US2532219A

US2532219A - Electrical outlet

Info

Publication number: US2532219A
Application number: US680601A
Authority: US
Inventors: Burton B Bierce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1946-07-01
Filing date: 1946-07-01
Publication date: 1950-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1967-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 B. B. BIERCE 2,532,219

ELECTRICAL OUTLET Filed July l, 1946 Patented Nov. 28, 195() ELECTRICAL OUTLET Burton B. Bierce, Pewaukee.- Wis., assigner of one-half to Elwin A. Andrus, Milwaukee, Wis.

Appucafibniuly 1, i946, serial No: 680,601

This invention relates' to an electrica-l outlet of the general type employed for supplying current to" various electrical devices wherein atvvo prong plug makes ct'annectionl with the' outlet. l

vOne of the principal objects of the invention is to provide' an outlet which is more safe from the meddling cf children and possible injury to children and others by shocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an outlet oi standard size with a ground connection suitable for grounding electrical" apparatus connected thereto,` and which is safe against acci'- dental' snorting.-

Another object is to provide Such an outlet thatl isi of simple durable construction and' of low cost to manufacture.

Another' object is to provide an outlet which will automatically prevent dirt and moistureY from entering' the' slots for' the connecting prongs.

Another object is toprovide' an outlet having a rotary cover pla-te andin which the plate is positively and automatically returned' to a position where' it covers the contact slots when the prongs of thep'lu'g are removed.-

Another object is to providesuchf an' outlet in whichl the prongs of the plug areA in the same plane Wheninitially inserted at the start of a plugging operation as they are atthe n'al position-V of complete insertion into the outlet.

Other objects' and advantages appear in the following description of anv embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1- is'a perspective view of a double outlet with one of the outlets exploded to show the parts prior to assembly;

Fig. 2 isa section through one ofthe assembled outlets takeny on the longitudinal center line of the structure;

Figa. 3A isa-sect-ion taken transversely of Fig'. 2 acrossfthe outleton line3-3of Fig. 2;

Figiis-a section takenon line 4 4' of Fig. 2;

Fig 5 isa face'elevation-of` one of the outlets;-

Fig. 6' isa perspectivev-ievv of a plug having a thirdcentralj prong for use with the outlet in grounding electrical apparatus; and

Fig. '7 is a section showing theiplug inserted in the socket. l

The plug constitutes the subject matter oi a copendingapplication Serial No. 680,600, novvA abandoned, liled on even date herewith by the present-- inventor.

The outlet` is of standard size to llt into' any regular outlet box and to receive@ any standard plug'l connection.

The outlet comprises a suitable porcelain, phenolic resin or similar set plastic insulating base I3 having a pair of upstanding circular body sections'Z on its front providing anfoutlet-face'at eacherid ofthe base. v

The back' f the base l has" a longitudinal first inserted in slots I3' into 2 groove 3 in which lies a metalV strip 4 extending longitudinally of the' base and havingl its ends forine'd tc provide nang'es 5 that are adapted to be secured to the outlet box by suitable screws to hold the outlet in place.v

The lead wires for current are con'r'iected by the corresponding screw posts t to opposite cop-'- per conductor strips i disposed along the opposite sides of the base.

The' ends or strips 'i enter the corresponding body sections 2 and are formedto provide spring contacts 8- disposed in' the corresponding slotsv 9 in the faces of the body sections'. Y

Each body section 2 has its face recessed to receive an inner circular disc' I0' and 'an outer circular disc II which serve to cover slots 9 when in normal position to prevent accidental shorting of the contacts S. n

Each` disc I@ has a pair of slots I2,I and' each disc II` has a pair of slots I3', corresponding to the slots 9 in the body section. Both discs are mounted' for rotation in the body' section and are held in place by a central rivet I 4 which leaves the" sa'me free to turn thereon.

When in normal position, disc I`0` is turned 90 from a position of registry of its slots' I2 vvith the corresponding slots 9 o'f the body section, so that the disc' completely covers slots 9'.

When in normal position, disc Il' has its slots I3 in alignment with slots 9 of thev body section.

The discs I0 and I'I are' biased to normal position by a coil spring I5 preferably of the ten-- sion type' lying in a circumferential recess I6 in the disc I0 and secured at one end to` a projection I'I in the recess and' at the other end to` a pin I3 extending intol the recess from disc I'I.

The projection I'i is disposed about centrally of recess I6 and the spring I5l lies in one end of the recess defined by the projection and one' end Wall. The other end of recess I6 receives a-stop I9v projecting from the side Wall of the body section 2;

A groove 20' is cut along the inner corner edge of disc II tofreceive'a part'of stop I9.

The' stop I9 limits the rotational movement of discsV I0 and I I and' provides for a' 90 separation` of slots I2 and |31' under the biasing action of spring' I5.

When it is' desired to insert the prongs 2l of a` standard p1u'g'22 into slots -9 to make contact` with contacts' 8, the ends of the prongs" 2| are e'ngager'nent' withr disc I0. 'l tother'ight 90 y unurth'e mengsel registerwiih and enter slots If2'of disc I0. The plug 22 and diScsf Ill? and: I'Ii are then turned to the left 90c to the original plane of the prongs, and the latter arethen pushedintc slots 9' to'cornplet the elec'-- trical connection.

