Improvements in Swing Joints or Ceiling Connections for Carrying Suspended Electric Light Fittings or Combined Electric Light and Gas Fittings.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 14th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 1st Apr., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Swing Joints or Ceiling Connections for Carrying
Suspended Electric Light Fittings or Combined Electric Light
and Gas Fittings.
We, PERCY GARNISS EBBUTT and JOHN BENJAMIN VERITY, both of Plume
Works, Aston, Warwickshire, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in swing joints or
ceiling connections for carrying suspended electric light fittings or combined
electric light and gas fittings and the object of this invention is to so construct the
said swing joints or ceiling connections that the said fittings will always hang per-
pendicularly and be free to swing through a certain angle in any direction or rotate
through a certain angle in either direction.
In carrying out this invention we provide a ball joint, either insulated or not as
may be required, somewhat similar to those ball joints which are used for gas
pendants consisting of a ball or part of a ball furnished with a downwardly pro-
jecting socket or otherwise formed to connect to the fitting and enclosed in a cup
which is by preference of spherical shape consisting of an upper half or part which
is formed with or connected to the ceiling plate and a lower half or part in which
the said ball or part of a ball fits the said upper and lower halves or parts of the
cup being connected together by screws from the outside or by other means si
that the fitting can be readily fixed without being screwed round which would
twist the wires. The said upper half or part of the cup is by preference perforated
to allow of the wires being jointed after the fitting is fixed and then being hidden
from view in the said swing joint. In order to prevent the said ball part of the
joint to which the fitting is attached, being rotated through a complete circle and
thereby twisting the wires, we provide one or more pegs or stops projecting inside
the cup and corresponding spaces or cut away parts in the ball or part of the ball
which turns so that these pegs or stops will allow of the ball being turned only
through a certain angle.
Dated this 12th day of May 1892
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Swing Joints or Ceiling Connections for Carrying
Suspended Electric Light Fittings or Combined Electric Light
and Gas Fittings.
We, PERCY GARNISS EBBUTT and JOHN BENJAMIN VERITY, both of Plume
Works, Aston, Warwickshire, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention consists of the hereindescribed improvements in swing joints or
ceiling connections for carrying suspended electric light fittings or combined
electric light and gas fittings and the object of this invention is to so construct the
said swing joints or ceiling connections that whilst the said fittings will always
hang perpendicularly and be free to swing the swing joint will allow of the fitting
Price &71

page_text: being rotated only through a certain angle and not through a complete circle thus
making it impossible for the rotation of the fitting to twist and strain or break
the wires.
We will describe this invention by referring to the accompanying drawings on
which
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a swing joint or ceiling connection constructed
according to this invention for carrying suspended electric light fittings;
Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the same taken on line X X of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of a swing joint or ceiling connection constructed
according to this invention for carrying a combined electric light and gas
fitting and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of the same on line Y Y of Fig. 3.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all
the figures.
In carrying out this invention we provide a ball joint somewhat similar to those
ball joints which are used for gas pendants consisting of a ball or part of a ball A
furnished with a downwardly projecting socket B or otherwise formed to connect
to the fitting and enclosed in a cup which is by preference of spherical shape
consisting of an upper half or part C¹ which is formed with or connected to the
ceiling plate D and a lower half or part C in which the said ball or part of a
ball A fits. In Fig. 1 the upper part C¹ is shewn connected to the ceiling plate D
by means of a tubular spiggot part d' of the ceiling plate being screwed into a
socket part c of the upper part C¹ and in this particular swing joint the upper
part C is not insulated from the ceiling plate D although it may be insulated
therefrom as is the upper part C' of the connection shewn by Fig. 3 where it will
be seen that the socket part c which connects to the gas pipe is made loose from
the upper part C' and insulated therefrom by the india rubber or other insulating
washer e and there is also another insulating washer placed between the bottom
of the socket c and the lower part C2 of the cup. The upper and lower halves or
parts CC of the cup are so connected together by screws from the outside or by
other means that the fitting can be readily fixed without being screwed round
which would twist the wires. In Figs. 1 and 2 this connecting together of the
two parts CC of the cup is effected by means of the three screws F' F' F'
which pass through both the parts and project inside the cup and form stops to
limit the rotation of the lower part C as hereinafter described. By first removing
these screws the lower part C and the parts A and B and the fitting are free
to be removed. In the example of this invention shewn by Figs. 3 and 4 the
upper and lower parts C¹ C' are screwed together by turning the upper part C',
the lower part C which carries the fitting meanwhile remaining stationary. When
the swing joint or ceiling connection is required only as an electric light fitting the
upper part or half C¹ of the cup (see Figs. 1 and 2) is made with perforations such
asf (Fig. 1) to allow of the wires being jointed after the fitting is fixed and then
being hidden from view within the swing joint.
In order to prevent the ball part A of the joint to which the fitting is attached
being rotated through a complete circle and thereby twisting the wires, we provide
one or more pegs or stops say three in number marked F¹ F F³ projecting inside
the cup and we provide corresponding spaces or cut away parts a¹ a a' in the ball
or part of the ball A which turns thus leaving three projections a* as a on the top
of the ball part A so that when this part A is turned these projections a' a" a will
come into contact with the pegs or stops F1 F2 F' and thus limit the angle of
rotation of the fitting and prevent the wires being twisted so as to strain or
break them.
We find that to limit the angle of rotation to about thirty five degrees as in the
swing joints or connections above described and shewn on the drawings answers
well in practice but it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to any
particular angle as if desired stops and projections may be arranged so as to allow
of the fitting turning through almost a complete circle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it to be understood
that we make no claim in respect of the swing joints or ceiling connections
herein described if made without means for limiting the angle of rotation of the fitting
but we declare that what we claim is :-
1. In swing joints or ceiling connections for carrying suspended electric light fittings
or combined electric light and gas fittings the provision of means for limiting the
angle of rotation of the ball or ball part of the joint to prevent unduly twisting
the electric wires, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the swing joint or ceiling
connection for carrying a suspended electric light fitting and permitting only a
limited angle of rotation of the said fitting to prevent unduly twisting the electric
wires, hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the swing joint or ceiling
connection for carrying a suspended combined electric light and gas fitting and
permitting only a limited angle of rotation of the said fitting to prevent unduly
twisting the electric wires, hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4
of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of February 1893.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.