US2429836A - Die employed in reclaiming plastic bases of radio tubes - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 28, 1947. J. A. McFARLANE, JR

DIE EMPLOYED IN RECLAIMING PLASTIC BA SES OF RADIO TUBES Filed April 25, 1944 Patented Oct. 28, 1947 DIE EMPLOYED IN RECLAIMING PLASTIC BASES OF RADIO TUBES James Albert McFarlane, Jr., Richlands, Va.

Application April 25, 1944, Serial No. 532,666

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for reclaiming the plastic bases or plugs used in connection with radio tubes.

Radio tubes as generally manufactured consist of glass or metal tubescontaining the elec trodes and either a vacuum or inert gas, the electrodes being connected to the exterior by leadin wires and the base of the glass tube adjacent the lead-in wires bein embraced by a plastic base provided with a plurality of projecting metal plugs, one for each lead-in wire.

At present the electrodes are salvaged from the glass tubes but the recovery of the plastic bases with their metal contact plugs has not heretofore been economically possible.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple device by means of which the plastic bases and metal plugs associated therewith can be economically salvaged.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

One sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a tray upon which is mounted a plurality of the improved salvage devices and provided with a master switch controlling the operation of all of the thus associated devices;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section taken through a single salvage unit illustrated with a radio tube (partially broken away) in position;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of a salvage unit showing the electrical connection to the main circuit of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a salvage device shown with the bottom up, with a modified form of solder-receiving trough;

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the contact I members prior to application to the device.

In the manufacture of radio tubes the plastic base ordinarily used comprises a ferrule F associated with a plastic base B, the plastic base being provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting tubular contact members 2 usually arranged in a circle and spaced to comate with similar contact sockets in the radio instrument. In assembling the glass tube with its enclosed electrodes with the ferrule and base the electrical lead-in wires 4-4 which project from the base of the glass or metal radio tube are threaded through the tubular contact members 2 of the base and their ends are then clipped at the outer ends 3 and secured to the tubular contact members 2 by small drops of solder which are then buffed and provide excellent electrical conduction between the electrical contact members 2 and the lead-in wires 4. To efficiently salvage such plastic bases B it is desirable to simultaneously fuse the small drops of securing solder 5 from the ends of the lead-in wires 4-4 and to this end applicant provides a salvage unit which in the preferred form herein illustrated comprises two spaced base members 1 and 8 of suitable material, which base members are provided with a central keyhole 9 shaped to accommodate the positioning plug 6 of the radio tube base B and further provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced orifices l0 and H in the base members 8 and 1 respectively, corresponding in position with the spacing of the contact members 2 of the particular type of radio tube bases to be operated upon. The circularly arranged orifices II in the lower base member I are preferably larger than the corresponding orifices ID in the base member 8 for the purpose of receiving resilient heat-conducting members 13 in the form of split tubular members having an axially extending lug I4 as illustrated in Figure 5. One of these heat-conducting frictional contact members is associated with each of the holes H in base member I and the lug I4 is then bent over and back through a radially spaced orifice [2 in parallel relationship with the split tubular portion l3, as is well illustrated in Figure 2. For purposes of assembly it will be noted that these heat-conducting members can be arranged in U-form prior to the assembly of the base members 1 and 8 and readily dropped through the associated orifices l l and I2 of the base member I.

The down-turned lug portions [4 serve to position and hold a circularly arranged heating coil I6 in close heat-conducting contact with the split tubular portion I 3 and the ends of the heating coil l6 are electrically connected as by wires 18 to an electrical circuit l9 arranged in the tray 25 and controlled as by a switch S.

Associated with each of the split tubular heatconducting members I3 is a cup-like member l5 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the bottom endof the tubular member or if preferred may be formed integral therewith as desired. Each of the cup-like members 15 is provided with an inwardly directed lip 21 adapted to maintain in the cup IS a predetermined level of solder. The cups 15 are so positioned with respect to the tubular members 13 that the bottom ends of the conductor plugs 2 of the radio tube will be submerged in the solder held by the cups and thus rapidly fused to free the conductor wires 4 from said conductor plugs 2. As accretions of solder form in the cups I5 the level will be maintained substantially constant by means of overflow through the lips 27.

