US1140498A - Socket for electric lamps. - Google Patents

Description

C. L. CASSIDY.

SOCKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED PER. 28, 1914- 1, 14 48. Patented May 25, 1915.

nventor Attorneys.

all?

a citizen of the United States,

CHARLES L.

CASSIDY, F ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SOCKET FOB ELECTRIC LAMPS.

ian-ace.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed February 28, 1914. Serial No. 821,815.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. CASSIDY, and a resident of Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sockets for Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sockets for use with incandescent electric lamps and my object is first, to make the shell of the socket out of a single/piece, and thus avoid the usual joint in the shell; second, to provide a socket in which the plug may be removed from the shell, and replaced therein, without the necessity of feeding or withdrawing the \vire cab.le through the fixture tube; third, w lch' shall in addition contain simple and effective means for retaining and looking the plug in position within the shell; and fourth, to improve the shade supporting means. 7 These andother objects will more fully appear from the following specification an accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of a socket embodying my invention; the dotted lines represent the plug removed from the shell. Fig. 2 is a top View of the plug. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the plug, taken at right angles to the plug shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a bot tom view of the socket, with the plug in place; and Fig. is a view in perspective of the plug retaining means.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

The shell 1 is made preferably of sheet metal, and is shown for the purposes of illustration as bell-like in shape. It is preferably made in a single piece, as shown.

its upper end it may be fastened in any suitable manner, to a neck 2, or this neck may be made integral with the shell. The neck 2 is shown with internal screw-threads, so

I that it may be attached to the ordinary fixture tube 3. The lower part of the shell 1 has a skirt 1. This skirt is preferably integrally formed on the shell.

Inside of the shell 1 is a plug 5. This plug is made of porcelain or'any other suitable insulating material. It is of a size and shape adapted to fit within and only partly fill the shell, leaving a pocket 6 between it and the top of the shell. In this pocket lies has been the practice,

' which may be occupied by an electric .and is known as a key-socket.

a coil 7 of the electric wire cable 8. By providing this coil of excess wire the plug may be removed from theshell for inspection or for connecting to the wire without disturb- 1ng the main cable by pulling it partly through the fixture tube and obviates the necessity of feeding it back in the tube, as

when the plug is replaced in the shell. The lower part of the plug is illustrated as containing the ordinary type of fitting 9 employed with lamps hav ng an Edison base. If a lamp having a different type of base is employed, the fitting will be correspondingly changed. The strands of the cable 8 are connected to the fitting 9'by binding posts 10. The connections and wires are placed in channels 11 f the plug and are made'in the manner well known in the electric art.

The plug may, for the purpose of accessibillty, be made in two sections, as shown, the

two sections being held together by any suitable means, such as a screw 12. A hollow space 13 is left between the two sections, switch in that type of socket which employs a key The socket shown does not contain a switch, but is controlled by a switch at some other point in the circuit.

The plug is held in place in the shell in the following manner: In the skirt 4 are eyelets 1 1. These eyelets are riveted to the skirt and form'projections 15 on the inside of the skirt 1. The eyelets are also provided with internal screw-threads to accommodate set screws 16 for holding a globe, or shade, in position. A. flexible ring 17 is provided with holes 18, which register with the projections 15. The ring 17 is also provided with inwardly projecting ears 19. Theseears are of a size and shape to correspond with and fit into notches 21 in the bottom face of the plug. The engagement of the cars 19 and the notches 21 serve to prevent the plug from rotating when the ring 17 is in place. The ears are also preferably offset, as shown, to engage with an annular groove on the bottom of the plug. -The annular groove 20 in the face of the plug is provided to accommodate the different sizes of flanges on lamp-shades, or globes, which are secured to the socket in the ordinary mannerby the set screw 16.

The socket is assembled in the following manner: When the shell is secured to the plug, and the latter will 15 will be in engagement with two of the openings 18. The 'side of the ring carrying the third opening is now flexed inward so that the opening passes over the projection adjacent thereto when the ring will .be securely held in place. The engagement of the ears- 19 with' the bottom face of the plug will effectually prevent its removal and their engagement with the sides of the. notches 21 will prevent rotation of the plug.

To dismantle the'device the side of the ring at one of the projections is flexed inward until it is free from that projection,

' the ears isbeyond the edge of when it may be lifted formed by the skirt until the edge having the skirt. The ring may be removed by sliding -it diagonally from the socket. After the ring is removed, the socket may be pulled out to the full length of the surplus'cable in the chamber when the socket can be removed by disengaging the posts.

' Around the edge of the recess carrying the wires from the binding fitting 9 is a projecting annular rim 22 fiopie s of this patent may be obtained for which acts as aninsulating barrier between "the'metal fitting 9 and the ears 19 of the ring 17. Y

The arms 19' are preferably flexible to allow for variations in the size and shape of plugs. It is understood that the annular groove 20 when omitted from the plug will permit the use of arms which are not off-set, as previously described. It is also to be understood that the improved means for retaining and locking the plug in position may be embodied in a socket which does not possess the pocket 6, and vice versa, the invention may be embodied in a socket which possesses the pocket, but without the improved means for retaining and locking the plug in position.

From the foregoing descriptionit is apparent thatthe socket has a cup shaped of which the plug is inserted and secured in place, the shell being shell in the open end from the socket in one piece and entirely inclos'ing the plug. The joint necessary in a two-piece shell is avoided. The support for the globe is integral with the shell, thus avoiding a separate fastening.

I claim:

1. In a socket for an electric lamp, the combination with an electric cable, of a metallic shell closed at one end and open at the other end, an insulating plug introducible into the open end of the shell to close the opening, and having connecting means for the cable, said plug extending only part way to the closed end of the shell, leaving a space for a coil of the cable of sufficient length to permit the withdrawal of the plug to render the connecting means accessible and means for removably securing the plug to the shell, and means for preventing rotation of the plug. v

2. In an electric lamp socket, the combi nation with an electric cable, of a shell, a plug partly filling the shell and leaving a space between it and the shell for a coil of ,theelectrlc cable, a ring engaging w1th the plug and holding it in place, means-for securing the ring within the shell and means on the ring to prevent the plug from r0:

tating. I

' 3. In anelectric lamp socket, the combination with a shell with eyelets adjacent to the free end thereof, of a plug within the shell, said plug having notches in its exposed face, a ring having openings adapted to engage with the eyelets, and having ears adaptedto engage the notches of the face of the plug.

l. In an electric lamp socket, the combination with a shell with eyelets adjacent to the free end thereof, of aplug within'thc shelhsaid plug having notches in its exposed face, an annular groove adjacent to its periphery, a ring having openings adapted to engage with the eyelets, and ears adapted to engage with the notches on the face of the plug, said ears being offset to engage with the annular groove.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of F ebruarv, 1914.

CHARLES L. CASSIDY.

es I five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 1

Washington, D. C.

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