US2010452A

US2010452A - Circuit continuing means

Info

Publication number: US2010452A
Application number: US610010A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry A Douglas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-05-09
Filing date: 1932-05-09
Publication date: 1935-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1952-08-06

Description

Aug. 6, 1935. H. A. DOUGLAS CIRCUIT CONTINUING MEANS Filed May 9, 1932 Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE This invention relates to circuit continuing means for an electric circuit, and, among other objects, aims to provide an improved connection between a current conducting wire and an electric lamp, for example.

In one aspect, the invention is inclusive of an integral conductor constituting both a contact for the lamp and a terminal receiving sleeve for the wire, associated in a novel arrangement with a socket for receiving the base of the lamp, the conductor assisting to retain the lamp in the socket.

I will explain the invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved circuit continuing means, a holder therefor being shown in section, and a part of the socket being broken away for illustration;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 3, the lamp base and holder shown in Figure 1 being left out;

Figure 3 is an end view of the structure of Figure 2 but a wire and its terminal included; and

Figure 4 is a partial section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring in detail to the figures of the drawing,

I have shown a socket I which may comprise a metallic tube 2 provided at its forward end with one or more bayonet slots 3 at the inner end of which are bayonet seats 4. At its rear end the tube 2 carries the insulating member 5 which is generally cylindrical and of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the tube, the member 5 having a flange 6 over which lips I of the tube 2 are clinched to secure the member 5 rigidly to the tube, the flange 6 having continuations 8 which extend between the lips I preventing relative rotation of the tube and member 5.

Extending through and slidable in the insulating member 5 I have shown, in this instance, a plurality of rigid metal conductors 9. Each of the conductors 9 may comprise a solid cylindrical intermediate portion [0 which has a bearing in a cylindrical aperture H in the member 5, the member 5 at this point being elongated longitudinally of the socket to prevent rocking of the conductor in its bearing, but permitting an axial movement of the conductor therein. To limit this axial movement I may provide shoulders on the conductor, one of these shoulders provided by the shoulder portion l2 in the form of a prismoidal enlargement at the rear of the socket and the other shoulder portion by a flange l3 which may conveniently be spun out at the forward end of the conductor'after the cylindrical portion ID has been passed through the aperture H, the forward end of the conductor in the vi- 5 cinity of the flange [3 being advantageously drilled out as at M to facilitate the spinning of the flangez The shoulder portion of the conductor represented by the flange portion l3 thus projects inwardly into the tube 2 and to urge this portion forwardly of the socket I interpose a coil compression spring l5 between the flange l3 and the insulating member 5. Thus the shoulder portion I2 of the conductor under the action of the spring 15 normally abuts the insulating member 5.

' The shoulder portions I? are desirably of square cross-section and are received in a square pocket [6 at the rear of the member 5, one of the sides of this pocket being formed in a continuation ll of the insulatingmember 5 which laps the shoulder portion I! for a substantial distance and in this instance is interposed between the shoulder portions of the two conductors 9 here shown.

Each 0! the shoulder portions l2 and shoulder portions 13 of the'conductors 9 is adapted to provide an electrical contact and I have arranged contact securing means associated with each of these contacts.

The contact securing means associated with the shoulder portion I2 is shown in the iormoi terminal binding means here represented by a terminal receiving sleeve 18 integral with the shoulder portion [2 and adapted to receive a conventional bulbous shaped metallic terminal 19' constituting the terminal of an insulated wire 20. To yieldingly retain the terminal IS in the sleeve I8, I have shown a dome-shaped detent 2| which projects into the interior of the sleeve l8 and is pressed thereinto by the small coil spring 22 interposed between a flange portion 23 of the detent and the end of a spring barrel 24 also formed integrally with the shoulder portion l2. The flange portion 23 limits the movement of the detent 2| outwardly of the spring barrel 24, but is 45 slidable in the spring barrel to permit the detent to snap over the bulbous terminal I9. Thus the metallic terminal I 9 is pressed against a contact 25 formed by one side of the sleeve l8.

