US2159139A

US2159139A - Electric plug

Info

Publication number: US2159139A
Application number: US90942A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eaton George
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1936-07-16
Filing date: 1936-07-16
Publication date: 1939-05-23
Anticipated expiration: 1956-05-23

Description

G. EATON May 23, 1939.

ELECTRI C PLUG Filed July vle, 193e N n T A E n G R u E E IIN ATTORNEYS` Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of connecter plugs for electrical appliances and is an improvement upon those disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,905,452, April 25, 1933, and in my copending application Serial No. 56,258, led December 26, 1935.

As in the patent and patent application above referred to, so here also, the invention in general relates to the type of device in which there is provided means that can be readily manipulated for opening the electric connecting means of the plug so as topermit the same to be readily attached to or detached from the electric terminals of the appliance, as for instance a toaster, an iron, etc., without employing the other hand of the user.

The illustration of clip construction herein adopted corresponds with that shown in the patent application above referred to, although the present improvement may be adopted for use in connection also with the form of clips shown in the patent above referred to, and also in connection with various other modied forms of clip constructions which embody the principle of electric plug hereinabove referred to.

As is. well known by those who are familiar with the art of electrical appliances, an electric iron or other such appliance is usually provided with a guard about the terminals for the purpose of preventing short circuit. And it is this type of device to which the present improvement is especially applicable, although it can be employed with considerable advantage upon an electric plug that is to be used upon appliances that do not have guards, as will appear.

Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an electric plug of the type above referred to, embodying a depressible button for releasing the clips so as to facilitate removal and attachment of the same, and in which there is now to be added, according to my present improvement, a means whereby the button can be more easily operated With respect to the force required for operation of the same, this improvement to be enjoyed in all types of devices including toasters, irons, etc., with or without guards.

A further object is to devise such an improvement which will permit this type of plug with the depressible button to be employed in connection with a utensil having a guard but without any interference by the guard, while at the same time the manipulation of the button is also greatly facilitated from the standpoint of force required to be exerted by the finger of the users hand.

Another object is to devise such an improvement that can be manufactured and sold at a low cost and that can be applied to the electric plug With considerable ease.

A still further object is to devise such an improvement that can be attached to the electric plug as an accessory and can be either included or omitted as a part thereof without involving any change in the structure ofthe plug itself.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an electric plug which embodies my improvement;

Fig. 2 is a view taken upon line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the assembly of my improved electric plug upon an electric iron;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the base plate which forms part of my present accessory;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the lever member which constitutes the other part of my present accessory;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of the combined base plate and lever member which constitute my present accessory; and

Fig. '7 is a view taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 6.

'Ihe casing of my electric plug comprises the half-sections I and 2 of electric insulating material Within which are enclosed the electric connecting means for establishing the operative connection between the electric cord 3 and the terminals 4 upon the electric utensil 5. The casing sections are secured together, as usual, by means of the bolts 6.

The separate wires of the cord are attached by the screws 'l to the extended rear ends of the clip members 8. The shorter rear ends of the clip members 9 are engaged and adapted to be actuated by the transversely disposed inner part Il]a of the presser button which extends through an opening in the casing member 2, the outer portion Ib of this button being adapted for pressing engagement for opening the clip members. In the form of structure as shown in the prior patent and patent application above referred to, this presser button is actuated by the finger of the users hand, as herein explained. In the present invention, I have devised an auxiliary means in the form of an accessory which greatly facilitates this manipulation of the presser button and can be applied to the plug disclosed in the other two cases just referred to, or can be omitted therefrom if so desired.

In the present disclosure, as in the companion application above referred to, the clip members are provided with a coil spring il located therebetween and having its end portions l Iat extending forwardly and terminating at l lb in engagement with the outer surface of the clip members near the forward ends thereof soas to normally Thus,

affords an increased force for holding the clips in closed position.

'I'he above description of the clip members with the spring and presser button will serve to indicate the type of clip to which the present improvement is applied. For a fuller understanding of the details of the clip structure, reference may be had to the co-pending application above referred to, the structure being the same in the two cases except for the improvement now to be described.

