US2017940A

US2017940A - Socket for vacuum tubes and the like

Info

Publication number: US2017940A
Application number: US651691A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward F Bessey
Original assignee: Cinch Manufacturing Corp
Current assignee: Cinch Manufacturing Corp
Priority date: 1933-01-14
Filing date: 1933-01-14
Publication date: 1935-10-22
Anticipated expiration: 1952-10-22

Description

Oct. 22, 1935. E. F. BESsEY 2,017,940

socKET FonvAcuUM TUBES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 14, 1933 mmm i latented'Oct. .22, 1935 AUNITED STATES socxn'r Fon VACUUM TUBES AND 'rim Lnrn Edward F. Besse'y, Crystal Lake, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Cinch *Manufacturing Corporation, a corporation of Illinois Application January 14, 1933, Serial No. 651,691 (ci. 17a-sas) 14 Claims.

the contact of the present invention resides in the fact that the body portion of the contact is in the form of a thin sheet metal spring member which extends longitudinally along the rod-like contact and makes contact with the rod-like contact member along more than two lines of contact extending longitudinally of the contact so that relative endwise movement of the rod-like contact clears more than two lines of contact along the body portion of the contact. 'I'he endwise movement of the prong or rod-like contact causes a highly beneficial wiping or cleaning eect along these lines of contact due to the relatively limited areas of engagement which the contact of the present invention has upon the surface of the pin i b v Another importantl and advantageous feature resides in thefact that the lines of contact not only are increased to more than two but are arranged to grip and hold the pin terminals or rodlike contacts and the tube carrying such contacts firmly in place in the radio set and against vibrating loose. The virtue of this, as has been amply demonstrated-by actual commercial use, is that the tubes may be assembled in the set in the man ner to provide the best results and the set may be shipped or distributed with the tubes in place and without danger of their vibrating loose in shipment. The purchaser is thus assured` of the best possible results, and this feature also has great virtue in connection with radio sets installed in automobiles or other moving vehicles subject to vibration. Under such circumstances, `the contact of the present invention will hold the rodlike contacts rmly in place and against loosening by the vibration of the vehicle or otherobjec uponwhi'ch the set is arranged.

In the form of the invention herein illustrated,

certain of the lines of contact are formed byedges which have knife-edge contact with the pin terminal. 'This reduces contact resistance and, although it provides an additional advantage in the present contact, it is, in itself, not an essential feature of the present invention.

.'Ihe real virtues are the high unit-.pressures obtained along lines extending in the direction of insertion or removal of the rod-like contact, the

on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 with a tube` prong [PATENT yol-Fljcifz increased contact, and thereby the increased electrical efficiency produced by providing more than two lines of contact, and thev gripping and holding of the rod-like contact and tube rmly in place andv against vibratingloose which is f5 obtained by providing more than .two lines of contact and arranging the same according tothe present invention.

Another feature resides in the fact that.` the contact of the present invention requires very l0` little material and is simple and inexpensive in construction.

While the particular contact which I shall describe hereinafter in connection with the drawing provides three lines of contact with the pin or 16.

rod-like terminal of the tube, it is to be understood that the presentinvention is not limited to three lines of contact, but is intended to include four `lines of contact or any desired number of tions of the present invention.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the construction and operation of the present inx vention, I shall now describe an embodiment of 25.

the invention in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: l, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a-socket embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on 30 the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing a. radio tube in spaced relation therewith;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section taken inserted; f v

Figure 4 is a detail cross-section through one of therod-like contacts and the engaging and gripping portion of the socket contact along the 4 line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view showing one of the tube con-l 40 tacts in at form after shaping but before bringing the same to 'the form shown in Figure 6;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the tube contacts t Figure 7- is a fragmentary section `through the 4K.

50 Referring to the drawing, the socket shown y in Figures 1 and 2 includes a base l comprising upper and lower

thin plates

2 and 3 formed of fiber or other suitable or preferred insulating material. sa

I RElssuED The

insulating plates

2 and 3 have mounting ears 4 provided with registering perforations 5 for receiving screws or other suitable fasteners for attaching the socket Vto the panel or other support. A guide disc 6, also preferably of fiber or other suitable insulating material, is mounted on the upper side of the plate 2 substantially centrally thereof to guide the prongs -or rod-

like contacts

1, 1 of the vacuum or thermionlc tube or other electrical device, shown fragmentarily at 8, into the holes 9, 9'. A hollow. rivet I0 passes centrally through the plates `2 and 3 and through the disc Sand is headed over at its opposite ends to clamp the plates 2 and) rigidly together and the disc 6 rigidly in place.

