US2003966A - Electrical connecter and fixture support - Google Patents

Description

June 4, 1935. H. DOLIER, JR

ELECTRICAL CONNECTER AND FIXTURE SUPPORT Filed May 5, 1927 FIQL IINVENTOR fle/m 7 D OL/ERJR,

Patented June 4, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTER AND FIXTURE SUPPORT Henry DOlier, Jr

., Bridgeport, Conn.

Application May 5, 1927, Serial No. 189,058

6 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical sockets, and more particularly to lamp-sockets, this expression being used however as a broad designation for sockets adapted to receive lamps and many other articles of the various types for which such sockets are used in electrical circuits.

My present application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 75,165, filed Dec. 14, 1925, issued as Patent No. 1,656,411 on Apr. 1'7, 1928, certain improvements also being disclosed and claimed.

There is a present tendency to increase the size of individual incandescent electrical lamps, with an attendant increase in weight of the lighting unit, comprising the lamp, its shade and fittings, so that a heavy suspended unit of this character can no longer depend with safety for its support on the ordinary insulated conductors which have suiliced for the lighter units.

These larger units also require greater care, and could be more readily cleaned and otherwise handled were they readily detachable, with their sockets, from their supports, and also from the electrical conductors associated therewith.

Existing lamp sockets of the conventional type are not constructed however to permit ready detachment from their mechanical and electrical connections, and an important object of the present invention is to provide a lamp socket corresponding closely in general appearance and structure with the conventional socket, but adapted for ready disconnection, with the lamp and its shade and other fittings constituting a lighting unit, from the electrical conductors and from the suspending means.

In pursuance of this object, and other important objects of the invention, which are duly illustrated and described herein, I have devised a novel socket having preferably a threaded receptacle of substantially the usual form to receive a lamp or similar article to be screwed therein, and having the usual, or suitable, electrical contact terminals to co-operate with those on the base of a lamp or corresponding article, my im- 7 proved socket being provided also with auxiliary electrical contact terminals adapted to co-operate with appropriate contact terminals on a conheater-member connected with the electrical conductors from which the socket derives its supply of current.

A further object of the invention is to provide the improved socket with such a removable connecter member, these two parts constituting a unitary structure which can be sold to the user as a complete article of manufacture, and can be installed without special tools, involving no risk in the installation, as the connecter-member can be removed from the socket and connected to the supply conductors first, and is then ready to have the socket terminals plugged in, in the usual manner.

Among other objects of the invention are the provision of such co-operating socket member with a metal jacket of substantially the standard type, or any suitable form so that the completed structure presents the well-known appearance of existing sockets, and may be used as such, with the additional advantages of operation characteristic of my improved structure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a socket with means for effecting the mechanical support so disposed that an electrical receptacle member of conventional type may be associated therewith, readily removable, and having the advantage of a centrally positioned aperture for the electrical conductors so that no special receptacle need be supplied to complete the installation.

The various features of the invention are illustrated and described in the accompanying drawing and specification and are pointed out in the claims.

Inthe drawing,

Fig. 1 isa view of the socket showing a conventional electrical receptacle member in section ready 1 or emplacement, the assembled position being indicated in dot and dash lines. This view was originally Fig. 7 and is shown in divisional application Serial No. 396,214, Patent 1,914,993, June 20, 1933; Only numbers 10 to 14 and 19 to 24 are used in this application.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of a standard metal keyless socket casing with a socket and receptacle enclosedtherein, the cap being of special construction, provided with a suspending hook.

In the illustrated embodiment, Fig. 1 illustrates a lamp-socket and a socket member I into which the usual electric lamp may be screwed,,this portion of the socket being indicated at H in dotted lines. This socket member is preferably made of insulating material and provided with the usual or suitable, electrical contact terminals l2 and 13, the former being electricallyconnected with the metal socket portion ll, while the terminal I3 is connected electrically with the central lamp engaging portion I 4.

