Improvements relating to Holders or Supports for Electric Incan- descent Lamps and to Contact-devices for Use therein.
Year: 1888

page_text: Paris, France, Electrician.]
Improvements relating to Holders or Supports for Electric Incan-
descent Lamps and to Contact-devices for Use therein.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 holders or supports for incandescent lamps and to contact-
devices for use therein. The improved holders or supports embodying the said
invention are made of various forms and can be applied to any kind of electric
incandescent lamps.
In one form of my invention details of which are represented in Figure 1, and
general arrangements in Figures 3, 13, 14, 15, 16 etc. the holder or support comprises
contact pistons adapted to serve as terminals for the two wires which conduct the
electric current.
These contact pistons A A are essentially composed of three parts, combined as
shown in Figures 1, 13, etc. namely, a nut B pierced in the centre with a cylindrical
hole, and arranged to press the conducting wire between its head and the insulating
part into which it is screwed, a headed pin C in the form of a rivetting nail, and a
helical spring R. In order to prevent the pin C leaving the nut B, its lower
extremity is upset or jumped. On pressing upon the head of this pin C the latter will
descend in the nut, and on being released will rise again under the action of the
spring R.
It will be readily understood that these contact pistons A A can be used in various
For this purpose it is
cases and with any description of incandescent lamps.
sufficient to provide for a connection, by any suitable means, between the heads of
the pins and the filaments of the lamps, the action of the springs R ensuring the

page_text: .
fixation of the lamps at the same time as the contacts are established. The employment
of these contact pistons in various arrangements of lamp holders or supports will
hereinafter be described.
One of these arrangements is represented in Figures 2 to 13, two contact pistons A A
are secured by means of screw threads in a disc I, Figure 2, made of suitable insulating
material such as hardened india-rubber, vulcanized fibre, or the like, and provided with
four holes, two of which, S S, are designed to receive the contact pistons, and the
other two, FF, permit the passage of the conducting wires Z Z.
Above the contact pistons A A is placed an interruptor or block of suitable
insulating material. The interruptor is in this case made in the form of a disc D
traversed by two metal pieces E E which are rounded off at the top, their lower end
constituting a plain surface that is flush with the under side of the said disc. A
groove U formed in the middle of the disc D between the metal pieces E E is designed
to receive an operating rod T.
The support moreover comprises three other parts that is to say, a cylindrical
tube L provided with diametrically opposite slits H H permitting the passage of the
operating rod T, and with slits KK designed to form a bayonet joint; a socket M
the lower part of which is internally screw threaded for mounting the support upon
the apparatus with which it is to be used; and an internally screw-threaded ring X.
These parts are connected as shown in Figure 13, for which purpose the disc I is
provided with a projecting part or snug N to engage with the aforesaid tube Land
socket M arranged above and below the disc and having notches or incisions such
as nn Figures 2, 4 and 6. The ring or collar X screwed upon the socket M, and
bearing upon projecting parts a a of the tube L serves to keep the latter and the disc I
in position by pressing them against the socket M. In the tube L is placed the disc D
with the operating rod T.
.
Upon the support thus constituted, and above the disc 1) thereof can be fixed by means
of bayonet joints either the base-piece or bottom W of an incandescent lamp, the
contact pieces W1 W₁ of which coincide with the metal pieces E E, or a second disc
which is similar to D, the lower metal pieces, similar to E E, of the second disc
coinciding with the rounded portion of the metal pieces E E and being made of a
shape adapted to the contact pieces of the lamp to be supported. In every case it is
necessary that the disc D shall permit of displacement without turning the parts
situated either above or below it.
The operation of the disc Dis very simple. When the rod T bears on either side
against the left-hand ends of the slits H H, and when in this position the metal
pieces E E are in contact above with the contact pieces WW of the lamp, and below
with the heads of the contact pistons A A, the electric current can pass through the
lamp. If the rod T is now pushed from the left to the right, it will be guided by the
slits H H and cause the disc D to turn, which motion will have the effect of
simultaneously breaking the contact of the metal pieces E E with W W and with
the contact pistons A, so that the current ceases to flow and the lamp will be
extinguished.
Instead of pushing the rod T from the left to the right, the movement can of course
be reversed if necessary. It is sufficient to turn the rod T back to its original position
in order to re-establish the communications and allow the passage of the current. This
device has the advantage of interrupting the electric current in four places at the same
time, and of obviating any sparks.
The electric current passes through the conductors Z Z, Figure 13, to the contact
pistons A A which by the action of their springs will press upon the lower
extremity of the metal pieces E E and through the medium of the latter against the
contact pieces W W¹ of the lamp either direct or by means of another part, according
to requirements.
By the action of the springs of the contact pistons A A the disc D is continually
kept in contact with the base-piece or bottom of the lamp, and if this bottom is
removed the disc D is kept in position by the rod T engaging with the slits H. The
notch or groove U in the disc D is deep enough to enable the latter to descend,

