US2514628A - Electric cord holder and connector - Google Patents

Description

July 1l, 1950 E. CORTES ELECTRIC CORD HOLDER AND CONNECTOR Filed June 12, 1946 ayt.

m www o@ w@ a o E. wu No M Q l WW1 2 v .MM.\ il! 'Qgn .o E, E n W M CNAE n M M 0- 4 1 4 9 5 9 i\ /laa Patented July ll, 1950 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CORD HOLDER AND CONNECTOR Edmundo Cortes, New York, N. Y.

Application June 12, 1946, Serial No. 676,160

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-107) normally subjected to wear and tear much more than stationary wires, and that a twisting of or the exertion of pressure upon such cords tends to damage thel insulation which results in short circuits, personal injuries, repair and replacement costs, and lire hazards. It has also been observed frequently that children, due to curiosity, like to insert nails, pins, wires or other conductive objects into the openings of plug-in sockets, which may result in serious harm.

In order to make electrical appliances safer and to reduce the costs of repairs and replacement, one object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which will prevent the twisting of electric cords and which will automatically wind up that portion of a wire or cord which is not necessary temporarily for a certain use of an electrical appliance, so that no portions of the cord are in the way of the user but are well protected within a housing thus preventing a stepping upon such wire portions or a placing of heavy or hot objects upon them.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described `which vordinarily makes it impossible that small children can reach the conductive parts of a plug-'in socket when they insert nails or the like into the holes' of such sockets in the manner previously referred to.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a device ofthe character described which is light in weight, handy in use, inexpensive to manufacture but of a pleasing appearance and durable as well as adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this type are frequently subjected.

Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature of construction or operation or novel combination of parts present in the embodiment of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawing whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein,

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the entire device as it appears when it is being used in connection with an electric iron;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a detail on the line 2-2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of another part of the device; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 o Figure 4.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing the numeral I denotes an electric iron which does not form a part of my present invention but which is shown only as an example of an electrical device in connection with which my new and improved cord holder and connector can be used. The contact pins ofthe iron I are rectangular and have horizontal sections 2 and vertical end sections 3. The plug-in-socket 4 has a pair of T-shaped bores each of which consists of a horizontal non-conductive section 5 and of a vertical section 6, the latter being provided with a conductive sleeve 'I which fits tightly around the lower portion of a vertical pin section 3. A cover 8 which is hinged at 9 to the socket 4 allows the laying free of portions of the horizontal sections 5, so that the contact pins can be inserted. The cover 8 is normally closed, and the hinge 9 is preferably provided with a spring or with any well known suitable locking device (not shown) which will make it impossible for a young infant to open the cover 8, although an adult can open it without much effort. I also prefer to provide the socket 4 with a screw clamp I 0, so that it can be attached to a table board or a shelf or the like whenever that should be convenient. The conductive wires II of an vinsulated electric cord I2 are connected to the sleeves 1 by means of soldering or in any suitable manner.

While the construction of the socket 4 just described prevents accidents which may be caused by children, the detail shown in Figures 2' and 3 constitutes a holder and automatic winding device for the wire. This device comprises a housing I5 consisting preferably of four circular sections I6, I1, I8 and I9 of insulating material which are of the same outer diameter and which are connected to one another by means of bolts 20 or in any other suitable manner. Within the housing I5 there are four compartments 2 I, 22, 23 and 24; and a shaft 25 is rotatably arranged in the housing I and is extended through the compartment 24 and through the center of the compartments 2|, 22 and 23. An oblique bore 21 is provided across the shaft 25 in such a manner that its openings register with the compartments 23 and 22 respectively, and the width of the latter is but slightly larger than the outer diameter of the cord I2. In the compartment 2| there is a spiral spring 28 whose one end is attached to the shaft 25 at 29`and whose other end is attached to the' section I6 of the housing I5 at 30. In the compartment 24 there is a flat spring 3| whose free end portion rests normallyl against the shaft 25, engaging a circularr row of' notches 32, so as to prevent normally a turning of the shaft 25 in an anticlockwise direction. 'A

