US2247117A - Lamp holder - Google Patents

Description

June 24, 1941.

F. C. DE REAMER LAMP HOLDER Filed March 7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 w, 6 W r O fw 5A B H a e R e nD e; vG nK n m umm W W June 24, 194.1.

F. c. DE REAMER 7,117

LAMP HOLDER Filed March '7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pi g. 9.

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Inventor: FranK C. De Reamer: by 49 His Attorney Patented June 24, 1941 LAMP HOLDER Frank C. De Reamer, Bridgeport, Conn, assign-' or to General Electric Company, a

of New York corporation Application lilarch 7, 1939, Serial No. 260,295

6 Claims.

My invention relates to supports for electric lamps, and more particularly to a socket con struction for lamps of the double end discharge type such as tubular fluorescent lamps.

My invention relates to lamp sockets of the type described in the patent of Anthony J. Marshaus No. 2,137,174, which is assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a socket construction for double end lamps of the type described in which the socket is adapted for mounting on the surface of a support or for flush mounting of the lamp upon the support, in which position a .portion of the socket extends below the support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a socket in which the terminals are concealed thereby obviating the dangers of shock or short circuits.

Still another object of my invention is the provision, of an improved means for mounting the socket contact members in the body of the socket and the provision of improved terminal construcof a preferred form of a socket constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the socket taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view of the interior of the cover employed in the construction of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the elements of the preferred form of socket construction; Figs. 6 and '7 illustrate the position of the lamp contact pins during insertion of the lamp in the socket; Fig. 8 is a modified form of the socket construction shown by Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a sec-' tional view along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an elevational view of the rear of the cover employed in the socket construction of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 isa view of a. third modification of my socket construction in which the socket is partlcularly designed for flush mounting; Fig. 12 is a sectional view along the line l2-l2 of Fig. 11, and Fig. 13 is an exploded view showing the cover, and the insulating plate for the socket construction of Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, my socket comprises a. base 20, a cover 2| and contact members 22, The contact members cooperate with and engage the contact pins or prongs 23 extending from a base 24 at each end of a tubular lamp 25, such as a fluorescent lamp. The base 20 and cover 2! ar made of any suitable insulating materiai such as a phenolic condensation product and filler.

The base member 20 is formed with a comparatively narrow extended portion 26, which provides "a supporting structure for the lamp 25, and also with a comparatively wider base portion 21, the sides of which are flared outwardly from the extension 26 to provide a support for the socket structure. Disposed longitudinally of the base extension 26 are two channels 28 which receive the contact members 22. At one end the channels are provided with laterally extending grooves 29 and at the other end the channels merge into a recess 30. As shown more particularly by Fig. 5, the recess forms a portion of the socket body having a thickness reduced from that of the extension 26. Upstanding from the face of the recess 30 is a cylindrical boss 3| provided with a diametrical slot 32 which divides the boss into two semi-circular segments 33 for a purpose to be described later.

The contacts 22 are provided with elongated shank portions 44 which are seated within the channels 28. At one end of each of the shank portions is secured a terminal member or plate 45 having an extension t6 spot welded, as shown at H, to a laterally extending projection t8 formed integrally with the contact member 22. Manifestly, other securing means may be employed. When the shank portions 44 of the contact members 22 are seated in the longitudinal channels 28 the projections 48 and the terminal extensions t5 rest in the slots 29, as shown more particularly by Fig. 2. The other end of each of the contacts is 'formed with a recess 49 providing a contact surface for engaging the contact pin 23 of a tubular lamp. The recessed portion of the contact extends around the segment 33 of the upstanding 'boss 3i and is normally biased into engagement with the segment due to thefact that theshank portion of the contact is bowed slightly at the point 50. Each of the contact members 22 is held securely within the longitudinal channels 28 by the close fitting engagement of the terminal extension 46 within the slot 29 and also by the fact that the contact is biased against the segment 33 in the manner indicated; this means that a portion of the contact bears against an abutment 50' forming part of the wall of the longitudinal channel 28. When the lamp is inserted within a socket the contact is flexed about this abutment in a manner to be described later.

