US2654870A - High-voltage electrode housing and terminal assembly for gaseous discharge tubes - Google Patents

Description

S. C. MILLER Oct. 6,1953 2,654,870

' HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING AND TERMINAL ASSEMBLY FOR GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 15, 1949 I II,

' mvsmon Samuel C Miller Oct. 6, 1953 s. c. MILLER 2,654,870 HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING AND TERMINAL ASSEMBLY FOR GASEOUS DISCHARGE TUBES Filed July 13, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 E Z /7 28b Ml Zia n V I ///,l

7 1 B. I X L261 28c I I I l L INVENTOR Y Samuel CMiZZeI' 64W ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 6, 1953 HIGH-VOLTAGE ELECTRODE HOUSING AND TERMINAL ASSEMBLY FOR GASEOUS DIS- CHARGE TUBES Samuel C. Miller, New York, N. Y.; Rosalie E.

Miller, executrix of said Samuel C. Miller, de-

ceased Application July 13, 1949, Serial No. 104,556

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to insulators and more particularly to high voltage electrode housing insulators including terminal contact mounts therefor, for use in supporting neon tube sign illuminants in out-door installations of high voltage or cold cathode gaseous discharge tubes.

This invention is an improvement over my invention described and claimed in Patent No. 2,046,960, granted July 7, 1946, and continues in part some of the features of my invention described in my application for patent, Serial No. 77,015, filed February 17, 1949, entitled High Voltage Electrode Housing and Method of Making the Same, now Patent No. 2,630,469, issued March 3, 1953.

In my patents aforesaid, I have described a tubular housing, particularly a glass insulator housing contoured for plunger core die casting operation, which will form an assembly suitable for exterior insulating purposes, satisfying the requirements as to drainage of accumulated moisture or rain Water, when exposed to the weather on a, framework. The requirements of such insulators include the solution of the problem of supporting the terminal mount through which contact between the source of power and the electrode is completed.

The insulators of my application and patent aforesaid and the provision for attaching and assembling therewith the terminal mount are costly, requiring expensive, skilled labor properly to assemble the terminal mount to the insulator. It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide a high voltage electrode insulator housing for assembly of gaseous discharge tubes which will embody therein the features of proper drainage, support for the terminal post for clamping the contact, which may have assembled therewith a dust and insect-excluding cap, and which, while retaining all these features, involves substantial economies in the production of the insulator, especially with glass of the borosilicate type, such as Pyrex, to be susceptible of production by plunger core die-casting operations, while making possible the attachment thereto rigidly of the mount for the terminal post.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide a high voltage electrode housing of a contour which would make economical the production of such insulator of high fusion glass, such as bore-silicate glass of the type known as Pyrex, and including for economical combination therewith a terminal mount which will in no way interfere with the function of providing proper drainage of the insulator.

To attain these objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View taken on the line O'--A, O-A of Figure 2 through my electrode housing and terminal mount showing a fragment of the sign frame, to which the electrode is attached;

Figure 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end view of a housing in accordance with another embodiment of my invention;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an end view of a still further embodiment of my invention;

Figure '7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an insulator in accordance with Figures 1 and 2, illustrating a modified terminal connection;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view embodying some of the features of my present invention combined with another form of insulator housing.

By way of summary, my invention is characterized by the features of providing a tubular housing, particularly of high temperature resistance and low coeiiicient of expansion, such as is found in high temperature resistant boro-silicate glass known as Pyrex, and which is contoured for plunger core, die-casting operations, to form its interior with a drainage aperture, whereby the housing may be used as an insulator for illuminants exposed to the weather, and to include a means of supporting the terminal mount which may be attached thereto as a pre-assembled unit and which, in turn, may be attached to the insulator quickly, economically and rigidly, without interfering with the drainage and insulator functions of the assembly.