Thefdual disc construction reduiringturnig in both? directions in order tov complete the con'- ne'ctlon provides a protection against themed- The plug zzfand disc il are then turned'L 3 dling of children which is not present with single discs. It provides an indication of the plane for the prongs of the plug, the outer slots I3 being preferably in alignment With slots 9.

The dual disc construction wherein the discs are biased relative to each other by spring I5 provides for a gripping of the prongs 2i when the connection is completed and thereby prevents accidental displacement of the plug and removal of the prongs. The contacts 8 are relieved of any stress from spring l5 since discs I8 and ll are floating with respect to the body section 2.

When it is desired to remove the plug 22 it is merely pulled straight out, allowing spring l5 to bias disc l@ to the right 90 to close the slots 9 and I3. Stop i9 determines the iinal normal position for the discs mand H.

The invention, as above described, provides a safety cover for the outlet contacts and prevents accidental shorting of the same.

Another phase of the invention, which has particular advantage when used with the safety cover, lies in a ground provided for electrical apparatus. For this purpose, the rivet I4 is secured through the back strip 4 and makes electrical contact therewith.

rlhe iront end of rivet I4 has a cylindrical recess 23 therein for receiving a central ground prong 24 of the plug. The wire 25 connecting theplug 22 with the electrical apparatus to be operated is preferably of the three wire type, one of the wires constituting a ground wire connected to the casing of the apparatus .and to central prong 24.

The exposure of rivet I4 as a ground `terminal is not dangerous, and its proximity to contacts 8 is also not dangerous so long as the latter are covered by disc il).

This second phase of the invention provides a simple means for grounding electric motor appliances and electric shavers and the like. It provides greater safety in the operation of all electrical appliances.

The present invention is applicable to the construction of removable cover plate adapters for standard outlet sockets, as set iorth and claimed in applicants copending application Serial No. 688,324, now Patent No. 2,524,250, filed August 3, 1945, and which constitutes a continuation in part hereof.

The invention may have various embodiments within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. An electrical outlet comprising a body having a generally circular face with a pair of spaced slots with electrical contacts disposed therein, a pair of generally circular discs rotatably mounted on the face of said body and each disc having a pair of slots therethrough corresponding to the slots in said body, and means normally biasing said discs rotationally relative to each other to a position in which the corresponding slots of the discs are out of registry with each other and the slots of the inner disc are out of registry with the slots in said body to provide a cover for said contacts.

2. An electrical outlet comprising a body having a generally circular face with a pair of spaced slots with electrical contacts disposed therein, a pair of generally circular discs rotatably mounted on the face of said body and each disc having a pair of slots therethrough correspending to the slots in said body, means normally biasing said discs rotationally relative to each other to a position in which the corresponding slots of the discs are out of registry with each other, and means interlocking said discs and body rotationally to provide for a normal offsetting of the slots in the inner disc relative to the slots in the body.

3. An electrical outlet comprising a body having a generally circular face with a pair of spaced slots with electrical contacts disposed therein, a pair of generally circular discs rotatably mounted on the face of said body and each disc having a pair of slots therethrough corresponding to the slots in said body, means normally biasing said discs rotationally relative to each other to a position in which the corresponding slots of the discs are out of registry with each other,

and means interlocking said discs and body rotationally to provide for a normal offsetting of the slots in the inner disc relative to the slots in the body and for the slots in the outerdsc being normally disposed in alignment with those of the body.

4. An electrical outlet comprising a body having a generally circular face with a pair of spaced slots with electrical contacts disposed therein, a

l pair of generally circular discs rotatably mounted on the face of said body and each disc having a pair of slots therethrough corresponding to the slots in said body, means normally biasing said discs rotationally relative to each other to a position in which the corresponding slots of the discs are out of registry with each other and the slots of the inner disc are out of registry with the slots in said body to provide a cover for said contacts, and a ground connection constituting va central pin intermediate said slots and upon which said discs are rotatably mounted and which has a recess centrally thereof to re` ceive a ground prong of a connecting plug.

5. An electrical outlet comprising a body having a generally circular face with a pair of spaced slots with electrical contacts disposed therein, a pair of generally circular discs rotatably mounted on the face of said body and each disc having a pair of slots therethrough corresponding to the slots in said body, means normally biasing said discs rotationally relative to each other to a position in which the corresponding slots of the discs are out of registry with each other, means interlocking said discs and body rotationally to provide for a normal offsetting of the slots in the inner disc relative to the slots in the body and for the slots in the outer disc being normally disposed in alignment With those of the body, and a ground connection constituting a central pin intermediate said slots and upon which said discs are rotatably mounted and which has a, recess centrally thereof to receive a ground prong of a connecting plug.

BURTON B. BIERCE.

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

y UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,672,067 Labre June 5, 1928 1,989,693 Hubbell Feb. 5, 1935 2,154,160 Hamilton Apr. 11, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 475,824 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1937 496,966 Germany Jan. 19, 1928 684,289 Germany Nov. 25, 1939