US925004A - Slack take-up for pendant electric lights. - Google Patents

Description

I J. MAITLAND. SLACK TAKE-UP FOR PENDANT ELECTRIC LIGHTS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1909.

Patented June 15; 1909.

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JOHN MAITLAND, or swAMPscorr, MiissAonUsnrrs.v

SLACK Specification of Letters Patent.

TAKE-U1 FOR PENDANT nLEo'r rc LIGHTS.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Application filed March 29, 1909. Serial No. 486,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MAITLAND, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Swampscott, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Slack Take Ups for Pendant Electric Lights, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like arts.

This invention ms for its object the production of a simple and e'li'ective device for taking up the slack wire in pendent electric lights where it is necessary or desirable to raise or lower the height of the light from time to time.

A very common mode of taking up such slack is to form a bend and loose knot in the wire, but this is objectionable, as it strains the wires and is a ready way to injure the insulation and is also very unsightly. Devices for taking up the slack have been made in the form of balls having holes through which the wires ass and are held frictionally, but it is di'fhcu t to pass the wires through the holes in the first instance, and too, the insulation is quite frequently worn oil when adjusting the length of the wire for a change in the height of the light.

My improved slack take up is so con structed that it can be instantly applied to or removed from the suspending wire, without the employment of skilled labor, and adjustment of the light can be made quickly and easily without any danger of stripping or injuring the insulation, while the device is very simple and cheap to make.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a )endent electric light with a slack take-up em odying one form of my invention a plied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side e evation of the take-up device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of the take-u device; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail thereoi on the line 44, Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, L represents an electric light and its shade, of ordinary construction, suspended by the usual overhead insulated wire W, which in practice is secured at its upper end by a rosette or similar device (not shown) to the ceiling or other sup )ort. When it is desired to raise or lower the ight the suspending wire must be taken up or let out, and acco'rdingly'the wire in practice is made as long as the lowest position of the light requires, so that when it is elevated the slack of the wire must be taken care of. This slack wire is taken up and held as required by a novel slack take-up forming my present invention, and now to be described.

In the present embodiment of the'invention I provide an elongated'carrier I, preferably of wood or other suitable non-conducting material, and on eachend thereof I a wire-engaging or gripping member. Each member is herein shown as composed of two jaws 2, 3, cut away on their inner faces to leave overlapping shoulders 4, 5, see Fig. 4, which are pivotally connected by a headed ipin or stud 6 which is extended into and xed in the end of the carrier.

The engaging ends of the jaws are recessed as at 7, Fig. 3, to embrace the wire VJ, and their opposite or free ends diverge, and are normally separated by a suitable spring 8 interposed between them.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that the gripping members extend laterally from the carrier, the engaging ends of the two pairs of jaws being located one above the other, at one and the. same side of the carrier.

To apply the take-up to the wire the free ends of the jaws are compressed by the fingers, thereby opening the engaging ends of the jaws and permitting the wire N to enter the recess or socket 7, after which the free ends of the jaws are released and the spring 8 causes the jaws to firmly yet yieldingly engage and hold the wire. By slightly slackening one or the other gripping members the wire can be drawn through to take up the proper amount of slack, the bight or loop W of slack wire being sustained between the two gripping members, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be manifest that the adjustment of the slack can be made quickly and easily and such slack is firmly held when the adjustment is made, and the device can be instantly applied or removed by any one, without any danger to the insulation of the wire and without the use of tools.

The device is simple in structure,

light in weight, and it can be constructed at a very low cost, and in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the annexed claims.

mount Having fully described my invention, what claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A slack take-up for pendant electric lights, comprising a carrier, and gripping members mounted on and laterally extended from the opposite ends of the carrier, each member having separable, yieldingly-controlled aws, said gripping members to engage the suspending wire at two points and sustain between them the bight or loop of slack wire.

2. A slack take-up for pendant electric lights, comprising an elongated carrier, and spring-actuated gripping members mounted on the opposite ends of and extended laterally from the carrier, to yieldingly engage the suspending wire at separated points and sustain between them the loop of slack wire.

3. A slack take-up for pendant electric lights, comprising an elongated carrier, and

I r f I a gripping member mounted on each end of the carrier and extended laterally therefrom, each member comprising two piv0tallyc0nnected wire-engaging jaws and a spring to normally close the jaws.

4. A slack take-up for pendant electric lights, comprising an elongated carrier, a pair of pivoted wire-engaging jaws mounted on each end of the carrier and. extended laterally therefrom, the free ends of the jaws being manually compressible to effect opening of the jaws, and a spring interposed be tween the free ends to normally maintain closed the engaging ends of said jaws.

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

JOHN MAITLAND. l Vitnesses JOHN C. EDwARDs, THOMAS J. DRUMMONI).

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