US1829423A - Filament support - Google Patents

Description

06L 7, 1931. SUTHERLIN 1,829,423

FILAMENT SUPPORT Filed June 2, 1924 2. 9 l 'IH I1 I IIIHHUIE l WITNESSES: INVENTOR Patented Oct. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEE SUTHERLIN, OF EAST PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA FILAMENT SUPPORT Application filed June 2, 1924. Serial No. 717,391.

This invention relates to vacuum-tube de- Vices of the type used in connection with radio reception, although it can be applied to other vacuum-tube devices as well.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means for yieldingly supporting one end of the filament and supplemental means for damping any movement of the filament.

This invention is an improvement upon the filament-supporting structure shown in the application of Hubert M. Freeman and Lee Sutherlin. Serial No. 684,985, filed January 8, 1924, filament spring structures, assigned 7 to Vestinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.

()ther objects of the invention and details of construction will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a- View in perspective, of a filament-supporting structure embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the resilient friction member, and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same member.

Practically all vacuum-tube devices include an evacuated envelope containing various electrodes and a standard or standards for supporting them. As the present invention is wholly in the structure connecting the end of the filament and the standard, the rest of the vacuum tube device is not illustrated.

The invention, although shown in connection with the upper end of the filament, could equally well be applied to the lower end.

The standard 1 is of the usual form, consisting of an upright rod or wire, to the upper part of which is welded or otherwise secured a resilient wire or light spring 2. Near the end of this spring 2 farthest from the upright 1, is welded or otherwise secured, as shown at 3, the end piece 4: which constitutes part of the filament structure. The filament proper 5 is secured to the enlargement or end piece 4 in any usual or desired way.

Preferably, the vacuum-tube device is assembled with the spring 2 exerting sufficient force to keep the filament 5 under tension at all times, even though the filament expands upon heating. If preferred, the movement of the spring 2 may be made less than enough to completely take up the expansion of the filament, leaving it slightly slack when hot.

Secured to the standard 1 below the spring 2 is a rigid arm 6. Preferably the arm 6 and the spring 2 are in the same plane although this isnot absolutely necessary. The arm 6 is so positioned that it makes contact with the end iece t.

A sprlng 7 is welded or otherwise secured to the standard 1 opposite the arm 6 as shown at 8.. Preferably, this spring is provided with an offset or bowed portion 9. Beyond the bowed portion, the spring possesses a straight part 10 parallel to the arm 6. The straight part 10 of the spring engages the end piece 4 and presses it against the arm 6. The how 9 gives to the spring 7 a sufficiently yielding character to make the frictionbetween the end piece 4 and the arm 6 and the straight portion 10 of the spring effective, even though slight inaccuracies in the form and location of theparts occur in manufacture.

When the vacuum tube containing this structure is jarred, the arm 6 prevents the filament from moving in a plane at right angles to said arm. The rigid connection be tween the end piece 4 and the spring 2 prevents movement parallel to the arm 6. The filament and the end piece 4 can, however,

move parallel to the standard 1 by vibration v of the spring 2. Whatever shock is received by the filament will, therefore, be translated into a motion in this direction.

When the filament is set into transverse vibration, there results a to-and-fro vibration of the end piece 4, because the tension thereon, due to the whipping action of the filament, varies periodically. Any jar of any kind is, therefore, translated to such a to-and fro movement of the end piece 4.

The pressure of the end 10 of the spring 7 against the end piece 4 causes friction between the end piece and the spring and also between the end piece and the arm 6. This friction rapidly dalnps the to-and-fro movement of the end piece, and so quickly stops any whipping action of the filament. Therefore, the only movement of the filament,

which any jar of any kind can give, is quickly I damped. No noise in the telephone associated with the tube in the radio receiving set can, therefore, result from any jar of the tube.

Variations of the structure disclosed will readily occur to those skilled in the art. I, therefore, do not intend that vthe specific showing of a single form of this structure shallbe construed as a limitation. No limitation except that required by the prior art and indicated by the claims is intended. Y

I claim as my invention: 1. In a filament support, a yieldable arm, a filamentend piece separating said arms and means resiliently acting I on said filament end piece to tension the filamentrr I i 2; In a filament support, a standard, an arm secured to said standard, a filament end piece, meansfor resiliently supporting said end piece, and a spring secured to said standard and yieldingly holding said filament end .piece in'frictional engagement with said arm.

3. In a filament support, a standard, an arm extending at an angle to said standard, a filament end piece, means for resiliently supporting said end piece, and means secured to said standard for holding said filament end piece in' frictional engagement with said arm.

4-. In a filament support, a filament end piece, aresilient support therefor, a standard,

an arm secured to one side'of the standard,

a spring secured on theopposite side of the standard and exerting pressure toward said arm, said filament end piece being positioned between, and in contact with, said arm an said spring. r In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of May, 1924; i y r LEE SUTHERLIN.

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