The' holes 9 are arranged in pairs through the

plates

2 and 3 in registration as will hereinafter ssV appear, and the holes 9' are correspondingly' arranged in pairs through the

plates

2 and 3. VIn thenembodiment of Figures 2 and 3, these registering pairs of holes 9, 9' are uniformly spaced circularly about the disc 6 with their edges coinciding with. the edge .or periphery of the disc 8. In inserting the rod-likecontacts or prongs 1, 1' into the

holes

9, 9 the tube 9 is brought, to the position in which the ends of the prongs 1, 1' circumscribe the guide disc 6. Hencethe guide 6 is a suitable internal guide for the prongs or rodlike contacts 1, 1' to guide them for circumferential motion until they register with the desired holes 9, 9'. The prongs 1, 1', upon registration with the desired holes 9, 9', are projected endwise or longitudinally through the registering holes in the

plates

2 and 3 and into engagement with thev contacts I2. To remove the tubefrom the socket, it is moved away from the base I to withdraw the prongs 1, 1' endwise -from the contacts I2 and holes 9, 9'.

In order to assure that the tube 8 will be placed in the socket I properly, that is, with the properV prongs 1, 1' in engagement with the proper contacts I2, two of the prongs are of larger diameter, as indicated at 1' in Figure 2, than the other four prongs 1, and two of the holes, as

indicated at 9', are of correspondingly larger diameter than the'other four holes 9. In inserting the tube into the socket, the operator need not concern himself further than to set the ends of the

terminal

1, 1 on the plate '2 over the guide disc 6 and then turn the tube axially until the proper orientation is had. This is determined by the diameter of the holes 9, 9' and the diameter of the terminals 1, 1', respectively, these diameters being such as to enable the tube to be applied tothe socket in only one circumferentially defined relative position.

n One of the contacts I2 is positioned at each of the holes 9, 9'. These contacts preferably are made of spring brass or German silver, although they may be of bronze or any other suitable spring material. They are blanked out in the flat tothe configuration shown in Figure 5 by a 'suitable blanking die to form the intermediate mounting or seat portion II with the integral contact making portion I8 at one end and the integral connecting or terminal 'lug I1 at the opposite end. After blanking out the contact inflat form to the configuration shown in Figure 5, the contact making portion I8 is turned down to lie at substantially right angles to the mounting or seat portion I5. The vterminal lus I1 is turned down to substantially the position shown with its lower end turnedv out slightly for ease in connecting the desired leads or conductors thereto. The opposite sides I8 of theback I9 of the down-turned contact making portion Il are turned forwardly at an obtuse angle I9' to form a vertical median line of contact 20 and the opposite ends of these forwardly turned sides I 8 are turned in at acute angles 2l to present two 5 vertical edges 22. l

The edges 22 present two relatively sharp lines of contact against each of the'rod-like contacts or termin-als 1, 1' longitudinally thereof'and the vertical median line 20 at-the back I9 presents w a third line ofcontact against each of the rodlike contacts or terminals 1, 1' upon projection of the terminals 1, 1' into engagement with the contacts I2. 'I'he three lines of

contact

20, 22, 22` are spaced apart around the rod-like contacts 15 1, 1' distances less than the thickness or diameter of the rod-likecontacts to center said contacts between them, and the lines of contact 29,

22, 22 of each contact are preferably normally pressed together so that they will be spread slight.- 20 ly and will be pressed 'or tensioned tightlylby the springiness of the contacts I2 against the surfaces of the rod-like contacts upon projection of the same therebetween. A

When the rod-like contacts- 1, 1' are inserted 25 into the socket, they are guided longitudinally by the edgesy 22, 22 and the third line of contact 29 which are pressed or tensioned rmly against the surfaces of the prongs of the tube.

The presentation of the two ,edges 22, the sheet metal spring contacts. and` the third longitudinal line of contact 29 tends to develop high unit pressure along the three lines of

kengagement

20, 22, 22, thereby gripping and holding the rod-like contacts firmly in place sothat the tubes 36 maybe assembled inthe setin the manner to provide the best results land the set shipped or distributedwith the tubes in place and without danger of their .vibratin loose in shipment'. As Y already explained, this 811991118 and hold- 49 `lng of the terminals 1, n' also has virtue in connection with sets ins lled in automobiles or otherl moving vehicles subject to vibration. Un der such circumstances, this gripping engagement withthe rod-like contacts will hold these contacts rmly in place and against 'loosening by the vibration of the vehicle or other object upon which the set is arranged. v The presentation of the two 'edges of the sheet metal and the third line of contact tends to GQ scour or clean three lines of contact on each stud. Any dirt or scale which might tend to become interposed will be cut or rubbed oil and displaced from the lines of contact. The termi-V hal studs 1, 1' are guided initially by the holes 55 9, 9'v and for anyspringiness or wobbling action of the