In pursuance of the invention, I provide for connecting the parts above mentioned with means for effecting both a mechanical connection and an electrical connection of a readily separable character, and as the now preferred form of device for this purpose, I have illustrated at IS an electrical receptacle, which may be and preferably is of conventional construction, in order to reduce the cost of the lighting fixture as a whole, and to cause the same to conform as far as possible to standard practice. In the form of receptacle illustrated, the member I9 carries at 20 and 2| respectively electrical contact terminals adapted to co-operate with the contact terminals l2 and I3 respectively, in the usual fashion, the terminals 20 and 2| being enclosed by a part 22 secured to.

the receptacle I9 in well-known fashion, as by screws, not illustrated, and having recesses or apertures 23 to receive the contact terminals I2 and I3 when the socket member and receptacle member are assembled. As usual with receptacles of this character, a central aperture 24 is provided through which the electrical conductors may be led and connected with the contact terminals 20 and 2|. This connection may be permanent, as it is contemplated to provide for connection and disconnection without disconnecting the electrical conductors from the receptacle member I 9.

As noted at the beginning of the specification, my present application includes a form of invention which has been divided from my co-pending application Serial No. 75,165 now Patent 1,666,411, and the particular form of the invention so divided from the aforesaid application is illustrated in Fig. 2. In this embodiment the mechanical support is afforded by a hook 56 combined with a metal cap 5! which is coupled to a standard metal lamp socket shell 58 by means of a ring 59 screwed at 60 upon the shell and having a flanged connec tion at El with the cap 51. The shell 58 and cap 5'! enclose and support a connecter comprising a socket portion 62 which is of the same general type as that shown and described at It] in other figure of the present application, and the cap portion 51 encloses a co-operating receptacle member designated by the reference characters 63, indicated by dotted lines, and not requiring special description, as it corresponds with the member l9 heretofore described. The hook 56 is provided with acentral aperture indicated in dotted lines at 64, which registers with the usual opening in the receptacle, these openings permitting the electrical conductors to pass into the interior of the unitary connecter-socket structure thus formed.

When the coupling ring 59 is unscrewed, the connecter members 51 and 58 can be separated, the receptacle 63 taken out, for connection ordisconnection of the conductors, the latter having been passed through the opening 64, and then the connecter members can be plugged together, the cap 51 fastened in placeby a coupling ring 59, and the device is ready to be hooked on to a chain, or to some other suitable support, and the socket is also ready to receive a lamp or other article, and its fittings, such as a shade-holder and reflector of suitable character.

I claim:

1. A connecter-socket comprising in a unitary structure a connecter-member with means which can be connected permanently to electrical conductors; and a socket member provided with means for plugging into said connecter member,

said connecter-socket being further characterized by a cap and shell surrounding the connecter members with means for directly and mechanically supporting said unitary connecter-socket structure.

2. A connecter-socket comprising in a unitary structure a connecter-member with means which can be connected permanently to electrical conductors; and a socket member provided with means for plugging into said connecter member, said connecter-socket being further characterized by a cap and shell surrounding the connecter members with means for directly and mechanically supporting said unitary connecter-socket structure and means on the shell for the support of a lighting unit.

3. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-and-plug member and a receptacle member, said members respectively having bodyportions formed of insulating material and being provided with electrical contacts so that when placed in operating relation the contacts of said receptacle member connects with the contacts of said socket and plug member and in combination therewith a metal socket shell formed in a plurality of parts threaded for ready assembly and one of said parts being removable with said receptacle member, said removable part being provided with a hanger.

4. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-and-plug member and a receptacle member, said members respectively having body-portions formed of insulating material with electrical contact terminals mounted thereon, and in combination therewith a metal socket shell formed in a plurality of parts threaded for ready assembly and one of said parts being removable with said receptacle member, said removable part being provided with a hook.

5. An electrical connecter-socket comprising a socket-andplug member and a receptacle'member, 'said members respectively having contact terminals mounted thereon, and. in combination therewith a multi-part metal shell enclosing said members and connecting them mechanically, said shell parts being joined together by a ring rotatable relative to one of the parts and engaging with another, with means on one of the shell parts for mechanically supporting the connecter socket.

6. An electrical connecter and socket comprising a connecter body of insulating material with openings for sliding contacts at one end and with contacts permanently connected to conductors at the other end; the socket with projecting contact blades from the base of the socket, said blades to pass into the openings of the connecter body to slide on the contacts, said connecter and socket, when assembled, being held securely assembled. by a plurality of shells, one shell supporting the socket and another shell provided with a projecting flange, said flange supporting a threaded collar which threads on to a thread of the first-mentioned shell holding the connecter and socket securely in unit assembly with means on the shell for directly and mechanically supporting the socket.

HENRY DOLIER, JR.

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