US2149549A - Adjustable lamp socket - Google Patents

Description

March 7, 1939. L. w. RElS I 2,149,549

ADJUSTABLE LAMP SOCKET Filed Feb. 25, 1938 mvz TOR 60m R635 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 2,149,549 ADJUSTABLE LAMP SOCKET Leonard W. Rei

s, Jersey City, N. J., assignor of one-half to Edwin Werner, New Dorp, Staten Island, N. Y.

Application February 23, 1938, Serial No. 191,886

This invention relates for lamps of the store windows and 5 Claims.

to adjustable supports type capable of being used in elsewhere to direct one or more beams of light in a particular direction, and has for its object to provide which is safer than those a device of this type heretofore suggested.

Another object is to increase the usefulness and capability of such a device for adjustment.

A further object is to make such a device which is simple and rugged in construction and capable of being quickly adjusted and held in adjusted position without the necessity of using a screwto provide such a supjustment without rotadanger of causing the be twisted.

provide such a support which is capable of absorbing shocks and lessen ing their transmission to the same time adapted to sion through the support.

the lamp, which is at reduce heat transmis- Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to Fig. l but with the plug and socket angularly disposed to one another.

Fig. 3 is a left end view of the device of Fig. 1

to show how the latch support is adjustable.

Fig. l

shows perspective details of the adjustable clarnping bands for the latch and its catch.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing how be formed.

A lamp bulb 9 base portion H of which the teeth l9 may is supported in a socket ID, the

is threaded to receive the convolutions :2 of a helical spring. The plug M has its portion I3 the spring convolutions.

similarly threaded to receive The parts of the plug and socket receiving the spring convolutions may be of either metal or insula erably they are of insulatin ting material, but pref g material such as por celain or appropriate and well known resinous compositions. Flexible in ductors it connect plate the circuit between t band is shown in Figs. 3 and 4 portion l3 of the plug beyond the plug and sulated electrical consocket and comhe plug and socket. A is attached to the where the spring a catch portion teeth IQ of the latch.

29 adapted to be engaged by the In order to prevent longitudinal movement of the bands l6 and 11 they may be provided on each side with ribs or flanges. shown as being held on th While these. bands are e plug or socket by the clamp screw illustrated, preferably these bands are not clamped so tightly as to be non-adjustable angularly about the axis of the plug and socket.

The latch i8 is preferably flexible so as to be readily inserted between the socket base and the 5 catch 29 and when so inserted held thereby securely for positively holding the spring l2 flexed with the plug and socket angularly disposed to one another. If it desired to have the plug and socket angularly disposed to one another in a 10 different plane the bands It and I! are angularly shifted together the desired amount to accomplish this result. Preferably these bands are mounted loosely enough on the plug and socket so as to be readily adjustable and partially rotatable to the 15 desired position. Other types of latch mechanism may be used.

The teeth IS in the latch may be formed in a variety of ways such as by stamping them as shown in Fig. 5. By bending the spring a greater 2 amount the latch may be used to hold the plug and socket in a substantially 90 position of adjustment. The spring l2 may be made longer or shorter than illustrated but the length shown has been found appropriate for ordinary purposes. 25 When the spring i2 is lengthened or shortened of course the latch mechanism should be changed to accord therewith. The spring may be of other shape than the general cylindrical type illustrated. For example in order that the convolu- 3 tions may not be in the way of one another it is contemplated to have the spring in its central portion of substantially greater or smaller diameter than at the ends in order that greater room for the convolutions may be provided when the spring is flexed.