A modified form of solder maintaining cup is illustrated in Figure 4, illustrated as a ring-like member [5' formed with circumferentially spaced lips 22 and outwardly extending lugs 2| by means of which it can be associated with the base members l and 8 in the assembly of the latter as by means of rivets H. The base members 7 and 8 are further provided in opposite corners with aligned holes [9 adapted to receive screws 26 to attach each unit to the top 24 of a tray 25 as illustrated in Figure 1 by means of which a plurality of such salvage elements can be operated as a unit. The top 24 of the tray will be provided with a plurality of spaced holes 23 adapted to receive the salvage units.

In operation and with the salvage units constructed as previously described and assembled on a tray as illustrated in Figure 1, the operator will position in each salvage unit a radio tube T, the current being turned on to the circuit 59 through switch S and thereby heating the heating element I6 of each of the salvage units. A few seconds sufiice to unsolder the contacts between the lead-in wires 4 and the radio tube contact plugs 2 so that the operator can lift the radio tube T from the base B with the lead-in wires intact, leaving the plastic base B also intact with its associated metallic plugs 2. It will be understood that any cementitious material associating the glass portion of the tube with the ferrule F and base B will be previously softened by a suitable solvent.

Various modifications in the precise construction and arrangement of the parts will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art but within the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Device for reclaiming bases of radio tubes comprising a base having orifices spaced to receive the contact plugs of a radio tube, means in each orifice for receiving and frictionally gripping the plug therein, and means for applying solder fusing heat to the ends only of said plugs.

2. Device for reclaiming bases of radio tubes comprising means for receiving and holding the contact plugs of the radio tube, means for applying solder fusing heat to the ends of said plugs, means for maintaining pools of molten solder with which the ends only of the plugs will contact, and means for directing the overflow from said pools to maintain a substantially constant level therein.

3. Device for reclaiming the bases of radio tubes comprising a base provided with a plurality of orifices arranged in groups, the orifices of each group arranged to comate and receive the contact plugs of a radio tube, means spaced below each orifice adapted to hold a portion of molten solder at a fixed level, a heating conductor surrounding and adjacent the solder holding means of each group and means for supplying heating current to said heating conductors.

4. Device for reclaiming bases of radio tubes comprising a base having a plurality of orifices arranged in groups, the orifices of each group arranged and spaced to conform with that of the contact plugs of the radio tubes to be handled, friction means in each orifice adapted to engage and position a contact plug, means positioned below each orifice to hold a deposit of solder at a substantially constant level below each contact plug and means for applying heat to said solder holding means to make said solder deposits molten.

5. In a device for reclaiming bases of radio tubes, a base having a plurality of spaced chambers, a removable cover for each chamber, each of said covers formed of superposed parts provided with a plurality of through aligned orifices arranged and spaced to correspond with and receive the contacts of a radio tube, the lower of said cover parts provided with additional orifices adjacent the first mentioned, friction contact members each having a split tubular portion with an axially extending lug of sufiicient length to be bent back substantially parallel with the tubular portion with said lug and tubular portion seated in adjacent orifices in said lower part, means for securing the cover parts together with the frictional contact members positioned in the orifices, a heat conductor coil passing between and frictionally engaging the lugs and tubular parts and means carried by said lower members to receive heat from said coil and support a portion of solder at a predetermined level below the cover substantially as specified.

JAS. ALBERT MCFARLANE, J R.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,600,675 Kaye Sept. 21, 1926 1,780,778 MacFadden Nov. 4, 1930 1,792,434 Lockwood Feb. 10, 1931 1,963,794 Kimbell June 19, 1934 2,293,455 Disch et a1 Aug, 18, 1942 2,312,181 Matthews Feb. 23, 1943

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