US1935586A - Socket receptacle - Google Patents

Description

; Nov. 14, 1933. E. G. K. ANDERSON 1,935,585

SOCKET RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 3, 1929 fizz/6272267 Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOCKET RECEPTACLE Illinois Application September 3, 1929. Serial No. 390,202

3 Claims.

It is a common practice to mount individual lamp sockets in small outlet boxes; each socket being mounted on a base of insulating material that rests on and is secured to lugs on the inner 5 side of and a short distance from the top of the box; the cover of porcelain or other insulating material being then secured in place by means of screws extending down into the insulating base. Because the base must serve to hold the cover in place it must be made comparatively heavy and, even then, there is great loss through breakage.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and improve devices of the ln'nd just described, whereby very much less insulating material is required and a stronger and more durable construction obtained.

In carrying out my invention, I form a light base of insulating material, mounting the same on a stiff metal plate which projects beyond the ac insulating material to accommodate screws to fasten the plate to the box and other screws to fasten the cover. The plate is preferably fastened to the insulating material by means of screws which may readily be removed in case the insulation should happen to break or in case an entirely new socket unit is to be substituted. Therefore, viewed in one of its aspects, my invention may be said to have for its object toproduce a simple and novel socket unit having a composite base composed in part of a block of insulating material and in part of a strong supporting plate.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but,

for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a complete socket receptacle constructed in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the cover removed; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the plate member of the socket unit; Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 44 of Fig. 2, only a fragment of the device beingshown; Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale on line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a section through the socket base on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a small outlet or connection box open at one side which, for convenience, I shall call the top, and having one or more tubular bosses 2 to provide inlets for conductors. Two ears or lugs 3 extend into the box from opposed side walls, a short distance from the top of the box. Resting on these ears or lugs is a metal plate 4. Screws 5 pass through holes 6 in the plate and into the ears or lugs. A comparatively light base 7 of insulating material rests on the plate, being secured thereto by means of screws 8 passing upwardly through holes 9 in the plate and into the insulating material. The socket 10, with its terminals 11 and 12 is fixed on the block of insulating material independently of the metal supporting plate. The ends of the supporting plate are extended in the form of narrow strips or fingers 13 having near their outer end screwthreaded holes 14. A cover 15 of porcelain or other suitable material rests on top of the box and is secured in place by means of long screws 16 extending through the same and into the screwthreaded holes 14 in the supporting plate. The cover of course has an opening to receive the socket, the opening being ordinarily the cylindrical bore in a tubular boss 17 projecting outwardly from the cover beyond the outer end of the socket.

It will be seen that the only stresses that come upon the block of insulation constituting or forming part of the base for the socket are those incident to supporting the block and socket and the lamp or other device that may be mounted in the socket; the composite base and socket constituting a unit that may be assembled in the 88 factory. The screws that hold the unit to the box and that support the cover from the unit engage only the metal part of the composite base, and therefore the assembling of the box, the socket unit, and the cover is done without in any 90 way stressing the insulating block. In the event that an insulating block should happen to be broken, the base plate is simply unscrewed and applied to a new block. Furthermore, the insulating blocks may be made of various sizes and shapes and the metal base plates will fit any of them provided only that the holes in the blocks are properly located.

While I have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims. 10

I claim:

1. In combination, a box open at the top and having an inlet for conductors, a pair of ears projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the box a short distance below the top, a metal plate resting on said ears, screws extending downwardly through said plate into the ears, a base of insulating material shorter than the plate resting on the latter, screws extending upwardly through the plate and into the base, a cover of insulating material fitting across the top of the box and having an opening for a socket mounted on the said base, and screws extending down through the cover into the end portions of the plate lying beyond the ends of said base.

2. In combination, a box open at the top and having an inlet below the top for conductors, a pair of ears projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the box near the top, a metal plate resting on said ears, screws extending downwardly through said plate into said ears, a base of insulating material shorter than the plate resting on the latter, screws extending through the plate and into the base, a socket mounted on top of said base and projecting outwardly from the box. a cover of insulating material fitting across the top of the box and having a tubular part sursounding said socket, and screws extending down through the cover into the end portions of the plate lying beyond the ends of said base.

3. In combination, a long, narrow rectangular box open at the top, ears projecting inwardly from the opposite long sides of the box near the top, said ears lying on opposite sides of the transverse axis of the box at a considerable distance from the ends of the box, a metal plate considerably shorter than the box resting on said ears and having narrow end portions, screws securing said plate to said ears, a short base of insulating material resting on said plate and leaving the narrow end portions exposed, a socket fixed to and overlying said base, a cover of insulating material fitting across the top of the box and having a tubular central portion surrounding said socket, and screws extending down through the cover and into the exposed end portions of said late.

ERNST G. K. ANDERSON.

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