The cover member 2| is formed with a'comparatively narrow extending portion and a comparatively wider base portion 2t conforming to the contour of the body member 20. It is provided with an integral flange 5| extending around the periphery thereof so that when the cover member is placed over the base member a totally enclosed structure is provided for the contacts. In addition, the flange encloses the recess 30. In order to provide for entry of the lamp contact pins in the contacts 22 the cover member is pro-.- vided with a slot 52 which is in alignment with the diametrical slot 32 formed in the 3|. The slot 52 merges with an opening 53 formed in the front wall of the cover member which exposes the contact surfaces 49 and the segments 33 for engagement with the contact end of the lamp. The cover is secured in position on the base member by means of a plurality of rivets 54 which pass through openings 55 in the-cover member and are driven into corresponding recesses 56- formed in the base member 20. Manifestly, other means may be provided for securing these elements together.

Each of the terminal plates 45 is provided with a terminal screw 51 so that an electrical conductor may be connected to the contacts 22 through the medium of the terminal structure. The base 21 of the socket member is provided with grooves 58 upstanding from the bottom thereof for receiving the insulated conductor; ,Similarly, the front face of the cover ,2! is provided with upstanding grooves 59 which, when the cover member is assembled on the base, are in axial alignment with the groove 58. In order to secure the terminal members within the housing of the socket the cover plate 2| is provided with recesses 50 which receive the terminal members 45. Extending upwardly from the recesses 60 are slots 5| which receive the screws 51 and which provide a bearing surface 5| for engaging the offset portion 62 formed on the terminal members 45 to hold the terminal members securely within the socket, as shown more particularly by Fig. 3. The slots 50 and GI are formed in a forward extension 52 of the base 2| of the cover member,

' as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. This structure provides a housing for'the terminal members.

The cover member 2| is provided with a slot 53 extending through the base portion 2| of the cover member and which is adapted to receive any suitable means for mounting the socket upon a support, such as the bolt 64, shown by Fig. 1. A plate of insulating material 65, for example, fiber, or the like, is placed over the grooves 58 and the slots 50, as shown by Fig. 3, and is held in place by the bolt 84 and a nut 65. The plate protects the terminal screws 51.

In use one of the socket members is mounted to be engaged by each end of the tubular lamp as shown by Fig. 1, and the lamp is then moved downwardly into engagement with the socket by passing the pins 23 through the slot 521 in the cover member and the slot 32 in the boss 3|, so that the pins take the position shown by Fig. 6. Thereafter the lamp is rotated to an angle of approximately 90 degrees in either direction. During this movement the pins deflect the contact members 22 so that they are guided into the contact recesses 49 where they are held securely by the segmental members 33. This is the final position of the lamp contact pins and is illustrated by Fig. 7. In rotating the lamp prongs to final position they are guided by the circular rims of the segments 33. The contacts 22 are flexed about the abutment 50 so that in flnal position they are biased to force the contact pins into electrical pressure contact with the contact recesses 49. It should be noted that in final position the lamp cannot be withdrawn from the socket without first rotating it to the position shown by Figs. 1 and 6, because even though the contacts 22 could be deflected to permit upward movement of the contact pins 23 the latter would still engage the perimeter of the opening 53 formed in the cover member, thereby preventing removal of the lamp from the socket.

According to my invention the contact members 22 are held securely within the channels of the body member by the close fitting engagement of the terminal members within the groove 23 and also by the cover member 2| which bears against the terminal plates 45 and locks them securely within the base member 20. By providing the tact is flexed during mounting of the lamp contact pin is materially reduced. The bowed portion 50 biases the contact toward the segment 33 giving firm grip on the lamp prong. When the recess 30 is closed by the flange 5| 0n the cover member a chamber is formed having semicircular sl-ots on each side of the boss 3| to receive and house the contact pins of the lamp.

