US2659060A - Multiple electric plug tap with means to secure additional taps thereto - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1953 D. B. COHANE 2,659,060

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC PLUG TAP WITH MEANS TO SECURE ADDITIONAL TAPS THERETO Filed Jan. 31 1951 IN VEN T OR.

ATTmRNEY Patented Nov. 10, 1953 MULTIPLE ELECTRIC PIjUG TAP WITH MEANS Tosneunn THERETO" l-birionenmijasg This invention relates to plugs-for-electric cords and the like and in" particular a plug havingupon a walloutlet or the like-and in which.the

plug isalsoprovided withthreaded rimsposi tioned around' prong receiving sockets the connecting similarplugs-thereto.

The; purpose of. this. invention is to provide a three way or multiple outlet plug for connecting a plurality of electric, cords to a common outlet whereby cords extended from the plug and also the plug are. positivel'ye secured. in: position so that accidental separation of: the plugs or oflthe; multipleiplug from the wall socket is prevented.

In.;t;he conventionaltype of threeway ormulti pie;- plug where contact prongs. extend fromone; sideand prong receiving openingseare providedim otherzparts thereof, the weight ofrafi cord extended from the plug has a tendency to withdraw the multiple plug from a wall socket and where only prongs are used for connecting cords to the multiple plug the plugs of the cord are accidentally withdrawn or partly withdrawn whereby short circuits are caused and damage often results therefrom. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a plug which combines the conventional contact prongs with a threaded locking cap whereby the plug is positively secured in a wa11 receptacle and also a plug that includes the conventional contact prong receiving slots or openings with threaded rims around the openings whereby plugs of a similar type may be positively secured thereon.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a multiple plug which is designed to receive plugs of electric cords in which the plugs of the cords are of the combination type which combine the conventional prongs with threaded locking elements for positively securing the plugs in contacting relation with the multiple plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple plug that is designed to receive combination contact prongs and screw locking elements of electric cord plugs which is also adapted to receive conventional plugs of electric cords.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple plug for providing means for attaching a plurality of electric cords to a common wall outlet and wherein both contact prongs and screw locking elements are used for connecting electric cord plugs thereto, which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a plughaving a body formedi in two sections with; a mounting disc: having an annular flange thereonpositioned on one of the sections; spaced contact-prongs ex tended from the sections of the body and-through the mounting disc: and an internally threaded collarrotatably mounted on said mounting disc;

the said sectionsof th-e body having a. plurality -of sockets: including prong receiving 'slots and; threaded r-imsgaround the slotspositioned' on the outensurfaces thereofi (other: features and advantagesi of the; invene tion. will appean from the" following-= description taken: in: connectiort withthe drawing wherein-r Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through'the improvedi'multipl'e plug beingrtaken: on: line- I-'-'I of: Eigr 2:.

Eigure; is; az section, through: the. plug; takenz 1; 11 r-Z' 31%;.

Figure-3 is; a side;- elevationalg view,- of the; plug; looking toward one of the outlet sockets thereof and showing the plug on a reduced scale.

Figure 4 is a similar view looking toward one side of the plug and illustrating the relative positions of the outlet sockets thereof.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved multiple or three way plug of this invention includes a plug body formed with sections it] and II, a mounting disc I2 which is secured to the section II by a bolt I3 and a collar I4 that is freely rotatable on the mounting disc I2.

The section III of the body is provided with elongated slots I5 and I8 and complementary sections I! and I8 of the slots are provided in the section II, as shown in Fig. 3. Connecting slots I9 and 26 extend through the section II of the body with the inner ends thereof communicating with the lower sections I! and I8 of the slots. The section I0 of the body is also provided with slots 2| and 22 through which prongs 23 and 2d extend respectively and, as shown in Fig. 1, the inner ends of the prongs are provided with spring arms 25 and 26 that are positioned to contact prongs inserted in the slots I9 and. 28, respectively.

The inner sections 2'? and 23 of the prongs 23 and 25 extend outwardly into recesses 29 and 3G in the side walls of the slots of the sec tions of the plug body, and as illustrated in Fig.

2 the section 27 of the prong 23 is connected to a transversely disposed clip 3i by a rivet 32 and the ends of the clip are provided with spring contact sections 33 and 34 which extend into slot 15. The section 28 of the prong 24 is provided with a similar clip which is indicated by the numeral 35 and the clip 35 is provided with spring contact sections 36 and 31 and these sections extend into the slot H3. The clip 35 is secured to the section 28 of the prong by a rivet 38.

The contact ends 33, 34, 36 and 37 also extend into the complementary sections of the slots I5 and I6 and the ends of the slots extend into counterbores 39 and 40 in opposite sides of the plug body whereby similar contact prongs or prongs of conventional electric plugs may be in'- serted in the slots to contact the spring contact sections of the clips.

The counterbores 39 and 40 which extend into both sections 10 and H of the plug body are surrounded with threaded rims 4| and s2 upon which collars similar to the collar 14 of similar plugs may be threaded.

The slots I9 and also extend into a similar counterbore 43 in the side of the plug opposite to that from which the prongs 23 and 24 extend and the counterbore 43 is provided with a threaded rim 44.

The mounting disc i2 is provided with an annular flange 55 and a similar inwardly extended annular flange 45 on the collar Hi extends over the fiange 45 whereby the collar is freely rotatable on the mounting disc. With the prongs 23 and 24 inserted in prong receiving slots or openings in the plug or wall receptacle the collar I may be threaded on a rim 4'! positioned on the outer surface of a wall plate 48 of a receptacle or outlet box.

With the parts arranged in this manner the improved multiple outlet plug of this invention is inserted in an outlet box or wall receptacle by placing the prongs 23 and 24 in the conventional slots or openings of the receptacle and with the prongs in position the collar I4 is threaded on a rim or other extension on the base or wall plate of the receptacle, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention,

What is claimed is:

A plug having multiple faces for electric fixture cords formed of two similarly shaped sections, a mounting disc having an enlarged annular fiange in engagement with one face of said plug, an externally threaded rim surrounding the outer faces of the said plug, a bolt extending through said sections and mounting disc to retain the same in fixed relation to each other, a collar having an externally threaded portion and an internal flange, the collar being mounted on the mounting disc so that the flange of the collar will engage the flange of the disc whereby the collar is rotationally mounted on said mounting disc, prongs extending outwardly of the plug within the collar mounted on said disc, prong receiving sockets in the other faces of said plug, electric contacts in said plug and positioned to engage prongs inserted in said-sockets and the said collar adapted to be mounted on the threaded external rim of a similarly formed plug to retain the two plugs in fixed relation to each other.

DAVID B. 00m ns,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 839,224 Stokes Dec. 25, 1906 1,400,803 Conlan Dec. 20, 1921 1,941,488 Propp Jan. 2, 1934 1,944,719 Regenauer Jan. 23, 1934 2,199,560 Faller May 7, 1940

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