A feature of this invention contemplates the convolutions and threads on the plug and socket being so arranged that the spring may be easily threaded in position but not so easily removed. This is because if the spring be rotated in a manner to tighten its hold upon one end connection there should be no relative rotation of the spring on that connection. However, if the spring is partially twisted in the opposite direction such partial twisting reduces the diameter of the convolutions suiiiciently to more tightly bind the convolutions on the threaded portions. In fact with the arrangement just described it will be possible to disconnect the spring from the threaded plug or socket only by applying a relative rotative pressure to an end of the last convolution of the spring wire. It is contemplated that the spring shall be of steel such as is available on the market today and that it may then be plated with a brass or other finish to correspond with whatever is desired for the finish on the plug and socket metal parts.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the resistance ofiered by the spring to any tendency for relative rotation between the plug and socket which might tend to twist and injure the flexible conductors E5. The socket portion tends to become heated while the open convolutions of the spring support provide satisfactory cooling to prevent transmission of the heat to the plug portion.

The convolutions being normally spaced apart permit the conductors to be visible so that even if the convolutions might be rotatably or swivelly attached to either the plug or socket it is possible to view the conductors and avoid twisting them. The device illustrated. is capable of a wider variety of angular positions of adjustment in almost any plane up to substantially This device is intended primarily for example for use in store window'lighting where the adjustable socket enables the lamp to direct its light in a particular or desired direction to illuminate some special object of display. Any vibrations to which the plug might be subjected are dampened and not transmitted to the lamp.

Another use is in the home to give a spot light capable of being directed wherever desired. The latch is quickly engaged and disengaged from its position in cooperation with the latch 20. Because of its flexible nature the latch l8 may be bent so as to be readily released from between the socket and the catch. No screwdriver or wrenches are necessary to positively hold the spring in its adjusted position. Instead of being engaged in threaded recesses in the plug and socket the spring might be attached in other ways for example by solder or welding.

Although the device of Fig. 2 shows the convolutions on the lower side substantially contiguous, nevertheless this spring wire support is adapted to be bent to a much larger extent or until the plug and socket are substantially at right angles to one another.

The doubled end of the bands l6 and i1 is preferably threaded to receive the screws, although of course a clamp nut could be used instead of having this doubled wall portion internally threaded.

I claim:

1. The combination with an electrical connection for holding a lamp bulb or the like, another electrical connection for supporting the first connection, flexible conductors between said connections, of the improvement which includes an adjustable spacing means between said connections comprising a flexible support around said conductors, said support being substantially circular in cross section, a latch for holding said support flexed, and means loosely or freely ro tatable on each connection for angularly adjusting said latch around said support.

2. The combination with an electrical connection for holding a lamp bulb or the like, another electrical connection for supporting the first con nection, flexible conductors between said connections, of the improvement which includes an adjustable spacing means between said connections comprising a flexible support around said conductors, said support being a helical spring substantially circular in cross section, a latch for holding said support flexed, and means for angularly adjusting said latch around said sup- 7 port, said latch adjusting means including a band around one of said connectors, a catch means adapted to be engaged by said latch and also mounted on a band around the other one of said connectors, said bands being longitudinally beyond the ends of said spring, whereby they will not oppose any tendency for the spring to expand radially in attaching the same to said connectors.

3. The combination with an electrical connection for holding a lamp bulb or the like, another electrical connection for supporting the first connection, flexible conductors between said connections, of the improvement which includes an adjustable spacing means between said connections comprising a flexible support around said conductors, said support being substantially circular in cross section, a latch for holding said support flexed, and means loosely or freely rotatable on each connection for angularly adjusting said latch around said support, said flexible support including a helical coil spring having its convolutions spaced apart at least slightly when unstressed.

a. The combination with a plug and socket of flexible connectors therebetween, a flexible support spacing the plug and socket, means outside said support for holding it in flexed position, and rotarily adjustable means attached to the plug and socket beyond the ends of said support for moving the first mentioned means around said support, said support being substantially nonrotatable relative to the plug and socket whereby the conductors may be safeguarded against twisting and the support flexed in different directions.

5. The combination with a pair of connectors, of a helical coil spring threaded to the connectors and spacing them apart, a latch for holding the spring flexed, and means loosely secured to each oi said connectors beyond the ends of the spring for supporting said latch, said means being rotarily adjustable with respect to the spring whereby said spring may be flexed in a variety of directions.

LEONARD W. REIS.

Images