US2462879A - Iron plug - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1949. LUDWlG 2,462,879

IRON PLUG Filed April 18, 1944 Wzmw ATMk/Yik Patented Mar. 1, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRON PLUG Louis Ludwig, New York, N. Y. Application April 18, 1944, Serial No. 531,623

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to electrical connection plugs, and more particularly to elece trical connection plugs for connecting pressing irons with a source of electrical energy.

Among the objects of the present invention lies the provision of electrical iron plug structure which .is quickly and easily assembled or disassembled for the purpose of connecting conductors with the electrical contact elements within the plug.

Another object herein lies in the provision of structure of the class described which is operatable by the use of only such simple tool or tools as are usually available to the user.

A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the plug parts are properly manipulated by persons having relatively little skill.

In the present plug structure the plug is con- 'stituted by a plurality of plug body members which are resiliently retained in juxtaposition by the locking element.- The resiliency of the locking element permits the use of the present plug with a plurality of irons in which a substantial difference in iron terminals is encountered. Thus the terminals and the body members of the plug may be temporarily displaced with respect to each other while the plug has the contact elements therein in engagement with said terminals, yet after the plug is removed from the said iron the locking element acts to urge the body members to their original positions.

Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the body members, which together form the plug, may be of substantially identical construction so that not only do they present a symmetrical appearance but mold cost is thereby reduced and the locking element may be suitably engaged by insertion initially through either of the body members.

An important object of the present invention lies in the coaction between the locking element and the body members of the plug whereby the plug body members are maintained in predetermined spatial interrelation without the use of additional aligning means. I

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of structure wherein movement of the locking elements as a unit in a single direction effects in a complete locking.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims.

I .In the drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of each embodiment.

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of an iron plug showing the invention in a locked condition thereof. 1

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view as seen from the plane 3-3 on Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view inperspective of the locking element of the invention.

Turning now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the iron plug is generally indicated by reference character 20. In a well-known manner the plug 20 may be composed of a plurality of plug body members 2i and 22. While the plug body members are of substantially identical construction for the purpose of clarity in this disclosure, the member 22 may be referred to as a front body member and the member 2! may be referred to as a rear body member. The body members 2| and 22 are of irregularconfiguration and as is well known may be molded of any suitable insulated material such as Bakelite. The plug 20 may be provided with any of the well known types of electrical contact elements l8 and I9.

The body members 2| and 22 may thus be molded from the same mold and each of the members 2i and 22 has an outer face 23 and, an inner face 25 and I1, cor- d entranceends 25 and 21, iron prong or contact post receiving ends 28 and 29 and irregularly shaped orifices 30 and 3|, respectively. The particular shape and interwall spacing of the orifices 30 and 3| are correlated to the locking element 32 as will more fully appear hereinbelow.

The locking element generally indicated by reference character 32 is best seen in. Figure 4, the locking element in said figure having an appearance assumed by the locking element when not under tension and removed from the plug 20.

The locking element 32 has a general U-shape with laterally directed extensions on the ends of the U. Thus the element 32 includes the latch element 33 which is carried by the'latch element carrying portion 34. As shown in Figure-4 the locking element 32 is preferably fabricatedby suitably forming two separate pieces of round spring wire to take the shape there shown, and the ends of the individual wires are preferably interconnected in any suitable manner as by soldering or welding to form the terminals or tips-til and 42. The latch element33 therefore may include the latch members 35*and 36 which diverge from the plane in which the legs 31 and 38 lie, and from each other in the general direction of the resilient clamping fingers 39 and 40. The legs 31 and 38 preferably extend substantially perpendicularly from the ends of the portion 34. The resilient clamping fingers 39 and 40 extend from the respective ends of the legs 3'| and 38 preferably at an angle of less than 90. The tips and 42 of the fingers 39 and 40 are preferably rounded so that they may have a proper sliding action upon the resilient finger receiving surfaces 57 and 59, or 58 and 60 as the case may be.

Each of the orifices '39 and 3! is preferably of a width substantially equal to or slightly greater than the width of the legs'3'l and 38 andthe portion 3 3 so that the lockingelement may penetrate each of said orifices. In actual practice then the distance between the wall 33 and the wall 44 may be only a few. thousandths of an inch greater than the distance between the edge first into the body member 2 I, the latch members 35 and 36 are resiliently flexed toward each other until they lie in parallel planes. This fiexure is caused by the mere insertion of the latching members into the orifice inwardly of the depressions 6! and 68. When the tips M and 42 first meet the surfaces 51 and 59 the innermost bights of the latching members will not have entered the depressions 49 and 59. 'Ihis is accomplished by inserting a sharp tool such as a knife, hacksaw blade or thin screw driver first into the orifice 30 and then into the orifice 3! there to 45 and the edge 36 of the locking element 32.

The outer faces '23 andl2'4. of the body members 2| and 22 adjoining the walls 43 and M are provided with indentationsfiil and 58, and 39 and 53, respectively, which correspond with the shape and size of the latch members and 33 so that when said latch members are fully seated in the indentations Hand '59 the outermost surfaces of the said latch members are substantially coplanar or slightly below the outermost level of the outer faces 23 or 24.. Y

The body 'members 2i and 22 from the ends 26-29, inclusive, extend toward each other into the orifices 39 and 31 to form the projections 53,54,35 and 56. Each of the projections tit-56, inclusive, has a resilient finger engaging surface 51-60, inclusive, respectively, and a leg engaging surface iii-t4, inclusive, respectively.

