US1885467A - Electrical contact for lamps - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 1, 1932. F. w. c. NEUNER 1,335,467

ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR LAMPS Filed March 17. 1928 I N VEN TOR. FAfDfAl of WI. NEz/Nf/P.

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Patented Nov. 1, 1932 UNITED STATES sarsnr OFFICE FREDERICK W. C. NEUNER, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 INDIANA. LAMP CORPORATION, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, CORPORATION ELECTRICAL CONTACT FOR LAMPS Application filed March 17, 1923. Serial 1%. 262,550.

This invention relates to a lamp construction, and particularly to the electrical connection or contacts applicable for use with a stop and tail signal lamp.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and economical means, from both an eficiency and production standpoint, for making separate electrical contact between the double circuit and the stop and tail light bulbs.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of the respective contact pins resiliently mounted in the connecting plug, and the resilient contact strips associated therewith and extending into the lamp sockets for exerting a spring pressure against the lamp bulbs for locking them in the bayonet slots thereof, while making electrical contact therewith.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the lamp. Fig. 2 is a section taken on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing there is shown a signal lamp having a casing 10 with a stop lens 1 and a tail light lens 12 associated with their respective compartments 13 and 14 separated by the partition 15. In each of said compartments there is mounted a lamp bulb 16 removably secured in the bayonet sockets 17 secured to the rear of the housing.

In the center of the rear of said housing,

' there is a connecting plug 18 to which the connecting socket 19 is secured for receiving the usual attachment plug 20. The plug 18 is provided with cylindrical recesses 21 in which the compression springs 22 are mounted. Extending through the plug adjacent the compression springs and slidable with respect thereto, there are stems 23 of the contacting strips 24 and 25, said stems having outwardly turned portions 26 forming suitable heads for engaging the free ends of the springs 22. The contacting strips 24 and 25 comprise a continuation of the stems 28, being bent laterally from the inner ends thereof. Thus, when the plug 20 is inserted in place, the contact heads thereon bear against the respective heads 26 of the contacting strips 24- and 25 so as to make an electrical connection therewith. The springs 22 act to maintain said heads in contact while at the same time looking the plug 20 in position through the medium of the usual bayonet slot connection.

The contacting strips 24 and 25 are adapted to extend laterally into the compartments 13 and 1 1, having their ends extending into the lamp sockets 17 through suitable openings provided therein. The outer free ends of said strips are secured to fibre insulated discs 27 which fits snugly in the sockets for preventing the ends of the electric strips from making electrical contact with the walls thereof, while engaging and making contact with the lamp bulbs. If desired, small compression springs '28 may be inserted etween the fibre discs 27 and the base of this socket for exerting an increased spring tension therein. l-Iowever, under normal conditions, the spring tension inherent in the contacting strips is sufiicient to exert a pressure on the lamp bulbs for efiecting the electrical contact therewith while at the same time removably lockingthem in the bayonet slot connection with the socket.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a lamp construction, the combination with a pair of lamp bulb sockets therein, of a double electric circuit connecting plug mounted therein, said plug being provided with a pair of recesses, compression springs mounted in said recesses, a pair of oppositely disposed electric contact strips supported by said plug and having a portion thereof slidably mounted therein, heads formed on the inner ends of said sliding portion adapted to engage the free ends of said compression springs and maintain said strips in contact position under spring tension, the free ends of said contact strips extending into the sockets for bulb contact, and compression springs mounted in each of said sockets for maintaining said free ends in contact position under spring tension and for bulb looking in the sockets.

2. In a lamp construction, the combination with a pair of lamp bulb sockets therein, a

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double electric circuit connecting plug mounted therein, said plug being provided with a pair of substantially parallel recesses therethrough, each laterally enlarged at the same end, compression springs mounted in said enlargements of said recesses, of a pair of oppositely disposed substantially angular electric contact strips supported by said plug and having one arm portion freely slidable in said recesses to one side of the springs, heads formed on the inner ends of said sliding arm portions adapted to engage the free and exposed ends of said compression springs for maintaining said strips in contact position under spring tension, the free end outer angular ends of said contact strips extending into the sockets for bulb contact, said free ends being constrained for exerting an outward pressure for bulb contact and retention in the sockets.

3. In a lamp construction, the combination with a pair of lamp bulbs mounted there in and bayonet slot sockets therefor, of a double electric circuit connecting plug mounted therein, said plug being provided with a pair of substantially parallel recesses therethrough, compression springs mounted in said recesses, a pair of oppositely disposed substantially angular electric contact strips supported by said plug and having one arm portion freely slidable in said recesses, heads formed on theinner ends of said sliding arm portions adapted to engage the free end of said compression springs for maintaining said strips in contact position under spring tension, the free and outer angular ends of said contact strips extending into said sockets to make electric contact with said bulbs, said sockets being longitudinally slotted therefor and arranged in substantially parallel relation with the slots disposed towards each other, said free ends exerting an outward pressure on said bulbs to make electric contact therewith and retain said bulbs in said sockets, and compression springs mounted in each of said sockets for maintaining said free end of said contact in contact with said bulb under spring tension and for locking said bulb in the bayonet slot of the socket.

4.. In a lamp construction, the combination with a pair of lamp bulb sockets, a double electric circuit connecting plug, and a plug receiving socket, a double electric circuit connecting plug mounted in the last mentioned socket, said last mentioned plug being provided with a pair of substantially parallel recesses extending from one face and terminating'short of the other face, said last mentioned plug having a slot extending through the same from the end of each recess to the opposite face, a coil spring in each recess, a relatively rigid current conducting contact strip extending through the slot and recess and slidably mounted therein and terminating in angularl'y extending ends, both of which are FREDERICK W'. C. NEUNER.

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