US2795768A

US2795768A - Christmas tree lighting system

Info

Publication number: US2795768A
Application number: US502102A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wesley H Duckworth; William E Barnes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-04-18
Filing date: 1955-04-18
Publication date: 1957-06-11
Anticipated expiration: 1974-06-11

Description

June 1957 w. H. DUCKWORTH ETAL 2,795,768

- CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed April 18, 1955 firm O PLUS lNl/f/VTOR. Wsle fifllmkwalfi lillia mi'fiames By /M J,

4r 0 NEY United States Patent CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING SYSTEM Wesley H. Duckworth and William E. Barnes, Stockton, Calif.

Application April 18, 1955, Serial No. 502,102

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-99) The present invention relates to improvements in a Christmas tree lighting system, and has particular reference to a system in which a main line of conducting wires is made to follow the trunk of the tree and branch lines are made to radiate from the main line at spaced points to spread over the branches of the Christmas tree.

A system of this character has the advantages of greater freedom of arranging the lights on the branch lines and of better distribution of the lights. It also takes some of the weight ofi the branches, hides the conductors and makes them less visible, and leaves the branches clear for displaying the Christmas tree ornaments.

A special problem is presented in this system in connecting the branch lines to the trunk lines and one of the major objects of the present invention is to provide novel connectors including plug and socket connections provided in the main line at spaced points corresponding substantially to the spacing between the branches of the tree, and means incorporated in the sockets for connecting a series of branch lines, preferably four, to the main line.

Our invention has been particularly developed in connection with paired conductors, in which two insulated wires are adhesively, but separably, arranged in side-byside relation and are connected to pin-pointed terminals by merely pressing the conductors upon the terminals so as to cause the pin points to pierce the insulation and to make contact with the wires.

This arrangement allows any number of lights to be readily applied to the conductors at any desired spacing.

The characteristics of this arrangement are also made use of in our invention in establishing a simple six-way connector insertible into the main line at any desired point, with four branch wires radiating therefrom and connected into the circuit, the connector being constructed in such a manner that it also readily lends itself to the incorporation of additional branch wires.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be presented as the specification continues, and the new and useful features of our Christmas tree lighting system will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view disclosing the general arrangement of our lighting system;

Figure 2, a plan view of our connector;

Figure 3, a plan view of the connector, with the cover removed;

Figure 4, a plan view of a cover for the connector, in inverted position; and

Figure 5, a section taken along line -5 of Figure 2.

While we have shown only the preferred form of our invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows the 2,795,768 Patented June 11, 1957 general arrangement of our lighting system as comprising a main line 1 adapted for placing along the trunk of a Christmas tree, a plurality of connectors 2 inserted in the main line at spaced points, with the spacing corresponding substantially to the spacing between the branches of the tree, and branch lines 3 radiating from the connectors.

The lines used in our invention are of the well-known paired Wire type comprising heavily insulated wires 4 arranged in parallel and adjacent relation and adhesively, but separably, interconnected, as at 5.

The wires are adapted for cooperation with terminals having pin-points projecting therefrom and may be connected to the terminals by merely pressing the wires upon the pin points, which latter then pierce the insulation and electrically connect with the wires, which are usually made in numerous strands.

Electrical lamps made for use in connection with these wires can be readily applied at any point, by separating short sections of the wires, pressing the wires upon the pin points provided in the lamp socket and securing the wires in place by means of heads screwed upon the lamp sockets.

This arrangement is well-known in the art, and therefore, not illustrated specifically in the drawing.

Our connector 2 comprises in its main features a socket 6 and a plug 7 connected into the main line 1, and a plurality of branch lines 3 extending transversely through the socket.

The socket may be in the form of a rectangular housing having a base 8, side walls 9 and end walls 10 and a registering cover 11.

The base 8 has a central partition 12 of insulating material rising therefrom, the partition extending lengthwise of the housing and occupying only an intermediate portion of the length of the housing.

Two channels 13 of conducting material are mounted on opposite sides of the partition in inverted positions, each channel comprising an inner wall 14 lying adjacent the partition, an outer wall 15, and a bottom 16, which may be made in the form of separated webs.

The inner walls are of the same length as the partition,

- but the outer walls extend lengthwise beyond the inner walls, and the extremities 17 of each end wall are bent toward the other end wall so as to present spaced and parallel blades, the spacing corresponding to the spacing between the center-lines of the paired conductors.

