US3063033A - Radio tube socket - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 6, 1962 E. J. CARON ET AL 3,063,033

RADIO TUBE SOCKET Filed March 19. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG 3' FIG. 5.

INVENTORS EUGENE J. CARON 8| BY GEORGE W. CARTER ATTORNEYS Nov. 6, 1962 E. J. CARON ET AL 3,053,033

RADIO TUBE SOCKET Filed March 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F I G. H.

INVENTORS EUGENE J. CARON BY GEORGE W. CAR

ATTORNEYS United States Patent OfiFice 3,063,033 Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,063,033 RADIO TUBE SOCKET Eugene J. Caron, Collingswood, and George W. Carter,

Harrington, N.J., assignors to Radio Condenser Company, Camden, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Mar. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 647,059 7 Claims. (61. 339-182) Ths invention relates to radio tube sockets and particularly to sockets for tubes of very small size.

There have been recently developed radio tubes of generally cylindrical shape having lengths of the order of one-half inch with overall diameters of the order of three-eighths to one-half inch, such tubes being well adapted for inclusion in circuits occupying a minimum of space. In particular, they are adapted for use in ultrahigh frequency circuits. It would be evident that the utility of such tubes depends upon the possibility of mounting them in sockets of correspondingly small size in which they may be properly held in removable fashion for replacement.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide socket construction for such tubes which are in themselves very compact and to which direct connections may be readily made, the latter being particularly important in ultrahigh frequency circuits. The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation and FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of a typical tube of the type for which an improved socket is provided in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of a socket for the reception of the tube of FIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of the left hand contact member shown in FIGURE 3 looking at the left side thereof as viewed in that figure;

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation of the right contact member of FIGURE 3 viewed from the right hand side thereof;

in FIGURE 9;

FIGURE 11 is an elevation looking at the right hand contact of the socket as viewed from the right in FIGURE 9; and

FIGURE 12 is a section taken on the plane indicated at 12 12 in FIGURE 9.

Referring first to FIGURES 1 to 6, inclusive, a typical tube is indicated at 2 which is provided with a ceramic envelope 4 having at its left hand end a metallic button 6 which provides the anode connection. At its right hand end as viewed in FIGURE 1 a pair of buttons 8 provide the heater connections. Within groves in the body are metallic rings 10 and 12 providing, respectively, grid and cathode connections. The tube illustrated in FIGURE 1 has an overall length of approximately one-half inch.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided the socket shown in FIGURE 3 which comprises an insulating rod '14 of steatite or vitreous alumina, though it may consist of other insulating material. On this red 14 there are deposited by one of the usual metalizing processes rings 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 which are desirably tinned to facilitate soldering. These rings are separated as illustrated so as to be insulated from each other.

The left hand ring 16 is provided for attachment by soldering of the socket in a supporting chassis and the same is true of the right hand end portion of the ring 24. The rings 16 and 24 may be continued by metal discs on the ends of the rod 14 so that they take the form of metal caps. Thus, the socket itself may be rigidly supported.

A left hand contact member indicated generally at 26 is formed of a flat sheet of metal, desirably silver plated as are the other metallic conductive contact elements of the socket. This contact member has several elemental portions of which the lowermost portion 28 is provided with an opening 30 provided by punching an extrusion to form a flange 32 arranged to fit over and to be soldered to the metallic ring 18. At 34 there is a transverse bend between the portion 28 and the portion 36, the latter being provided with an extruded inwardly projecting dimple 38. Another bend indicated at 40 delimits the lower edge of a portion 42 which is directed outwardly to provide a deflecting cam action upon insertion of the tube. The contact member 26 is of a spring metal, such as beryllium copper.

The right hand contact member indicated generally at 44 is rather similar to the member 26 and of similar spring metal, having its lowermost portion 46 provided with an opening 48 extruded to provide a flange 50 which fits upon and is arranged to be soldered to the metallic ring or cap 24. A bend 52 delimits the upper end of the portion 46 and above it the contact member is bifurcated by a slit 54 to provide individual spring portions 56 which are provided with bends 69 beyond which the end portions 62 are deflected outwardly for camming engagement by the heater buttons 8 of the tube. Each of the portions 56 is provided with an opening 64 in which there is pressed an insulating fitting 66, formed, for example, of Teflon and provided with a flange 68 arranged to abut and limit outward movement of the fitting. Within each fitting there is fitted a metallic contact pin 70 provided with a head '72 rounded for engagement by a corresponding button 8.