Since in the present exemplification I have shown two of the conductors 9 passing in parallel relation through the insulating member 5, the sleeves ll! of these conductors are also parallel to each other but perpendicular to the conductors 9 and the continuation I! of the insulating memher 5 serves not only as a guide for each of the shoulder portions I2 but also as an insulating barrier between the shoulder portions I2 and the terminals I9 received therein to prevent short circuits therebetween. The pockets I6 also prevent rotation of the conductors and maintain the sleeves I 8 parallel, while at the same time the sleeves I8 project rearwardly of the socket outside of the member 5 to have readily inserted therein the terminals I9.

Within the socket and at the forward ends of the conductors 9 the flange portions I3 also provide contacts 26 and the tube 2 of the socket acts as a contact securing means since a circuit con"- tinuing plug such as the base 2'! of an electric lamp 28 may be received and retained therein. The lamp base 27 may have the conventional bay onet projections 29 which pass through the bayonet slots 3. The lamp base 21 has complementary contacts 30 thereon which are adapted to engage the contacts 26 formed by the flange portions I3 of the conductors 9 when the lamp base is inserted into the socket and manipulated to cause the bayonet projections 29"to be received in the seats 4. The bayonet projections 29 are passed through the slots 3 to be received in the seats 4 against the pressure of the coil springs I5 on the conductors 9 and the conductors are thus slightly retracted as indicated at 3|, for example,

, whereby the pressure of the springs I5 acting A through the conductorsand the contacts 26 and 33 maintain the projections 29 in close assembly with the seats 4 and thus secure the lamp 28 in assembly with the socket. v

The socket I with the lamp 28 assembled therewith and the terminals I9 secured thereto as described may be mounted, for example, in a cylindrical holder 32. To flx the position of the socket longitudinally of the holder I have shown a spring pressed detent 33 carried by the wall of the socket through theintermediation of aspring barrel 34 which is staked into the wall as at 35 and projects into the bore of the socket. Since this spring barrel is located rearwardly of the; forward ends of the conductors 9, it does not i n terfere with the reception of the lamp base 21 in the socket. The relatively light coil spring 36 bottomed in the spring barrel 33 presses against the flange portion 31 of the detent 33 andurges the detent 33 radially of the socket to register with a similarly shaped aperture 38in theholder 32, the'detent 33 being depressible to be substantially flush with the wall of the socket while the socket is being first inserted into the holder. To assure a Snug assembly of the socket and bolder which will prevent rocking of the socket in the holder, I may advantageously provide a spring tongue 39 struck out from and bent outwardly of the wall of the socket to extend longitudinally thereof. Thus the spring tongue 39 will flex to permit the socket to be inserted in the holder, whereupon it will press upon the interior of the holder and take up any play which there may be between the holder and the socket.

To prevent rocking of the lamp base 21 in the socket, I may also provide the forward end of the socket with a longitudinal slot 48 by reason of which the forward end of the socket may be contracted slightly to provide segmental spring portions GI between the slot 40 and the bayonet slots 3. The lamp base by slightly deflecting these spring portions as it is received in the socket will be thereby snugly gripped.

Having described one embodiment of my invention, I claim:

' Circuit continuing means embodying a socket comprising a generally cylindrical metallic tube, in combination with a generally cylindrical insulating member secured exteriorly to one end of the tube and extending in axial relation therefrom, parallel cylindrical metallic spaced apart conductors slidably mounted in said member projecting from both sides thereof, the portions of said conductors within the tube terminating in counterbored ends with the metal thereabout struck outwardly to form annular flanges and surrounded by coil springs bearing against said flanges and face of said member to urge the conductors inwardly of the tube and with the opposite ends extending exteriorly of the member rectangularly enlarged to form shoulders limiting the inward movement, the conductors with the enlarged rectangular portions provided with parallel transverse apertures and spring pressed detents entering therein for the reception of removable bulbous electric conductor terminals forced over and held by said detents, the exterior surface of said member extending inwardly from the periphery thereof countersunk to receive said rectangular' shoulders to prevent rotative movement thereof and maintain the parallel relation of the axes of said terminal receiving apertures during compression of the said springs, and a diametrical rib extending integrally from said exterior surface of said member countersunk longitudinally on each side to receive the adjacent flat faces of the enlarged conductor ends whereby said parallel relationship will be maintained upon excessive outward movement of the conductors.

' HARRY A. DOUGLAS.