Improvements in Holders for Electric Incandescent Lamps.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 13th May, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders for Electric Incandescent Lamps.
A communication by MAX MEYBERG, of Los Angeles, in the County of Los
Angeles, in the State of California, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, 118, New Street, Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, and 322, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention pertains to keyless switch sockets for incandescent
lamps and will be fully described in the following specification.
The particular object of this invention is to provide means whereby by grasp-
ing the bulb of the lamp, which is usually the lowest portion thereof, the switch
which turns the current on and off from the lamp may be operated.
A further object of this invention is to provide a neat and artistic metallic
covering for the switch mechanism and for the metallic jacket which encloses the
upper cud of the lamp-bulb, and through which the circuit of the lamp is main-
tained, and to insulate such covering from the electric current without the use
of the insulated lining commonly used in such covering. By this improved
sleeve the metallic jacket of the lamp is concealed from view, and thus accidental
contact with any live portion of the lamp is prevented.
A further object of this invention is to dispense with one of the insulating-
plates commonly used in key-switch sockets, and to do away with the expensive
and complicated switch mechanism heretofore employed for making and breaking
the circuit.
The invention comprises the various features of construction and combinations
of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, whereby the objects hereinbefore
specified are accomplished.
The accompanying drawings illustrate this invention.
Figure 1 is a fragmental side elevation of a lamp-socket and lamp provided
with this invention and showing the switch closed to form the electrical connection
between the lamp and the direct and return wires.
Figure 2 is a like view showing the switch open.
Figure 3 is a fragmental view showing the insulating-plate with the contact
point and the stem-socket secured thereto, and the lamp having its stem provided
with the stud.
Figure 4 is a fragmental sectional view showing a lamp-insulating plate pro-
vided with a solid stem to afford a firm support for the stud.
Figure 5 is a view of a modified form of switch device adapted to be operated
by the lamp.
Figure 6 shows another form.
In the drawings, A represents a socket member or cap, and B represents the

page_text: ordinary insulating-plug or plate of porcelain or other suitable insulating material.
To the centre of this plug is secured a sleeve or stem-socket C which forms one
contact point and is provided with a spiral cam-slot c having two stud-seats el ell
respectively as shown in the drawings one stud-seat is arranged above the
other. A second contact point 1) is also secured to the insulating-plug or plate
and the direct and return wires E F are connected, one with the socket Cand
the other with the contact point.
:
Gis the lamp which has its stem 9 provided with a stud gl secured to the stem
and adapted to slide in the cam-slot in the socket and to seat in either the upper
or the lower stud-seats, as will hereinafter be fully explained. This stud
may be secured to a sleeve g" which may be slipped upon the stem of an ordinary
incandescent lamp and soldered thereto as indicated in Figures 3 and 5, so as to
adapt any ordinary incandescent lamp for use with this improved socket.
H is a sleeve which is of a size suitable to fit around the outside of the cap A.
The top edge of the sleeve is preferably curled or turned slightly inward so
as to engage with a similar curved or outward turned portion on the lower
edge of the cap and prevent the sleeve from slipping off. Screws, are
inserted through the cap and into the insulating plug 13 so that their heads will
project just above the edge of the sleeve and prevent the sleeve from being
moved upward until after the screws have been removed. In this manner the
screws not only hold the sleeve and the cap together, but they hold the plug
within the cup, thus simplifying the construction of the socket very materially.
The inturned or curled edges of the parts are of course formed before they are
assembled, and simply fit into each other when the parts are in position, as is
clearly indicated in Figures 1 and 2. By removing the screws h, h, the sleeve
I may be slipped back over the cap A, and free access had to the socket.
In Figure 4 a fragment of a lamp is shown provided with a stem G which is
formed of a single piece of metal, preferably brass, bent at its lower end to form
a foot G which is secured to the under face of the porcelain cap-plate of the
lamp, while the stem projects through the plate and is provided with
a minute hole into which fits the upper end of one of the lamp-
wires. This gives a firm support for the study which is not afforded by the
ordinary stem unless the sleeve g¹l is used.
