US2147525A - Electric plug and socket - Google Patents

Description

Peb. 14, 1939. H R ELUS ELECTRIC PLUG AND SOCKET Filed April 26, 1957 Patented Feb. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE ELECTRIC PLUG ANDy SOCKET Horace R. Ellis, Meadville, Pa.

Application April 26, 1937, Serial No. 139,043

12 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connections and has special reference to a plug and socket connection for connecting a two wire flexible cable to a pair of feed wires.

The ordinary connection of this character consists of a plug having a pair of stii prongs xedly carried thereby and adapted to enter a socket having a pair of contacts fixed therein wherewith the prongs engage upon entering the socket. Such devices depend entirely upon friction to hold them together. These frictionally held connections are peculiarly apt to separate under the Stresses induced by pulls on the cable such as often occur when the flexible cable is used for connecting such an instrumentality as an electrically'heated iron to a house circuit since the user of the iron frequently tightens the flexible connection.

fected by flexing of the prongs.

A second important object of the invention is to provide socket means, in such a connection, whereby the prongs inserted therein are caused to take a sinuous path. l

A third important object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of this character which may be used with any existing socket for a two-prong plug.

A fourth important object of the invention is to provide a novel socket attachment adapted to be secured over an ordinary two-prong socket and which will cause flexing of the prongs of a plug as they are inserted in the socket.

With the above and other objects in View the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views and Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with its parts assembled.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a face view of the plug element of the device.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig ure 2. l

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. l

Figure 6 is a fragmentary View showing the face of the socket element of the device.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the plug element of the invention disconnected from the socket.

In the embodiment of the invention as here shown the device includes a plug element id and a socket element il. The plug element consists of a semi-ovate body i2 of insulating material. In the front or face of the body is a circular recess i3 from which extends an axial bore M having an enlargement l5 opening into the recess i3. This provides a flat annular surface It. On this surface is seated a pair of arcuate prong bases Il which are xed in place by tubular rivets it molded into the body i2. These bases il are disn posed diametrically opposite each other and each carries a binding screw I9 adjacent one end so as to provide means for connecting the two wires of a iiexible-cable. The remaining ends of the bases l1 have a pair of parallel prongs 2t which are of standard width and spacing. These prongs are made of thin exible metal preferably hav ing a considerable degree of resiliency. These prongs are straight when disconnected from the socket l l as is shown in Figure 7.

The socket is preferably molded unitarily from a suitable insulating material such as a synthetic resin, Bakelite being a suitable material for the purpose. This socket consists of a base portion 2l having a boss 22 projecting from its center. Through this socket extends a pair of prong passages having aligned end portions 23 and outwardly bowed central portions Edi connected to the ends 23 by curved portions 25. The outer end portions are provided with flaring mouths 2S. There is thus formed a pair of sinuous prong passages and these passages are spaced at their ends to conform to the spacing of the prongs 2t and these prongs are of sufficient length to project far enough through the base ffii to enter a standard socket, indicated typically at El, and engage the contacts 28 thereof. The base 2i is provided with screw-holes 29 for the reception of screws 30 engaging in wall 3i or the like soV that the socket Ii can be secured over the socket 2l with the prong passages Z2, 23, 241 in registry with the openings of said socket 2l.

It will be plain from Figure 2 that the insertion of the prongs in the sinuous passages causes the flexible prongs to assume a sinuous shape for portions of their length, this being effected against the tendency of the prongs to remain straight.` The resiliency of the prongs causes them to bind in the passages and thus the plug is held very securely to the socket Il and Will not become accidently disengaged.

What is claimed is:

1. In a connector for electric Wiring, a plug body having a plurality of vprongs extending therefrom each consisting of a thin strip of readily fiexible material, socket means having a plurality of prong passages for receiving said prongs, said passages having aligned end terminal portions and offset intermediate portions to cause the flexing of the prongs intermediate their ends when inserted into said passages, said passages extending entirely through said socket means and the prongs being of sufiicient length to project beyond the socket means to enter a standard socket, and means for securing said socket means on a standard socket With said passages registering with the prong openings of the standard socket.

2. In a connector for electric wiring, a plug body having a plurality of normally straight prongs projecting therefrom, said prongs each consisting of a thin strip of readily flexible conductive material, socket means having a plurality of prong passages for receiving said prongs, said passages having endwise aligned end terminal portions and offset intermediate portions to cause the flexing of the prongs intermediate their ends when the prongs are inserted into the passages, the offset intermediate portions of the passage being disposed in oppositely extending relation, said passages extending entirely through said socket means and the prongs being of sufiicient length to project beyond the socket means to enter a standard socket, and means for securing said socket means on a standard socket with said passages registering with the prong openings of the standard socket.