The lamp sockets may be mounted upon the surface of asupporting plate or panel 61 in either of two ways, as show: by Fig. 1. To the left of Fig. 1, the socket is shown as surface mounted on the top of the plate, in which position a tang 58 depending from the lower face of the base 21 provides a means for accurately locating the position of the socket member in accordance with the length of the lamp with which the socket is to be used. The socket is held in position .by the bolt 64 which extends through the slot 63 and an opening in the plate 51 and is threaded into the nut 55 on the underside of the plate. In mounting the socket, the nut 56 is first unthreaded from the bolt 64 permitting removal of the insulating plate 65 to give access to the terminals 45. After connection of the conductors, the plate is replaced and the nut threaded on the bolt beneath the plate 51 in the manner indicated. Alternatively, the socket member may be flush mounted in a manner to position the tubular lamp flush with ithe surface of the supporting means, as shown to the right of Fig. 1. This means that an opening is formed in the supporting means 51 to receive the extension of the socket member 2| which then extends above the surface of the supporting means while the base portion 2| is maintained below the supporting means for connection to the conductors of an electrical circuit. The socket is secured in position on the supporting plate by means of the bolt 64 which clamps the plate between the head of the bolt and the base portion 2|. This means that the wiring to the is different from that shown in the preferred form in that the contact members are provided with a terminal means more particularly adapted for both flush andsuriace mounting of the device, and the cover member takes the tom a plate fitting within a recess in the base member. In the modified iorm of the socket, the base member 18 is provided with two semi-circular recesses H which are separated by the upstanding seg- 'mental bosses I2 spaced by a diametrical slot I8.

with the segmental boss 12 in a manner and for the purpose described in connection with the showing of the socket of Fig. 2. 'At the other end, each or the contact members 15 is provided with a terminal member or plate 11. The contact member 15 is bowed at a point 18 midway between the terminal end and the contact end in a manner such that the contact is normally biased to bring the contact surface .18 into close contact with a lamp contact pin 23 which will be located between the segment and contact surface. This means that the contact will pivotabout the abutment 18 formed in a wall of the channel 14 when flexed upon insertion of the contact pins of a tubular lam-p in the socket. To provide for insertion of the lamp contact pins the base member is provided with a slot 19'.

The terminal plate TI is spot welded or otherwise secured to a lateral extension 88 formed integrally with the contact member I5. The terminal plate has an elongated base 8i adapted to receive a screw 82 and also is formed with an upstanding end 83 bent substantially at right angles to the base and provided with a threaded opening 84 to receive the screw 82 in an alternative position.

A cover 85 holds the contacts in position on the base. The cover is formed at one end with a fiat extension 86 fitting within a recess 81 formed in the base member 78 and at the other end with an enlarged base portion 88 surrounding the bottom portion of the body member 18 and providing a housing for the terminals TI. The base portion 88 extends in front of the fiat extension 86, as shown by Fig. 9, and is provided with two transverse grooves 89 to receive the terminal base 8| and the screw 82. At their outer ends the grooves are provided with enlarged recesses 88 which receive the upstanding ends 83 of the terminal members. When the screws are threaded into the ends of the terminal members, as shown in dotted line by Fig. 9, they remain seated within the recesses 98.

The cover is secured to the body member by means of a plurality of pins 9| which pass through openings 92 in the cover extension 86 and are frictionally retained in the holes 93 formed in the body member. In this manner the cover is held securely within the recess 81 maintaining the contact members in assembled relationship on the base. The cover extension is provided with an opening 94 so that the contact surfaces 16 and segmental members 12 are exposed for engagement by the lamp pins. A slot 95 merges with the opening 94 and is in alignment with the slot 19' to permit insertion of the cdritact pins in the recesses I l.

The grooves 89 in the base of the cover are closed by a plate of insulating material 96, for

example, sheet fiber, which also serves to protect they receive the heads of the screws.

the terminal members II. The insulating plate is secured to the base by means of a hollow rivet 91 having a rectangular head 88; the rivet passes through a longitudinal groove 88 formed in the base of the cover and the head 98 is seated within a slot I88 of a configuration corresponding to that of the head. This means that the rivet-cannot be rotated in the base and the inside of the rivet may be threaded to receive a mounting screw. The insulating plate 96 is provided with openings l0l in line with the terminal screws 82 so that In order to provide a means to locate accurately the position of the socket upon a mounting panel a lug I82 is formed on the base member. The lug may be seated in a notch in the supporting panel memher.