In order to effectually cover all live portions of the lamp so that by no possible
means can a shock he received while handling the lamp when the current is on,
this sleeve is made of a length sufficient to extend entirely below the metallic
covering or jacket I upon the top of the lamp, and to engage with the glass
bulb I of the lamp entirely below such jacket. The lower end of the sleeve
may be turned slightly inward as shown in the drawings, and spring tongues
may be provided to grasp between them the upper end or neck of the glass
bulb, and to yield to accommodate themselves to the shape of the lamp, and to
allow the globe to be reciprocated back and forth in the socket-sleeve without
permitting it to become loose and to rattle.
This construction causes the sleeve to contact with the lamp only at one point,
that is, in a circle around the neck of the lamp, the remaining portion of the
neck being out of contact with the sleeve and therefore unsupported thereby. As
the mck of the lamp is usually smooth, the making of the sleeve larger than
the upper portion of the neck except below the metal jacket or covering I, unless
prevented, would permit of the neck being canted over to one side or the other
by the accidental movement of the bulb, until the covering would come in
lectrical contact with the sleeve. To prevent this, the stem or other connection
at the top of the neck of the lamp will engage with the socket on the insulating-
plate or plug B, and thereby hold the stem axially within the sleeve at all times
when they are in operative position. As the neck of the ordinary lamp usually
begins to expand just below the metallic jacket to form the bulb.
it will be seen that the pressure of the tongues, which may be of
any desired length, upon the inclined wall of the lamp, will have a tendency

page_text: to press the bulb out of the socket and thereby cause the pin g¹ to always bear
against the wall of the slot C and prevent its movement or rattling.
In addition to these advantages, the pressure of the spring tongues against the
lamp can be made sufficiently strong to normally press the lamp outward with
such force as to prevent the neck of the bulb from accidentally slipping down into
the sleeve if the lamp is used in an upright instead of pendent position, as in
the foot lights, where the jar upon the stage might cause a movement downward
of the bulb and make a contact between the points when it was not desired that
the lamps should be lighted.
In practical operation the parts being held as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings,
the lamp is raised and turned to the right, the stud gl enters the slot e and is
carried over the rise or incline into the lower stud-seat cl When the stud
is in this position the lamp is not elevated sufficiently to bring the metallic
sleeve I into contact with the point 1), so that the switch is open and the current
does not flow through the lamp. When it is desired to light the lamp it is
grasped by the bulb, pushed upward, thus bringing the contact point 1 into con-
tact with the metallic jacket I, thus closing the switch and allowing the current
to flow through the lamp; the lamp is then turned towards the right, thus
carrying the stud g into the stud-seat c¹ and holds the switch closed until it
is desired to extinguish the light. To do this the lamp is turned slightly to
the left, thus withdrawing the stud from the seat, the lamp being slightly
moved or lowered to seat the stud in the seat c', withdrawing the jacket I from
its contact with the contact point D.
As shown in Figure 5, the stud-seats are in the same horizontal plane,
and a point I, which is formed integral with or secured to the jacket I, is adapted
to be brought into engagement with the point when the lamp is rotated or
turned to bring the stud g into the seat, and to carry it out of engagement
therewith when turned to seat the stud in the seat c'.
It will be noted that the sleeve H contacts only with the insulated cap-piece A
at its upper end, and with the glass bulb of the lamp at its lower end, so that
all live portions of the lamp are enclosed and protected within an insulated
covering and it becomes impossible to accidentally receive a shock.
By this invention, but a single insulating-plate is needed in the socket instead
of the two heretofore employed, and furthermore, the socket is shortened and
the complicated and expensive switch mechanism heretofore used dispensed with,
and the very fewest possible number of parts are employed in this improved
socket.
