US665494A - Lamp-socket. - Google Patents

Description

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HERBERT C. WIRT, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

LAM P-SOCKET.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,4 dated- January 1901- Application filed July 9,1898. Serial No. 685,491. We model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. WIRT, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp-Sockets, (Case No. 815,) of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to sockets for incandescent lamps, and has for its object to provide means of securing the lead-in wires to such sockets so that they are not readily disengaged and so that they may be very easily attached. As ordinarily constructed the screw whichholds the lead-in wire in place has the wire wrapped around it and is then inserted in a flat piece of brass forming the terminal. The tendency of the screw during insertion is to twist the coil of wire, so that its end projects from under the screw, or to squeeze it from beneath the screw, and very often the engagement of the wire with the plate is so slight that it is readily detached. It is very important that this should not occur in lamp-sockets, as the wire is liable to engage a metal portion having opposite polarity, and thus cause a short circuit. I aim to overcome this defect by raising on the terminals small lugs or projections, so that as the screw is forced home the wire is compressed, but is not untwisted or squeezed from under the screw, since it engages with lugs when it is squeezed outwardly, thus making better contact with the terminal and being prevented from escaping from beneath the screw.

The drawings show an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 being a perspective of the porcelain plate of an incandescent lampsocket of the Edison type, showing the improved terminals of my invention, and Fig. 2 being an enlarged view in perspective of one of those terminals.

The porcelain plate or base C of the lamp ing in general of the type shown in the patent to Tournier, No. 559,239, granted April 28, 1898. The key is lettered D, the key-terminal E, and the lug upon this terminal E. The holes in the upper part of the base 0 are adapted to receive screws for securing the usual screw-threaded contact-sleeve terminal to the base. This contact-sleeve is adapted to receive the lamp, which when it is screwed into the sleeve makes contact through its center terminal with the other socket-terminal A. The terminal E is electrically connected with a switch-piece carried on the other end of the spindle of the key D, and this key is turned to complete the circuit through the lamp by the engagement of the switch-piece with the threaded contact-sleeve. The other terminal is more readily understood from the View shown in Fig. 2. It is lettered A, and consists of an enlarged portion A, which bears against one of the lamp-contacts, the lamp not being illustrated, the part A which forms the spring of the terminal, and the lugs A A which are struck up of a part of the metal of the strip adjacent to the screw B. The strip is cut away longitudinally intermediate its ends to form the narrow portion A in order to give the proper degree of resiliency and to provide a greater space between the terminal and the contact-sleeve, which is of opposite polarity. The longitudinal cuts are extended beyond the part removed, and these partially-cut portions having been first cut transversely from the removed parts are bent up to form substantially perpendicular lugs on the strip equally distant from the screw-hole and on the opposite side of the binding-post to that from which the lead-wire enters beneath the bindingscrew. The lugs serve to hold the lead-wire under the binding-screw, thus preventing it from making contact with the threaded sleeve and avoiding short circuits. The terminal is held in place by a screw (not illustrated) which passes through the hole a.

By the simple device which I have here shown considerable saving of time and trouble is obtained without any particular increase of cost, the lug being formed from what are ordinarily waste parts of the strip from which the different terminals are struck.

What I claim is 1. A terminal for lamp-sockets which comprises a flat portion having a binding-screw hole, and logs disposed adjacent to the hole, their inner vertical edges extending most nearly adjacent to the hole,whereby the lampwire is held between the binding-screw and the edges of the lugs.

2. A terminal, which comprises a metal strip provided with a hole for the reception of a binding-screw, portions of the strip adjacent to the hole being partially cut away from the body of the strip and bent to an angle with the plane thereof to form lugs which hold a lead-wire beneath the binding-post.

3. A terminal comprising a narrow portion and a broad portion, a binding-post hole in the latter near the narrow portion, and lugs composed of the metal constituting the excess in width of the broad over the narrow portion at the junction of the two, substantially as described.

4. A terminal, which comprises a flat metal strip provided with a hole for the reception of a binding-screw, the edges of the strip adjacent to the hole being cut longitudinally and bent perpendicularly to the plane of the strip, to form lugs which hold the leadwire beneath the binding-screw.

5. In a lamp-socket, the combination with the insulating-base, of a metallic strip secured at its outer end to said base and adapted to receive a binding-screw, and to engage with its inner end a lamp-terminal, portions of the strip being partially cut away and bent to an angle with the strip to form lugs adjacent to the binding-screw, which preventthe lead-wires from being twisted or squeezed from beneath the binding-screw and into contact with other conductors secured to the base, when the binding-screw compresses the wire.

6. In a lamp-socket, the combination with the insulating-base, of an angular spring socket-terminal secured at its outer end to said base, adapted to receive a binding-screw in its upright portion and to engage the center lamp-terminal at the inner end of its hori zontal portion, lugs being struck up from the upright portion of the terminal between the binding-screw and the horizontal portion, to prevent the lead-wire from being twisted or squeezed, when the binding-screw compresses the wire, from beneath the screw and into contact with other conductors secured to the base.

7. A terminal formed from a sheet-metal strip, having a hole for the reception of a binding-screw, the edges of the strip being cut transversely and longitudinally and the portions thus out being bent perpendicularly to the plane of the strip, whereby lugs are formed to keep the lead-wire beneath the binding-screw.

S. Aterminal formed of a rectangular strip, having a hole for the reception of a bindingscrew, a portion of the edges of the longer sides of the strip being cut longitudinally, a portion of the edges thus out being removed, and the remaining portions of the cut edges near the hole being struck up to form lugs' to keep the lead-wire beneath the binding-screw.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of June, 1898.

HERBERT O. WIRT.

Witnesses:

B. B. HULL, A. F. MACDONALD.

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