US3387250A

US3387250A - Electric swivel connection

Info

Publication number: US3387250A
Application number: US532779A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bjorn James; Jr Frederick Marx
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-03-08
Filing date: 1966-03-08
Publication date: 1968-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1985-06-04

Description

June 4, 1968 J. BJORN ETAL I 3,387,250

ELECTRIC SWIVEL CONNECTION Filed March 8, 1966 wi -t:

mvmox James Blorn 8 CK Marx,Jr.

United States Patent 3,387,250 ELECTRIC SWIVEL CONNECTION James Bjorn, 407 N. O St, and Frederick Marx, Jr., ll0 N. D St, both of Lake Worth, Fla. 33460 Filed Mar. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 532,779 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-8) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The electric swivel connection comprises a pair of sections of insulating material disposed in end to end relationship, one section having an axially disposed reduced cylindrical extension on its inner fitting within a recess in the inner end of the other section; a ball bearing assembly disposed coaxially of the longitudinal axis of the sec tions having its inner race mounted on the extension and having its outer race mounted by means of a lip in the wall of the recess in the other section to prevent separation of the sections; a fixed contact head at the center of the said extension; at yieldable contact at the center of the recess normally engaging the fixed contact and urging the sections to separate; a pair of spaced electric contacts mounted in the outer end of the said one section; a second pair of spaced electric contacts mounted in an annular recess in the outer end of said other section; conductors extending through the said one section electrically connecting one of the first pair of contacts with the fixed cont-act and with the inner ball race respectively; and other conductors extending through the said other section electrically connecting the second pair of contacts with the yieldable contact and with the outer ball race respectively, whereby electric circuits will be maintained between the related contacts of said pairs in all rotated positions of the sections.

Our invention is a novel electric swivel connection for use in electric power leads and cords, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a swivel connection so constructed that its use in a power line to a barbers clipper or other electric device will eliminate any objectionable twisting and kinking of the electric lead or cord, and will thus eliminate consequent breaking of the wires caused by such twisting or kinking.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel swivel connection of the above type which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture, the same comprising two parts connected together by a ball bearing assembly forming part of the electric circuit, either of which parts is capable of free rotation relative to the other in either direction without causing kinking or breaking the leads or cords.

We will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates one practical embodiment there-of to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same, and will summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is desired.

In said drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through the swivel connection.

FIG. 2 is a transverse section on the line 22, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3--3, FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a transverse section on the line 44, FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view showing the swivel connector assembled in series with an electric cord leading to a barbers clipper, the connector being interposed between the cord and clipper.

As shown in FIGS. 14, our novel electric swivel connection preferably comprises a relatively non-rotatable section A and a rotatable section B swivelly connected together, the sections A and B being substantially cylindrical in shape and of relatively the same diameters, and said sections being preferably formed of suitable insulating material.

The rotatable section B is provided on its inner end with an axially disposed reduced cylindrical extension on which is press-fitted or otherwise secured the inner race 1 of a ball bearing assembly, the race 1 being disposed coaxially of the longitudinal axis of the section B and engaged by a series of balls 2 which are also engaged by the outer race 3 of the ball bearing assembly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bearing races 1 and 3 and balls 2 forming part of the electric circuit hereinafter described.

At the center of the reduced extension on the axis of the section B is a brass or other contact 4, FIGS. 1 and 3, having its head exposed on the inner end of the section B, said head 4 preferably comprising a screw threaded into a bore therefore at the center of the extension.

The outer or opposite end of the section B has a reduced axially disposed shoulder 5, and into the end of the shoulder 5 are pressed a pair of spaced tubular metallic female contacts 6 and 7, respectively, as shown in FIG. 1, to receive the corresponding male plug members of an electric plug or the like. The inner end of the tubular contact 6 is connected by a wire 8 passing through a bore therefor to the opposite or inner end of the section B, the wire 8 being bent across said inner end and being connected electrically with the screw 4, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, either by soldering or by means of a pressfit, whereby the head 4 will form a contact electrically connected with the tubular contact 6 through the body of the section B.

The other tubular contact 7 is connected by a wire 9 passing through a bore therefor to the opposite or inner end of the section B, the end being bent over as at 9a to overlie the inner end of section B, and being electrically connected with the inner race 1 of the ball bearing, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the connection being either by soldering, or by press-fit or otherwise, whereby the tubular contact '7 will be electrically connected through the section B to the inner race 1 of the ball bearing.

As the reduced portion 5 of the section B will be connected to the barbers clipper C or other electric device having prongs thereon to engage the tubular contacts 6 and 7, we preferably provide means for yieldably maintaining the section B, which is rotatable, in firm connection with the clipper C. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, we provide a transverse bore 10 in the reduced portion 5 disposed diametrically thereof, the ends of the bores being slightly reduced in diameter and housing balls 11, FIG. 2, which are maintained separated by a spring 12 under compression, the protruding portions of the balls 11 being adapted to engage a corresponding groove, such as 39 (FIGS. 1 and 4), in the bore (not shown) of the clipper C to prevent ready separation of the section B from the clipper C.

