Improvements in Incandescent Electric Lamps.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Oct., 1898-Accepted, 3rd Dec., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Incandescent Electric Lamps.
We, THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON COMPANY, LIMITED, of 83, Cannon Street,
in the City of London, Electrical Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by George B. Painter,
residing at Schenectady, in the County of Schenectady, State of New York, United
States of America, Electrical Engineer) and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention relates to the terminals of incandescent electric lamps, by
means of which they are brought into circuit with the source of electric supply. It
has for its object to provide a cheap and good pin terminal, so called, for that form
of these lamps, in which one of the lead-in wires is connected to a central pin embedded
in a body of insulating material, the second terminal being connected to the outer
sleeve or ring, as in the well known Westinghouse lamp. For the purposes of
this invention I take a flat strip of metal and stamp the pin from it in a way to be
presently more fully described, at the same time flaring the sides of the pin, so that
it affords a secure anchorage in the plaster of Paris, or other material employed in
the lamp base.
The invention, however, will be better understood from the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the strip from which the pin is
made, Fig. 2 is a view upon an enlarged scale of the pin after completion, and
Fig. 3 is a section of a lamp showing the pin in place.
E2 in Fig. 1 is a strip of conducting metal, preferably brass, provided with a
central hole e¹, the purpose of which will be presently explained. This is the blank
from which the pin E is formed.
In Fig. 2, E is the pin, which as shown consists of a cylindrical body E³ and
flaring ends E¹, with a slit E separating them. The end of the pin is slightly
cupped, as at e in Fig. 3, and a hole e¹ is left in the centre of the cup. In Fig. 3,
B, B are the lead-in wires of the lamp A. At e is shown the cup shaped end of the
pin.
C is the outer terminal of the lamp, to which the leading-in wire B is secured at b.
E is the pin forming the inner terminal, secured to the insulating terminal D, which
is usually plaster of Paris, although other materials might be used.
In the manufacture of the lamp, after the pin is formed in a power press, the
leading-in wire B¹ is drawn through the hole e¹ and into the cup-shaped extremity e
of the pin, the latter being imbedded during the process in the plaster of Paris D.
The cup affords a ready means of securing the lead-in wire in place, as the
solder is held conveniently, and does not rub off on the terminal of the lamp
socket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion (as communicated to us from abroad) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture, a pin terminal for an incandescent electric
lamn, having a hollow body. flaring sides, and a hole in the end.

page_text: 2. As a new article of manufacture, a pin terminal for an incandescent electric
lamp, having a hollow body, flaring sides, and a hole and a cup in the end.
Dated this 25th day of October 1898.
THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., LTD.,
W. MARTINDALE, }}
A. R.
ALFRED CLEMENTS,
Directors.
Assistant Secretary.
THE BRITISH THOMSON-HOUSTON CO., LTD.,
W. MARTINDALE,
A. R. MONKS,
}
Directors.
ALFRED CLEMENTS,
Assistant Secretary.