US2336587A - Locking device for tubular lamps or the like - Google Patents

Description

H. 8.. BIXBY Dec. 14, 1943.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR TUBULAR LAMPS OR THE LIKE Filed March 25 1942 Patented Dec. 1%, $43

2,336,587 LUCEHN G DEVICE FOR TUBULAR LAWS OR THE LIKE Y Harold S. Bixby, East Haven,

Conn., assignor, by

direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Edward A. Abbey, New Haven, 'Conn.

Application March 25, 1942, Serial No. 436,093 11 Claims. (173-328) This invention relates to locking devices for tubular or fluorescent lamps.

The fluorescent lamps in present use are of cylindrical or tubular shape, and normally are provided upon their end faces with extending prong-like contact members which are adapted to be received in end sockets or fixtures disposed adjacent each end face of the lamp, these contact members serving both to make electrical contact with elements in the socket and to sustain the lamp in position.

These contact members are normally'slipped into slots opening through one edge of the socket members, and then moved either laterally or rotatably to a position in which they are re- 15 tained in the sockets, usually by the spring contacts with which they engage. It has been found, however, that due to vibration and other causes it often occurs that the lamps will be caused to move in their sockets and be released therefrom; usually to drop on the floor and break. The present invention is designed to provide means for locking the lamps against movement after they have been properly placed in their sockets, so that there will be no danger of their I being accidentally released, but the lamps may be removed from the sockets when desired by releasing the securing or locking means. It also occurs in some instances that the end sockets in which the lamps are held are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length of the lamps themselves, so as to leave some endwise play of the lamp between the socket members. When the lamp, due to vibration or other causes, tends to move in one direction or the other as far as is permitted by the socket and the adjacent end face of the lamp, the prong-like contact members will not be sufilciently long to securely hold the lamp in position. That is, while the contact members at .the other end of the lamp may still engage the socket member, any slight outward movement of the latter might result in the release of that end of the lamp, with the result that it would fall from the socket.

One object of the present invention is to provide a locking means for tubular or fluorescent lamps such that endwise play of the lamp in the socket will be prevented or greatly reduced. Another object of the invention is to provide a locking means for fluorescent lamps such that once the lamp is installed in the socket it will be prevented from a reverse movement, and hence may not be removed from the socket until the locking means is released.

continued at the lower end of l the lamp is rotatedthrough an Still another object of the invention is to provide a. relatively inexpensive locking means for tubular or fluorescent lamps which may be easily installed in position to engage the lamp and 5 socket members, and prevent relative movement between the two so as to obviate any likelihood of accidental release of the lamp from the sockets. I

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations-of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawing: Fig. 1 is a, front elevational view of a fluorescent or tubular lamp and socket members therefor provided with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig: 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 ofFig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. ,3; Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the locking members employed; and

Fig. 6 is a front view of the cooperating locking" member or key. Y

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown at lo a tubular or firmrescent lamp of the usual form having,at each end a pair of prong-like contact members. it

adapted to be received in socket members'fl.

These socket members are usually mounted at each end of the lamp, which is adapted to be slipped between the opposing faces thereof.

As shown, the socket members l2 are provided with an annular socket 13 having a centrally disposed stud I4 upstanding therein; or projecting toward the face of the lamp. The stud isprovided with a central slot l5 communicating atits ends with the annular socket l3, which slot-is the socket member to open through the edge thereof, as shown at E6. When the lamp is placed in the socket member, the prong-like contacts H are slipped upwardly through the slots I6 and l5 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, and then til these contact members reach the positions shown in full lines in section in' this figure. This is the final position of the lamp, members will be irictionally held by the spring contacts ll provided in the socket member 12.

When it is desired to remove the lamp from they socket, the lamp-is rotated through an angle of and the contacts ll may then be slipped outwardly through the slots l5 and I6.

As stated, it has been found that when the lamps are in the sockets they will often be caused to rotate against the action of the spring conangle of 90 unand the contact the lamp has been mounted in the sockets.

inner face of Ygle of 90 tact member It by vibration or 1mm other causes, and thusreach a position-from which the lampwill fall from its place within the socket. In order to prevent such an occurrence, I

have provided means to lock the lamp against a return releasing movement, which in the case of the present socket is a return rotating movement. As shown, the locking means'comprises like portion 28 and a projecting neck or end portion 2|. The body portion is provided withopcnlngs 22 adapted to receive the contact members ll, whilethe tongue or end portion 2| is provided with a slot 23. As shown in Fig. 4, the tongue or end portion 2| will be bent or flexed at an angle to the'body' portion 20, to extend in a direction away from the face of the lamp.

Themembers 20 are made of some suitable insulating material such as fiber, so that the lamp contacts II will not be short-circuited, and are relatively thin so that they may be flexed or bent,

as shown in Fig. 4. The material of which they.

are made preferably has slight inherent resiliency so that when engaged with the second locking element, to be presently described, they will tend to be locked securely in place. H

The second locking element consists of a keyone'element shown in Fig. 5, consisting of a disk-' of the key-like members 24 will fit closely against the outer faces of the members an, and hence will serve to wedge or hold the lamp against endwise movement in the sockets, so that it cannot move in one direction or another and thus be released owing to the improper spacing of the sockets. It will also be apparent that the members 20 and 24, being made from fiber, are very inexpensive and at the same time very practical and efllcient in operation.

