US3009009A

US3009009A - Decorative electrical lighting system

Info

Publication number: US3009009A
Application number: US11827A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert S Holbrook
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-02-29
Filing date: 1960-02-29
Publication date: 1961-11-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-11-14

Description

Nov. 14, 1961 s. HOLBROOK 3,009,009

DECORATIVE ELECTRICAL LIGHTING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 29, 1960 INC) IN V EN TOR.

R055? swx BY ms A l TORN Y llllli illlllfillllfl United States Patent 3,009,009 DECORATIVE ELECTRICAL LIGHTING SYSTEM Robert S. Holbrook, 239 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,827 Claims. (Cl. 174-72) This invention relates to decorative electrical lighting systems for Christmas trees and, more particularly, to a new and improved system of the type described wherein the mounting ring structure thereof is very inexpensive to manufacture and yet insures optimum reliability of the system.

An object of the present invention is toprovide a new and improved, decorative electrical lighting system for Christmas trees wherein the mounting ring thereof, i.e. for mounting the system to the top stem of a Christmas tree, is of simplified, inexpensive and yet highly reliable structure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mounting'ring for decorative electrical lighting systems for Christmas trees in which plastic material thereof may be conserved, by new and improved retainer disc construction for the mounting ring.

An additional object of the present invention is to pro vide a retainer disc wherein the aperture pattern thereof, designed to receive the electrical leads and input conductors of the system, are so arranged and so constituted as to tightly retain their associated electrical components.

According to the present invention the mounting ring structure of the system includes a mounting tube and re tainer disc combination. The mounting tube is designed to slip over the top stem of a Christmas tree. The retainer disc has a central aperture which receives the mounting tube in a press fit or semi press fit relationship.

The retainer disc of the combination includes a plurality of unique apertures which tightly contain the electrical leads passing therethrough in one or a variety of configurations. When so tightly containing the electrical leads and input conductors passing therethrough, the plastic fill material of the mounting structure of the system may be disposed only on one side of the retainer disc of the structure.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the mounting tube, retainer disc combination of the invention.

FIGURE 2A is a view taken along the line 22 in FIGURE 1 and illustrates the combination of FIGURE 1 when the retainer disc thereof includes pairs of retainer apertures for receiving electrical leads (either of a light string or of the input conductor pair).

FIGURE 23 is a view taken along the line 22 in FIGURE 1, is similar to FIGURE 2A, but illustrates that the pairs of retainer apertures for receiving the electrical leads may be of intersecting character so as to key and to retain tightly the electrical lead pair to be associated therewith.

FIGURE 2C is a view taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE 1 and illustrates a further modification of the invention wherein the retainer apertures of the disc of the combination of FIGURE 1 simply comprise respective elongated apertures designed to receive tightly the electrical lead pairs and also the input conductor pair.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged elevation, principally in sec- "ice tion of the completed mounting ring structure of the invention.

FIGURE 3A is a plan view of the mounting ring structure shown in FIGURE 3 but with the plastic fill material being removed for convenience of illustration.

FIGURE 4 is an elevation of a modified mounting ring structure wherein the fill material thereof is disposed on but one side of the retainer disc of the combination illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are side elevation and plan views of the completed lighting system, with the several light strings in FIGURE 6 being deleted for convenience of illustration.

In FIGURE 1 mounting tube 10 is a conventional tube segment of rubber or plastic or other suitable constituency. Retainer disc 11 exhibits a central aperture 12 and a plurality of retainer apertures 13. Retainer disc 11 may be fabricated from wood, a suitable plastic, rubber, or other suitable material. Mounting tube 10 engages retainer disc 11 at aperture 12 in a press fit or semi press fit relationship.

FIGURES 2A, 2B and 2C illustrate three various forms which the retainer disc 11 maintains. Thus, the retainer disc in the various configurements is respectively designated 11(A), 11(B), and 11(C).

In the configurement illustrated in FIGURE 2A it will be seen that the apertures 13 are set up in pairs 13' and are designed to receive the electrical lead pairs 14 and, in particular, each of the leads 15 and 16- thereof.

