Improvements in and in connection with Means for Mounting Electric Lamps on Signs, Letters, and other Articles and Surfaces.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1889
Improvements in and in connection with Means for Mounting Electric
Lamps on Signs, Letters, and other Articles and Surfaces.
I, GUSTAVE ADOLPH HARTER, Manufacturer, of No. 164, La Salle Streot,
Chicago, Illinois, one of the United States of North America, 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:-
My invention relates to improvements in incandescent lamp holders, or
receptacles.
The object of my invention is to cheapen the construction, to increase the
utility and to protect the holder, or receptacle against mechanical and electrical
injury by constructing it as an integral part of the object on which it is desirable
to mount a number of incandescent lamps. Heretofore sockets, holders or recep-
tacles have been made as a separate device, and these have been attached to the
object upon which it has been desirable to mount a series of incandescent lamps.
When the latter method of mounting incandescent lamps is employed, the
length of the socket together with the lamp, produces too much of a projection
from the surface upon which they are mounted for the most artistic effect. For
decorative purposes this is especially objectionable, as for instance, where lamps
are to be mounted upon the walls, ceilings, or under the coves of a room.
only the glass portion of the lamp is visible the artistic effect is greatly enhanced.
There are a great many places where this effect is desirable, as in signs, where
the outline of the letter, or configuration, is produced by a series of lamps, in
fixtures and in groups of lamps.
If
I might mention a great number of other places where the effect produced, as
a result of my invention, would be highly appreciated.
My invention has for its object to produce the effect described and at the
same time to cheapen the construction of the lamp holders, and to produce
a construction more durable than when separate holders are used and mounted
in the manner described.
With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel con-
struction, relation, and combination of parts, whereby a new article of manu-
facture is produced, hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed
out in the appended claims.
In the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof. Fig. 1 is an eleva-
tion of a sign letter, made of plastic material, wherein the lamp receptacles
are made an integral part of the letter.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, showing the lamps placed in the receptacles.
Fig. 3 is a broken section of a mold, showing my method of placing the
receptacle contacts in the mold, and connecting them to circuit wires therein
ready for the plastic material to be molded around them.
Fig. 4 is a similar view arranged for a different lamp base.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the contacts used in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a connecting wire, which also forms one of the receptacle contacts

page_text: Like letters refer to similar parts in the several figures.
Referring to Fig. 3 a is a mold form into which the plastic material which
is to compose the object into which I desire to construct my lamp receptacles,
is placed. The spaces a¹ in the mold are all to be filled with such material.
I have illustrated in Fig. 3 one practical, cheap method of constructing a
series of receptacles adapted for an Edison base lamp. The bottom of the mold a
should be pierced with small holes a regular distance apart, at as many places
as it may be desirable to produce a receptacle. A pin should be inserted in
these holes, as shown. Plug beach have a screw thread corresponding to the
screw thread on the base of an Edison lamp, one of the said plugs is placed over
each of the pins b. These plugs do not quite touch the bottom of the mold.
A wire e preferably a soft copper wire, about No. 14 in size, is wound around the
said plugs within the screw thread, the terminus of the wire after being wound
nround all of the plugs, as shown, is then taken outside of the mold, and forms
one of the terminals for the entire group of holders. Another wire el, shown
in plan view in Fig. 6, is wound partially around the pins & in succession, and
forms the other terminals of the group of receptacles.
"
It will be noticed that the plug is larger at its top end; the object of this is
to leave a depression in the plastic material around the receptacle. After the
wires and have been placed as described and shown in Fig. 3, plastic
material, such as plaster Paris, cement, clay or any suitable insulating material,
is placed or poured into the mold a, it may then be baked, or burned, if it is of
suitable material for such a process, and when it is thoroughly dried or "set
the plugs are backed out from the screw thread they have formed in the
plastic material. The pins are driven or screwed out through the back of the
mold. The holes the pins have left may be closed with some of the material
used in forming the object, and I will then have an object such as a letter, a
cove-mold or the like, containing a series of receptacles and their connecting
wires constructed in one integral part, which is water proof, compact and cheap
to produce. After the plastic material has become hard and dry the wires c and o¹
will be held firmly in place.
I have shown plug 39 in section, to more plainly illustrate the manner of wind-
ing the wires thereon.
My letter, or the like, is now ready for the lamps, and all that is necessary
is to screw the lamps into the receptacles that have been formed in the plastic
material in the manner described, and when wires e clare connected to a proper
circuit, the lamps will light.
Fig. 4 shows a similar mold to that shown in Fig. 3, arranged for producing
receptacles for lamps having a T-H. base. In this case the contacts and
are mounted upon a small sheet of insulating board such as fiber, this is
preferably rectangular in shape, as shown in plan view Fig. 5. The wires c
and are soldered to the contacts & and, they are then placed into the mold,
as shown in Fig. 4, and the plastic material is placed or poured around them as
before described. The plugs are first screwed down on to studs d, as shown.
Contacts for lamps requiring a different socket from those shown may be made
in a similar manner, as I desire it understood that I do not limit myself to the
specific details of construction herein shown and described, but reserve to myself
the right to make such changes in the form and arrangement of the various
parts as may fairly come within the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. An article of manufacture, a lamp receptacle having electrical contacts
properly disposed, and partly surounded with plastic material, substantially
as set forth.
2. An article of manufacture, a series of lamp receptacles having their respec-

page_text: tive electrical contacts properly disposed and partly surrounded with a plastic
material common to all, substantially as set forth.
3. An article of manufacture, a series of lamp receptacles having their respec.
tive electrical contacts properly disposed, said contacts being connected in an
electric circuit, the contacts partly and circuit wires entirely surrounded with
plastic material common to all, substantially as set forth.
4. An article of manufacture, a series of lamp receptacles having their respre-
tive contacts properly disposed and held in position by a plastic material which
surrounds all of the series of receptacles in common, substantially as set forth.
5. An article of manufacture, a series of lamp receptacles having their contacts
properly disposed and held in position by a plastic material, which surrounds all
of the series of receptacles in common, and which also forms an attachment,
such as a screw thread, or the like, for retaining the lamp in the said receptacle,
substantially as set forth.
G. An article of manufacture, a socket or receptacle having electrical contact
properly disposed, and held in position by a plastic material which partly sur-
rounds them, and an attachment such as a screw thread, formed into the Baid
plastic material as a means for retaining a lamp in the said socket, substantially
as set forth.
7. An article of manufacture, a sign-letter, or the like, composed of plastic
material, a series of lamp receptacles made an integral part of the said letter,
and electrical wires imbedded in the said plastic material extending to the
outside surface of the said letter for attaching to an electric circuit, substantially
as set forth.
8. The process of making an electric sign, letter or the like, which consists in
forming a mold, of the desired shape, placing a number of receptacle contacts
therein, in the manner shown, connecting the said contacts to circuit wires,
leading the circuit wires outside of the mold for terminals, placing plugs,
corresponding to the lamp bases, in proper relation with the contacts, and filling
the mold with an insulating, plastic material, and then drying or baking the
plastic material, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th day of November 1899
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.