Associated with the rings 20 and 22 are clip members 74 which may be of identical form and which are arranged to engage the rings 10 and 12 of the tube. The form of each of these will be evident from FIGURE 6. Each comprises a spring wire, e.g. piano wire silver plated, bent at 76 to provide upwardly extending legs 78 which are bent to provide circular arc portions 80 to embrace and be soldered to the rings 20 and 22. The legs then continue upwardly and are bent at 82 outwardly through somewhat more than a right angle to provide seats. They are then bent inwardly at 84 to provide side portions 86 and then further inwardly to provide engaging portions 88 which are spaced by less than the diameters of the rings 10 and 12. At their free ends the legs are everted outwardly at 90 to provide for a cam spreading action during insertion of the tube. The wire used for each of the members 74 has a diameter slightly less than the width of the grooves in which the rings 10 and 12 of the tube are located.

The contact members 28, 74 and 46 are soldered to their respective rings with the socket taking the final form indicated in FIGURE 3 when a tube is absent. The lower ends of the contact elements may be soldered to wires or other connecting elements of the desired circuit. As will be noted in comparing FIGURES 1 and 3, these figures being to the same scale, the spacing between the dimple 38 and each of the contact heads 72 is less than the overall distance between the faces of the buttons 6 and 8, though the outer ends of the portions 42 and 62 of the outermost contact members are more widely spaced. Accordingly, if the tube 2 is pressed downwardly the end contact members are forced apart and at the same time the legs of the contact members 74 are spread apart so that the tube may finally rest in a position in which it is endwise compressed between the dimple 38 and the contact heads 7?. and transversely between the legs of the contact members 72. Inward movement of the tube is limited by the resting of the rings 1% and 12. on the seats provided by the bends 82, the tube being urged downwardly against these seats by the portions of the legs below the bends 88 which tend to spring in- Wardly to provide a downward camming action. The Wires of these legs are of such diameter that they are received freely within the grooves in which the rings it) and 12 lie. Thus, good electrical contacts are provided for the grid and cathode connections. Good spring contacts are also provided against the buttons 6 and 3. tube is thus quite rigidly clamped in position but may be easily removed by pulling the tube outwardly, the various spring actions providing yielding movements of the contact members to permit such removal.

It will be evident that there is thus provided a socket of very small dimensions comparable with those of the tube itself so that a minimum space is required for the tube-socket assembly.

It will be evident that the socket construction may vary with the electrode arrangement of the tube. For example, if the tube is a diode having an indirectly located cathode, the ring in may be missing and the corresponding spring clip member 74 may be omitted. Or double contacts may be provided at the left hand end of the tube corresponding to those at the right hand end and these may provide all 'of the external terminals of the tube. Then the contact arrangement at 44 could be provided at both ends of the socket, one of the contacts such as '74 being provided solely to locate the tube laterally and arranged asymmetrically with respect to the end contacts to insure placement of the tube in proper position.

The general socket construction which has been described is also applicable to another type of tube 92 which is illustrated in FEGURES 7 and 8 and which comprises the ceramic body 9%, a button $6 providing an anode connection w ich has an extension 93, a pair of heater connection buttons 1%, and flanges 162 and which provide grid and cathode connections. The socket for this type of tube is illustrated in FIGURE 9 and comprises the insulating rod 1% which may be of steatite, vitreous alumina, or other insulating material on which are provided the rings I198, 119, 112, 114, and 116 of the type previously described, the rings 1% and 116 being desirably continued over the ends of the rod to provide caps. The left hand contact member 118 is essentially the same as the contact member 26 previously described though it is provided with a slot 126) to receive the button extension 93. The right hand contact member 122, may be identical with the right hand contact member 44 previously described. The intermediate contact members 1124 take a form suitable for engagement with the flanges 162 and 164 of the tube. For this purpose they are desirably formed of silver plated spring sheet metal, each being doubled back on itself at the tabs 126 which provide for the making of external soldered connections. The contact members are provided with circular openings 128 for reception of, and soldering to, the rings 112 and 114. Bifurcation is provided at 130 to provide outwardly and upwardly diverted portions 132 which are desirably embossed as indicated at 134 to provide good wiping contacts. The outer ends 136 are everted to permit camming spring action as the tube is inserted. Paired dimples 137 are provided near the ends of the portions 132. When the tube is inserted, the end contact members 113 and 122 are sprung outwardly as previously described and the fianges 102 and d engage and defiect apart portions 132 of the contact members 124. Final seating of the tube occurs when the body 94 rests on the ledges provided at 138. Friction due to the spring action of the various contact members and location .of the flanges M2 and 164 The inwardly of dimples then securely holds the tube in position though it may be readily removed by pulling it outwardly. It will be noted that the members 124 are of different lengths so that when the tube is inserted the different diameter flanges lie just inside the paired dimples 137. Good electrical contact is provided by the wiping action of the embossings. By this form of socket as in the case of that shown in FIGURE 3, there is provided a small tube-socket assembly which is highly reliable in holding the tube in position while maintaining good connections to the electrodes. The soldering of the various contact members to their mounting rings provides a rigid construction particularly maintained by the extruded flanges of the end contact members. The intermediate contact members 74 and 124 do not require any special flanging, soldering being sufiicient to hold them in posi tion since the end members prevent the imparting to them through insertion and removal of the tube of any considerable disturbing forces.