Making reference to the drawing, Figure 1 represents, as in my inventions aforesaid, a fragment of a neon sign frame I0 having a boring I I, through which the insulator housing I2 projects. A cylindrical body portion I 3 is formed with a screw threaded section It, to receive the threaded collar I5 to press the flange I6 thereof against the rear face of the frame Ill. (The screw-threaded portions are not visible since the parting line, as apparent from Figure 2, is flat.) A flange I'I provides the abutment for the outer face of the frame I0, which may optionally cooperate with another peripheral flange I8, spaced from the rim I9 to attenuate the surface and increase the path of the stray discharges in the event of failure. The boring or central aperture 20 may receive axially thereof the gaseous discharge tube 2| so as to project its electrode terminal thimblej; with the spring contact 22;. i

In accordance with my inventi'ontl'ie flared rim end 24 of the insulator I2 is formed with a finished end by the plunger core die-casting operation referred to in my prior application, to provide a smooth finished edgeconfornnng to the mold, and requiring ynq iinishing {Qhr ation. Exteriorly an annular cylindrical offset constricted neck or seat portion 25 is formed, having a shoulder rim 26, Alongthe line fof the shoulder I may provide diametrically bpposed undercut slots 21, which are extended medially of the parting line *O- A, 4A, as

explained in my prior application. With this construction, I provide a terminal mounting assembly 28 comprising aferrule portion 29 whose edge 30 may abut the annular shoulder 26 and whose flange portion '31 may abut the fini's'hed edge 24 of the "insulator. The flange I8 :is of a depth primarily to cove the rim 24, leaving it unobstructed except for a portion comprising "the extension tongue '32, which is radially directed toward the center of the -insulator housing. '"The end of the tongue --32 may be struck up with an eyelet 33 to provide a neck 34 io'r anchoring the loop 35 of the contact spr'ingfl. The shank '31 may likewise be p'as'sedthr'ough the apertured portion of the webss of the Farm- "sto'ck clip '31 before upsetting the eyelet portion 33.

The terminal meunt assembl 28 as a unit comprising the ferrule 29 to which is preliminarily attached the contact Spring 23 and the Fahnstock clip 31 may 'be'sle'eved over the offset portion "25 of the housing and by spinnin crimping or otherwise distorting the rim portion 29, driving the offset l igs'38 into the 'slot's '2 'i, to engage the undercut section's thereof. The effect is to draw the flange '3] in contact with "the rim 21 without in any way obscuring the drainage aperture along the walls of the boring 2"0, itbeing understood'that the housing l2 may be adjusted upon the frame lD to position the tongue '32 at the uppermost level prior to lock-- ingthecollar 15 into position.

The ferrule 28 with the covering fiang'ei3l "make'spo'ssibl'e the application or the terminal "assembly to the housings in accordance with my Patent No. 2,046,960. I I I v V H "In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 1 show a terminal mount assemblyfifllz 'in which the flange 31a. thereof has integrally formed therewith thecro s's bar 32adiame'trically of the annular flange. The rim29w may he -applied as in theembodiment illustrated in Figures '1, "2 and '3. In this construction, I may form the cross bar 32a with a squar aperture 33a to receive the terminal bolt '3lq, having the -usual squared shank as the means ofclam'p'in'g the lip 3510f the contact spring 23.

"In assembling a ferrule in accordance with the embodiment illustrated in Figures 14 and 5 it will be understood that "the cross bar 32n is arranged on the housing tolie horizontally the rim portion 3m terminating with the wall 2'0 0f the housing in-no way to interfere with the "drainage.

In Figure 6 I show an end view of another form o'fferrule 28b in which the flange iporti'on etc is extended to provide "radial "cross bars 32c.

'4 is formed with a square aperture 330 to receive a square shank of the terminal bolt as in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5. Here the rim 310 is co-terminous with the wall of the boring 20 of the housing as in the prior iernbodiment, themarro'w dimensions or the cross =b'ars SZcaffOrding littleobstructi'on to the drainage of the boring when exposed to the weather.

"cl-ip connection.

