US2003622A - Weatherproof socket - Google Patents

Description

Julle 1935- V c. BATEHOLTS 2,003,622

I WEATHERPROOF SOCKET Filed May 4, 1932 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES,

' WEATHERPROOF SOCKET Clinton Batcholts, Hoosick Falls, N. Y., assignor to Specialty, Insulation Manufacturing Company, Inc., Hoosick Falls, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 4, 1932, Serial No. 609,067

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in weather-proof sockets. More particularly it relates tosockets for receiving electric light bulbs, cord plugs and the like, and especially to E the'-weather-proof class of such sockets which are suitable for use out-of-doors, in connection with sign illumination, out-door decorations, and for other lighting or power connections;

'I-litherto weather-proof sockets of this gen- 10 eral description have been made of condensation material molded around the usual metallic sheet metal shell which is formed with a screw thread to receive the lamp. The shell wall constitutes one electric terminal; and the inner end of the shell is closed by a porcelain insulating disk in the midst of which is set the brass pin which constitutes the'other electric terminal. In-the weather-proof type of socket-with which the invention is concerned, these interior terminalsare each at the inner end of an insulated wire, to which each is firmly connected by solder; and these wires lead out through the base of the molded housing and extend for a few inches for convenience of connection to a pair of feed wires by tapping those wires whereever required. The socket and its lamp' will then be supported by suspension from the feed wires. The invention relates to the combining of the metallic shell with the molded insulating casing which houses it. Hitherto, in'the making of such sockets, it has been customary to have a mold into which the shell unit would be set, having been previously prepared with wires attached, and being screwed upon a stud in 5 the mold, and the wires being brought out through the top of the'mold cavity; and the molded compound would then be filled in around the shell, making an operation that would have to be executed piece by piece and which there- 40': fore was slow and relatively quite expensive as compared with modern molding practice in genmetallic shell may be positively and effectively-'- locked within a-separately molded socket body 55? or housing, so as'to be permanently secure both against being pulled out from the molded socket and againstrotating therein (turning with the lamp base when the lamp' is to be put in or taken out), and permanently tight against en trance of moisture. 5

Another object is to provide so that a complete socket unit may be assembled quickly and economically, as regards material and labor costs of manufacture. I

And atthe same time the completed unit provided by the invention must be fully as durable as the best molded prior devices of the sort, and as permanently strong, weather-proof and efficient.

The invention attains these objects and results by performing the molding operation on the socket body or housing independently of the shell. Consequently these housings can be made complete, each as a separate article, at very low cost, by molding them in gangs or batches according to molding methods already known. 'The housing thus made has a pair of holes for the conductor wires to pass loosely through later when the metallic shell is inserted. The latter, which may be the usual standard metallic shell, fits nicely into the hollow of the housing. A suitable synthetic waterproof composition is put into the bottom of the housing to seal said holes around the conductors and to-fill the lower space between the shell and housing. The shell being then pressed into place, the composition distributes itself, filling the necessary spaces, and in due course of time becomes solidified. Without waiting for the solidification, the shell .may be made permanently secure in its position by denting its sheet metal wall outward at one or more points, opposite one or more cavities which were prepared for this purpose in the interior face of the housing. Although the dents are made through the screw thread of the shell, into which thread the lamp base has to enter, they do not interfere with its reception, for they are dented toward the other side of the screw metal from that on which thelamp is received. This fastening means becomesoperative as a lug, which looks the shell against escape from the housing and against rotationtherein. Also, by coaction with the solidified distributed composition, it inhibits loosene'ss or other like cause for commercial criticism of the-product. However, the deformation of the shell walls needonly be relatively small, and thus they do not affect in the slightest'the ability of theshell to receive a lamp base or electric plug inthe same charac- 5.5v

teristic manner as do the present electric sockets.

By virtue of the invention each of the parts is therefore free to be made in the most economical way; and a completed socket is made by a simple and quick assembling operation, which leaves the parts locked together, mechanically; with a plastic body sealing'the holes and autogenously becoming hard.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of a series of my proved sockets connected for use;

Figure 2 is an elevation, in medial section,

through the molded housing of a socket. similar to those of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation, in medial section through a completed socket, except that the wire conductors and. the greater part ofthe metallicshell are left intact; and

Figure 4' is. an. enlargement of: a fragment of Figure 3. p

Referring to the drawing, three of my improved socket-assemblies are seen in Figure 1', as they may be connected. in parallel to the feed wires ID, for use in connection with an outof-doors illuminating: scheme where they may safely be exposed, whether to rain, to hot rays of. the sun, or. to rigors of wintry weather,- weather-proof as regards; all natural temperature and moisture conditions.

The socket housing: I2, seen in detail in Figures 2, 3, is made by molding. from any suitable composition. material, suchas phenolic condensation products; which is weather-proof. and which also is an. excellent insulator.

to the proper terminals. on the standard type of metallic shell insert I8.