The inner walls 14 are similarly spaced.

The channels are secured upon the base or the partition in any suitable manner, and the inner walls 14 and the bent-over extremities or blades 17 have pin points 18 projecting from the upper edges thereof for piercing the insulation of paired wires pressed downward thereon.

In the use of our socket, the ends of the paired wires of the main line are pressed upon the inner walls 14- of the two channels, and the two sets of paired wires of the branch lines are pressed upon the extremities of the outer walls so as to extend through the socket transversely with respect to the main line.

The inner walls of the channels are somewhat lower than the bent-over extremities so as to allow the branch wires to clear the main line wires, and the upper edges of the extremities on the entrance side of the main line should be grooved, as at 19, to allow the wires of the main line to be accommodated therein.

The outer walls 13 of the channels are also used as a connecting means for the plug 7, the prongs 20 of which engage upon the outside of said walls.

The conduct-ing wires may be pressed upon their respective pin points by any suitable means, as by thumb pressure, and any suitable means may be provided for holding the wires in place.

In the preferred form of the invention, we use for this purpose, the cover 11 illustrated in Figure 4, which is provided with a central block 21 registering with the inner walls of the channels and formed with a bottom groove 22 fitting over the two main. line wires andtapplying. proper pressure thereto when the cover-is positioned on the body of the socket.

The cover also has clamps 23 registering with the extremities 17 of the outer channel wall toencompass and bear on the branch wires for holding the latter under pressure against the pin points 18.

As a matter of convenience in assembling, the main and branch line Wires may be first positioned in the block and between the clamps of the cover in a manner shown in Figure 4, and then pressed upon the pin points byinverting the cover and pressing the same upon the base structure, the cover being held in place by any suitable means, as by the bolts 24.

In use, each section of the main line is provided-with a plug 7 at one end, and with a socket 6 at the other end, the first section being. made long enough to extend. from a wall socket to the Christmas tree, and the other sections corresponding in length to the spacing between the branches along the trunk of the tree. The section, of course, may be made somewhat longer because excess length will be readily concealed in the tree.

After a line of suitable length has been assembled, the line may be applied to the tree, with theconnectors arranged at the height of various stages in the branch formation of the tree, so that the'four branch lines issuing from each connector may be artistically spread over the branches of the tree.

Christmas tree lamps may then be applied to the branch lines at desired points, if they have not been previously applied, and the Christmas tree is readyfor lighting.

We claim:

1. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having a base and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the base in inverted positions and in'parallel and spaced relation to each other and having confronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond the inner walls, the extremities of each outer wall being bent toward the other outer wall-so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallel relation.

2. In an electrical system of the character described,

a socket having a base and a pair of conducting channels 4 mounted upon the base in inverted positions and in parallel and spaced relation to each other and having confronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond the inner walls, the extremities of each outer wall being bent toward the other outer wall so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallel relation, and the inner walls and the extremities having pin points projecting upwardly therefrom so as to allow paired and insulated conductors to be electrically connected thereto by pressure.

3. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having a base and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the base in inverted positions and in parallel and spaced relation'to each other and having confronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond the inner walls, the extremities of each outer wall being bent toward the other wall so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallel relation, and the inner walls and the extremities having pin points projecting upwardly therefrom, and a cover for the base having pairedrancl insulated conductors mounted therein in registering relation with the inner walls and the extremitiesso as to he pierced by the pin points for establishing electrical connection when the cover is pressed toward the base.

4. In an electrical system of the character described, a socket having, a base and a pair of conducting channels mounted upon the base in'inverted positions and in parallel and spaced relation to each other and'having confronting inner walls and outer walls projecting endwise beyond the inner walls, the extremities of each'outer wall being bent toward the other well so as to present the extremities in spaced and parallel relation, and the inner walls and the extremities having pin points projecting upwardly therefrom, and'a cover for the base having paired and insulated conductors mounted therein in registering relation with the inner walls and the extremities so as to be pierced by the pin points for establishing electrical connection when the cover is pressed toward the base, the base and the cover having registering Walls about the rims thereof tofor-m an enclosure for the electrical connections.

Toelke Mar. 8, 1938 Janz July 25, 1944