US938631A - Wireless cluster. - Google Patents

Description

R. B. BENJAMIN.

WIRELESS CLUSTER.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNI: 1o, 1901.

938,631 Patented Nov. 2, 1909. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J/ /f a /Z 'y k i s' li R. B. BENJAMIN.

WIRELESS GLUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1907.

938,631. Patented NW2, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHBBT 2.

MIJ/@354565: Jaffa/0r:

o all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- IN, a citizen of the United States, residing t Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented new and useul Improvements in Wireless Clusters, of hich the following is a full, clear, concise nd exact description, reference being had u the accmpanying drawing, forming a art of this specification. p

This invention relates to improvements in lural lamp-holding devices of that class herein a supporting base carries conductg plates which are so arranged as to enage the terminals of incandescent electric e sockets of the device and to conduct curent to each of said lamps.

The object ofx the present invention is the reduction of a device of this class which is `f simple and economical construction and hich 1s so constructed as to permit the conenient connection therewith of the leadingn or supply wires.

In the accom anying drawings, I have l ustrated a devlce embodying my invention.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a 'vertical entral sectional view of the device, the secion being taken on the line 1 1 of Fi 2 nd 3; F1 2 is a bottom plan view o the evice wit out lamps, a portion of the outer asing being broken away to expose to view he binding-screws whereby the leading-in ires are secured to the conducting plates; ig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view aken on aplane at ri ht an les with the lane of Fig. 1, this p ane being indicated y the line'3-3 of Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is bottom plan view of the insulating suporting base with one of the conducting lates secured inplace thereon.

In the several figures of the drawings, in hich like reference numerals indicate the ame parts throughout, 10 is a supporting ase formed of insulating material, preferbly porcelain. This base 10 has substanially the form of a truncated cone and is cured to a supporting plate 11 by means a pair'of screws 12, 12 which pass through penlngs 12", 12a in the base 10. This suporting plate 11 is formed with a screwhreaded neck 13 adapted to receive `the hreaded end of a pipe or similar conduit. l he under side of the base 10 is provided Specification of Letters '.Patent.

Application led June 10, 1907. Serial No.-878,265.

mps when such lamps are inserted into UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIeE.

UBEN B. BENJAMIN, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIIB T0 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION .OFILLINOI WIRELESS CLUSTER.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

with a pair of substantially semi-annular ribs 14, 14, the ends of which are somewhat separated. These ribs 14, 14 support a con-- ducting late 15 which is substantially annular an is provided with an inwardly pro- ]ectlng lug carrying a binding-screw 16.. The base is formed with a semi-circular opening 10i extending therethrough, through which is led the leading-in wires, one of which is secured tothe binding-screw 16. The plate is secured in place by a pair of screws-17, 17 which extend through apertures 17, 17 in the ribs 14, 14. A second conducting (plate 18 surrounds the base 10 and is arrange to engage the center terminal of each of Vthe lamps. carried by the device. This plate 18 is rmg-shaped and is provided vwith a pair of inwardly extending lugs 19 and 20, through each of which extends a v screw 21 by means of which the plate is secured in position to the base.'v These lu s 19 and 20 lie in the 'spaces between the en s of the ribs 14, 14. The longer lug 19 is provided with a binding-screw 22 adapted toreceive the end of the other leading-in wire.

The outer casing or housing 23 is provided with a series of openings for the re-V ception of lamps. This housing is substantially bowl-shaped and is supported at its upper edge by Vthe sup orting plate 11 as will be hereinafter exp ained. In each of the openings in this housing 23 is arranged an insulating bushing 24. These bushings are provided with enlargements or shoulders 25` on their inner ends to prevent the bushings from falling out of the openings in the casing. To prevent rotation of the bushings -they are each formed with one or more grooves 26 and thecasing 23 is provided with lugs 27 adapted to enter the grooves 26 when the bushings are passed out through the openings in the casing. The insulatin bushings 24 are interiorly screw-threade and in each of these bushings is arranged means for engaging and making electrlcal connection with the outer contact member of an incandescent lamp when the latter is screwed into the socket. In the form of device shown in the drawings this outer contact member comprises a threaded metallic socket shell 28 having its inner end outwardly flanged at 29 and adapted to en age the plate 15 when the casing 23 and soc ets carrled thereby are in place.

The means whereby the casing 23 is secured to the su porting plate 11 may consist of a spirallp arran ed bead 30 on the casing 23 into w 'ch the edge 31 of the plate 1l projects.A This edge 31 1s bent so as to have the general form of a screwthread having but a single turn. In this forni of device, when it is deslred to get at the binding- posts 16 and 22, the caslng 23 will be rotated and thereby unscrewed from the supporting late 11 and may then be separated there rom, carrying w1th 1t the lamp-receiving sockets 24. The ends of the conductors may then be Secured in place to the binding-screws and the cover or casing 23 will then be put up into lace and revolved to screw 1t upon the p ate 11. The metallic socket shells 28 will engage the edge of the, plate 15 and will make electrical connection with this plate. When the lamps are screwed into these sockets, their inner or center terminals will engage the plate 18.

