US2943138A

US2943138A - Electrical cord plug holding device

Info

Publication number: US2943138A
Application number: US789432A
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert B Reager
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-01-27
Filing date: 1959-01-27
Publication date: 1960-06-28
Anticipated expiration: 1977-06-28

Description

June 28, 1960 A. B. REAGER ELECTRICAL CORD PLUG HOLDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 27, 1959 ll L. Ill 11 '1 u m I I II III I ll llll \-\w-\ INVENTOR. Awier 5. Emaze United States Patent O ELECTRICAL CORD PLUG HOLDING DEVICE Albert B. Reager, 135 S. 6th St., Shamokin, Pa.

Filed Jan. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 789,432

2 Claims. (Cl. 174-66) This invention relates to an electrical cord plug holding device, and it particularly relates to a device of this type which is utilized in conjunction with an electrical receptacle unit.

In the modern home, and especially in the kitchen Where a Wall plate is overor near a breakfast nook or service bar, there are usually appliances such as radio, toaster, percolator, etc., that is, more or less permanent fixturesfor, every day use. In case aperson wishes to use arazor or electric iron or other appliance, it is a simple matter to remove the male connection from the wall plate, hang it on one of the fingers of the attachment and hook up another appliance temporarily; the cord connection (male or female) is always handy to replace in the proper receptacle.

It is one object of the present invention to overcome the difiiculties of hunting for the connection and in many cases in picking it from the floor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cord plug holding device of the aforesaid type which is very simple in construction and which is extremely easy to attach in position.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cord plug holder of the aforesaid type which is not easily broken or damaged because of its simplicity of construction.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved electrical cord holder, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, When read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front view, partly broken away, of an assembly comprising an electrical receptacle unit and cord plug holder device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing an alternative form of the invention.

Referring in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a wall receptacle unit, generally designated 10, including a face plate 12 having bevelled side and

end flanges

14 and 16. A pair of vertically spaced receptacle outlets 18 are provided on plate 12 in the ordinary manner.

The face plate 12 is connected to the wall unit or the like my means of a screw 20 or the like in normal fashion. However, before tightening the screw 20, a cord plug holder constituting this invention, generally designated 22, is attached to the receptacle unit face plate 12. This cord plug holder 22 comprises a metal plate including a horizontal portion 24 integral with a vertical portion '26 at one end thereof. The horizontal portion 24 is "ice provided with a pair of spaced slots 28 extending inwardly from the front edge thereof to a distance partially toward the vertical portion 26. These slots 28 form three

spaced fingers

30, 32 and 34; the

fingers

30 and 34 being of the same size and relatively narrow, while the middle finger 32 is relatively wide. The outer ends of these

fingers

30, 32 and 34 are bent upwardly toward the vertical plane to form a front wall to prevent sliding off of an electrical connection hung on the horizontal portion 24.

The attaching means for the holder 22 is an upwardly and forwardly extending upper flange 36 on the vertical portion 26. This angular flange is inserted behind the lower bevelled flange 14 of the plate 12 before the screw is tightened. Then when the screw 20 is tightened, the flange 14 clamps the angular edge flange 36 in place where it serves as a hanger for the holder 22. The inclinations of the bevelled flange 14 and bevelled edge flange 36 also coact to prevent the edge flange 36 from slipping out from its clamped position.

As described above, the bevelled shape of the edge flange 36 prevents downward movement of the holder 22 relative to theplate 12. In addition, in order to prevent any upward movement of the holder 22 relative to plate 12, the vertical portion 24 is provided with two spaced forwardly extending projections 38 forming a pair of lugs which act as stops by abutting against the lower edge of lower flange 14 of the plate 12 and prevent any possible upward movement of the holder 22.

Although this invention may also be used for an electric cord to be wound thereon when not in use, its particular intended use is for temporarily receiving and sup porting either the male or the female plug at either end of an electric cord plug, particularly the cord plug of an electric appliance that is normally used as a more or less permanent fixture. Thus, a double receptacle in a kitchen may have a radio and a toaster plugged therein, and it may be desired to temporarily connect an iron in place. In such case, the plug 40 for the toaster will be removed from the receptacle and be supported between two of the fingers, and the plug 42 for the iron will then be put into the receptacle. Thus, the plug 40 for the toaster is kept handy, and when ironing is finished, the plug 42 for the iron is removed and the plug 40 for the toaster is at hand for ready replacement in the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 2.

The attachment may be made of stainless steel or other suitable material to match existing wall plates and of sufficient gauge to insure proper strength.

It is to be understood that although the combination illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 show the holder 22 in use with a two-receptacle outlet device, the holder can be made wider to fit larger size wall plates. Itcan furthermore be used in conjunction with any number of receptacle outlets.

In Fig. 4 there is shown an alternative form of the invention wherein instead of using separate receptacle units and cord holders, the parts are made integral. In this manner, the receptacle unit 50 comprises a plate 52 similar to plate 12 and provided with similar end and

side flanges

54 and 56, respectively. It is also provided with similar receptacle outlets 58.

The unit face plate 52 differs from. the first described unit plate 12, however, in that at its lower end, the bevelled flange 56 is integrally formed with vertical wall 60 which is, in turn, integral with horizontal portion 62 similar to horizontal portion 24 and similarly provided with spaced, upwardly bent fingers 64.

Apart frombeing integrally formed, the device shown in Fig. 4 operates exactly as does the combination shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It is, however, cheaper and easier to produce than the two separable parts as is obvious.

buildings which are not already provided with wall plates,

or for substitution in place of the usual face plate 12.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed. Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination, a wall electrical unit vertically extending face plate and an electrical cord plug holder, said face plate comprising a vertically extending major portion and a beveled flange border portion, said beveled flange portion extending rearwardly from said major portion toward the vertical wall on which it is mounted, said cord plug holder comprising a relatively rigid horizontal plate portion having a forwardly extending cord plug supporting means, said cord plug supporting means comprising a plurality of fingers laterally spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit the electric cord of a cord plug to enter therebetween but insufficient to permit the plug to pass downwardly therebetween, and a vertically extending rear portion integral with said horizontal plate portion, said vertical rear portion having an upper forwardly extending portion cooperating with the rear of the face plate lowermost beveled flange border portion to hold said rear portion against the vertical wall and thus support said plug holder in operative position.

2. In combination, a wall electrical unit vertically extending face plate and an electrical cord plug holder, said face plate comprising a vertically extending major portion and a beveled flange border portion, said beveled flange portion extending rearwardly from said major portion toward the vertical wall on which it is mounted, said cord plug holder comprising a relativelyrigid horizontal plate portion having a forwardly extending cord plug supporting means, said cord plug supporting means comprising a plurality of fingers laterally spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit the electric cord of a cord plug to enter therebetween but insufficient to permit the plug to pass downwardly therebetween, and a vertically extending rear portion integral with said horizontal plate portion, said rear portion being integrally connected to the face plate beveled flange border portion to thus support said plug holder in operative position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 661,557 Schwab Nov. 13, 1900 809,441 Hanks Jan. 9, 1906 2,028,694 Spinks Jan. 21, 1936 2,084,953 Gibson June 22, 19 37 FOREIGN PATENTS 78,595 Norway May 28, 1951 246,366 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1947