41 by a screw 42; the casing 41 being in turn coil spring 5 is securely secured to the sheave bv a screw 43. The

spring 5 is first secured in the casing 41 by screws 42. 'and after the casing is applied to the sheave. the other end of the spring is fastened to the bearing. The balls are then Upon the other face of the sheave is mounted a fiber or insulative circular disc 43a b v means of screws 44, there being first applied to said disc 43a, a pair of annular electrical conductor rings 44a and 45, b y means of screws 46 and 47.

Said rings 44a and 45 form in conjunction,

with the electrical terminals 27 and 28 means for transmittingcurrent fromthe terminals 27 and 28 to the terminal wires 48 and 49 [of the electrical take up cord 12 wound around the sheave 4. As the cord is unwound from `the sheave against'the opposition of the spring Aor' upon the sheave as a result of the tension stored up in the spring by the unwinding of the cord, current will be supplied to said means from the terminls 27 and 28 as a result of the brushes 50 and 51 being acted upon by the springs 52 and 53 housedin said terminals and bearing thereagainst.

The assembled parts hereinbefore enumerated are joined 31 inter-connecting the implement with the bearing in such a manner that electric current will always be transmitted from one terminal to another; and so that the sheave will be rotative upon the bearing as the electric cord is manually manipulated in the unwinding or automatically operated in the rewinding against and under the action of the spring for the purpose specified supra;v e Dual attaching means are provided on the implement whereby the device is attachable both to an ironing board as shown in Fig. 1 or a vacuum cleaner as shown in Fig. 2 as previously pointed out, i. e., grips 18-for the claws 19, and-pin grips 21 for the clamping .element 22.

The clamping element "22 includes a U,

Amay be manually ,adjusted to accommodate itself to ironing boards of different thicknesses.

The bearing andshoe insert being pivoted` in unison by means of the pin- Extending through the arms formto the link, and the frame being pivoted to f the implement and link, provide a unique gripping arrangement so that proper grippage of the device to an ironing board is assured as the h'andle of the link is manually manipulated to exert pressure on the insert against the bottom face of the ironing board.

The .clamp 20 includes a vided with inturned claws 19. Said arms are adapted" to pass. astride the implement and adapted to overlie the grips 18. They cooperate with the saddle 63 into which is applied the seat 24 to grip the device to the handle of a vacuum cleaner as the'screw 62 engageable with both the clamp and the saddle is manually manipulated to exert pressure both between the base of -the implement and the handle, and between the saddle and the handle, thereby serving as a unique mountpair of arms prok cleaner for the purpose specified.

ing means, a stationary conductor detachably applied thereto, said arm having formed therewith a circular cap, a bearing contain-l ing a spindle non-rotatingly journalled in said cap, said bearing having a circular flange, a reel ball-bearingly mounted upon said flange, conductors wound on said reel and means for making electrical contact between the stationary conductor and the conductors wound on the reel.

INA LETITIA BETTINGER.

prising an upright standard having at one side thereof a laterally extending arm, said arm being provided with a cap which extends in a substantially vertical plane, the concave side of said cap being directed t0- ward the midwidth of said standard, said cap having a central bore extending into the concave side thereof, an upright bearing disc having a laterally extending spindle, said spindle being secured within said bore, said bearing disc having a peripheral chamfer therearound, a sheave adapted to have an electric cord wound thereon,-said sheave having an internal bearing chamfer ball-bearingly related to the rst recited chamfer, a

retracting coil spring acting between said bearing and sheave to retract said sheave after unwinding of the cord, a pair of concentric circuit making rings mounted in an insulated relation to said sheave, brush elements carried by the aforementioned brackets to cooperate with said concentric rings and a dual' electric cord, the conductors of which are operatively related to said rings.

2. In a device of the class described, an implement including a base provided with a longitudinal Vgroove extending thereunder, the vertex of which groove is rounded for applying the device to a circular object, clamping means associated with said base portion adapted for attaching it to a support, means upstanding from said base, and a bracketed arm extend-ing from said upstanding means, a stationary conductor detachably applied thereto, said arm having formed therewith a circular cap, a bearing containing a spindle non-rotatingly journalled in said cap, said bearing havlng a cir` cular iiange, a sheave ball-'bearingly mounted upon said iiange, conductors wound on said sheave, and means for making electrical contact between the stationary conductor and the conductors wound on the sheave.

3. In a device of the class described, an implement including a base rovided with a longitudinal V-groove exten ing thereunder, the vertex of' which groove is rounded for applying the device tov a circular ob'ect, clamping means associated with said ase portion adapted for attaching it to a support, means upst'anding from said base, and a bracketed arml extending from said upstand-