It will be seen that a lamp-holding device made up in accordance with the present 1nvention comprises two unitary structures, one of which includes a plurality of lamp-` receiving sockets and a suitable common support for said sockets, the other including suitable conducting plates, all so arranged thaty when these two unitary structures are combined and secured together the terminals of lamps inserted into the sockets of the device will make electrical connection with the conducting plates. Itis to be observed also that there is thus provided ready access to the binding-screws of the device and that it is not necessary in order to make the proper connections for the leading-in wires to disassemble the parts of the device further than to merely disconnect the outer casing from its support. After t-he electrical connections have thus been made the simple replacement of the outer casing and the securing of the same in place puts the device into condition for the reception of the lamps. A device made up in accordance with the present invention possesses the advantage of permitting the number of lamps carried b the device to be readily changed at wil To affect this, it is merely necessa to remove the casing 23 and substitute therefor another casing similar in all res ects to the first except that it is formed wit a greater or lesser number of lamp-receiving openings.

As the contactv Yslate 18 is circular this plate may be engage by the terminalsof lamps at any point or points around its circumference. The plate 15, bein also circular, may be engage by socket she ls 28 placed at all points around its circumference. This feature of my device is one of great commercial and practical value for the reason that it affords the possibilit of fitting up, from arts carried in stoc a device arrange to carry any number of lamps deings and threaded shells.

sired, up to the capacity of the device. The dealer can keep in stock a supply of bases with contact plates in place thereon and a quantity of porcelain lamp-receiving bush- These parts are exactly the same whatever number of lamps the device is fitted up to carry. The dealer will also have in stock a supply ofA outer shells with various numbers of lamp-receiving openings. When he receives an order for a device of this class he will select a casing having the required number of openings and will insert into each of these o nings a bushing and threaded shell and will supply the customer with a structure thus formed and 'with a base with contact plates thereon. In devices of this character this feature of interchangeability in the number of lamps employed 1s of great value, as it permits the dealer to carry in stocka smaller amount of material, without lessening his ability to supply devices of any required capacity from stock on hand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a plural lamp-holding device, a casing having a plurality of openings, an insulating block within said casing, a contact carried by said block and adapted to engage a variable number of lamps,v an insulating ring disposed in each of said openin and having two diameters, said ring havlng its lar er portion confined between said casing an sald insulating block and having its smaller portion extending outwardly through the casing, a threaded contact within said ring, and a plate carried by said block and adapted to engage a variable number of said threaded contacts. f

2. In a plural lamp-holding device, abackplate, a casing, an insulating base to said ack-plate within said casing, said casing having a plurality of openin s, an insulating bushing in each of sai openings, a threaded shell in each of said bushmgs, flanged outwardly to prevent its passing out of said bushing, a conducting plate'secured to said base and adapted to engage a variable number Aof said threaded shells, means for securing said casing to said backlate, a conducting member carried by said .base adapted for engagement with the center terminals of a variable number of lamps, and a binding terminal for said member.

3. In a plural lamp-holding device, a backplate, an insulating melnber secured to said back-plate, a casing independently secured to said back-plate and inclosing said insulating member and havin a plurality of openings arranged in a circ e, an insulating rin within each of said o enings, a thread ring within each of sai insulating rings, a circular plate secured to said msulating member and adapted to engage said rings n said casing is secured to said base, and ntact member adapted to engage the cenerminals of a variable nu mber of lamps. In a plural lamp-holding device, a back e, an insulating base secured to said back e, a contact plate carried by said base, asing inclosing said base and having p-receiving openings, a threaded shell rted into each of said openings from the de of said casing and disposed to engage contact plate when said casing is 1n ition, means upon said threaded shells for venting the passage of said shells out- 'd, means for securingsaid casing in poon, and a Contact member carried by said e and adapt-ed for engagement with the ter terminals of a variable number of ips. In a plural lamp-holding device, an inatng base, a contact member carried ,reby and adapted for engagement with center terminals of a variable number lamps, a. casing provided With openings, ushing inserted into each of said openings 2.3 m the inside of the casing, said bushings ng formed to prevent their being drawn out of said openings, means for preventing rotation of said bushings, a threaded shell in each of said bushings, and a member oarried by said base and adapted to conduct current to a variable number of said shells.

(i. In a plural lamp-holding device, the combination of a base, a Contact member eX- tending therearound and adapted for engagement with a variable number of lampterminals, a casing formed with openings, an insulating bushing inserted into each of said openings from the inside of the casingv and having its inner end enlarged and confined between the base and the casing, a threaded lamp-receiving shell in each of said bushings, and means carried by said base for conducting current to a variable number of said shells when said casing is in position.

In witness whereof, I- have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

I REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

C. L. HOPKINS.

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