Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1887
Complete Left, 12th June, 1888
Complete Accepted, 20th July, 1888
RONALD AUGUSTUS SCOTT Electrical Engineer 331 King Street Hammersmith,
London W. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of improvements in Incandescence Electric lamp holders
or sockets by which the lamp terminals or loops are connected direct on to the circuit
wires without the use of intermediate springs or contacts which usually are employed,
and form themselves part of the electric circuit, and are liable to heat from imperfect
contact. According to my invention, I employ a holder or socket consisting of a
metal cylinder for attaching to the fitting, containing a spiral spring, and a base
block, which latter is either fixed or free to revolve, & constructed of slate or other
insulating material, and having two small holes therein for the circuit wires to pass
through, which wires being sufficiently bared of insulation, are formed into books by
pliers, and the lamp being hooked on, contact is maintained by means of a lateral
thrust imparted to the lamp through an outer tube of brass carrying prongs or elastic
projections, which prongs or projections form a steadying seat for the body of the
lamp, the lateral thrust before mentioned is imparted to the outer tube carrying the
prongs or elastic projections, by the spiral spring contained in the metal cylinder
the force being transmitted through slots in the cylinder.
1007

page_text: Improvements in Lamp Holders or Sockets for Incandescence
Electric Lamps.
I, RONALD AUGUSTUS SCOTT, of 331 King Street, Hammersmith, London, W.
Electrical Engineer, 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 relates to improvements in incandescent electric lamp holders, or
sockets, and has for its object the provision of such means as will allow of the
looped terminals of the lamp being connected direct on to the circuit wires without
the intervention of the usual hooked spring terminals, or contacts, which themselves formi
part of the electrical circuit and are liable to heat from imperfect contact, or "flash"
should any vibratory motion of the lamp, as obtains when used on board ship, occur.
To carry this invention into effect I construct the holder, or socket, by "sweating,”
or soldering, one end of a piece of thin brass tube onto a small brass casting having
a circular opening to allow of its being attached to any desired form of pendent, or
fitting, the leads, or wires, from which pass through the circular opening into the
brass tube. In place of screw threading this opening in the usual manner I prefer
to fit it with a set screw, so as to allow of the holder being more readily clamped to,
or removed from, any desired pendent or fitting. At the other end of the brass tube
a disc, or plug, of slate is fixed by punching, or otherwise forming around the tube,
at a distance from its top equal to the thickness of the disc, or plug, of slate, three
or more inwardly projecting lugs, or shoulder pieces.
The disc, or plug, rests on these and is secured in place by bending over three or
more projecting pieces left on top of the tube for that purpose, the leads, or wires,
passing through suitably formed holes in the disc.
Slots are cut, on diametrically opposite sides of the brass tube, extending, vertically,
from the inner face of the slate disc to a point a little above the inner face of the
small brass casting where they terminate in short horizontal slots.
Inside the brass tube, and between the slate disc and the small brass casting is
placed a spiral spring of such a diameter as will just allow of its working freely within
the tube.
A second brass tube, sliding partly over the one fitted as above described, has its
lower edge so cut at diametrically opposite sides as to allow of two pieces being turned
inwards. These pieces pass into the slots cut in the inner tube and project sufficiently
through them to allow of the spiral spring exerting its pressure upon them. The
upper part of the outer tube is so cut away as to leave only four (or any other desired
number of,) prongs, or elastic projections which form a steadying seat for the body of
the lamp.
If now the leads, or wires, are passed through the holes in the slate disc, being
previously sufficiently stripped of insulation for the purpose, and the ends so passed
through formed, by pliers, or other means, into hooks over which the terminals of the

page_text: lamp are placed, the lateral thrust imparted to the lamp by the spiral spring acting
on the outer tube and its elastic projections will serve to maintain a firm contact
between the hooks and the lamp terminals.
To replace a lamp the outer tube is pressed down until the pieces projecting into
the slots touch the bottom of them, when by a slight turn they are locked into the
small horizontal slots, and the spiral spring is then held in compression.
Having thus indicated the nature of my invention and shown in what manner the
same is to be carried into effect 1 will now proceed to more particularly describe the
same by reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a holder, or socket,
half in elevation and half in section.
Fixed on the small brass casting A, having the central aperture B, and set screw C
to allow of its being readily attached to any fitting, is a brass tube D, at the top end
of which is secured the slate disc, or plug, E, having countersunk openings a, to
facilitate the passing of the leads, or wires, through the disc, which, in turn, is held
in place by the punched, or stamped, lugs, or shoulder pieces c, and the turned down
projections b. The tube D has cut in it the L shaped slots d, and in these the
inwardly projecting pieces t, of the outer tube F slide, both the pieces t, t, projecting
sufficiently inwards to be acted upon by the spiral spring j, whose uppermost
convolution is flattened for this purpose.
If now the terminals of a lamp be hooked on to the hooks h (only one of which is
shown) formed on the ends of the leads, or wires, after the same have been passed
through the slate disc E, the elastic prolongations S. S. of the tube F, will, by the
pressure of the spring; on the pieces t, t, force the body of the lamp outwards and
so maintain a firm contact between the hooks h and the terminals of the lamp.
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 :-
The hereinbefore described method of constructing an incandescent lamp holder,
or socket, so as to allow of the circuit wires being directly attached to the terminals of
the lamp without the intervention of the usual hooked spring, or other, terminals.
Dated this 11th day of June 1888.
F. SEATON SNOWDON,
Agent for the Applicant.