*gard to the housing'have primaryutility' w "glass of theeharact er described, itwillhe unner- "s'tood that "the terminal mount assembly may In this and in the prior embodiments of the tongue or cross bar stiffening may be efiected by stii feningridges where reduction in dimensions :are desired, to thereby increase the remaining aperture.

fIn the embodiment shown in Figure '7, I illustrate "the terminal, mounting assembly 28 having extended from the tongue 32 a clip 34d, held by the eyelet 33. This clip, through a flexible cable 23d, supports a Fahnstock clip 23c for quick connection to the pigtail 22d of the electrode end of the tube -2Id. A terminal mount ass entildl y as "here described illustrates the fakii-lity 1x1 1 ure-8 1: illustrate a housing 'l'2q. renewing the cens'trucuongenerally illustrated n; my ratent No. 2,0"46;960, as previously'mentioried, in

Wfhidh the central boring I621, has its walls 161) gradually constricted toward the Tim 2413 denning the opening. Drainage in this p'articu "liar cas n y be toward 'themouth or the housing. {Howe'ven-a smooth walled'beari-ngis provided fwhose rim maybe ground down or fracturd by a clean-break operation along the line as descirbed in myprior 'application, forming the neck 25b, the shoulder 26b and the undercut slots 21b by the plunger core mol'ding operation.

Av terminal mount-assembly :zae-may-be capped upon a neck 251) in accordance with any of the embodiments shown in Figures '1 to '1. The rim "ZA'b, under these circumstances, where rem-ea fib'y the clean breakoperation "to "leave a sharp r m of somewhat irregular contour, is'protected 'by the-covering afforded'by theferrul'e andifiange 2 and 310, respectively.

it will thus be observed that 1 haveprbxri'cled a housing which may "be' in'oulded particularly of the g lafss *as described by a die-castingpliinger core operation, permitting the use or la typ'e of glass "which -'woiild ordinarily be una'vailabl'e for the production [of high voltage =e1ectroue inous- 'ings, and likewise permitting resort to a C'lEa IP :b'reak' operation for severing one end of the housing so produced, with little or no operations bygrinding required, as found neces- '-"s'ar yi-n'the productio'n'of'a housing in accordance with m issued patent 'aforem'ention'ed, since the terminal mount assembly is anchored primarily upon ''a smooth rnolded finish *exteriorly "of the "housing and where a "cl'ean bre'al: is esortied lto, is covered by either the dust cap shown 'in the embodiment illustrated Figures 1 to 7 or by the "terminal mount assembl'y 'illnstrated in Figure '8. Substantial economies are '{efi ected in the labor of making -th'e insulator "and assembling the terminal'lnount with the insulator.

While the features of invention with rethe have utility with i nsnlatois "similarly eentenr ea with "the seat or neck for "the terin in'all :moufit,

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a, high voltage tubular electrode housing of insulating material, for supporting an electrode tube on a frame, the housing having a substantially cylindrically contoured exterior body portion, a mouth at one end through which an electrode tube may pass, and a rim at the other end with flange means between said ends adjacent said mouth for mounting the housing to the frame, the interior of said housing being outlined by a wall continuously extended toward the rim end forming a drainage passage extended to the rim end and said rim end having indentations exteriorly positioned forming seat portions, the combination therewith of a supporting terminal mounting made of electrical conducting material adjacent said rim end having finger portions extending into said seat portions holding said mounting means against displacement relatively to said housing, the mounting means carrying a contact terminal extending inwardly toward the center of the tubular housing and said mounting means also having other portions integral therewith and substantially covering said rim end solely, leaving a substantially clear passage for drainage.

2. A housing assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said terminal mounting means includes a ferrule portion from which the finger portions are extended into said seat portions, said mounting means also including a flange extended from said ferrule portion covering said rim substantially coterminously with said rim end adjacent said passage, and said mounting means also including a radial arm for said terminal directed over said passage and extended,

SAMUEL C. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,046,960 Miller July '7, 1936 2,259,378 Heidkamper Oct. 14, 1941 2,344,815 Guyral Mar. 21, 1944

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