US959572A - Switch for incandescent lamps. - Google Patents

Description

Patented May 31, 1910.

J. A. MEBANE.

SWITCH FOR INOANDESGENT LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 21, mos.

JAMES A. MEBANEJOF SOUTH BOSTON, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 21, 1908.

Patented Ida 31, 191%. Serial Ho. $22,498.

To ollwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. Mneann, a citizen of the, United States, residing at South Boston, in the county of Halifax and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches for incandescent Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a socket or switch for incandescent lamps in which the switch may be operated by means of the usual rotatable key, also by means of suitable push rod, and also by a depending cord. I have found by experience in installing incandescent lamps that a means for turning the light/on or off which will be convenient when the lamp is located in one place, or at a particular height is very inconvenientwhen the lamp is located at another point, and that to make the lamp equally efficient no matter where located it is necessary that the mechanism for completing the circuit and lighting the lamp be operable either by turning a key, pulling a cord, or pushing a suitable push rod. If the lamp is held in a fixed bracket and at a convenient height the latter is the most natural and easiest way of operating the switch. If the lamp is either fixed or suspended at a height beyond easy reach it is necessary for convenience in turning the light on and oif that some other operating means should be so constructed that they may be operated by drawing downwardly upon a cord.

The object of my invention is a switch making and breaking device so constructed and arranged in an incandescent lamp socket that it may be operated by any of the three methods mentioned above.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device, an inclosing casing being removed, said device being provided with a key, a push rod and a cord. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line of Fig. 2 Fig 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig 3. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig 3. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of two co-acting ratchet disks, said disks being shown separated. Fig. 7 is a detail pcrspective view of the upper portion of a casing. Fig. 8 is a detail outer face view of a modified form of ratchet.

In constructing the device I employ the usual two part socket block 1 of any suitable material, said block being divided into upper and lower portions and cut out Wherever it may be found necessary in order to accommodate those parts which i have added to the usual lamp mechanism. Vfithin this socket is the usual curved spring contact plate 2 which is secured in position in the lower half of the socket and cooperates with a contact plate 3'c arried by the upper half of the socket. It will be understood that from these contact plates 2 and 3 the electrical connections are made in the usual manner. A shaft 4 passes through the socket, and is provided at its outer end with a thumb piece 5 said shaft and thumb piece forming a rotatable key by means of which the circuit may be made and broken in the usual manner. Upon the shaft 4 is loosely mounted disk 6 having a ratchet face 6 upon one face and being provided with a cam 7 upon its other face, said cam projecting equally upon opposite sides of the shaft -fl-. This cam rests within the curve of the spring contactplate 2 and when the ratchet 6 is given a quarter rotation will lift said spring into engagement with the plate 3, but when the cam is thrown into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4 the circuit completed by said contact plates will be broken. Keyed upon the shaft 4 is a coiiperating disk 8 having a ratchet face 9 engaging the face 6 of the first mentioned disk, the disk 8 when rotated in one direction turning the disk 6, but when turned or rotated in the opposite direction the ratchet faces of the disk slip, so that the disk 6 is only rotated when the disk 8 is rotated in one direction. The disk 8 has its inner face partially cut out as shown at 8 and in said out out portion is loosely pivoted a lever 10 which projects through a suitable slot formed in the upper portion ofthe socket 1 and is provided at its outer end wth'a push rod 10 The disk 8 is also circumfereutially grooved as shown at 9 and adjacent the cut out portion 8", and above the same is fixed a small perforated metal arm 11 which extends transversely across the periphery of the disk 8, overhanging the groove 9, and to this arm is secured a cord 12 which from the arm runs over the disk working in the groove 9, and this cord runs from the disk upon the side opposite the lever 10, and outwardly and downwardly through the side of the socket opposite that upon which the push rod 10 is mounted. It will be obvious that the cord 12 when drawn downwardly will disk 6 in exactly the same direction as when Q 95am rotate the ratchet disk 8, and of course the the push rod is pushed inwardly. It will be understood that on outward movement of the rod 10 the ratchet disk 8 slips on the face of the disk 6, and does not rotate the latter.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a ratchet- 13 which is similar to the ratchet disk 6 with the exception that it carries an S-Shaped cam upon its outer face in place of the cam 7, the last mentioned form being preferable with some forms of spring contacts. The ratchet disks are held in engagement with each other by means of a coil spring 15 which is preferably coiled about the shaft 4 and bears respectively upon the sides of the socket and upon the outer face of the disk 8, thus holding the ratchet face of said disk positively into engagement with the ratchet face of the disk 6 when the push rod 10 is pushed inwardly or the cord is drawn downwardly.

The socket mechanism above described is preferably inclosed in a two part brass cap 16 the upper portion of which fits over the lower and the upper portion is provided with a bayonet slot 17 leaving a tongue 17*. \Yhen the upper portion of the casing is slipped upon the lower part giving a partial rotation the tongue 17 slips into a slot cut in said lower portion and rests beneath a tongue 18 formed by said slot and stuck out from the body portion of the casing.

In operating the lamp the circuit may be made by pushing in the rod 10, thus rotating the disks and causing the cam to lift the free end of the contact spring 2 into engagement with the contact plate. 3. This will also wind the spring 15 which is secured to the ratchet disk 8 and also to a side of' the housing, and as soon as the push rod 10 is released the ratchet S willbe returned to its normal position, slipping upon the ratchet 6. \Vhen the light is to be turned oil? it is also necessary to again push. in the roi't 10 and another quarter-rotation of the disks will bring the cam 7 back to the position shown in F 2 andflthus breaking the circuit, and thespring 15 will again return the push rod 10 to normal position, and

when again pushed inwardly the circuit will be again completed by another halt-rotation l of the disks. If instead of pushing in the rod 10 the cord 12 is ulled downwardly the same results are obtained, the disks being given substantially a one-half rotation with each downward pull of the cord, the disk 8 being brought back to normal position by the spring 15 each time the cord is released. It will be noted therefore that the light is turned ofiby a pull upon the cord or by pushing the rod 1.0 and the lights are also turned on by exactly the same movement, the making and breaking of the circuit taking place alternately as the disks are rotated.

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

l. The combination with an incandescent lamp socket, ot' a key shaft, co-acting ratchet disks mounted on said shaft, one of said disks being keyed to the shaft and the other being loose, a contact spring, a double cam carried by the loose disk. and a push rod wm'king through the socket and pivotally connected to the keyed disk.

The combination with an incandescent lamp socket, oi a key-shaft passing therethrough, a disk keyed to said shaft, a face of said disk being partially cut out and its periphery being grooved, a rod working through the'socket and pivotally connected to the cutout portion of said disk, a cord also working through the socket, secured to the disk ainlrunuing in the groove, a second disk loose. on the shaft and having a cam portion, and a contact spring inposition to be engaged by said cam, the disks having cooperating ratchet faces.

3. in an incandescent lamp socket, a grooved ratchet disk fixed on the shaft, a loose ratchet disk upon said shaft, cooperating with and operated by the fixed disk, a contact spring, a double cam carried by said loose disk, and bearing on said. contact spring, a push rod pivotally connected to the fixed disk, and a flexible cable secured to the pivotal point of said rod, and work- "ing in the gIOOVO of the disk.

JAMES A. lvlEBAh lil.

Witnesses L. M. BROOKE, it. B. McBsri-r.

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