US1581284A - Method and construction of fusing electrical sockets - Google Patents

Description

April 20 1926. v J. G. NOLEN METHOD AND CONSTRUCTION OF FUSING ELECTRICAL SOCKETS Filed June 13. 1923 Wnmad: I had/21oz.

Patented 2t),

UNETEQ S'EA'lf'ii JAMES G. HOLEE', OF NEE V YORK, ll'.

METEOD A1ID UONSTRUCTIUN OF FUSING ELECTRICAL SOCKETS.

Application filed. June 13, 1923. Serial No. 645,165.

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Be it known that l, Jarrns NoLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Construction of Fusing Electrical Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improvement in means whereby to prevent unauthorized use of electric current from electric sockets or base plugs such as are ordinarily installed in hotels and the like, said means being so utilized relative to the sockets and other outlets to prevent the use in connection with the sockets of smoothing irons, curlers, liea ers and the like, wherein the consumption of current is greater than that which is firedetermined for ordinary lighting purposes. For instance, in ordinary lamps for general lighting purposes, lamp consumption runs from to ll) watts, whereas in heating, ironing devices and the like, the consumption would be up to the maximum of 660 watts, and by fusing the said sockets so that nothing above 60 watts may be utilized, the attempted use of such articles as heaters, ironing devices and the like in connection with the sockets in the usual manner, will cause a replaceable fuse to be blown, thereby rendering the particular socketor outlet temporarily inoperative. As generally set forth above, fusing of electric circuits in this manner is old and well known.

In the present device however, it is proposed, in view of the substantially universal type of construction now adopted for lamp sockets and base plug outlets, known as the threaded socket type, to utilize this universal construction in a manner which will permit of the introduction of a fuse in the bottom thereof, such fuse being introduced by a special means not readily obtainable and rendering the fuse not readily removable by the average guest in a home or hotel.

The present invention broadly consists of a disk like member of some unfusible dielectric material having a proper fuse element embedded therein, said fuse element arranged to permit the flow therethrough of sufficient current for any lighting capacity but to fuse immediately upon the introduction of a device that requires more than the predetermined amount of current for lamps. This device, being made in disk like formation is so constructed as to be readily fitted into the threads of the thread sockets and is provided with means arranged for cooperation with a suitable implement or tool separable from the disk like member whereby it may be screwed down to the bottom of the lamp socket or outlet, and upon withdrawal of the separable tool the disk like fuse member is left at the bottom of said socket and in operative position to permit reception in the socket of a lamp or a plug in the usual manner, thereby permitting the use of this socket for authorized purposes but preventing unauthorized use of current therefrom.

Referring to the accon'ipanying drawing howing one of the possible embodiments of invention and descrioed by way of exle in the subjoined specification, Figure is a plan view of the disk like fuse memi is an edge view thereof in vertical position.

Fi ure 3, is a sectional side view thereof.

Figure i, is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, showing the disk like fuse member partly introduced into an electric socket, and a suitable implement or tool for moving said member into operative position in the socket and for removing it therefrom, and

Figure 5, is a fragmentary side View showing the disk like fuse member in operative position in the socket and an electric light bulb cooperating with said member.

Similar reference characters denote similar parts throughout the several views.

My device comprises the disk like body port'on 0, having a threaded edge 11 for coop- 2' with the interior thread of socket or The body portion 10 is of suita- "ible dielectric r crial preferably n. A contact member 13 or 14 is secured to each face of the body portion 10, these contact members being of suitable electrically conductive material, and as hown being disks of smaller diameter than the body portion 10, secured thereto in opc elation to each other on the body per Ion by en'ibedding downturned flange portions 15 and 16 of the disk in suitable recesses 17 and 18 formed in the body porcoil of electrically conductive wire tion. ii 19 is connected to the flanged portion, as iii, of one disk and to the flanged portion, as 16, of the other disk fartl est from the flanged portion 15 of the first disk, the coil of wire 19 passing through the body portion and embedded therein and constituting a current conducting means cooperating between an electric contact appurtenant to each face of the body portion and which means may be so arranged as to permit passage between said contacts of electric current of predetermined power, this means being fusible upon excess of this power, for thereby breaking the circuit between said contact points.

The body portion 10 is provided with means for cooperation therewith of a suitable implement for removably inserting the device into a socket and moving the device to operative position therein, this means is shown being holes 20 through the body portion 10 arranged in opposed relation to each other, and a suitable implement or tool such as the member 21 having the handle 22 and the forked ends 23 which are engageable in the holes 20.

in operation the disk like bot y portion 10 is inserted by means of the tool 21 into a socket such as 1.2 from which the current is to be derived, and screwed to position where a contact disk 13 or 14%- is brought into contact with the spring contact 24: of the socket, the body portion 10 when in operative position bearing against the bottom of the supporting base of the socket with the spring contact 2% therebetween, the coil 19 being arranged, for example, to fuse or break down under current of more than 60 watts; the electric lamp 25 is screwed into the socket 12 and brought into position where the central contact of the lamp is in contact with the exposed disk or contact member of the fuse disk, flow of current to the lamp thereby being permitted. Upon removal of the lamp and substitution therefor of any electrically operated article requiring a current of more than watts, the coil 19 is fused and the circuit is broken.

should be understood that. there may be modifications thereof and variations therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to protect by Lettors Patent is:

l. A fuse of the class describec comprising, a one-piece disk like body portion of non fusible dielectric material having a threaded edge portion and having a recess in each face thereof and having holes for engagement a tool therewith; contact members having flanged portions, a contact neniber being secured to each of they outer faces of the body portion by engagement of its flanged portion with said recess of the body portion; and a current conducting coil arranged in said disk and operatively connecting the contact members.

2. A. fuse of the class described comprising, a one-piece disk like body portion of porcelain having a recess in each face thereof; contact members having flanged edge portions, a contact member being secured to each of the outer faces of the body portion by engagement of its flanged edge portion with a said recess of the body portion, the

Contact members being in opposed relation to each other; and current conducting means of coil form embedded in said disk and connected at each of its ends to a contact memher for operat-ively connecting the contact members.

JAMES G. NOLEN.

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