US2238589A

US2238589A - Neon tube connector

Info

Publication number: US2238589A
Application number: US310092A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick J Hensler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-12-20
Filing date: 1939-12-20
Publication date: 1941-04-15
Anticipated expiration: 1958-04-15

Description

April 15, 1941. J HENSLER 2,238,589

NEON TUBE CONNECTOR Filed Dec. 20, 1959 m @wxmfig; i 3/ 20 39 INVENTOR.

j 17.]. Jfemsler KM/IW ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITED e STATES PATENT QFFIC'E NEON TUBE ooNNEoTon Frederick J. Hensler, Concord, N. Y. Application December 20, 1939. ScrialNo. 310,092 I 5 Claims. (01. 173-328) This invention relates to devices for connecting the ends of neon tubes and comprehends an improved device of this character which establishes both electrical and mechanical connection between the ends of adjacent tubes or between the source of electrical current and the end of a tube, and which also serves tohouse and protect the exposed terminals of the tube electrodes against short circuits resulting from rain, snow or sleet, while excluding dust, dirt or other foreign matter which may tend to foul the same.

The invention compreh'ends an improved connector of the indicated character which embodies a housing fashioned from a. non-combustible insulation material possessing the requisite strength and durability and enclosing an element by means of which electrical connection between the ends of adjacent tubes or between the source of electrical current and a tube end may be expeditiously and efiectually established without the necessity of employing tools or requiring the services of specially trained operatives.

Other objects of the invention reside in the provision of a connector and housing for the ends of neon tubes which embodies but few and simple parts capable of being economically produced and assembled.

With the above enumerated and other objects in view, the invention is set forth in detail in the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a connector and tween a source of electrical current and an end 3f aneon tube.

Referring to the drawing by characters of'reference, A and B designate respectively portions of adjacent neon tubes which are respectively formed of reversely bent ends C and D having the. exposed electrical terminals E1 and F. The connector includes a housing fashioned from a non-combustible insulation material such as glass, glazed porcelain, porcelain or plastic materials and consists of a body section l and a cap section II which are of tubular formation respectively provided with the closed ends l2 and I3 and open at the opposite ends.

The body section Ii) is formed with a neck H of reduced diameter adapted to fit within the enlarged recessed end [5 of the cap II and said neck is provided with an external thread l5 adapted to engage within the internal thread ll of the recessed end I5 of the cap to detachably connect the housing sections and l I.

An annular sealing gasket l8 surrounds the I neck [4 and is disposed between the sections to seal the same at their juncture. The body section ID of the housing is formed with a notch l9 and extends longitudinally thereof inwardly from the outer end of the neck and into the main body portion thereof and which notch communicates with the bore of the section. The notch I9 is adapted to receive therethrough the bight portions of the reversely bent ends C and D of the neon tubes A and B, it being understood that the end C of the tube A extends axially of the bore 26, while the end D of the tube B extends axially of the bore 2| of the cap H. The notch I9 is of greater width than the diameter of the neon tubes and in order to fill the space between the bight portions of the neon tube ends and the notch,

yieldable plugs

22 and 23 of sponge rubber or an equivalent material are fitted over the bight portions in surrounding relation thereto and are compressed between the walls of the notch and between each other and the bight portions. This mechanically connects the tubes and houses the reversely bent ends C and D thereof.

The tubes are electrically connected to each other by means of a conductor element which consists of a straight length of resilient wire 24 having coiled contractile ends'25 and 26, the convolutions of which are of a diameter to telescopically receive the reversely bent ends 0 and D of the'tubes with the endmost coils having inwardly

spiralecl extremities

21 and 28 to effectually engage with the exposed terminals of the tube electrodes. It will be understood that the distance between the

spiral extremities

21 and 28 of the end convolutions under the norcally contracted arrangement of the

coiled ends

25 and 26 will be less than the distance between the terminals E and F when the tubes are ar ranged in the housing so as to expand the

coiled ends

25 and 26 and place them under a tension to thereby insure and maintain proper electrical contact of the terminals E and F with the

spiral portions

21 and 28.

As iliustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawing, the con- :nector, in this instance, is designed for establishing mechanical and protected electrical connection between a source of electrical current and the end of a neon tube. The housing, in this instance, is substantially identical with that previously described, except that the closed end 12 of the section It] is provided with an aperture 39 having a tubular nipple 3| extending therethrough formed with a headed inner end 32 and an externally threaded outer end 33 engaged by a coupling collar 3% by means of which a conduit 35 is connected with the body section l0. An insulated conductor wire 36 leading from a source of electrical current, extends through the conduit 35 and through the nipple 3i into the posite coiled end 26 and is connected with the reversely bent end D of the neon tube B.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a connector for neon tubes having reversely bent ends provided with exposed electrode terminals, a housing of non-combustible insulation material including a. pair of tubular sections each having a closed outer end and telescopically engaged open inner ends axially interfitted one within the other, one of said sections having a notched inner end for receiving the reversely bent ends of adjacent tubes, and a contractile conductor means located within said housing and contacting respectively the electrode terminals of the reversely bent tube ends ,for establishing electrical connection therebetween.

2. In a connector for neon tubes having reversely bent ends provided with exposed electrode terminals, a housing of non-combustible insulation material including mating tubular sections each having a closed outer end and telescopically engaged open inner ends axially interfitted one within the other, one of said sections having a notched inner end for receiving the reversely bent ends of adjacent tubes, and a conductor means located within said housing and contacting respectively the electrode terminals of the reversely bent tube ends for establishing electrical connection therebetween, a yieldable elastic gasket surrounding the juncture of said tube ends with the tubes and positioned to cooperatively engage with each other and the walls of the notch to seal the space therebetween.

3. In a connector for neon tubes having reversely bent ends provided with exposed electrode terminals, a conlductor element having coiled contractile opposite end portions adapted to respectively receive the reversely bent ends of adjacent neon tubes, the outermost convolutions of each end portion having an inwardly spiraled extremity with which each of the exposed electrode terminals contact, and a housing of noncombustible insulation material including mating tubular sections each having a closed outer end and open telescopically engaged inner ends axially interfitted one within the other, one section having a notched inner end for receiving the reversely bent ends of adjacent tubes.

4. In a connector for neon tubes having reversely bent ends provided with exposed electrode terminals, a housing of non-combustible insulation material having an opening intermediate the ends thereof for receiving the reversely bent ends of adjacent tubes, yieldable elastic gasket means surrounding the juncture of the tube ends with the tubes and engaging with the walls of the opening to seal the space between the tubes and the wall of the opening, and a conductor located within the housing and including an inextensible intermediate portion and coiled contractile opposite end portions having open inner ends and closed outer ends, said contractile end portions being telescopically disposed over the reversely bent ends of adjacent neon tubes with the ends of said tubes extending into the inner open ends of the coiled portions and abutting against and electrically connected with the closed outer ends thereof so as to expand the coiled portions outwardly to place the same under tension to maintain the electrical connection.

5. In a connector for neon tubes having reversely bent ends provided with exposed electrode terminals, a housing of non-combustible insulation material having an opening intermediate the ends thereof for receiving the reversely bent end of a neon tube, and a conductor located within the housing and including an inextensible portion and a coiled end portion having an open inner end and a closed outer end and within which the reversely bent end of the tube extends with the electrode terminal at the outer end of the tube engaging with the outer closed end of the coiled portion so as to expand the coiled portion outwardly to place the same under tensiotn to maintain the electric connection therewi h.

FREDERICK J. HENSLER.