The parts are preferably inter-related in size and position so that when the latch members 35and 36 are in either the indentations 49 and 50 or the indentations i3? and 68, the legs 3] and 38 may have outer surfaces thereof in slidable contact with the leg-engaging surfaces 3i62, and

63 -6 3, respectively. W

The length of the legs 3'! and 33 is preferably such that when the inner surfaces of the latch members 35 and 33 are in contact with the innermost surfaces of the depressions t9 and 53, or 1 -61 and 58, the tips ll and 42 only of the fingers Operation Assuming the parts to be completely disassembled, appropriate conductors (not shown) are connected to the electrical contacts l8 and I9 and these are seated between thebody mem-' bers 2i and 2 2 in suitably arranged depressions therefor (not shown) with the plug body members in juxtaposition as shown in Figure 2. At this point it is permissible to insert the latch element 33 into the orifices 39 and 3| in either of the body members 2| or 22; and likewise it is immaterial whether the finger 39 or the finger is uppermost. Assuming, for the purpose of example, that the latch element 32 is inserted engage the said latching members so that they may be pushed outwardly of the plug (to the left as viewed in Figure 2) until said bights can snap outwardly (laterally) to engage the depressions 49 and 59 (see Figures 1 and 2).

By virtue of the construction just described it may be seen that the plug body members 2| and 22 may be separated from each other temporarily in order that they may be shifted in position to accommodate an unusual spread of the electrical contacts l8 and l9. Such movement of the body members 2! and 22 away from each other is controlled by the locking element 32 and particularly the fiexure of the fingers 39 and 49 about the bends 65 and 66. It is important to note that the body members 2! and 22 may not be rotated about each other, about'an axis perpendicular to the inner faces 25 or ll, a very substantial amount.- Thisis so because of the engagement of said body members with the locking element and particularly the legs 31 and 38 thereof. The amount of axial displacement, as described, which may occur will be affected by the amount of clearance between the edges 45 and 46 of the locking element 32 and the walls 33 and M. The

- bends 'M and 15 also may flex.

Upon a perusal of Figure 2 in which the plug 29 is shown in the locked and closed position thereof, it will be seen that where desired, the locking'element 32 may be inserted from the left and moved toward the right so that the latch element 33 may engage the depressions in the body member 2|. One of these depressions 61 is seen in Figure 2.

In order to open up the plug it is only necessary to compress or fiexthe latch members 35 and36 toward each other and as soon as they are parallel with each other and can therefore enter one of the orifices 39 or. 3! the bends 65, 66, I4, and 15 may become more acute and pull the latch members inwardly of the plug. members may now be manually separated with ease. The last described flexure of the latch members may be accomplished by the use of any suitable tool such as a screw driver which may be inserted into the depressions let us say 50 or 49; consecutively, and since the wires which form the locking element are independent except at their ends the latch members may independently and consecutively be moved to such position as will permit the separation of the plug body members.

It may thus be seen that the present plug may be assembled and disassembled rapidly without f the use of any special tools and that, when in an assembled condition the parts are arranged so as to co-act with each other to properly support the electrical contacts and to articulately integrate the plug body members to provide a unitary useful electrical contact plug. In securing the plug body members in assembled relation, no threaded parts are required either in the insulating material of which the plug body The two body threaded metal inserts.

members are composed tained as the locking element is shifted from the relatively disengaged or open positionthereof to the locked position thereof and vice versa.

.1 wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim: I

1. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies, the plug bodies having orifices aligned respectively with one another, a spring wire locking element extending through the orifices to secure the parts together, said spring wire locking element being of U-shape having legs fitting respectively opposite sides of the orifices and connected together across the orifice of one plug body by a bottom connecting portion, clamping means on the respective leg portions engageable with the plug body to limit the inward movement of the locking element and adapted to have looking engagement therewith, and means on the bottom connecting portion between the leg portions engaging the other plug body whereby to hold the plug bodies together.

2. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies, said plug bodies having orifices respec-.

tively aligned together, a spring wire locking element of U-shape having leg portions adapted to lie respectively at the opposite sides of the orifices, clamping fingers extending respectively .6 l the plane including the leg portions to have its closed end or engaging portion at a distance from the plane. 1 l i 4. An electrical plug as defined in claim 2, and said formation comprising two latching projections angled from one another and from the plane including the leg portions and from opposite sides 1 of the plane and engageable respectively with the other body member at the opposite sides of the orifice thereof.

5. An electrical plug comprising separable plug bodies having recesses respectively aligned with one another, and aspring wire locking element comprising twoU-shaped spring wires secured together in side by side relationship, each of said wires having leg portions adapted to lie respectively at the opposite sides of the orifices, the leg portions of each wire having respectively clamping fingers engageable with one plug body, a bottom connecting portion extending between the leg portions and across the orifice of the other body,

said connecting'portion having a, loop formation therein angled out of a plane including the two leg portions and adapted to have spring engage- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 1 Date 1,866,407 Guett July 5, 1932 2,023,095 Parker Dec. 3, 1935 2,109,217 Knutson Feb. 22, 1938 2,138,919 Herman Dec. 6, 1938 2,201,579 Grohsgal ,May 27, 1940

Images