While I have shown and described a preferred v embodiment of my invention, it will be under stood that it isnot to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the principles of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is: v

1. A device for securing to its socket a lamp having a pair of contacts projecting from the end face thereof, said device comprising an element disposedhetween the end face of the lamp and the socket and having means for non-rotatablyengaging said contacts, and means detachably connecting said element to the socket to prevent accidental detachment of the lamp therefrom. 7

like wedging member 24, shown in Fig. 6, this I member being of L shape'havinga head 25, and being provided upon the rear face of thishead with a notch 26. vThis key-like member 24 will be of the proper thickness to slide readily through the slots [5 and 18, so that itv may be inserted into the socket member through-these slots aftg will be noted also from Fig. 4, the width of the key-like member 24 will be-slightly greater than the depth of the slots and I6, so that the from the socket and-thuslimlt endwise movement of the lamp in the sockets.

In installing the locking devices, one of the members is placed against the end face at I each end of the'lamp, with the bent lower end- 2! projecting outwardly from the face of the lamp, and with the contact received in the openthis member will project slightly ings 22'. The lamp isthen inserted in the sockets in the usual way, and rotated through an anuntil it occupies the position shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The key 24 is then slipped upwardly through the slots l6 and, i5 behind each of the members 20, the key being inserted through locking element 20. When the key reaches approximately the limit of its movement, the-lower edge of the slot, '23 will engage within thenotch 2i, and hold the key against dropping from its locking position. The fiber from. which the member 201s made will be sufficiently-resilient to permit this action.

It 'will'now be apparent that the lamp cannot "be rotated in the socket, and hence cannot be turned to-position for removal of'the prong-like contact members ll through the slots l5 and I6.

- This is true becausethe membersv 20 are non-rotatabiyengaged with the lamp owingto the iact that there are two prongs lamp which are engaged in the openings 22, and

the. member20 is in turn held against rotation with respect tolthe socket by'the key 24 which lies in the slots 15 and IS, the keybeing prevented from dropping from place owing to the engagement of the edge of the slot 23 in the notch 28.

It will also be apparent that the inner edges the slot 23 in the bent end portion 2|"of the H on each end of the -means engaging said contacts and a wedging element engaging the socket member and releasably interlocked with said first element to prevent relative movement between said parts.

4. A device for securing to its socket a lamp having a pair of contacts projecting from the end face thereof, said means comprising a disklike element having a body portion provided with openings to receive said contacts and a projecting neck, and means interlocked with said neck and engaged with thesocket to prevent relative movement between the lamp and socket.

5 A device for securing to its socket a lamp having-a pair of contactsprojecting from the end facethereof, said means comprising a disklike element having a body portion provided with openings to receive said contacts and a projecting neck, and means interlocked with said neck and engaged with the socket to prevent relative movement between thelamp and socket, said last-named means comprising a key member, and said member being withdrawable to release the lamp.

6. A device for securing to its socket a'l'amp having a pair of contacts projecting from the end face thereof, said device comprising a disklike element having a body portion engaging said contacts and a projecting neck, said neck'having contacts and a projecting neck, said neck having a slot thereima key element insertable through said slot and having a part to engage the socket to prevent relative movement between'the lamp and socket, and means releasabiy holding said key element in its operative position.

8. In combination with a lamp having projecting end contacts and a socket provided with means for receiving said contacts, a locking element positioned between the end face of the lamp and the socket and having openings to receive said contacts thereby to be secured to the lamp, and an elongated member engaged with an elongated member interlocked with said element and non-rotatably engaged with a part of the socket to prevent relative movement between the lamp and socket.

9. In combination with a lamp having projecting end contacts and a socket provided with means for receiving said contacts, a locking element positioned between the end face of the lamp and the socket and having openings to receive said contacts thereby to be secured to the lamp, said element having a slot therein, and a key member passing through said slot and nonrotatably engaged with the socket to secure said element non-rotatably to the socket to prevent relative rotation between the lamp and socket.

10. In combination with a tubular lamp and a socket therefor, the socket being disposed at one end of the lamp, an element having a body portion disposed between the end face of the lamp and the adjacent part of the socket, said element having means for attachment to the lamp, and means for securing said element to the socket to hold the lamp against detachment from the socket comprising a member interlocked with said element and thereby held in engagement with a part of the socket.

11. In combination with a tubular lamp and a socket therefor,-the socket being disposed at one end of the lamp, an element having a flat body portion disposed between the end face of the lamp and the adjacent part of the socket, said element having means for attachment to the lamp, and means for securing said element to the socket to hold the lamp against detachment from the socket, said element having a proje'cting neck portion disposed at an angle to the body portion thereof to lie within the plane of the socket, and said securing means comprising a key member interlocked with said neck portion and received in an opening in the socket.

HAROLD S. BIXBY.

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