US2753540A

US2753540A - Range receptacle contact

Info

Publication number: US2753540A
Application number: US424443A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward E Forstrom
Original assignee: Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co Inc
Current assignee: Cooper Wiring Devices Inc
Priority date: 1954-04-20
Filing date: 1954-04-20
Publication date: 1956-07-03
Anticipated expiration: 1973-07-03

Description

y 3, 1956 E. E. FORSTROM Z'Z539 RANGE RECEPTACLEI CONTACT Filed April 20, 1954 INVENTOR. 501mm .5 warm/a; BY

AZTOENEY RANGE RECEPTACLE CONTACT Edward E. Forstrom, Bridgeport, Conn., assiguor to Eagle Electric Manufacturing Co., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 20, 1954, Serial No. 424,443

3 Claims. (Cl. 339-472) The present invention is directed to range receptacles and more particularly to an improved form of contact member for sockets into which a prong of the stove plug is inserted.

Range receptacles of this type having three sockets for the reception of a triple plug are well known and have been in use for some time. Often, difliculty arises in making connections from the power line to the receptacle since the cables are relatively heavy and stiif. The contact members of the prior art had a U-shaped metallic holder into which the end of the cable was inserted. However, the keeper or locking device for the same was so constructed that it obstructed, in part, the opening of the holder so that it was necessary in many cases to slip the cable in endwise. This often presented difficulties and disadvantages, not only because of the stiffness of the cable, but also because of the narrow space in which the end of the cable could be manipulated.

The present invention is intended and adapted to overcome the ditficulties and disadvantages inherent in prior devices of the type described, it being among the objects of the present invention to provide a contact for a range receptacle which is simple in construction, contains very few parts, and which parts may be stamped from readily available sheets or bars of metal.

It is also among the objects of the present invention to provide a device of the character described in which the holder has a relatively large opening so that the end of the cable may be laid within the same from the top thereof, as well as from the side or end.

It is further among the objects of the present invention to provide a contact member having a keeper which is held captive in the holder so that it is always in position for use and which does not obstruct any portion of the space within the holder.

It is still further among the objects of the present invention to provide a contact member which is easily assembled; in which no staking of any parts in required, and which allows the ready insertion of the cable even in a. cramped space.

In practicing the present invention, the base of the receptacle and the several elements thereof are provided. The holder for the end of the cable is a U-shaped member having a horizontal extension on one of the legs thereof, said extension having an opening therein. The keeper is a flat piece of metal having a threaded opening centrally thereof and a pair of wings of such dimensions that when the keeper is inserted in the opening, the wings act as a hinge allowing the keeper to be rotated entirely out of the inside of the U. A set screw threaded into the opening in the keeper prevents the same from being accidentally displaced from the holder.

in the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a plane view of a range receptacle showing the application of the present invention thereto, the cover having been removed therefrom;

hired States Patent Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the holder in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the keeper;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the holder, and

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the device in open position to accommodate the end of the cable.

Base 1 of metal has mounted thereon an insulating member 2 carrying

sockets

3, 4 and 5. These are connected to

holders

6, 7 and 8 in the usual manner. The holder consists of a flat bottom member 9 which is suitably secured to insulating member 2 and has a leg 10 at right angles thereto having a horizontal slot 11 therein. The other leg 12, which is parallel to leg 10, is somewhat shorter and has a right-angled extension 12 projecting in the opposite direction from leg 10. An opening is formed in said extension forming a shoulder 14 and a horizontal space 15. The keeper, as shown in Fig. 13, has a rectangular tongue 16 with a threaded opening 17 in the center thereof. A set screw 18 is threaded into opening 17. Laterally-extending wings 19 permit the keeper to be inserted from the right into opening 15, the wings bearing against leg 12 to limit the inward movement thereof. Shoulder 14- is at the same level as the lower edge of slot 11. The thickness and width of keeper 16 are such that it fits snugly into slot 11.

In the operation of the contact member, set screw 18 is retracted and keeper 16 is swung to the right as shown in Fig. 5. This provides a full opening between

legs

10 and 12. The end of the wire or cable may be inserted in a horizontal position from above, or may be slid in endwise since there is a free space from both directions for this purpose. The keeper 16 is swung into a horizontal position and the end thereof is slipped into slot 11. Then set screw 18 is threaded in opening 17 until it bears firmly against the end 19 of the cable.

Although the invention has been described setting forth a single, specific embodiment thereof, various changes in the details of construction may be made within the spirit of the invention. Therefore the invention is to be broadly construed and not to be limited except by the'character of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a contact member for range receptacles comprising a base, a plurality of sockets mounted on said base and adapted to receive the prongs of a plug, contact members for holding the ends of wires electrically connected with said sockets, the improvement which comprises a U-shaped holder for a wire, said holder having a fiat base and a pair of legs at substantially right angles thereto, one of the legs of said holder having a slot therein, said slot being substantially parallel to the base of said holder, the other leg of said holder having a lateral extension, an opening in said other leg adjacent to the junction thereof with said extension, a substantially flat keeper having a tongue and wings thereon, said keeper fitting into said opening and adapted to enter said slot, said wings and opening forming a hinge for said tongue, a threaded hole in said tongue, and a screw in said hole for clamping said wire.

2. In a contact member for range receptacles comprising a base, a plurality of sockets mounted on said base and adapted to receive the prongs of a plug, contact members for holding the ends of wires electrically connected with said sockets, the improvement which comprises a U-shaped holder for a wire, said holder having a flat base and a pair of legs at substantially right angles thereto, one of the legs of said holder having a slot therein, said slot being substantially parallel to the base of said holder, the other leg of said holder having a lateral extension, an opening in said other leg adjacent to the junction thereof with said extension, a substantially fiat keeper having a tongue and wings thereon, said keeper fitting into said opening and adapted to enter said slot, said Wings and opening forming a hinge for said tongue, a threaded hole in said tongue, and a screw in said hole for clamping said wire, the under face of said extension being in a .plane passing through the upper edge of said slot.

3. In a contact member for range receptacles comprising a base, a plurality of sockets mounted on said base and adapted to receive the prongs of a plug, contact members for holding the ends of Wires electrically connected with said sockets, the improvement which comprises a. U-shaped holder for a wire, said holder having a flat base and a pair of le s at substantially right angles thereto, one of the legs of said holder having a slot therein, said slot being substantially parallel to the base of said holder, the other leg of said holder having a lateral extension, an opening in said other leg adjacent to the junction thereol with said extension, a substantially fiat keeper having a tongue and wings thereon, said keeper fitting into said opening and adapted to enter said slot, said wings and opening forming a hinge for said tongue, said keeper being adapted to rotate into a position outside of the space between said legs, a threaded hole in said tongue and a screw in said hole for clamping said wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,995,386 Frank Mar. 26, 1935 2,164,021 Ragofi June 27, 1939 2,265,911 Landmeier Dec. 9, 1941. 2,459,832 McKinley Jan. 25, 1949 2,461,135 Bentley Feb. 8, 1949