US1804020A - Electric attachment plug - Google Patents

Description

y 1931. B. P. MCKINLEY 1,804,020

ELECTRIC ATTACHMENT PLUG Filed May 19, 1927- B1 114 if M2 3513 7113 flame/1;;

Patented May 5, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT erricir;

BENJAMIN P. MCKINLEY, OF BRIDG-EPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COIEPANY, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC ATTAOHFIENT PLUG Application filed May 19, 1827.

This invention relates to separable electric attachment plugs, wherein one of the members is provided with contact making blades arranged for the connection of elec tric conductors, and the other plug member adapted for insertion in a lamp socket arranged with contact terminals for electrical connection with the shell and end contact terminals of the socket and for the insertion therein of the contact making blades to make electrical connection with contact members therein in electrical connection with the contactterminals of said plug, and to which latter plug member the present invention particularly relates. This form of plug is made of molded insulating material with the contact members carried thereby in insulated relation to each other, and it is the object of the invention to make a separable attachmentplug member of this character of molded insulator material of the kind commercially known as bakelite, condensite or the like which is expensive, to provide an attachment plug member of improved construction and arrangement whereby a minimum amount of insulating material is required, and which may be readily and quickly assembled thus reducing the cost thereof. and to provide a plug which is novel, durable and eflicient in use.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved separable plug member and showing the other plug member in dotted lines in relation thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view and showing the other plug member in dotted lines in separated relation thereto.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the plug looking at the left of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a cupped member constituting a part of the plug and looking at the interior thereof.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of another cupped member constituting another part of the plug looking at the interior thereof.

Figure 6 is a perspective view looking at Serial No. 192,507.

the side and one end of a contact shell forming a part of the plug member.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of Contact making terminals of the plug mem ber.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 2 and showing the other plug member in operative relation thereto.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the cupped member shown in Figure 4 and contact making terminal shown in Figure 8 carried thereby and showing the same assembled.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the cupped member, partly in section, and contact making terminal shown in Figure 11 and showing the same assembled.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 12 showing the shell contact assembled in relation thereto.

Figure 14 is an end elevation looking at the right of Figure 13 with the shell contact in section, and

Figure 15 is a side elevation of the cupped member of the plug with the contact making terminals in disassembled relation and pre paratory to uniting the two members ofthe plug.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a pair of members A and B of cup shape of molded insulating material, such as bakelite, condensite and the like adapted for longitudinal mating connection, for which purpose the member A is arranged with diametrically opposite lugs 16 extend ing from the end of the wall, and the member B is arranged with diametrically opposite recesses 17 for engagement of the lugs 16 to not only serve as guide means in assembling the members but also to hold the same against rotary displacement relative to each other. The member A has an annular enlargement 18 with the periphery serrated or knurled to serve as a finger grip to facilitate connecting the plug with and separating the same from the usual companion plug C carrying contact making blades 19 adapted for connection of electric conductors 20.

The shell A has a hub 21 centrally therein with one end of a post 22 of conductor material embedded therein, or molded therein,

when said member is formed, the post being arranged with a head at the end and an annular enlargement, as at 23, at the end embedded in the material of the hub 21 to prevent longitudinal displacement thereof from the hub, the opposite end having a bore 24 therein and being of a length to extend through an opening 25 centrally in the mem ber B when in mating relation with the member A, the members being secured into a nitary structure by upsetting laterally the extremity of the post forming the wall of the bore, as shown in Figures 2 and 10, and said offset portion constituting the center contact terminal of the plug. To reinforce the side wall of the shell ribs 26 are arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the hub to extend between the hub and member wall. The end or bottom wall of the member is arranged with a pair of openings 27 at diametrically opposite sides of the hub for the insertion of the contact blades 19 of the plug C to serve as guides therefor and the hub serving as a spacing and insulating abutment for said blade contacts when they are inserted into the openings. Ridges 39 in the interior of the cupped member A extend at right angles to the rib 26 at the opposite sides of the accesses 27.