3. In a connector for electric wiring, a plug body having a plurality of normally straight prongs projecting therefrom, said prongs each consisting of a thin strip of readily exible conductive material, socket means having a plurality of sinuous prong passages for receiving said prongs, said passages extending entirely through said socket means and the prongs being of sufficient length to project beyond the socket means to enter a standard socket, and means for securing said socket means on a standard socket with said passages registering with the prong openings of the standard socket.

4. In a connector for electric wiring, a plug body having a plurality of normally straight prongs projecting therefrom, said prongs each consisting of a thin strip of readily exible conductive material, socket means having a plurality of sinuous prong passages for receiving said prongs, the material of the prongs being sufficiently resilient to restore the prongs to their normally straight condition upon Withdrawal from said passages, said passages extending entirely through said socket means and the prongs being of sufficient length to project beyond the socket means to enter a standard socket, and means for securing said socket means on a. standard socket with said passages registering with the prong openings of the standard socket.

5. In a connector for electric wiring, a plug body having a plurality of prongs extending therefrom, each consisting of a thin strip of readily flexible material, and socket forming means having a plurality of passages extending from end to end thereof for receiving said prongs n and each consisting of a pair of endwise aligned end terminal portions merging at their inner ends into curved portions terminating in a bowed portion, the said several portions of each passage coacting to cause the flexing of a prong, intermediate its ends when inserted into the passage, said prongs being of a length to extend from said means to enter a standard socket forming element to make electrical contact in the latter.

6. In a Connector for electric wiring, a plug body having a plurality of prongs extending therefrom, each consisting of a thin strip of readily flexible material, and socket forming means having a plurality of passages extending from end to end thereof for receiving said prongs and each consisting of a pair of endwise aligned end terminal portions merging at their inner ends into curved portions terminating in a bowed portion, the said several portions of each passage coacting to cause the flexing of a prong, intermediate its ends when 'inserted into the passage, said prongs being of a length to extend from said means to enter a standard socket forming element to make electrical contact in the latter, the bowed portions of said passages being oppositely disposed.

7. In a connector for electric Wiring, a plug body having a plurality of prongs extending therefrom, each consisting of a thin strip of readily flexible material, and socket forming means having a plurality of passages extending from end to end thereof for receiving said prongs and each including a pair of inner endwise aligned end terminal portions and an outwardly directed bowed shaped central portion, the said several portions of each passage coacting to cause the flexing of a prong, intermediate its ends when inserted into the passage, said prongs being of a length to extend from said means to enter a standard socket forming element to make electrical contact in the latter.

8. In a connector for electric Wiring, a socket member for mounting on a standard socket forming element having passages extending from end to end thereof, and a plug formed with continuous contact prongs of strip-like form of greater length than and for extension through said passages and of a length to extend into said element to make electrical contact therewith, said prongs being formed of readily flexible material, said passages being formed with offset portions intermediate their ends to cause the flexing of the prongs, intermediate their ends when the prongs are inserted in the passages.

9. In a connector for electric Wiring, a socket member for mounting on a standard socket forming element having passages extending from end to end thereof, and a plug formed with continuous contact prongs of strip-like form of greater length than and for extension through said passages and of a length to extend into said element to make electrical contact therewith, said prongs being formed' of readily flexible material, said passages being formed with offset portions intermediate their ends to cause the exing of the prongs, intermediate their ends when the prongs are inserted in the passages, said offset portions being oppositely disposed and directed outwardly with respect to the remaining portions of said passages. l

10. In a connector for electric wiring, a socket member for mounting on a standard socket forming element having passages extending from end to end thereof, and a plug formed with continuous contact prongs of strip-like form of greater length than and for extension through said passages and of a length to extend into said element to make electrical contact therewith, said prongs being formed of readily flexible materia'l, said passages being formed With offset portions intermediate their ends to cause the flexing of the prongs, intermediate their ends when the prongs are inserted in the passages, the cross section area of said offset portions being such td provide for the Walls of the passages to snugly engage the prongs.

11. In a connector for electric Wiring, a socket member for mounting on a standard socket forming element having passages extending from end to end thereof, the intake end or mouth of each passage being iiared, each passage being formed with endwise aligned end terminal portions and an intermediate portion offset with respect to its aligned end terminal portions, and a plug formed with continuous prongs of striplike form of greater length than and for extension through said passages and of a length to extend into said element to make electrical contact therewith said prongs formedl of normally non-flexed readily flexible material, said offset portions causing the exing of the prongs intermediate their ends when the prongs are extended through the passage.

12. In a connector for electric Wiring, a plug body having a plurality of flexible strip-like prongs extending therefrom and a socket forming means having a plurality of passages extending from end to end thereof for receiving said prongs, the configuration of said passages being such as to bow the prongs intermediate the ends thereof said means including an annular flange provided with openings for the passage of holdfast devices for anchoring it in juxtaposition to a standard socket forming element, and said prongs being of greater length than said passages and of a length to extend into and make electrical contact in said element.

` HORACE R. ELLIS.

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