US941941A - Switch for incandescent-lamp sockets. - Google Patents

Description

W. A. MCDONALD.

SWITCH FOR INGANDESGENT LAMP SOGKETS.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.26, 1909.

941,941. Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

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I I; a WITNESSES f0 S l/VI/EIVTOR W1 14. W-GBOIV/ILD MW ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

WILL A. McDONALD, OF GRAMPIAN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH FOR INCANDESCENT-LAMP SOCKETS.

To all whom it may concern:-

lie it known that I, IVILL A. MCDONALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of (lrrampian, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Switches for Incandescent-Lamp Sockets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sockets for incandescent lamps, more particularly to means for turning off and on the current, and it consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

. In the ordinary form of incandescent- "ockcts the current is turned on and oil by means of a key. This requires the use of both hands, one to steady the lamp and the other to turn the key. Even then the lamp is turned in the direction of rotation and the strain comes upon the suspending cord. Moreover, in the ordinary form the key may turn hard owing to the stiffness of the spring controlling the same and it may turn past the point at which the current is permit-ted to enter the lamp so that the lamp will be extinguished and the operation will have to be gone through with again. Sometimes owing to the stifi'ness of the springs the rubber thumb piece will break off. In the ordinary form also if the controlling springs are broken, the socket is rendered useless since it costs more to have the spring repaired than to buy a new socket.

The main object of my invention is to provide a switch for an incandescent socket which may be easily operated, requiring a great deal less force to manipulate it than the ordinary key, and which can be operated by one hand without straining the suspending cord.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switch which can be operated as stated above and which positively eflects the connection or the disconnection of the lighting current without the dangerof movement beyond the proper place and thereby extin guishingthe lamp again.

A further object of my invention is to provide a switching device, which, while controlled by springs, may nevertheless be operated without the springs, thus rendering the mechanism capable of use, where under similar circumstances the old form would be useless.

Other objects and advantages. will appear Specification of Letters Patent.

switching device hereinafter described.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed February 26, 1909. Serial No. 480,160.

from the following specification and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a side view of a socket partly in section embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail side view showing the operating parts of the switch. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View at, right angles to Fig. 2, and Fi 4 is a. sectional view along the line 44 0t Fig. 2. i

In carrying out my invention I make use of an ordinary Edison socket, replacing the switch mechanism used therein by the In Fig. 1 I have shown such a socket with my invention applied thereto. It comprises an outer shell 1 having an insulating lining 2 and the usual cap 3. The insulating block 4 within the cap is secured to the threaded sleeve 5, into which the base of thilamp is screwed. \Vithin'the hollow part 4 of the block 4, which is adapted to contain the switching mechanism of the ordinary type, I arrange the switching device shown in Fig. 1.

The switching device consists of a frame member 6 bent into rectangularform at one end, see Fig. 4, one of the sides 6 being prolonged as shown in Fig; 2. The top portion 6", see Figs. 2 and 4, is provided with a downwardly-turned arm 6 near one end and a downwardly turned ear 6 on its side, the latter constituting a binding member and being provided with a set screw 6 One end of the frame 6 is prolonged as shown at (S in Figs. 1 and 2, and to this prolongation is attached the insulating handle G. \Vithin the rectangular part are pivoted two levers H and I upon the pivot pins 7L and 2', respectively. The form of the lever H is most clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. It has a downwardly extending end 7L2 which is adapted to form the contacting member for the completion of the electric circuit. This lever is guided between the downwardly extending arm 6 and the side 6 of the frame 6 as shown in Figs. 1 and=-2. It is kept normally in an upper position shown in Fig. 2, by means of the leaf spring h on its under side.

The lever I, which is pivoted to move at right angles to the lever H, also provided with a spring i which tends to force it into the position shown in Fig. 3. The lever H end if of the lever H with the inwardly projecting flange 5 of the threaded sleeve 5. In the position shown in Fig. 1, the handle K has been pressed toward the handle G,

this being done by a pinching action, thehandle G of course remaining stationary and acting as astationary resisting means for drawing the handle K up to it. It Wlll be seen from Fig. 2 that the lever I cannot be pressed forward by the spring as long as the lever H is in its upper position, but as soon as it is forced downwardly, the lever I, under the influence of its spring i is forced above the lever H, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby locking the latter in its shifted position, the levers H and I assuming the respective positions shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This results in the lighting of the lamp. It will be noted that in the shifting of these levers there is no twisting action but that equal force is applied in opposite directions to the handles G and K. There is no tendency therefore for the lamp to turn. Moreover, the force a plied is relatively very small. Now when t e handles Grand L are brought together the lever H is forced upwardly by the spring h thereby breaking the circuit and extinguishing the lamp. In this case, as in the other, the handle G acts as the resisting member, the handle L being brought up to it by a pinching action exerted on both of these handles.

It will be seen that the manipulation of the light may be accomplished by means of one hand, that there is no danger ofmoving the parts beyond their operating positions, thereby extinguishing the lamp and that no strain is put upon the suspending cord by the twisting action as in the ordinary case.

I am aware that other forms of the device based upon the same general idea might be made, but I consider as my own all such modifications as fairly fall within the splrit and scope of the invention.

I claim y 1. A switch for incandescent lamp sockets, comprising -'a frame having a stationary handle and two movable handles, means for completing the electric circuit by forcing one of said movable handles toward said handle and a pair of laterally lnovable handles, and means adapted for completing the electric circuit when one of said movable handles is forced toward the stationary handle by a pinching action and for breaking the circuit when the stationary handle and the other of said movable handles are forced together. I

3. A switch for incandescent sockets conprising a stationary frame provided with a projecting handle, a pair of levers pivotally mounted in said frame at right angles to each other and provided with handles on their projecting ends, one of said levers constituting a contact member and arranged to be locked in its operative position by a movement of the other lever.

4. A switch for incandescent sockets, comrisin a stationar frame member rovided with an extending handle, a pair of levers I other lever when the latter is moved, thereby locking the same in its shifted position.

5. A switch for incandescent sockets, comprising a frame having a projecting handle and a downwardly projecting arm constituting a guide member, a lever pivoted within said frame and having a bent end adapted for movement between said arm and the main frame, a second lever pivoted within said frame at right angles to the first-named lever, each of said levers being actuated by springs, handles for said levers, the above parts being so arran 'ed that when one of the lever handles is forced toward the stationary handle the other lever springs -into the path and locks the first-named lever in its shifted position.

WILL A. MCDONALD.

Witnesses: I

HUBERT H. BAUMGARDNER, CHESTER DOUGIIMAN.

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