push pin 33, which has a collar 34ris extendedinto the housing I5 through the section I9 and is 4 what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric cord holder and connector comprising a shaft rotatably arranged Within and extended through four adjoining compartments of a housing being provided with an oblique radial fbore whose openings register with two of said compartments, resilient means for rotating said shaft being arranged in another compartment, means for stopping the rotation of said shaft being arranged in the fourth compartment, and a wire connected to a plug-in socket being slid through an entrance opening in said housingintoone ofthe two compartments which register with the openings of said oblique bore, said wire passing through said oblique bore and throughthe other one of said two compartments held normally in the position shown in Figuref3V `f by means of a spring 35. Upon depressing that portion of the pin 33 which protrudes overy the outer side ofthe housing |.5` the spring 3 I is movedf from the position shown in full lines in Figure 3 to the position indicated in dash and dotted-lines, sothatthe spring 3I'no longer engages` the notches 32, thus allowing the shaft 25 to? rotate in either direction.

The cord I2 is slid through an entrance channel36f2into rthe compartment 23, is passed through the oblique cross bore 21 into the compartment 22j andileavesfthelatterthrough an'V exit channel 31. The spring 28 is set so that it rotates' the shaft 25\until oneportion of the cord I2 is wound up as a spiralwithin the'compartment 22 while anotherportion of the cord. I2 iswound up* as a spiralfwithin thecompartment '23,.as may be seen in. Figures-2 and' 3'. Th'ezcord |25 can then be` unwoundl partially or entirely'v accordingv to the length. required. simply by pulling it out' of the housingk I 5, thereby the spring 3| andthe notches` 32y acting like av pawl andV ratchet wheel, so that the: cord- I2l willY bev released from. the tension which otherwise: mightvbe caused by the action of the springA 28;. In" order to re-wind the cord I 2, the/pin 3il'isvv depressed whereupon the cord will berrewound and will partially disappear withingthe housing I5;

Since certainv changes may be made in the above article and" diierent embodiments of the invention could-.be made withoutdeparting from the scope'thereof, itis intended that all'matter 'contained' in theA above" description or shownin the.y accompanying. drawing. shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be` understood that the following claims are intended to cover. all of the genericrandts-pecici features of the invention hereingv described, and all statements of the scope` of the invention' which as a matter of language might be said: to1fa11therebetween.

Havingthus ullyvdescribed my said invention,

and leaving said housing through an outlet opening.

2. A device of the character described comprising a housing having a pair of circular compartments Whose width is slightly larger than the diameter of anv insulated double pole wire and having a longitudinal thirdicompartment aswell as a wide circular fourthv compartment, a shaft rotatably arranged in said housing and extended through said longitudinal compartment and through the-center ofA said circular compartments and being provided withL an" oblique cross bore whoseopenings register with said rst mentioned circular'compartments, a spir-al spring being arranged withinsaidfourthcompartment and having one of its ends connected to said shaft while its otherend is connected-'to said. housing, a flat spring within said longitudinal compartment being/arranged in sucha' manner that it normally engages a. circularrow of notches on said shaft, a push pinextending from the' outer side of said housing into said longitudinalv compartment and resting laterally againstsaid at spring, and a wire'being slid' through an entrance opening in said housing; into one of the two lcompartments Whichregister withthe openings of said oblique bore, said Wire passing through said oblique bore and through thefother one of said` two compartments and leaving said housing through an outlet opening.

EDMUNDO CORTES.

REFERENCES. CITED The followingreferences are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 1,888,258- Bettinger Nov. 22, 1932 2,169,734Y Hoppenstand Aug. 15, 1939 v 'FOREIGN PATENTS j n Number Country DateA 94,155 Switzerland Apr. 17, 1'922 210,129' Switzerland Nov. 1,1940

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