The modified form of socket member, shown by Figs. 8, 9 and 10 may be either fiush" or surface mounted in the manner described in connection with the preferred embodiment, as shown by Fig. 1. When surface" mounted, the socket is mounted on the upper surface of a panel support, similar to the showing of the left of Fig. 1, and a securing bolt or screw may be passed through or threaded into the hollow rivet 91 to hold the socket in position. Since the base portions of the terminal members are now hidden by the mounting panel, the screws 82 are moved to the end positions, as shown in dotted lines by Fig. 9, and are threaded into the openings 84 ii". the end portions of the terminal members. Connections to electrical conductors are easily made at this point. When mounted in flush position similar to the showing to the right of Fig. 1, a portion of the socket extends above the panel with the base of the socket remaining beneath the panel and being held in position by any suitable securing means threaded into the hollow rivet. In this position electrical connections are made to the base portions of the terminal members and the screws 82 are threaded into the base of the terminals, as shown in full lines by Fig. 9. The modified form of socket has the advantage that electrical connections may be made when the socket is mounted in surface position, similar to showing to the left of Fig. 1, without removing the socket from the mounting panel. This is accomplished by using the ends 83 of the terminal members.

A third form of my invention is illustrated by Figs. 11, 12' and 13. This socket is provided with a simplified form of terminal construction but is one which, at the same time, insures a highly effective electrical contact between the lamp terminal prongs and the socket contacts. This socket is particularly adapted for flush mount- A body member H8 is provided with a recess ill of reduced thickness which merges with a plurality of channels l l2 each adapted to receive a contact member I i3. Two segmental members H4 project from the recess Ill! and are "separated by a channel or slot H5. These members cooperate with the contact recess H8 formed in one end of the contact members M3 to grip the contact pins of a tubular lamp in the manner described in the embodiment of Fig. 2. Each of the contact members is provided at the other end with a bent back portion forming a substantially U-shaped bend i ll having an extending arm H8 substantially parallel to the shank portion H9 of the main body of the contact member. Since the contact members are formed of resilient material, such as a spring bronze, the arm H8 may be flexed relative to the shank portion 9. The channel H2 is formed with a semi-circular end wall I20 to receive the U-bend II! and also with a lateral recess or slot I2I to receive the arm H8. The channel II2, bend I20 and slot I2I are so formed in size that in order to mount the contact member upon the base, it is necessary to fiex'the arm I I8 toward the shank portion I I9 so that the contact member may be slipped into the channel. This means that the shank portion I I9 is normally biased to force the contact surface IIB into close engagement with the segment II4 so that when a contact pin is disposed between the contact surface and segment it will be held securely insuring an excellent electrical connection between the two elements. The contact member pivots about the bend III upon insertion of the lamp prong. The end of the arm H8 abuts. the edge of the slot I2I and prevents movement of th contact within the body member.

Each of the contact members is provided with .a terminal construction comprising a projection or tab I22 formed integrally with the arm 'I I8 and receiving a terminal screw I23. The tab extends laterally of'the contact member. As shown by Fig. 11, the tabs I22 and screws I23 extend at a slight angle to the vertical on opposite sides of the body member and are seated within recesses I24.

A cover member I25 provided with a flange I26. fits over the body member so that the flange encloses the recess III forming semi-circular housings for the contact surfaces I16. A slot I21 is formed in the cover in alignment with slot H separating the segmental members and the slot I21 merges with an opening I28 in the cover member which gives access to the contact members. The cover member is provided with recesses I29 in line with therecesses I 214 formed in the body member and the recesses merge with slots I30 which receive the ends of the terminal screws. An insulating plate I'3I is secured to the base of the socket by means of a tab I32 which is provided with an opening I33 tofit over a pin I34 formed on the cover member. The tab rests in a recess I35 so that the cover member may lie flush against the body member. The cover member is secured in positlon by any suitable fastening means such as v the rivets I 36 which pass through openings I31 and I38 formed in the cover and body member, respectively. The rivets also engage a flange I39 of a mounting plate I40.

In mounting, the socket extends through an opening I in a supporting panel I42 until the mounting plate engages the lower surface of the panel. A bolt I43 is used to secure the mounting plate upon the panel. In this position the socket is "flush mounted with the contacts above the panel for reception of a lamp.- The terminal construction is below the panel so that the wiring system is hidden from view. After connection of the conductors to the terminal screws the ends of the insulating plate are bent upwardly at an angle, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 12, to protect and insulate the terminal connections against accidental contact such as might damage or short circuit the wiring system.