By removing the screws, the sleeve H, as shown in Figure 1, may be slipped
upward along the supporting-stem thus exposing the entire switch mechanism to
view without removing the lamp from the socket.
In Figure 6 are shown the sleeve C internally screw-threaded and the stem g
of the lamp provided with an externally screw-threaded sleeve g, which screws
into the sleeve or socket to carry the jacket I of the lamp into and out of contact
with the contact point 1, thus to open and close the switch other forms may he
devised without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
1. In a lamp-socket, the combination, with a plate, of a sleeve secured thereto,
said sleeve being provided with spring tongues for engaging with the sloping
wall of the lamp to normally press the same outward, and interlocking means
for holding the neck of the lamp axially within the sleeve, and permitting a
partial rotation thereof, to bring it to a dormant or active position.
2. In a lamp-socket, the combination, with a plate, of a sleeve movably secured
thereto, said sleeve being provided with spring tongues for engaging with the
sloping wall of the lamp to normally press the same outward, and means for

page_text: holding the neek of the lamp axially within the sleeve, and permitting a partial
rotation thereof, to bring it to a dormant or active position.
3. In a lamp-socket, the combination, with a plate, of a cap-piece thereon, the
lower edge of which is turned outward, a sleeve over the cap-piece, the upper edge
of which is turned inward, and screws through the cap-piece into the plate above
the edge of the sleeve.
4. The combination with a lamp socket, of a lamp secured thereto, the neck
of the lamp being provided with a metallic jacket forming one of the contact
points, a sleeve secured upon the socket extending down over the jacket at a
slight distance therefrom, spring tongues formed upon the end of the sleeve
adapted to bear upon the sloping neck of the lamp, and means for holding th
neck of the lamp axially within the sleeve and permitting a rotation thereof,
substantially as described.
5. The combination with a lamp socket, of a lamp detachably secured thereto,
the socket and the neck of the lamp being provided with interlocking projections
permitting endwise and rotary movement of the parts, and a sleeve carried
by the socket provided with spring tongues, which, bearing upon the sloping
wall of the lamp, tend to rotate and urge the same outward and thereby to hold
the locking projections in firm contact.
6. The combination, with a lamp-socket, one terminal of which forms a central
projection, and the other terminal projects at a distance therefrom, of a lamp
secured thereto in such manner as to he rendered dormant or active by a longitu-
dinal movement thereof, the neck of the lamp being provided with a central
projection forming one terminal, and with a metallic jacket forming the other
terminal, said jacket being in position to engage the second mentioned projection
of the socket only when the lamp is in its active position.
7. The combination with a lamp-socket, one terminal of which forms a cen-
trally located slotted socket, and the other terminal is located at a distance there-
from, of a lamp rotatably secured to the socket, one terminal of which forms a
central stem provided with a stud to engage with the slotted socket, and the
other terminal forms a metallic jacket in position to engage with the projection
of the lamp-socket only when the lamp is in its active position.
8. The combination, with a lamp-socket, one terminal of which forms a centrally
located socket and the other one forms a projection at a distance therefrom,
said socket being provided with a spiral slot having two stud-seats in different
horizontal planes, of a lamp rotatably secured to the socket, one terminal of which
formis a central stem provided with a stud, and the other terminal forms a metallic
jacket in position to engage with the projection in the lamp-socket only when the
lamp is in its active position.
9. The combination; with a lamp-socket, one terminal of which forms a centrally
located socket, and the other one forms a projection, at a distance therefrom, said
socket being provided with a spiral slot, of a lamp rotatably secured thereto,
one terminal of which forms a central stem provided with a stud and the other
terminal forms a metallic jacket in position to engage the projection in the lamp-
socket, only when the lamp is in its active position, said lamp-socket being pro-
vided with a tongued sleeve of a greater length than the width of the jacket.
Dand h 07th dow of March 1899
WM. P. THOMPSON & t'o.,
Agents.