Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 6th May, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 24th June, 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by EDWARD M°EVOY, of New York, United States of
America, Superintendent of Erection of Electric "Plant."]
These obiects are secured by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

page_text: through the block A.
j, and are small apertures in the block A and cover B to receive the screws
for attaching the cover B to the block A.
1, are orifices in the block A to receive screws to hold the block to the ceiling or
other desired support.
m, m' are the main supply wires; n, n¹ are the tap wires.
o, o are narrow channels in the upper surface of the cut out block A.
Similar letters denote corresponding parts in the several views.
This invention constructed as shown and described and having its several parts,
exclusive of the supply and tap wires, arranged and connected as shown and described
is applied to use in the following manner.
The cover B is removed, and the tap wires n n¹ are together passed up through the
perforation K. and their respective ends are passed down through the perforations and i¹
and connected to the plates F and G by the set screws d and the insulating
material being removed from said wires sufficiently to allow said wires to come in
contact with said plates, when the screws d and e are set in place. The block A is
then secured to the ceiling or other support and the set screws a and h are removed
from the plates E and H and the main supply wires m, m² are directed into and
through the channels D¹ and D¹¹ over and upon the plates E and H. The insulating
material which encloses the wires m and m¹ is removed sufficiently to permit of said
plates and wires being brought in contact by the pressure of the set screws a and h
and said screws are set in place in their respective plates. The tap wires are next
passed through the perforation L in the cover B, said cover is secured to the block A,
and said tap wires are then connected to the lamp in the usual manner.
The flow of the electric current being established its course is from the main wire m,
through the plate E, arm I, plate F and tap wire n to the lamp and from the main
wire m' through the plate H, arm J, plate G and tap wire n' to the lamp.
If at any time the intensity of the electric current is so excessive as to overheat
the wires or if the same become otherwise injured so as to endanger and threaten
the destruction of the tap wires, the excessive heat fuses and melts the arms I and J,
breaks the connection between the wires m, m¹ and n, n¹ and the danger of the
destruction of the lamp tap wires is averted. The block A may then be readily
opened and the damaged parts be repaired or renewed.
Prior to this invention the usual mode of connecting tap wires was by soldering
them to the main wires-a slow and expensive process as compared with that herein
described.
By this invention is secured an effective tapping of the main supply wires and
relieves the latter of the weight of the tap wires the arrangement of said last
named wires being such that they are held and supported by the tap block itself.
The employment of the fusible arms which connect the plates E and F, and G

page_text: and H, ensures an automatic cut off of the electric fluid from the tap wires the
instant the main wires become overheated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. As a new article of manufacture, a tap block or cut out block for the wires of
electric lamps, adapted to be combined with the main supply wires m and m³ and the
tap wires n and n¹ of an electric circuit, having the plates E, F, G, and H, arms I
and J, set screws a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and and provided with the triple channels C, D¹
and D and the cross channels K, i and a substantially as and for the purposes
shown and as described.
2. The combination of the main supply wires m and m³, and tap wires n and n',
with a box A provided with triple longitudinal channels C, D¹ and D", plates E, F, G
and H fusible arms I and J, set screws a, b, c, d, e, f, g, and hand cross perforated
channels K, i and as shown described whereby the combined result of a fusible and
adjustable tap connection, together with an improved support for pendant lamp wires,
is effected.