US1979485A

US1979485A - Rubber safety socket

Info

Publication number: US1979485A
Application number: US444709A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lloyd J Mcpartlin; Henry V Harding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1930-04-16
Filing date: 1930-04-16
Publication date: 1934-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1951-11-06

Description

Nov. 6, 1934. L. J. MCPARTLIN El AL RUBBER SAFETY SOCKET Filed April 16, 1930 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE RUBBER SAFETY SOCKET Lloyd J. McPartlin and Henry v. Harding, Detroit, Mich.

Application April '16, 1930, Serial No. 444,709

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a rubber safety socket especially adapted for temporary use in repeatedly diverse locations, as for example, in the illumination of a partially finished building, and a has for its object an improved organization of parts adapted to'permit the convenient and safe handling, installation, and removal of a string or series of electric light bulbs by means of which it is desired to temporarily illuminate a selected area and wherein the incomplete state of the 'buildings installation, such as its wiring system, precludes reliance thereon as a means of securing the desired illumination. Both the safety of the device as regards handling, and its durability under more or less rough usage, as well as its easy adaptation to the "support of such devices or series in multiple or parallel lines, from a single wire or other support, are purposes to which our improved construction readily lends itself.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a single rubber armored socket, with portions of a currentlit carrying cable eirtending from either side thereof.

Figure 2 is a largely sectional elevational view of the construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2. w

Figure 4 is a small scale elevational view of a string or series of lighting units, the several bulbs of which are designed to receive their illuminating current from a single easily detached terminal.

A represents a cut-in plug, whose terminal prongs are adapted to be inserted inthe corresponding recesses of any suitable source of electrical energy, and B represents a current-carrying cable leading therefrom, the range of selection-as to its length being indicated by the broken portion B. Between two adjacent portions or sections of this cablethereisacut-away portion as regards the insulating cover D, the removal of which leaves the wires E and F exposed for connection to the terminal wires G and H leading respectively from connection with the shell of the bulb socket K and from the disc J, which forms the top end of the bulb socket K; the contact leaf piece L of the disc J is adapted to be engaged in the usual manner by the inner end of the threaded base or plug. Soldering orother equivalent means for uniting the terminal cords G and H with the current-carrying wires E and F are shown at M.

With the parts as thus far described adequately assembled in an electrical sense, there is positioned enclosingly about them, including the sides of the threaded socket K, a mass of rubber or equivalent insulating material whichis also made to surround the ends of the cable sheathing which have not been removed, as shown at N. Before the, positioning of this rubber mass about these parts and before the vulcanization thereof, however, a generally U-shaped cord 'orwire P is also positioned in inverted position with relation to the parts thus far described with its knotted ends, as Q, extending well down into the mass or body of the surrounding rubber or other insu lating material, and when the vulcanization of the latter has been completed, the legs of this U-shaped piece form the backbone or reinforcement of an upstanding *rib, as R, which may be tapered off as shown elevationally in Figure 1, (ll to graceful union with and about the ends of the insulated cable elements B and C, and through the topportion of this upstanding rib, a reinforcing metal eyelet, as S, is preferably placed in a position within, that is to say, below the middle portion of the inverted U-shaped piece M; thus when the vulcanization of the protective rubber mass has been completed, this eyelet S, inte- V grated with the rubber, constituting the rib R,

furnishes a means through which a supporting cord or wire may be strung or through which the end of a wall hook or the like may be passed to effect the support of a series of these elements, such as Figure 4 illustrates, in desired relation to the space to be illuminated. Whether the support be afforded by a wire, hooks, or any other selected means, the insulation of the currentcarrying parts is at all times so complete that. the individual sockets can be handled with entire safety, and yet the weight of the several sockets and their feeding wires or cables is supported by a part of the rubber structure as a whole, which 'is reinforced externally of the eyelet S by the passage thereover of the inverted portion of the U-shaped member M. I

It will thus be seen that whether a single string of lights be supported, as illustrated elevationally in Figure 4, or whether a suitably spaced group of such lights arranged in parallel or other relation, and each of the general character shown in Figure 4, be employed, the illumination of the space or areadesired may be executed, as for example for the installation of a tile or wooden floor over the I-beam and cement structure of a building skeleton, without reliance upon the per manent wiring system of the building, which may not have as yet been installed. When the requirement for illumination of the space in question is at an end, the parts, whether hook or wire-supported, can be easily taken down without injury or danger, for removal to an installation in another space, the terminal plug A being then placed in contact with what terminal may then and there be available.

The most frequently resorted-to use of the apparatus herein disclosed is, of course, illumination, and for the sake of clarity we have so spoken thereof in the foregoing description; it should be understood, however, that the socket terminals mentioned are equally adaptable to the taking off of current at selected points for other power users, such as the actuation of small electrically driven drills, electric soldering irons or the like.

What we claim is:

1. In a safety socket, in combination with a shell portion for the reception of a plug base, a current-carrying cable from a selected portion of which the insulating covering has been removed for, the electrical connection with the wires thereof of the terminal connections of said shell portion, a mass of yieldable insulating material positioned about the otherwise exposed portions of the elements thus far recited, and means anchoringly embedded in said mass and extending above an aperture in the upper portion thereof whereby the strain incident to the suspended support of the recited parts is distributed through relatively remote portions of said insulating mass.

2. In combination, a lamp socket, yieldable in sulating means surrounding said socket and including a bore, and inextensible means, substantially co-planar with the longitudinal axis of said socket, at least partially encircling said bore and imbedded in the insulating means.

3. In combination, a lamp socket, yieldable insulating means surrounding said socket and including a bore, and inextensible means at least partially encircling said bore and imbedded in said insulating means at a distance-from said bore for distributing through said insulating means stresses applied thereto in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said socket.

i. In combination, a lamp socket, current carrying connections to the socket, yieldable insulating means surrounding said socket and said connections and including a bore, and inextensible means, substantially co-planar with the longitudinal axis of said socket, at least partially encircling said bore and imbedded in. the insulating means for a distance from said bore for distributingthrough said insulatingv means stresses applied thereto at said bore.

5. In combination, a lamp socket, yieldable insulating means surrounding said socket and including a bore, and inextensible means, substantially co-planar with the longitudinal axis of said socket, at least partially encircling said bore at a distance therefrom, and imbedded in the insulating means for a distance extending from said bore, for distributing through said insulating means stresses applied thereto in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of said socket.

6. In combination, a plug-receiving socket, yieldable insulating means associated with said socket and having an aperture therein, the axis of said aperture lying at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said socket, and anchoring means embedded in said insulating means adjacent said socket and extending around said aperture, whereby stresses applied to said insulating means at said aperture are distributed throughout said insulating means.