US2002434A

US2002434A - Convenience outlet

Info

Publication number: US2002434A
Application number: US606733A
Authority: US
Inventors: Victor R Despard
Original assignee: Pass and Seymour Inc
Current assignee: Pass and Seymour Inc
Priority date: 1932-04-21
Filing date: 1932-04-21
Publication date: 1935-05-21
Anticipated expiration: 1952-05-21

Description

May 21, 1935. ,v, R DESPARD 2,002,434

CONVENIENCE OUTLET Filed. April 21, 1932 m fi v 6 Patented May 21, 1935 UNITED STATES N OFFICE Victor R. Despard, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Pass & Seymour-,Ina, Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York application April 2l, 1932, Serial No 606,733.,

12 Claims (01. 177-311) This invention relates to convenience outlets and particularly to the structure and mounting of contacts for such devices. 7

It is a general object of the present invention 5 1totp rovide a noveland improved convenience oute One of the important features of the invention resides in the provision of improved contact structure for use with convenience outlets.

- Another important feature of the invention resides in the provision of a third orauxiliary contact for-a two-pole convenience outlet adapted to be contacted by the same attachment plug blade as contacts one of the main terminals, whereby a circuit can be closed for lighting a pilot light. l l

A still further object of the invention resides'in the provision of an auxiliary contact supported by but insulated froma portion of one of the main contacts and-adapted to be engaged by the same plug blade as engages this main contact.

Other important features include the manner of mounting the contacts in the insulating housing, the terminal arrangement for the main and auxiliary contacts, and the closure means for the housing. V

Other features and advantages-of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following'specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention with the understanding that such changes and -modiflcations may bemade therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing, from the spiritof the invention; In said drawing: W Figure l is a side elevation of a convenience outlet constructed according tothe present invention and shown mounted behind a cover or 40 .wall plate which is in section; V

@ Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a central vertical section through a terminal contact assembly taken on line 5-5 of 5 Figure}, omitting the housing and showing 'a L plug blade in position to illustrate its engagement f withboth the. main and auxiliary contacts;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a main contact and itsv auxiliary contact; and

H A Figure 7 is a face view of a modified form of 554,323, for Electric wiring apparatus.

- Within the housing and inserted from the rear supplying power for lamps and similar, small portable devices, and also for supplying power 5 for toasters, electric irons, and the like, where convenience receptacles which provide means for lighting a pilot lamp or similar warning signal to indicate that they are in use. The pilot light may be mounted in the same wall plate or may be mounted at a distance therefrom, as, for instance, in the kitchen to indicate that a power outlet in the cellarlaundry is being used.

The present invention provides a convenience outlet which by the mere interchange of terminals can be made either a straight power out- 90 -let or a power outlet with provision for pilot light tended for radio purposes and so polarized that it is impossible to insert the wrong plug; l r' The invention is disclosed in connection with a mounting bridge for supporting interchangeably a plurality of wiring devices, such, for instance, as shown in my application Serial Number The mountingbridge for supporting the convenience outlet in a conduit box is shown at H) and the conventional cover or wall plate through which the face of the outlet. extends is shown at H. Itwill be appreciated that the invention is not restricte d to the par ticular Way of mounting the convenienceoutlet but that it can be applied to conventionalforms of single or duplex conven- ,ience outlets withequal facility.

Theconvenience outlet includes the body [2 of suitable insulating material, for instance, a

molded composition, having a reduced neck portion l4 which projects through the opening in the cover plate. The .casing or housing I2 is substantially rectangular. in cross section, having the end walls IS, the side walls 16, and. the open back whichpermits access to the recess l8 therein. This recess is associated with the front face by means ofthe attachmentplug blade apertures I9.

is a pairof. contact assemblies 20, 2|. The assembly 20 isa single contact, whereas the assembly 2| includes both the power contact and an auxiliary contact for pilot light operation.