By means of the bolts 6 the plate I2 may be attached to the outer surface of the casing member 2, a transverse slot I3 being provided in the plate I2 to accommodate the button portion Elib. Transversely of the middle part of the plate i2, a portion isfslit and` swaged upwardly so as to form the slot I4 and the raised portion l5 with the side socket portions I5 for pivotal engagement of the ears VI on the lever I8. This lever is of a width corresponding approximately with that of the slot I4 and is extended therethrough from the under side of the baseplate I2 prior to mounting the plate upon the casing member 2. The

" ears I'I are rounded at their ends and are turned lever I8.

CII

f vent access to button Illb.

down somewhat so as to afford a good bearing engagement during the pivotal manipulation oi the The engagement of the side edges of the lever I8 also serves to prevent lateral cooking of the lever; and if so desired, this structure can be modied by extending the swaged portion I5 so as to extend the side portions I6 for more extended engagement of the side edges of the lever I8. In such modification, the slots I3 and I4 would become one continuous slot or opening. The lever I8 has a hole I9 which permits access to one of the bolts 6. This lever is substantially rigid and may be of any extent desired.

As above indicated, the purpose of the lever I8 is to permit operation of the presser button IIlb without interference by the guard 2l] Which usually forms part of the standard equipment of an electric appliance. Except for my present improvement, the presence of this guard would prethe lever isof such length as to extend beyond the guard and can be easily manipulated for depressing the button I 0b to release the clip members. This is accomplished by the engagement of the lever I8 with the button 10b. As Will be apparent, the lever I8 can 4be depressed by the thumb or nger of the same hand by which the plug is applied to the terminals. Upon releasing the lever I8,'the button will be returned to idle position by the spring Il, as usual, and the lever I8 will be moved to idle position.

As will be evident, the present attachment is extremely simple in construction and can be manufactured at little cost. plied to the plug in an easy manner and can be employed therewith or omitted therefrom, according to whether or not the plug is to be employed on a device with a guard, as above explained. Thus, this improvement may be regarded as an accessory which is readily attachable and removable, 'according to whether its presence upon the plug is required.

' It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for purposes of illustration and that there may be devised various modiiications in addition to those above suggested, and that any and all such modifications are intended to be comprehended by the following claims in so With my improvement, Y

Also, it can be apfar as they come within the spirit of the present invention as herein set forth.

What I claim is:

1. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminal prongreceiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising a pair of members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socket formation and prong engagement, means including a bodyexposed manipulatable portion for forcibly separating said members for ready socket reception and removal of the prong, and means arranged upon the o-utside of said? body and'extending rearwardly of said manipulatable portion for manipulating the same, Vsaid manipulating means being secured to said body by the same means that se:- cures said body sections together.

2. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminal prong-receiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising a pair of members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socket formation and prong engagement, means including a body-exposed manipulatable portion forforcibly separating said members for ready socket reception and removal of the prong, a plate attached to the body of the plug by the same means that secures the body sections together, said plate having a slot to permit extension of the manipulatable portion therethrough, an arm mounted upon said plate at a point forward of said slot and extending rearwardly so as to be accessible from a point in the region of the rear end of the plug body for effecting manipulation of said manipulatable portion.

3. In an electric appliance plug of the type having outwardly projecting means adapted to be depressed for opening the socket of the plug, anattachment comprising a plate adapted to be attached to the body of the plug, said plate having a slot to permit extension of the depressible socket-opening means therethrough, said plate having a second slot to the rear of the rst slot, said second slot having bearing portions at the sides thereof, and a lever arm having lateral extensions for pivotal engagement in said bearing portions while said lever arm extends rearwardly through said second slot so as to be accessible from a point in the region of the rear end of the plug body, when attached thereto, for effecting manipulation of the socket-opening means, and means for securing said attachment to the body of the electric plug.

4. An appliance plug including a chambered insulation body comprising a plurality of sections detachably connected together, a terminal Yprong-receiving socket in the body chamber, said socket comprising a pair of members yieldingly constrained towards each other for socket formation and prong engagement, means including a body-exposed manipulatable portion for forcibly separating Vsaid members for ready socket reception and removal of the prong, a plate attached to the body of the plug and having a slot to permit extension of the manipulatable portion therethrough, an arm mounted upon said plate at a point forward of said slot and extending rearwardly so as to be accessible from a point in the region of the rear end of the plug body for efl'ecting manipulation of said manipulatable portion. GEORGE EATON.