US1280927A - Lamp-socket. - Google Patents

Description

'0. WINSTON.

LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB. 1916.

1,280,927. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

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OVERTON WINSTON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

LAMP-SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed May 8, 1916. SeriaI No. 96,161.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OVERTON WINSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamp- Sockets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to and in my pending application S. N. 94,617

filed of date May 1st, 1916 and entitled Headlight socket.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the improved socket and showing the electric light bulb held thereby; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating a slightly modified construction.

The numeral 1 indicates an electric light bulb of the double-base or three-contact type, such, for example, as that illustrated in my pending applicatlon 91,226. A bulb of this character has three contacts 2, 3 and 4. The outer contact 2 is in the form of a metallic sleeve which surrounds the shank of the lamp. The contact 3 is in the form of a metal ring applied to the end of the shank, and the contact 4 is in the form of a small metallic disk located at the axis of the shank. The said contacts 2, 3 and 4 are insulated from each other, by the insulating material of which the shank is made. The contact sleeve 2 has a plurality, as shown, two, radially projecting lock lugs 5, for a purpose which will presently appear.

The contact sleeve 2 of the bulb is adapted to be telescoped into a holding collar 6 that' is provided with an externally-threaded eccentric 6*. The lugs 5 of the shank contact collar 2 are adapted to be inserted through internal grooves 7 in the holding collar 6 and turned into engagement with a corru gated internal shoulder 8 of said collar.

The said parts 7 and 8 are indicated by dotted lines only, but are more fully disclosed in my prior application S- N. 86,851 filed of date, March 27th, 1916, and entitled Headlights.

The externally threaded eccentric 6 of the holding collar is screwed into the internal threads 9* of a socket sleeve 9 in the rear end of which is an insulating plug 10. The insulating plug 10 has a forwardly springpressed axially projecting contact plunger 11, the head of which engages the axial contact 4 of the light bulb, when the latter is in position. The so-called holding collar 6 and sleeve 9 constitute an adjustable lamp socket, and by rotary adjustment of said collar, and its threaded eccentric, the light bulb may be adjusted both longitudinally and transversely of the axis of the socket, and hence, of the axis of the reflector, not shown, but which will usually be employed in headlights where the socket is applied.

The metallic head of the contact plunger 11.

is provided with a rigidly secured surrounding collar 12 of insulating material, the purpose of which will presently appear.

The numeral 13 mdicates a so-called centering sleeve which is of insulating material, and 1s telescoped into and rigidly secured to the eccentric 6, so that it rotates therewithl. This collar 13 is also, as shown, formed with external threads that engage with the internal threads 9 of the sleeve 9. The rear portion of the passage through the centering ring or sleeve 13 is enlarged to form a shoulder against which a metallic washer 14 is seated. This washer has a large axial opening so that it does not come into contact with the contact plunger 11 or its spring, and it is held seated by a coiled tension spring 15 compressed between the same and the insulating plug 10 and surrounding the hub on the latter. This spring exerts an end thrust on the members 6 and 13, which increases the frictional tension between the threads thereof and the threads 9' of the sleeve 9, and thereby assists in preventing accidental rotation of said eccentric. A smaller coiled spring 16 closely fits within the front end portion of the centering collar 13 and is compressed between the washer 14 and contact ring 3. The spring 15 will have a greater tension than the spring 16, so that the washer 14 will always be held seated. The spring 16 makes electrical contact between the washer 14 and the ring 3 and also serves to hold the lugs engaged with the shoulder 8 and hence, holds the light bulb against accidental rotation. The socket shown, as stated, is for a three-contact lamp, and hence, of the three leads of the lightlng circuit, the lead 17 is connected to the contact plunger 11, the lead 18 is connected to the metallic washer 14, either directly, or,

an axial passage that is concentric to the as shown, through the spring 15, and the lead 19 is grounded through the socket sleeve 9 and collar 6, which latter has electrical contact with the contact sleeve 2 of the bulb shank. The insulating collar 12 keeps the head of the contact plunger 11 always out of electrical contact with the spring 16.

The above described centering sleeve 13 has an eccentric passage that is concentric to the axis ofthe sleeve 9, but eccentric to the axis of the holding collar 6 and the shank of the light bulb. In Fig. 2, however, a similar insulating centering collar 14L has axis of the holding collar 6 and shank of the light bulb, but eccentric to the axis of the socket ring or sleeve 9. Into this centering sleeve 14 is inserted and secured a metallic bushing 20, to which one end of a spring 16 is secured by solder, or otherwise. The front end of this spring 16 is held in electrical contact with the contact ring 3 of the light bulb. The bushing 20 is formed with a shoulder between which, and the insulating plug 10, a tension spring 15 is compressed. This spring 15, like the spring 15, exerts a tension which assists in holding the eccentric 6, and hence, the light bulb against accidental rotation.

The metal washer 14: shown in Fig. 1 serves as an abutment against which the springs 15 and 16 re-act, and the metal bushing 20, shown in Fig. 2, afi'ords an abutment against which the springs 15 and 16 memes? react, and hence, these two elements may portion screwed into the internal threads of said sleeve, an insulating centering ring secured within said collar, an annular metallic abutment seated against said centering ring, a contact spring reacting against said abutment and projecting through said centering ring for engagement with one of the lamp contacts, and a tension spring seated against said insulating plug and against said annular abutment.

2. In a lamp socket, the combinationwith an internally threaded metallic socket sleeve having an insulating plug in its rear end,

of a lamp holding collar having a threaded eccentric screwed into the internal threads of said sleeve, an insulating centering ring secured to-said eccentric, an annular metallic abutment seated against said centering ring,

a contact spring reacting against said abutment and projecting through said centering ring for engagement with oneof the lamp contacts, and a tension spring seated against said insulating plug and. against said annular abutment.

In testimony whereof I aflix my sigature in presence of two witnesses.

OVERTON WINSTON.

Witnesses CLARA DEMAREs'r,

B. G. Wnnarnn.

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