The relatively fixed section A which is connected to a plug D, FIG. 5, carried by the electric cord D has at its end adjacent the section B an annular recess 13 forming a relatively thin peripheral flange at the inner end of the section A into which is press-fitted the outer ball race 3 of the ball hearing, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the same being maintained in position therein by means of a lip 24 of the peripheral flange 13 which is bent over the outer end of the outer race 3 to prevent separation of the sec tions A and B after assembly.

In the base of the recess 13, disposed axially of the section A, is a contact 14 having a shank housed in a bore 15 disposed axially of the section A on the axis thereof; and a spring 16 in the bore 15 is interposed between the head 14 and the bottom of the bore 15 to normally urge the q 9 0,0 3 contact 14 into firm contact with the contact 4 carried by the section B to maintain electrical contact between the members 4 and 14. The opposite end of the section A- is recessed as at 17 to receive the plug D, FIG. 5, of the cord D, and at the base of the recess 17 are two spaced

plug members

18 and 19 respectively, FIGS. 1 and 4. As shown, the plug 18 is threaded into the section A and is connected directly with the shank of the contact head 1% by means of a wire 20 passing through a bore from the base of the bore 15 to the base of the bore 17, the wire 20 being bent outwardly along the base of the bore 17 to meet the plug 18, and the end of the Wire 20 being electrically connected to the plug 18 either by soldering or by press-fit, as shown in FIG. 1.

The other plug 19 is connected by a wire 21 leading from the base of the plug through a bore into the base of the recess 13 from whence the wire 21 is bent outwardly along the base of the recess 13 and then bent to make continuous electrical contact with the outer race 3 of the ball bearing assembly. Thus the plug 18 is in continuous electrical contact with the contact head 14, and the plug 19 is in continuous electrical contact with the outer race 3 of the ball bearing assembly.

By the above construction, the section A which is connected in series with the plug D of the cord D may remain relatively non-rotatable at all times, While the clipper C which is connected with the rotatable section B may rotate freely on the section A without twisting or kinking or breaking the wires of the cord D; and in any rotated position of the section B on the section A, the tubular contact 6 will be in constant electrical connection with the plug 18 of the section A through the wire 8, contact 4, contacting head 14, and wire 2t), while the tubular contact 7 will be in constant electrical connection with the plug 19 through the wire 9, the inner ball race 1, balls 2, outer ball race 3, and wire 21.

We do not limit our invention to the exact form shown in the drawing, for obviously changes may be made therein within the scope of the claims.

We claim:

1. An electric swivel connection comprising a pair of sections of insulating material disposed in end to end relationship, one section having an axially disposed reduced cylindrical extension on its inner end fitting within a recess in the inner end of the other section; a ball bearing assembly disposed coaxially of the longitudinal axis of the sections having its inner race mounted on the extension and having its outer race mounted by means of a lip in the wall of the recess in the other section to prevent separation of the sections; a fixed contact head at the center of the said extension; a yieldable contact at the center of the recess normally engaging the fixed contact and urging the sections to separate; a pair of spaced electric contacts mounted in the outer end of the said one section; a second pair of spaced electric contacts mounted in an annular recess in the outer end of said other section; conductors extending through the said one section electrically connecting one of the first pair of contacts with the fixed contact and with the inner ball race respectively; and other conductors extending through the said other section electrically connecting the second pair of contacts with the yieldable contact and with the outer ball race respectively, whereby electric circuits will be maintained between the related contacts of said pairs in all rotated positions of the sections.

2. In a connector as set forth in claim 1, a second reduced extension at the outer end of said one section through which the first pair of contacts extend, said extension conforming with the annular recess in the outer end of said other section in which said second pair of contacts are housed.

3. An electric swivel connection comprising a pair of cylindrical sections of insulating material disposed in end to end relationship, one section having an axially disposed reduced cylindrical extension on its inner end fitting within a recess of larger diameter in the inner end of the other section; a ball bearing assembly disposed coaxially of the longitudinal axis of the sections having its inner race mounted on the extension and having its outer race mounted by means of a lip in the wall of the recess in the other section to prevent separation of the sections; a fixed contact head at the center of the said extension; a yieldable contact at the center of the recess normally engaging the fixed contact and urging the sections to separate; a pair of spaced electric tubular female contacts mounted in the outer end of said one section; a pair of spaced electric contact plugs mounted in an annular recess in the outer end of said other section; conductors extending through the said one section electrically connecting the female contacts with the fixed contact and with the inner ball race respectively; and other conductors extending through the said other section electrically connecting the contact plugs with the yieldable contact and with the outer ball race respectively, whereby electric circuits will be maintained between the related female contacts and contact plugs in all rotated positions of the sections.

4. In a connector as set forth in claim 3, a second reduced extension at the outer end of said one section through which the female contacts extend, said extension conforming with the annular recess in the outer end of said other section in which said contact plugs are housed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,985 9/ 1931 Wright. 1,973,234 9/1934 Tsavaris. 2,542,935 2/ 1951 McElroy. 2,723,380 11/1955 Howard.

FOREIGN PATENTS 272,686 3/ 1951 Switzerland.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

RAYMOND S. STROBEL, Assistant Examiner.