studs

1, 1" permitted by the guide holes 9, 9' the contacts I2 may provide suicient resiliency to permit the same without impairing the contacting and gripping action and without persa marient deformation of the springs. And the relatively sharp edges presented by the two

edges

22, 22 reduces the contact resistance. The contact making portions .I9 are, in` effect, selfaligning or oating in action. l

n The'contact clips I2 may be tin-plated for ease in soldering and, in making up'the socket, the contacts I2 are applied to the vinsulating plate 3 by passing the down-turned contact making portions I6 through the holes 9, 9' in the plate 7o 9 and the terminal lugs I1 pass through openings 25 in the plate 3. The mountingor seating portions 15 are snapped down to lie substantially fiat upon the upper surface of the plate 3.

In order to hold the contact springs I2 in 75 piaceonthelowerbaseplateluntiltheupper bm plate 2 is applied and secured in place. the terminal lugs I1 have small protuberances 26 which may be center-punched "therein, These protuberances are adapted'to be snapped beneath'the lower base plate 3 in applying the i contacts I2 theretoand hold the contacts in place until the plate 2 is applied and secured to the plate 3. This retention is suiilcient to permit handling and even turning the plate] upside down without' displacing the contacts I2. Theoplnings9,3intheplate3areshapcdto receive e down-turned contact making portion I6 and preferably positioned to dispose nor' mally the lines of

contact

28, 22, 22 slightly inwardly of the circular openings 9 in .the plate 2, as shown in Figure 1.

The plate z is applied upon the top of the` plate 3 over the mounting or seating portions I5 of the contacts with the openings 9, 9' Yin register with-the openings 9, 9' in the plate 3 and with the openings 5 in register, and is clamped rigidly to plate 3 by the central rivet I0. For the purpose of holding the upper ends of the contact making portions I6 in place, or

at least to prevent undue downward displacement A,of the contact making portions I6, the upper ends thereof are provided with integral lugs 28 which are turned out and held between 'the

plates

2 and 3. The lower ends of the terminal lugs I'I have openings 30, 3lfor attachment of the desired leads lor conductors thereto. 'I'hese openings 30. 3l are shown of diiierent sizes Y for attachment of smaller leads or conductors to the smaller openings 30, and if the leads or conductors are larger they may -be fastened to invention requires very little material. And it` is brought to form in a -simple and inexpensive manner. In fact, the contact making portion I6 and the terminal lug I1 may beturned down and the terminal lug and contact making portion brought to the form shown in Figure 6 in a single operation, or at least by succeeding operations which are simple to perform.

The embodiment of Figure 8 is substantially the same as that shown in Figures 1 to '1, except that in this case the socket Ia is provided with tive contacts I2a for cooperation with a fivepronged tube and the proper disposition of the lil'DIlgSflClletubeinthissocketisdeterminedv byr-spacng the contacts I2`a, or at least certain oi these contacts, dierent distances circularly about the guide disc (not shown). The registering perforations in the plates 2a and 3a for screws or other suitable fasteners for attaching the socket to the panel or other sup- -port are indicated at 5a, and the terminal lugs -of the contact I2a are indicated at lla. The

.rivetforclampngtheplat 2aand3arigid1y together and the guide disc in place is indicated at Illa. The formation of the contact engaging portions of the contacts i2a is substantially the 1. Asaine as in the and the fasteningofthssecontactstothebase Iuissul -stantalhthesameasbefore Inthiscase,the

prongsofthetubebeingallofthesamethicirto the precise 'details shown or-described.

upper n' is tope imderstooa that the provision of av contact having more than two lines of contact with the rod-like terminal or prong of the tube 5 or other-device is an important aspect ofthe present invention, and that the form of the contact may be varied within the scope of the inveni tion. I do not intend, therefore, to be limited 1o I claim:

1. A- socket for receiving and establishing electric contact with a rod-like contact, including an insulating base, said vbase having an aperture through which said rod-like contact mas7 be projected, and a unitary contact spring, said spring having a mounting-portion adapted to lie on a portion of saidA base adjacent said aperture to support said spring, said spring having a contact vmaking portion extending through said aperture'go and depending below said base, said contact making portion having a back portion formed as a prolongation of said mounting portion, side portions extending only from the sides of said back portion and being bent to form an enclosed region l supporting at least one of said side portions from said base to prevent said contact making portion from bending atl the junctionof said mounting and contact making portions upon insertion of said rod-like contact. r

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said last named supporting means comprises at least one ear projecting from the edge of a side portion 40 adjacent saidbase through said aperture to the other side of said base and bent over -to lie along said base. i Y

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the free edge of said mounting portion of said contact spring is extended through and below said base to form a soldering lug.