These: contact assemblies are interchangeable,

and it is possible to form a plain power outlet by providing two of the assemblies 20.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 2, one of each kind of the contact assemblies is included to provide a pilot light operating power outlet. The main portions of the contact assemblies 26 and 2! are identical. Each is formed from a sheet of :suitablezresilient material, such'as ,iphcsphor bronze, and includes azflatdoase 23.:having lateral lugs 24 thereon. Extending upwardly at right angles from this base 23 is the arm 25 offset as at 26 to provide a plug blade engaging portion 28 beyond which is a flared end 2'! to-guide'the plug blade. The other armnf .thegenerally U shaped contact includes the wire terminal nortion 29 which is perforated and threaded as at 30 for the reception of a terminal screwfil. lt is thence offset as at 32 to bringtheblade engaging portion 33 close to the portion for the same purpose on the opposite arm. It also is provided with a 'fiared end 34. The plug blade 35 is received between the two spring arms --'of the contact and electrically engages both-of them.

The contact assembly is mounted in the housing by being dropped into position through the rear opening in 'the housing and with the lugs 31 on the terminal portion 2'9 seated in grooves 38 at the junction of the sides and-endwa'll of the housing. "The lugs '24 on the base of the contact assembly are received in "notches '38 in the rear edges of the side walls. Thus the terminal is prevented from moving in the direction of the axis of the terminal screw and "also from rotating about an axis through the lugs'i l, since a portion of the terminal section engages the end wall as at "4B. when in position, the flared ends 2! and 34 of the contacta-rmsstra ddle the-opening 1 9 and clear-the back of the-front wall to permit freedom of movement.

The lugs Mare-set intothe-notohes '39 at such a depth that the bottom wall of the base '23 of the contact is flush with therear edges ofthe-s'i'de and end walls of the housing, and thehousing end is then closed'by an insulating sheet -42 held in positionby a'meta-l plate 43 partiaily covering it and having the down turned lugs W4 received in shallow recesses iS-i'n the side walls'of the housing and secured therein "in any suitable manner, as, for instance, in accordance with the showing in my copending application Serial Number 587,599, for Attaching means for metal parts and insulating material. The terminalscrews 3! have their heads and 'a portion of the part-2'9 of the contact assembly adjacent them exposed through the notches 46 at the rear edges of *the end walls in order that wires may be attached thereto.

To support an auxiliary contact which is adapted to be connected electrically to the -main contact by a plug blade to place a pilot light in circuit, it :is found convenient, according -to the present invention, to support this auxiliary contact from one arm of amain contact. For this purpose the arm 25 of the'main contact is provided with a rectangular aperture 50, best seen in Figures 4 andf5. Disposed laterally of this aperture on the edges of the-arm is a pair of integral lugs 51 bent up at right angles to the plane of the arm. A sheet of insulating material -52 is applied against the outer face of the arm '25 between thebase and the offset '26, and is notched as at'53 to receive the lugs 5 l which are thensplit and spread as at 54 to securely hold the sheet in place.

The sheet is centered over the aperture and is centrally perforated as at 56 for the passage of the shank 51 of the auxiliary contact which is formed from a sheet of metal to have a substantially semi-circular head 58 which overhangs the shank sufliciently so that, when inserted through the aperture 56, the overhang rests against the inner face of the insulation sheet and the head clears the aperture in the arm of the main contact. After being positioned, :thershankiis split and spread as at .59 to permanently :secure the auxiliary contact in position. Of course the :auxiliary contact is engaged in the insulation sheet before this sheet is mounted on the main terminal. As seen in Figure 5, the blade 35 of the attachment ,plug ,passes up between the arms of the main contact, engages both of them and has iitsiinner end inacontact with the rounded face of the auxiliary contact.

To provide a connection to this auxiliary contactjsitsisdound convenient to provide a hole 60 in the end of the shank and to pass the tinned end 61 of an insulated flexible conductor 52 through this 'hole and'to' then stake the 'hole closed as clearly seen in Figures 2and"5. This-pinches the wiring in position, making a secure 'mechanical connection and a suitable electrical connection. The conductor 62 is led out through a close -fittinghole litinthe'insulation sheet42 and-through a larger hole 64 in the metal 'cover plate 4 3.

