US907194A - Wall-socket base. - Google Patents

Description

s. E. STEELE.

, WALL SOCKET BASE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1907.

907,194. Patented Dec. 22, 190

' wrr nsssas lN-VENTOR.

' SAMUEL E. STEELE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WALL-QOQKET BASE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1908.

Application filed August 1, 1907. Serial No. 386,678.

fthe following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof.

My invention relates to a wall socket base for holding an electric lamp holding member.-

In all. wall socket, either of the key or keyless type in which there is a lamp holding member separable from an insulating" base I and surrounded by a separate metal shell,

there is always more or less di'lliculty in connecting up to the circuit wires owing to the sti fl'ness of the latter (whicl'i should never be less thanll B. &S. gage) and to the cramped or restricted space in which the terminal screws are located in the form of socket no; most commonly employed. l urthermore, these sockets are frequently located in places di'llicult of access, such as on base-boards close to the floor; on floors close to tl'icbaseboards; in corners of store windows, etc. it becomes extremely dil'lioult and practically impossible to make necessary connections and. assemble the various parts of the socket properly.

The object of my invention is to provide a wall socket base having many points of advantage over the old style in that. in whichever direction the wires may come they may be readily secured to the terminal blocks without the necessity of bending the wires; one which'can be installed without moving the lamp socket from the base; one that can be installed in less time than any other and when current is on the wire with safety one that cannot short circuit; one that has no exposed contacts, together with many other advantages not necessary to enumerate.

To these ends my invention comprises,

generally stated, a wall socket base provided with terminal blocks to which the wires may be attached without bending when said wires enter either from the side oi the socket or directly at the back thereof, thereby doing away with the bending of the wires and making the connections quickly and without diiliculty.

M y invention further comprl we a wall socket base having an extension from the.

terminals adapted to cngagrend make contact with the termlnals on ll." t mp holding member, thus doing away with the necessity of the insertion of jumper wires to conduct the current between these points.

My invention further comprises a wall socket base having a dividing wall between the terminal blocks to prevent short circuiting.

In the accompanying drawing Figure lis a front view of my improved Wall socket base showing the lamp holding member removed and the wires entering the socket base from the lower side; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2---2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. l Fig. 4- is a sectional view showing the wire entering the socket base from the roar; F5 a view oi the socket with the lamp bearing member and lamp secured. thereto, and Fig. (i is a detail in perspective oi one of the terminals.

In the drawing the numeral 2 designates the socket base which may be formed. of porcelain or other insulating material, said base being provided with the screw openings 3 for the insertion of the screws for securing the base to the wall or other support. The rear iace oi the socket base is depressed to form the cavities 4 and 5 separated by the rib or partition 6. On each'sidc of the rib 6 are the openings 7 and 8 adapted to receive the circuit wires 10 and 11, where said wires are contained within the wall 12 and enter said base from the rear. The base is further provided with the screw openings 13 and 14-,

and being adapted to receive the screws 13 and 14" to secure the terminal blocks 15 and 16 in position within the recessed front face 17 of the base. The screws 18. secure the angle pieces 18 in position, said angle pieces having the openings 19 through which the screws 20 pass to secure the base to the lamp holding member 21.

The terminals 15 and 16 are provided with. threaded openings 22 and 23, said openings being provided at points approximately at rightaangles to each other, or any 'other desired angle, said openings being alihpted. to receive the screws 24-. Projecting out from the terminalslS and 16 are the extensions 25 aving the bifurcated ends 26. These exh usions 25 are adapted to engage the terminals 21 on the lamp holding member 21, the bifurcated ends 26 of the extensions engaging the terminal screws 27. By this construction I make direct connection. between the terminals of the wall socket base and the terminals of'the lamp said screw openings passing through the base holding member without the employment of any wires and so do away with the difficulty of making this connection by means of wires. To make this connection it is only necessary to insert the lamp holding member into the Wall socket base in position so that the bifurcated ends of the extensions 25 will engage the terminal screws 27, whereupon the screws 20 are tightened up to secure the lamp bearing member to the socket base. Just as soon as these screws are tightened up a secure connection is obtained without any further difficulty. A wall or partition 28 on the inner face of the base separates the terminals 15 and 16 so as to preventshort circuiting.

In the periphery of the base or socket 2 are formed the openings 29, said o 'iehings being adapted to receive the circuitwines '10 and 11 where said wires run parallel with the wall 12, such as in the case where the wires are concealedby molding secured to the Wall. These wires may enter either from the top or bottom of the socket base, the base beingilocatedso as to bring the openings 29 in proper position. They are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as entering the wall socket base from below. I

In securing my improved socket in posi tion where the wires enter the periphery of the base as shown in Figs, 1 and 2, the vall socket is secured to the wall by the screws 3 with the openings 29 at the bottom of the base. The wires running in a line parallel with the wall 12 are inserted in the openings 29 and they pass directly up without being bent and enter the openings 22 wl'ien they are secured in place by the screws 24 entering openings 23. After the wires have been secured to the terminals the lamp bearing member is then inserted in the socket so as to bring the extensions 25 in position to have their bifurcated ends engage the terminal screws 27 0f the lamp ---bearing member.

This connects the terminals-15 and 16 to the terminal blocks 27 cf the temp bearing member without the employment of any Wires and the lamp bearing member is then secured to the socket by screwing up the screws 20.

Where the circuit wires are inclosed in the wall 12 and enter the wall socket base from the rear, as indicated in Fig. 4, the wires pass through-theopenings 7 and S and enter openings 23 in thc terminals 15 and .16, whereupon the screws 24 are shifted so as to enter the openings 22 and so secure the wires securely in place.

From the above it is readily apparent that the wall socket may be secured in position so as to have the wires enter either from the rear or on a line parallel with the wall and be secured with equal facility, it only being necessary to change the position of the terminalscrews .24. This provision for the entering-and securing of the Wires in this manner obviates the necessity of bending the wires, which is a difficult matter where wire of the proper gage is employed and especially in positions where in cram ed or inaccessible places-it is difficult to ma e the necessary connections. Furthermore, by the simple insertion of the lamp bearing member the connections are made between the terminals of the socket base and the terminals of said member, whereby the connecting of the said terminals by means of wires is obviated and the connection made very quickly and without loss of time.v By separating the terminals by means of the partitions 6 and 28 short circuiting is prevented and as a consequence the efficieney oi the socket is increased.

My invention permits of the connection of a standard lamp holding member of one or more of the standard sockets now on the market to my improved base and it can be readily installed without removing the socket from the base. The position of the key on the socket can be reversed without removing the base from the wall by simply withdrawing the lamp holdin member and turning it so as to bring the key aroun to the desired position.

"N hat I claim is:

1. A. wall socket base having recessformed therein, passages leading fv'm the rear and sides of said base to salt.v recess, terminals in said recess in aliner'nent with said passages. and means for connecting up the wires leading to' said terminals through either of said passages, whereby said wires may enter from the rear or sides as desired.

2. The combination of a wall socket base having openings at right angles to each other for the introduction of wires, terminals having wire receiving seats at right angles to each other, and securing ,devices in said seats interchangeable with the Wires.

3. The combination of a wall socket base h ving openings at right angles to each other necting up said extensions directly to the terminal blocks of the lamp holding member. 5. In a wall-socket base, the terminals, and extensions on said terminals having bifurcated ends adapted to engage the ter minal screws of the lamp bearing member. In testimony whereof, I the said SAMU L E. S'JEELE have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT C. TOITEN', Rom. D. TOT'IEN.

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