US813568A - Incandescent-lamp socket. - Google Patents

Description

. PATEN-TEDPEB.27,19O6. 11.. MILLER.

INGANDESGBNT LAMP SOCKET. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3. 1905.

WITNESSES IIYVENTOR.

UNITED STATES To all whom it may (5072/06/ 1 Be it known that I, ROBERT R. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful improvement in lncandescentdiamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in incandescent-electric-lamp sockets; and it consists of certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the incandescent-lamp sockets most commonlyused the electric current is turned on and oil by means of a rotatable key. To turn the key, the operator ordinarily uses but one hand, rasping the key only, and unless the lamp-socket is upon a rigid fixture the wires are subjected to an unnecessary strain, often destroying the insulation and breaking the wires, and the filament of the lamp is in danger of being broken by the jar upon it every time the key is turned to open and close the circuit.

One object of my invention is to provide a lever by means of which the circuit may be either opened or closed, while the lampsocket is grasped and firmly held in one hand by a pressure of the thumb or finger of that hand upon the switch-lever.

A further object is to provide a lamp socket of fewer parts and. of more compactand stable construction, the same being adapted for attachment to the various forms of incandescent lamps, including the Edison, the Sawyer 6i; Mann, and the Thomson- Houston To these ends the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the mechanism along the line S S of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is an isometric view showing an alternate form of construction of the switch-lever. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of a 1netal-cased socket on a line with the top of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation of a metalcased socket, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a top view of the. lower section of an all-porcelain socket, showing the porcelain only; and Fig. 6 is an elevation of an all-porcelain socket. By an all-porcelain socket I mean a lamp-holder and socket in which all metallic parts and connections are con tained- Specification of "Letters Patent.

Application filed January 3, 1905. Serial lio- 239,390.

Patented Feb. 2'7, 190$.

\ QW I: e-

in a porcelain body, making a lamp-socket complete without a metal jacket.

The same letters of reference indicate some parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, A represents the external portion of the switch-lever, presenting a tlsttened surface on. which to apply the pressure of the thumb or finger required to operate the lever.

Z is the switch-lever proper, fulcrumed at R, near the center of what is, in effect, a triangle, with each acute angle thereof an arm of the lever. The external portions of the switch-lever will be made entirely of hard rubber or other suitable insulating material. The spring B is held by the screw C firmly be tween the center cont act-post D and the per-- celain body L, and said spring is adapted to close the circuit when pressed and firmly held by the lever against the nut F and to break the circuit by springing away from its contact with the nut l into the position shown b the dotted lines B. In order to aocomplish a quick breaking of the circuit when the spring B is released from its contact with the the nut F, I provide as a preferable form. of construction an extensi mlever T, pivoted to the main switch-lever at W and fulcrumed thereon by the two raised clips U and V. As will be readily understood, when switch-lever and the spring are in the position shown by the dotted lines and pressure is applied upon the then elevated arm of the external portion of the switch-lever the lip V engages the extension-lever T and forces it against the spring B until the spring is thus forced into contact with the nut F, where it is held until a reverse motion of the switchlever allows the spring by its own elasticity to break away from its contact with F. To break the circuit, pressure is applied to ,the then elevated external arm of the switch-lever until the clip U engages the extensiondever T, causing it to move downward along the spring 13, still holding it in contact with F until the free end of the lever T has passed the slightly-curved portion of the spring B, when the tension of the spring throws the lever T suddenly down upon the lug V, allow- "ing the spring entire freedom to break quickly,

away from its contact with the nut F.

An alternate form of constructing the switch-lever is shown in Fig. 2, which lever may be found to operate quickly enough for all practical purposes without using an auxiliary or extension lever thereon.

The screw H, engaging the nut F, is also a I binding-post adapted to clamp one of the sup ly-wmes.

T e width of the secured end of the spring B is such as to fit snugly in the rectangular opening in the porcelain block L, while the free end thereof is narrower to allow it to move freelyin said opening. The center contact-stud D is slightly flattened on. one

' side or recessed to receive the spring B and is held securely in place by the screw C, which screw serves the double purpose of holding the spring B and the stud D in position.

The screw G is a binding-post to which the other feed-wire is attached, and the nut E u on said screw is adapted to connect with t e outer lamp contact directly .in the Thomson-Houston base or by suitable connection to the flanges of the Sawyer & Mann socket or the screw-thread socket oi the Edison lamp.

The recesses I in Fig. 3 are adaptedto receive the ends of the screws that hold the metallic casing together and to hold the poreelain block in position in the metal case J.

A fib er lining K, required by underwriters,

P is placed between the metal jacket and the through which the live wires enter at Q, Q,

telescoping upon the lower portion M andbeing held thereon by the-countersunk screw 0 and the nut P, which nut is sealed in an opening in the top of the part N. Thusthere is no metallic portion exposed, and the socket can be united or separated-without disturbing the stud D. i I

The construction and arrangement of the scveral' parts being thus made known, it is though that the operation of, the device will be readily understood.

The path of the current when the lampis turned on is by a conducting-wire upon. the

screw binding-post G, thence ,to the nut E, to the outer lamp-contact, thence through the lamp by the center lampcontact, to the stud D, to the spring B, to thenut F, to the screw binding-post-H, and to the other conductingwire. The method of making and breaking a circuit has already been fully explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat-- ent, is-- 1. In an incandescent-lamp socket, a triangular switch-lever i'ulcrumed at or near the center of the triangle and having upon the inner arm thereoi an extension-lever, pivoted thereto and fulcrumed thereon. by projections upon the switclrlever on either side thereof and spaced a little wider than the width of the extension-lever, adapted to engage a spring contact-piece to close the circuit and to quickly release the same in breal ing the circuit, all substantially as described.

2. In an incandescent-lamp socket, the combination of an insulating-block L, the center contact-stud D, the contact-spring B secured to the stud by the screw C set at an angle'to prevent the turning of the stud D,

the nut Ii connected with one oi the circuitwires and adapted to complete a circuit by contact with the spring B, and the triangular switch-lever pivoted on the ltulcrum R at or near the center of the triangle and adapted to engage the spring B to open or close the circuit by pressing upon the alternately-elevated outer arms of said lever, all substantially as set forth.

3. in an incandescentlamp socket, the combination of aninsulating-block M, an insulating-block N adapted to telescope thereon, the bolt 0 and nut P, the outer contactscrew G and nut E, the eenter-contact-stud D, the contact-spring B secured to the stud D by the screw C set at an angle, to prevent the turning of the stud, the nut F connected with a circuit-wire and adapted to complete a circuit by contact with the spring B, and the triangular switch-lever pivoted on the fulcrum It near the center of the triangle and adapted to enga e the spring B to open or close the circuit by pressing upon the alternately-elevated outer arms of said lever, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT R. MILLER. in presence of- B. LINDEMAN, lVILLIAM B. KNAPP.

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