The main terminals are 'made exactly alike for "convenience in manufacture and only those =re- 'quiring the auxiliary terminal 'have the insulation sheet-carrying this terminal'applied thereto. The others have the apertureand'thelugs dl which are not used.

In the event that a convenience outlet is -'de- I ure' 'I, but the main portion of the body mustbe enlarged as at 10 in order to receive a contact assembly identical with that shown at 20 in "Figure2 but inclined at the same angle as the aperture 12 in order that a blade'pass'ing through that aperture will directly engage it. Such a c'onvenience outlet will be provided with two plain contact assemblies which are positioned and held in place exactly-as described connection with the power outlet embodiment.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to2bsecuredbyLetters Patent is:

1. 'In a convenience ou'tlet,*in combination, a pair of contact springs for connection to a-power circuit and arranged to be contacted by the iprongs of .anattachment plug, :a contact for connection to a pilot lamp and insulating means :attached to one of said contact springs and supporting said contact therefrom .and in the path of the plug prong engaging said spring for :con-

tact therewith.

.2. A contact assembly for a convenience outlet including in combination, a spring member having a pair of armsspaced .to receive and electrically contact a plug blade therebetween, insulating material secured to one of said .arms .and an auxiliary contact member carried by said material and disposed between said arms in the ,path of the plug blade for contact therewith.

'3. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a sheet of metal formed into U shape to receive a plug blade between the arms thereof, one of said arms having an aperture, a contact element extending through said aperture out of contact therewith and having a portion in the path of and to engage the plug blade when inserted between the arms, and insulating material supporting said element from one of said arms.

4. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a resilient contact arm having a portion offset to be engaged by a plug .blade, said arm having an aperture therein below saidofiset, an auxiliary contact extending through said aperture and into the path of said blade to be engaged thereby, and insulating material supporting said auxiliary contact from said contact arm.

5. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a resilient contact arm having a portion adapted to be engaged by a plug blade, an auxiliary contact and insulating material supporting said auxiliary contact from said contact arm and in the path of the plug blade to be engaged thereby.

6. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a contact arm of sheet metal having an aperture therein, a lug extending from each of the lateral edges of the arm and bent at right angles to the plane thereof, a sheet of insulation against one face of said arm and secured thereto by said lugs, and an auxiliary contact carried by said sheet and extending through said aperture to a position to be engaged by the same plug blade which engages the main contact member.

7. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a contact arm of sheet metal having an aperture therein, a lug extending from each of the lateral edges of the arm and bent at right angles to the plane thereof, a sheet of insulation against one face of said arm and secured thereto by said lugs, said sheet having an aperture smaller than and registering with the aperture in said arm and an auxiliary contact extending through both apertures, said auxiliary contact being out of electrical engagement with the arm and extending to a position to be engaged by the same plug blade which engages the main contact member.

8. A contact member for a convenience outlet including in combination, a contact arm of sheet housing of insulating material having plug blade receiving openings in its front face and an open back, a pair of contact springs inserted from the back, a terminal member on each contact spring and extending through an end wall of the housing, an auxiliary contact adapted to be electrically connected to one of the contact springs by a plug blade, and a connecting member for said auxiliary contact extending through the rear of said housing.

10. In a two-pole convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of main contact members each adapted to be engaged by a blade of an attachment plug, a third contact and main contact supported insulating meanspositioning said third contact for engagement by the said plug blade that engages one of the main contact members.

11. In a convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of contactsprings for connection to a power circuit and each having a portion near one end adapted to be contacted by a blade of an attachment plug, a contact for connection to a pilot lamp, means insulating and supporting said contact from one of said contact springs, the relative positions of said portion and contact being such that the plug blade first engages the portion and then while still in contact therewith engages the contact.

12. In a convenience outlet, in combination, a pair of contact springs for connection to a power circuit and each having spaced arms near one end adapted to contact two sides of a blade of an attachment plug, a contact for connection to a pilot lamp, means supporting said contact between one pair of said arms and out of engagement with the springs, the said contact being so located that it is engaged by a plug blade after that blade has engaged the adjacent contact spring arms.

VICTOR R. DESPARD.