The plug member is arranged with a contact terminal shell comprising a threaded metal sleeve 28 to encircle one of the insulator members, in the present instance the member B, said contact member having one end flanged inwardly, as at 29, to be engaged between the mating edges of the members A and B when united, said flange having diametrically cut-out portions to clear the lugs 16 and a portion 31 cut out intermediate and of greater extent than the portions 30 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

To electrically connect the blade contacts 19 of the plug member C with the conductor post and shell contact 28 when said parts are inserted into the openings 27 contact making fingers 32, 33 (Figures 8 and 9) are provided and electrically connected with said conductor post and shell contact. The contact finger 32 comprises a strip of resilient metal, preferably copper edge wise stiff and laterally yielding or resilient, one end 34 of which is bent at a right angle and perforated, as at 35, for engagement on the reduced end of and in electrical connection with the conductor post 22. The perforation is of slightly less diameter than the reduced end of the post and to permit of the ready engagement of the same upon the post slits are cut into the wall of the perforation and into the metal about the perforation providing yielding tongues which serve to hold the contact finger on the post in assembling. The finger isengaged upon the post in abutting relation to a shoulder formed at the juncture of the reduced portion with the body of the post, which is arranged so that the bent portion 24 of the contact finger will engage in a transverse recess in the inner surface of the end wall of the member B when assembled and thus hold. the contactfinger against rotary movement on the post. The extremity of the bent portion is flared slightly laterally for engagement with the bottom of the recess 26 to seat the contact finger on the post and also exert a lateral force on the body portion to position the same contiguous to the wall of the members. The opposite end portion is bent upon itself, as at 37, so that it projects at an angle to the main portion of the contact finger and obliquely across an opening 27, and having a pressed out nib 38 to enter or snap into cavities or perforations in the contact blades of plug member C. The portion of the finger at the juncture of the bent end 37 with the main portion is adapted to be engaged and alined between a pair of the parallel ridges 39 at opposite ends of an opening 27 to prevent lateral displacement of the contact finger relative to the opening.

The other contact finger 33 has one end portion 42 laterally offset, as at 40, for engagement between the shell contact 28 and cupped member B at the cut out portion 31 of the flange of the shell contact for mounting of the contact finger 33 on said cupped member B in electrical connection with the contact shell and the main portion of the finger lying in contiguous relation to the inner surface of the wall of member A, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 10, the opposite end being bent upon itself, as at 43, with the portion of the finger at the uncture of the bend seated and alined between a pair of the ridges 39 at the outer side of an opening 27 with the bent end portion 43 extend ing at an angle to the main portion of the contact finger and obliquely across an opening 27, and has a pressed out nib 44 to enter or snap into a cavity or perforation of the contact blades of the plug C r In the assembling of the plug the contact member 32 is engaged 'upon the conductor post 22. The contact finger is arranged on the cupped member B with the offset portion 40 seated in a recess 41. The contact shell 28 is then positioned relative to the member A by positioning the member flange against the end of the shell with the lugs 16 engaging the cut-out portion 30 in the shell flange and held in position by one hand, when the other member B with the contact finger held in position thereon is inserted into the contact shell 28; or if desired after the contact finger 34 has been assembled on the conductor post, the contact finger 33 inserted into the shell recess 41 and the contact member 28 engaged upon the shell B, when said contact shell and cupped member B may be positioned in mating relation to the memher A. After the members have been assembled in mating relation they are secured together in a unitary structure by upsetting laterally the extremity of the wall of the bore in the end of the conductor post, said offset portion constituting an end contact of the plug.

It will be obvious that modifications may be made in construction and arrangement of parts, and that portions of the invention may be used without others and come within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In an attachment plug, a cupped member of insulator material having a contact member carrying hub arranged centrally therein and openings through the end wall at oppositesides of the hub with apair of parallel ridges at the opposite sides of the openings to serve as contact member alining guides in the cupped member relative to said openlngs.

2. In an attachment plug, a cupped member of molded insulator material arranged with a hub centrally within said member and having openings therethrough at opposite sides of the hub, a contact member molded in and extending beyond the end of the hub, reinforcing ribs at diametrically opposite sides of the hub and extending between the hub and cup wall, a pair of parallel ridges extending at a right angle to the ribs at opposite sides of the openings to serve as contact engaging and alining seats in the cupped member relative to said openings.