. 4. The structure of

claim

1,1?herein saidlastnamed supporting means comprises an ear extending from the .edge adjacent said base of each side portion, said ears projecting through said base and being bent to lie along said base, and wherein the free edge of said mounting portion of said contact spring is projected to form a soldering lug.

said base to form a soldering lug, and a protu- 4m berance is provided in said soldering lug immee diately below said base to form a stop against upward displacement of said vsoldering lug.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein said base is provided with a narrow slot adjacent said 55 aperture and the free edge of the mounting portion of said contact spring is projected through said slot to form a soldering lug, a protuberance on said soldering lug below said base and adapted to prevent said lug from casual displacement through said slot after said spring isin position. and wherein said last-named supporting means comprises an ear extending from the edge adjacent said base of each side portion of said conhaving a mounting portion adapted to lie on a portion of said base adient said aperture to support said spring, said spring having a contact making portion extending through said aperture and depending below said base, said contact making portion having a back portion formed as a prolongation of said mounting portion, side portions extending only from the sides of said back portion and being bent to form an enclosed region with a pair of edges separated throughout their entire lengthsaid edges being perpendicular to said base and parallel with the line of movement'oi said rod-like contact and being adaptedto tightly embrace said rod-like contact, said side portions and back portion together providing a plurality of parallel line contacts and .means for supporting at least one of said side portions from said base to prevent said contact making portion from bending at the junction y of said mounting and contact makingL` portions upon insertion of said rod-like contact, an additional insulating base superimposed on said ilrst base and having apertures aligned with said first base, the apertures on said two bases being arranged to enclose a region, and means within said region for maintaining said two bases in assembled relationship.

8. The structure of claim '7, wherein said s upporting means comprises an ear -extending from the edge adjacent said rst insulating base of at least one side portion, said ear projecting through said rst base and being bent to lie between said two bases. i

9. The structure of claim 7, wherein said rst base is provided with a narrow slot adjacent each aperture, and wherein the free edge oi said mounting portion of said contact spring is projected through said slot to form a soldering lug.

10. The structure of claim '7, wherein said rst base is provided with a narrow slot adjacent each aperture, the free edge of the mounting portion of each contact spring is projected through each slot to form a soldering lug., and wherein said supporting means comprises an ear extending from the edge adjacent said first base of each side portion of the contact portion, each 'ear extending through said rst base only and being bent to lie between said two bases.

l1. A socket for receiving and establishing electric contact with the cylindrical prongs ot a 5 vacuum tube base or the like, including an insulating base, said base having a pluralityof aliertures through which the prongs may be projected, and a unitary contact spring for each aperture, said spring having a mounting portion lo adapted to overlie a portion of said base adjacent said aperture to support said spring. said spring having a contact making portion extending through said apertureand depending below said base in a line perpendicular to said base, 15 .'said contact making portion having a solid integral back portion formed as a prolongation of said mounting portion, -side portions extending only from the sides of said back portion of said contact 'making portion and being bent -to form 20 an enclosed region with a pair of edges separated throughout their entire length, said edges being perpendicular to said base and parallel with the line of movement of said rod-like contact and being adapted tightly to embrace said rod-like 25 contact, the entire contact making portion having its upper portion within said aperture and being so shaped as to define. a generally cylindroidal space with the axis perpendicular to the base, said contact spring being adapted to 30' tightly.v grip the cylindrical prong of a vacuum tube base, between the two open edges and the back portion of said contact making portion.

12. The structure oi claim 11; wherein the insulating base is provided with a narrow slot ad- .35 jacent each aperture and wherein each contact spring has a mounting portion extended through said slot to form a soldering lug.

13.- The structure of claim 1l, wherein said insulating b aseis provided with a narrow slot ad'- o jacent each aperture, and wherein the mounting portion oi' said contact spring is projected through said aperture to form a soldering lug and wherein a protuberance is provided in a portion `oi? the soldering lug immediately below said insulating base. A 14. The structure of claim 1, wherein the cross-section of said contact-making portion is of such shape that a rod-like contact passing therethrough makes the line contacts therewith only at the back portion and the free edges of,- the side portions.

EDWARD F. BESBEY.