According to the invention, the molded body I2 has its cup shaped hollow 20,, seen in- Figure 2, of size to receive the shell I8 with nice fit around the side walls as seenin Figure 3, with a space below the insert, in the bottom part of the cup, through which space the conductors I6, I 6 extend to their respective openings I4,

I4-leading' out of the unit. The vbody I2 is -molded into a shape providing; one or more small abrupt recesses 22 interiorly of its side walls, well up toward its mouth. In the drawing four such recesses 22 are illustrated, but,

obviously, a less or greater number may be pro vided, as desired. Thus formed, the molded housing I2 is ready to receive its insert I8, whose attached conductors I6- are at that time threadedthroughthe openings I4 eachof which is slightly larger in diameter than one of the conductors. A small amount of aviscous synthetic sealing composition- I5- having been. put

into the bottom of the cup body I2, all space remaining, around the conductors within the housing and in the holes I4, is filled thereby as -the shell insert I 8 moves into the hollow. of

the housing: I2 and its leading endportion I9, which consists ofv a.- porcelain. disk, becomes pushed into the plastic sealing medium I5, ex-

pressing it intoall small spaces which need sealiimqandholdingytheinner end of the brass in the appended claims;

The hous-v ing I2 which roughly is of- .cup shape, may be;

shell I8 steady within the housing when the sealing medium has hardened.

While any suitable sealing compositon may be used for this purpose, I have found it satisfactory to employ the molding material disclosed in Patents 1,251,862 and 1,251,863 of January 1, 1918, granted on application of William W. Carter, a composition which is commonly characterized as a synthetic rubber substitute. When used for the purpose herein stated the composition is made so that it will mold in a softer degree than the usual hard products and is solidified by the application of heat at the time the metal shell is forced into the molded housing.

Myinvention contemplates the reinforcing of the union by providing positive mechanical engagement or locking of the shell against movement relative to its housing member I2. This may be accomplished simply, quickly and economically by denting points on the shell walls outwardeinto the cavity recesses 22 of the hous-- ing I2. Said recesses are located near the mouth of the socket, and the shell walls. conveniently may be deformed into them, by local expansionv as at. 23 in Figure 3, without destroying the utility of the shell threads for receiving a lamp base, or the like. In fact a very small spreading of shell walls into a pair of such recesses at opposite locations is sufilcient to lock the shell.

effectively and permanently against rotatorymovement, and also against being pulled axially out of the molded body I2. If preferred, the

metal at 23 may be semi-punched and a tongue of the metal bent outward into the recess 22. In either case this local expanding from: the midst of the threads sets portions of the shell directly against abutments, viz, against those recess walls which are toward the mouth of the casing, and against the side walls of each recess. The shell and sealing medium thus become immobile within the housing,unwithdrawable,.

and with no possible looseness or play, as the base of the shell came into superficial contact with the sealing medium when the shell was pressed into it. In this position the sealing medium coacts with the lug as a barrier to prevent rocking of the shell within the housing, and so makes the assembly perfectly and permanently tight.

The invention thus provides for molding. socket housings into which standard screw shells can be inserted, both. housings and shells being. made, and the two put together, on. principles of mass production; with economies in production, with standard efficiency, and with permanent weather-proof durability.

I. claimv as my invention:

1. A socket for electrical connection, comprising a molded open-mouthed housing. cup; and a terminal-carrying, open-mouthed, metallic screw shell housed by and interlocked with said housing; the interlocking being characterized by this, that a solidified plastic insulating composition is contained within the cup base of the housing, extending under the bottom of the shell; that the base part of the shell is im-- perforate and is embedded in said composition; that the housing wall has a recess in. its in-' terior face at a location opposite a screw part of the shell; that said recess has walls which afford abrupt obstacles in direction toward the. mouth of the housing and in directions around. the shell; and that a part of the metallic shell, in themidst of the screw portion thereof, stands.

abruptly protruded into said recess, and therein stands engaged with that wall of the recess which is toward the mouth of the housing, the axial distance, from the said recess-wall-obstacle which is toward the mouth to that part of the composition against which the shell-base is embedded, being equal to the axial distance from the abutting face of said shell-base to the engaged face of said protruded part of shell, whereby the shell, being simultaneously engaged both with the wall and the basal embedding composition, is held rigid in the housing.

2. A socket for electrical connection, comprising an insulating cup with a bi-terminal metallic shell insert, conductor wires from the insert through holes in the cup-bottom, and a sealing medium in the cup-bottom facing the insert, the whole providing in the cup two oppositely-facing obstruction-abutments, one of which abutments is the cups bottom with said sealing medium facing the insert, on which a substantial area of the bottom part of the insert is engaged, there being means obstructing flow of sealing medium to the interior of the metallic shell; and the other of which abutments is in a wall of the cup, there being a lateral recess in the cups wall, open to the interior of the cup, and that wall of this recess which is toward the mouth of the cup constituting the abutment last mentioned; there being a part of the shell-insert wall protruding laterally into engagement with said recess-wall, whereby mouthward movement of the insert is obstructed; and the axial distance between the two said abutments being equal to the axial distance between the two said parts of the insert, whereby the two said engagements of insert With cup are simultaneous.

CLINTON BATEHOLTS.

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