It is essential that these apertures 13 tightly contain the

leads

15 and 16 of each of the pairs 14 passing therethrough. A representative electrical lead pair is shown in each of the FIGURES 2A, 2B and 2C. In FIGURE 2B the retainer aperture configurement is modified somewhat reiative to FIGURE 2A such that the several apertures 13 of each pair 13 intersect or overlap so as to be adapted, not only for tightly receiving each electrical lead pair 14, but also for keying the 15, 16 combination. It is popular at the present time to manufacture electrical lead pairs in a unitary and yet insulated construction. The two leads of each electrical lead pair will be joined, and yet spaced apart, by the plastic segment common to both plastic coatings independently incasing the two conductors. Thus, such a construction will be advantageously retained by the retainer aperture configurement in FIGURE 2B, and also will be keyed in position so that the electrical junctures (hereinafter to be mentioned) may be formed in the easiest possible manner once the ends of the electrical lead pairs are separated (by pulling apart by knife or other means.

FIGURE 2C illustrates a third configurement of the retainer disc which is designated as 11(C) in FIGURE 2C. Retainer disc 11(C) has a plurality of apertures P which are merely elongated and which tightly receive each of the respective pairs 14 of the electrical leads.

It has been seen with reference to all three configurements of retainer disc 11, i.e. 11(A), 11(B), and 11(C), the electrical lead pairs (and the input conductor pair) will be retained tightly.

FIGURE 3 illustrates the combination of FIGURE 1 to have received the electrical lead pairs 14 (and input conductor pair 14' composed of conductors A and B), with the same entering their respective apertures and being joined together as shown to form electrical junctures X and Y. These junctures should preferably be soldered.

FIGURE 3A illustrates the retainer disc configuration shown in FIGURE 2A, merely by way of example, and illustrates the way in which the electrical junctures X and Y, preferably soldered, are formed.

After these junctures are so formed, then the structure is introduced into a rubber or plastic or other mold so as to receive fill material 17, the latter being composed of rubber, of suitable thermoplastic or other suitable material. Fill material 17 serves to incase the two electrical junctures X and Y and also to form the outer contour 18 of mounting ring structure 19 of the system 20.

It is important to note that the fill material 17 may be confined solely to one side of retainer disc 11 as shown in FIGURE 4. In this vent, retainer disc 11 serves as the base of the mounting ring 19 structure and considerable plastic material is saved. It is important to note that this is made possible solely by the fact that the electrical leads 14 (and 14') are tightly contained by the respective retainer apertures of retainer disc 11.

FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate the completed system 20, the same having mounting ring structure 19 for mounting to the top stern S of Christmas tree T.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A decorative electrical lighting system including, in combination, a mounting tube, a retainer disc having a central aperture and a plurality of retainer apertures, said retainer disc being mounted upon said mounting tube at said central aperture, a pair of input conductors passing through at least one of said retainer apertures of said retainer disc, being tightly contained thereby, a plurality of light strings each comprising a pair of electrical leads, each of said electrical lead pairs respectively passing through at least one other of said retainer apertures, being tightly retained thereby, the ends of one electrical lead of each of said pairs so passing through said retainer apertures being electrically connected together and to one of said input conductors in the region of said mounting tube to form a first electrical juncture, the ends of the remaining electrical leads of said pairs being electrically connected together and to the remaining one of said input conductors in the region of said mounting tube to form a second electrical juncture, and fill material disposed about said mounting tube, and against said retainer disc, encasing said electrical junctures.

2. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said fill ma terial exists on but one side of said retainer disc.

3. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said retainer apertures of said retainer disc comprise elongated apertures, each respectively tightly receiving said electrical lead pairs and said input conductor pair.

4. Structure according to claim 1 wherein said retainer apertures of said retainer disc comprise pairs of side-byside apertures tightly containing respective pairs of electrical leads of the respective light strings and said input conductor pair.

5. Structure according to claim 4 wherein each of said input conductor and said electrical lead pairs are respectively integral, and wherein said side-by-side apertures are intersecting, thus respectively keying and tightly retaining said electrical lead pairs and input conductor pair.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,891,341 Barocas Dec. 20, 1932 2,047,045 Veenboer July 7, 1936 2,242,597 Quandee May 20, 1941