US2111713A

US2111713A - Outlet

Info

Publication number: US2111713A
Application number: US123083A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Samuel H Watson
Original assignee: RCA Corp
Current assignee: RCA Corp
Priority date: 1937-01-30
Filing date: 1937-01-30
Publication date: 1938-03-22
Anticipated expiration: 1955-03-22

Description

ch 22, 1938. s. H. WATSON,. JR 2,111,713

OUTLET Fil'ed Jan. 30, 1937 Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED stares OUTLET Samuel H. Watson, J12, Audubon, N. 3., assignor to Radio- Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application January 30, 1937, Serial No. 123,033

5 Claims. ((31. 64-4) My invention relates to that class of devices used for holding flexible shafts and tubing in place at panel apertures and other outlets.

Although not confined to such use, my invention will be described asapplied to an automobile radio receiver. In thistype of receiver it is customary to mount the cabinet, containing the radio apparatus, on or adjacent the panel separating the engine compartment from the passenger com.- partmentand to provide a remote control mechanism for controlling said apparatus upon the steering column or upon the instrument panel of the automobile. l i

Where, as is usually the case, a flexible shaft enclosed in a cable is employed for interconnecting the tuning element with the remotely disposed controls, difliculties may arise at the point where the control shaft enters the radio cabinet. Thus, both electrical and mechanical difficulties may arise if the aperture in the cabinet through which the flexible control shaft passes is not completely shielded. To effect such shielding and to provide a support for the flexible shaft and its sheath, the prior art dictates the use of a threaded bushing passing through the aperture and maintained in position as by lock-nuts contiguous the inner and outer cabinet walls adjacent the aperture. Such connections are usually rigid enough, and, if the bushing panel and sheath are of metal and are electrically continuous, the radio apparatus may be satisfactorily shielded from electrical disturbances which might otherwise be transmitted thereto from the shaft or its sheath. Threaded bushings are, however, expensive to manufacture; they require the use of tools for their installation and are otherwise troublesome.

Accordingly, the principal object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, readily attachable, trouble-free, combined bushing, support, and ground clamp for flexible shafts and cables, and one which lends itself readily to mass production methods.

Certain details of construction, together with other. objects and advantages, will be apparent and my invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description read in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation showing a device constructed in accordance with my invention to support a flexible shaft and its sheath, the shaft serving to control a tuning condenser housed within a metal cabinet, and

Figure 2 is an exploded view illustrative of a preferred manner of constructing the device of my invention. 7

Referring to Fig. l, I El designates a metal panel of a relatively thin-walled cabinet which houses a variable tuning condenser l2.

l2 will be understood to be supported in a suitable manner and has a plurality of rotor plates i l secured to arotor shaft it. The rotor shaft is provided with a worm wheel it which meshes with a complementary worm gear 29 which is mounted on a bracket 22 on the front plate 2 3 of the condenser l2. The axle. 26 of Worm gear 2t has an insulating coupling member 23 secured thereto" as by a set screw 30. The 'oppositeendof member 28 has a pin 321thereon. which engages the forked ends 34 of a terminal 36 of a flexible drive shaft 38.

The panel Ill has an aperture ll therein through which the flexible shaft 38 extends. For the purpose of maintaining the flexible shaft 38 and the cable or casing 58, within which it is contained in predetermined relation with the panel l and in alignment with the driving elements 2623 of condenser l2, I provide a combined bushing, support and ground clamp indicated generally by reference numeral 42.

As shown in both Figs. 1 and 2, the member 42 is of metal and is substantially funnel-shaped, that is to say, it has an outer narrow cylindrical neck portion M and an expanded hollow shelllike body portion t6 whose rim or mouth 48 is of a diameter substantially greater than that of the neck portion M. The walls of the body portion 56 may be in the shape of a frustrum of a cone or they may be curved in which latter case they preferably bulge outwardly, as in the embodiment shown in the drawing. The wide end of the body portion 86 terminates in a rim 68 which supports a plurality of resilient tongue members 50 which are adapted to be snap-fitted into resilient engagement with the metal edge of the aperture l l, as shown in Fig. 1. The fiat surface of rim d8 surrounding tongues extends radially outward beyond the wide end of the body portion 45.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, in order to facilitate the manufacture of member d2, it may be formed in two pieces; thus, the resilient tongues 50 may extend outwardly from an annulus 52 which is adapted to be seated within the rim 48 and maintained there as by rolling or beading the rim 48 around it.

In applying the member 42 to the radio device of Fig. 1, the free end of the shaft 38 and its sheath or casing 46 is passed through the body portion 46 and neck portion Mi and the tongues This condenser 50 are then force-fitted or snap-fitted into the panel aperture II. When so fitted the flat surface of the rim 48 abuts the front surface of the panel area immediately the orifice II and lends rigidity to the assembly. The terminal of the shaft casing 40 is seated within the narrow neck 44 which is crimped or beaded as indicated at 54 (Fig. 1) to prevent its being accidentally withdrawn therefrom and to provide an electrically continuous connection from the sheath through the body portion 46, rim 48 and resilient tongues 50 to the metal panel H], which, as indicated at 56 (Fig. 1) is preferably grounded.

Although but a single embodiment of this invention has herein been shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not my intention to limit its scope except as required by the prior art and the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a substantially funnel-shape member having an axis of symmetry and a plurality of tongues of resilient material extending outwardly, substantially parallel to said axis, from circumferentially spaced areas about the mouth of said funnel shape member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a substantially funnel-shape member, a hollow rim surrounding the mouth of said funnel, an annulus seated within said rim, and a plurality of circumferentially arranged tongues of resilient material on said annulus and extending outwardly beyond the mouth of said funnel.

3. A device of the class described comprising a neck portion adapted to receive the terminal of a cable enclosing a flexible shaft, a hollow body portion forming a continuation of said neck portion and terminating in a rim of a diameter substantially greater than that of said cable, and a plurality of tongues of resilient material extending outwardly from said rim substantially parallel to and out of contact with said flexible shaft.

4. A device of the class described comprising a neck portion adapted to receive the terminal of a cable enclosing a flexible shaft, a hollow body portion forming a continuation of said neck portion and having an open end of a diameter substantially greater than that of said cable, a substantially flat-surfaced rim on said body portion surrounding said open end, and a plurality of tongues of resilient material extending outwardly from said open end substantially parallel to and out of contact with said flexible shaft.

5. In combination with a panel having an aperture therein, means for supporting a cable and fiexible shaft in predetermined relation with said panel, said means comprising a metal shell having a neck portion adapted to receive a terminal of said cable, a hollow body portion surrounding said flexible shaft and terminating in a rim of a diameter substantially greater than that of said shaft, and a plurality of tongues of resilient material ciroumferentially arranged about said rim and snap-fitted into resilient engagement with the wall of said aperture.

SAMUEL H. WATSON, JR.