3. In an attachment plug, a cupped member of molded insulator material arranged with a hub centrally within the same and having openings therethrough at opposite sides of the hub, and contact engaging and alining seats in the cupped member relative to the openings, a contact terminal post molded in and extending beyond the hub to constitute the end contact of the plug, and

a contact member embodying a body portion having one end extended at a right angle thereto and perforated for engagement on and electrical connection with the post with the opposite end folded upon itself to extend at an angle to the body and the contact member at the fold engaging in a contact alining seat with the folded end diverging upward therefrom and intersecting an opening.

at. In an attachment plug, a pair of cup shaped members of insulator material arranged for mating connection to form easing with a chamber therein entirely enclosed by the members, one insulator member having a conductor post cent-rally embedded therein and projecting therefrom through a central opening in the other insulator member and adapted for securing the insulator members together into a unitary structure and to serve as a center contact for the plug, and the other insulator member having diametrically oppositely arranged openings therethrough to the casing member, a shell contact encircling the other insulator member flanged inwardly at one end for engagement and clamped between the mating edges of the insulator members to mount said contact shell upon the plug when the insulator members are united, and a pair of yielding contact fingers within the casing chamber in alinement with the openings lo cated in the one insulator member, with one contact finger carried by and in electrical connection with the'conductor post and the other contact finger in electrical connection with the shell contact.

5. A separable attachment plug member as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insulator members and contact shell are arranged with parts to inter-engage to maintain the same in predetermined relation, one contact finger comprises a strip of metal having one end bent at a right angle to the body portion and perforated for the engagement on an electrical connection with the post contact, the body thereof being arranged to lie contiguous to the inner wall of the insulator members and having the opposite end folded upon itself to extend obliquely across an opening, and the other contact finger comprising a strip of resilient metal having one end portion offset and engaged between the contact shell and one cupped member with the body portion to lie contiguous to the inner wall of the insulator shells and having the opposite end portion folded upon itself to extend obliquely across the other opening. V

6. A separable attachment plug as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insulator members and contact shell are arranged with parts to interengage to maintain the same in predetermined relation, and the one contact finger comprises a strip of metal having one end bent at a right angle to the body portion and perforated for the engagement on and electrical connection with the post contact, the body thereof being arranged to lie contiguous to the inner wall of the insulator members and having the opposite end folded upon itself to extend obliquely across an opening, and the other contact finger comprising a strip of resilient metal having one end portion offset and engaged between .the contact shell and one insulator member with the body portion to lie contiguous to the inner wall of the insulator members and hav' ing the opposite end portion folded upon itself to extend obliquely across the other opening, and one insulator member is arranged with parallel ridges at opposite sides of the openings for formingseats for the engagement of the folded portion of the contact fingers to aline said fingers relative to the openings.

7 In an attachment plug, a pair of cup shaped members in insulator material arranged for longitudinal mating connection and form a casing having a chamber therein and one member having a central opening therethrough, a post of conducting material carried centrally in the other member of a length to be extended through the central opening in the one member when the members are connected, said post being adapted to secure the members into a unitary structure and serve as a center contact terminal of the plug, the post carrying member being arranged with openings to the casing chamber at diametrically opposite sides of the post, a shell contact encircling the member arranged with the central opening, and a pair of contact fingers carried within the casing chamber in alinement with the openings, one in electrical connection with the post contact and the other in electrical connection with the shell contact.

8. In an attachment plug,a cupped member, a metallic shell contact encircling said cupped member and flanged inwardly at one end over the edge of the wall of said member, and a contact member of resilient material having one end offset laterally and the extended end engaged between the body portions of the shell contact and cupped member with the offset in abutting relation to the edge of the cupped member for mounting said resilient contact member on the cupped member in electrical connection with the shell contact.

9. A separable attachment plug member as claimed in claim 4, wherein the insulator members and contact shell are arranged with parts to interengage to maintain the same in predetermined relation, one contact finger comprises a strip of resilient material having one end bent at a right angle to the main portion and perforated for engagement on and electrical connection with the post contact and the other end obliquely crossing an opening, and the other contact finger comprising a strip of resilient material having one end portion offset and the extended extremity thereof engaged between the contact shell and one cupped member and the other end extending obliquely across the other opening.

10. An attachment plug part comprising a cup member of molded insulator material having a hub integral therewith fixed centrally within and extending axially from the end wall of said cup member, a contact mem; ber molded in and extended axially from said hub, and openings through said end wall at diametrically opposite sides of said hub.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut this 17th day of May. 1927.

BENJAMIN P. MGKINLEY.

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