With a socket constructed in accordance with either of the embodiments of my invention, it is possible to mount a lamp flush with the surface of a supporting panel; if the supporting panel comprises a reflecting surface, this means that a highly eilfective light source is obtained. The wiring is totally concealed with this method of mounting. In som situations it may be desirable to provide a continuous line of tubular lamps. This may be easily done simply by mounting two of the sockets back to back.

The contact members are so constructed and arranged within the socket housing that they firmly grip; the lamp contact pins and make an eiiective electrical connection therewith. Thesockets may be used to suspend lamps from ceilings inasmuch as it is impossible for the lamps to drop out of the sockets. To remove the lamps they must first be rotated to bring the contact pins in alignment with the slots in the socket and thereafter the lamps may be lifted out of the sockets. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A socket comprising a member provided with spaced channels, contact members mounted in said channels, abutment elements carried by said member and being spaced from each other to form a slot for' receiving the contact pins of the lamp, said contact members being'formed at one end with contact portions cooperating with said elements to grip lamp contact prongs, the other ends of said contact members being bent in the form of a- U within said channel, terminal means mounted on the bent ends of said contact members and a cover plate mounted on said base enclosing said channels to hold said contact members in position, said cover plate being provided with recesses for receiving said terminal means.

2. A socket comprising a base provided with spaced channels therein, contact members mounted in said channels, abutment elements carried by said base and being spaced from each other to form a slot, said contact members being formed at one end with contact portions cooperating with said elements to grip lamp contact pins between said portions and elements, the other ends of said contact members being bent back upon themselves to form a U bend within said channels, each of said bent ends being provided with an integral lateral projection extending outside said channel, a cover plate mounted on said base enclosing said channels to hold said contact members in position, said cover plate being provided with recesses to receive said lateral projections, and a terminal screw mount- I ed on each of said projections.

3. In combination, a lamp socket comprising a base provided with spaced channels, contact members mounted in said channels, segmental abutment elements carried by said member and being spaced from each other to form a slot, said contact members being formed at one end with contact portions cooperating with said elements to grip lamp contact ends, the other ends of said contact members being bent in the form of a U in said channels, the bent ends of said contact members being provided with lateral projections, a cover plate mounted on said member and closing said channels to maintain said contact members in position, terminal screws carried by each of said projections, and a plate of insulating material carried by said base, the ends of said insulating plate being bendable to protect said terminal screws.

4. In combination, a base provided with walls forming spacedchannels, said walls being broken away adjacent one end of said base to form a flat portion of reduced thickness providing a-recess, contact members disposed in said channels recess, abutment elements extending from the bottom of said recess and being spaced from each other to form a slot to receive lamp contact pins, said elements cooperating with said contact surfaces to grip the lamp contact pins, a cover mounted on said base and being provided with a lateral peripheral flange surroundin the recess formed by the flat reduced portion to enclose said contact surfaces, said cover being provided with a slot in alignment with said first-mentioned slot, and terminal means secured to the other ends of said contact members.

5. A lamp socket comprising a base provided with walls forming spaced channels, said walls being broken away adjacent an end of said base to form a flat portion of reduced thickness providing a recess, segmental abutment elements extending from the bottom of said recess and being spaced from each other to form a slot, contact members mounted in said channels, said contact members being formed at one end with contact surfaces extending into said recess and cooperating with said segmental abutment elements to grip lamp contact prongs, a cover mounted on said base, said cover being provided with a peripheral flange to enclose the recess formed by the flat reduced portion of said base, said cover being provided with a slot in alignment with said first-mentioned slot, the other ends of said contact members being provided with lateral projections, and terminal means carried by said pro- J'ections.

6. A socket comprising a base provided with walls forming spaced channels, said walls being broken away adjacent an end of said base to form a flat portion of reduced thickness providing a recess, segmental abutment elements extending from the bottom of said recess and being spaced from one another to form a slot, contact members mounted in said channels and being provided at one end with contact surfaces extending into said recess and cooperating with said segmental abutment elements to grip lamp contact pins, the other ends of said contact members being bent back upon themselves, the bent ends of said contact members being provided with terminal means, a cover mounted on said base and being provided with a peripheral flange surrounding the recess formed by the fiat reduced portion of said base and enclosing said contact surfaces, said cover having a slot in axial alignment with said first-mentioned slot, and a mounting plate carried by said assembly for mounting said socket on a support.

FRANK C. DE REAMER.

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