It will be evident that various details of construction may be modified without departing from the invention to take care of special forms of tubes. For example, if a single tube contains both flanges and contact members set in grooves, there may be used suitable combinations of inner contact members as shown in the two modifications of the invention which have been described. Furthermore, different dispositions of the contact members of the socket may be made to accommodate various external terminal connections of tubes, for example, as pointed out in connection with first described modification. The insulating member 14 or 106 of the socket may, of course, be non-circular, e.g., rectangular. It is accordingly to be understood that the invention is not to be regarded as limited except as required by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tube socket comprising an elongated member of insulating material, end spring contact members secured to said elongated member, and at least one intermediate contact member secured to said elongated member between said end members, said intermediate contact member being provided with opposed leg portions embracing said elongated member and opposed leg portions adapted for embracing a tube and making contact with a tube electrode, said spring contact members being oppositely disposed for contact with the ends of a tube embraced by said intermediate contact member to limit longitudinal movement thereof relative to said elongated member, said intermediate contact member projecting from said elongated member to define a terminal for electrical connection.

2. A tube socket as defined in claim 1 wherein the tube embracing leg portions and the elongated member embracing leg portions are adapted for mounting said tube and member in laterally spaced fixed relation to one another.

3. A tube socket comprising an elongated member of insulating material, end spring contact members secured to said elongated member, and at least one intermediate contact member secured to said elongated member be tween said end members, said intermediate contact member being provided with opposed leg portions embracing said elongated member and opposed leg portions adapted for embracing a tube and making contact with a tube electrode, said spring contact members being oppositely disposed for contact with the ends of a tube embraced by said intermediate contact member to limit longitudinal movement thereof relative to said elongated member, said intermediate contact member projecting from said elongated member to define a terminal for electrical connection, said elongated member being one continuous length of a cylindrical rod having axially spaced metalized surface areas to which said contact members are soldered.

4. A tube socket comprising an elongated member of .insulating material, end spring contact members secured to said elongated member, and at least one intermediate contact member secured to said elongated member between said end members, said intermediate contact member being bifurcated for reception of a tube and arranged to make electrical contact with a tube electrode, at least one of said spring contact members being bifurcated and having mounted upon each furcation thereof a terminal-engaging pin projected therethrough and insulated therefrom, the corresponding inner ends of said pins being fully exposed.

5. A tube socket as defined in claim 1 wherein the intermediate contact member is formed of spring metal, and including two pairs of opposed legs having embossings thereon, said embossings on each pair of opposed legs facing each other.

6. A tube socket comprising an elongated member of insulating material, end spring contact members secured to said elongated member, and at least one intermediate contact member secured to said elongated member between said end members, sa-id intermediate contact member being provided with opposed leg portions embracing said elongated member and opposed leg portions adapted for embracing a tube and making contact with a tube electrode, and last-named leg portions being constructed to urge an embraced tube toward said elongated member.

7. A tube socket as claimed in claim 6 wherein said end spring contact members are constructed to urge an embraced tube toward said elongated member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 925,452 Brown June 22, 1909 998,895 Harvey July 25, 1911 1,439,429 Lyhne Dec. 19, 1922 1,608,578 Buchenberg Nov. 30, 1926 1,845,047 Holland Feb. 16, 1932 2,016,470 White Oct. 8, 1935 2,397,985 Schrieir'er Apr. 9, 1946 2,405,554 Barbour Aug. 13, 1946 2,462,622 Farrow Feb. 22, 1949 2,473,526 Hood et al June 21, 1949 2,478,887 Nelson Aug. 9, 1949 2,836,807 Goodfellow et al. May 27, 1958 2,965,873 Sindelar Dec. 20, 1960 OTHER REFERENCES February 1957

Images