page_text: pressing upon the pistons without interfering with its turning movement caused by the
rod T.
Another form or modification of my invention is represented in Figures 14, 15, 16
and 17. In this modified support the interrupter D, is similar in shape to that in the
arrangement hereinbefore described; but its diameter is much smaller than that of the
cylindrical tube L' in which it is placed. The operating rod T presents in its middle
a thinner part which is located in the notch or groove U¹, and at the two extremities
two thicker parts of the form of knobs. The said rod T¹ moreover consists of two
parts, as shown in Figure 17. Holes H H are formed in the cylindrical tube I, for
permitting the passage of the extremities of the rod T¹ which slides in the said holes
with little friction as it imparts motion to the disc D¹.
When the rod T is pushed to one side, Figure 16, in which position the metal
pieces E E of the disc D₁ are at the same time in contact with the contact
piston Al A' and the contact pieces, WW1 the current will pass. If the rod T¹ is
then pushed from the right to the left the disc D₁, Figure 14 will be displaced, and
the above mentioned contacts will discontinue simultaneously or if the contact
pieces W Ware of sufficiently elongated form for the upper extremities of the
parts E E to touch them in this position there is at least no contact between the
lower extremities of these parts and the contact pistons A¹ A¹.
Another form or modification of my Invention is represented in Figures 18, 19, 20
and 21. In this arrangement the interruptor D2 has the form of a cylinder and is
provided with a plug like the casing of a cock. It is also traversed by two metal
pieces E E as in the arrangement above described. In Figure 18, the metal
pieces EE are in contact with the pistons A2 A2 and with the contact pieces W2 W2,
so that the current can pass. If the plug is turned through one quarter of a revolution
the metal pieces E2 E2 are moved from the vertical to the horizontal position in
consequence of which the above mentioned contacts are broken simultaneously.
In lieu of operating this interruptor as above described, it can be caused to turn by
means of a rod or handle O, such as is represented in Figure 22 or preferably by the
aid of two rods or handles P1 P2, Figures 20 and 21. In order to made the contacts,
the rod or handle P1 is lowered, and in order to break them the rod or handle P' is
lowered. This arrangement can be employed either when the lamp is placed below or
when the lamp is placed above. To extinguish or to light the lamp it is not necessary
to raise the rods or handles P P2 but only to lower them.
A further form or modification of the said Invention is represented in Figures 23,
24, 25, 26 and 27. The interruptor D³ used in this arrangement is a thin plate
having the form of a sector. This sector is pierced near the top of its vertex with a
hole through which extends the prolongation of a contact piston A', the shape of
which is modified for this purpose as shown in Figure 27, and it carries a metal
piece E3 arranged so that it can be in contact with the piston A3 and also with one of
the pieces of the base piece or bottom of the lamp. The operating lever T³
is connected with the sector 13 by means of a pin c placed in a slot e formed in the
aforesaid sector. The arrangement of these parts is such that when the rod T is
pushed for example, from the left to the right, Figure 25, the metal piece E³ of the
sector shall be in contact on the one hand with the contact piston A³ and on the other
hand with the piece W, and as a permanent communication exists between the contact
piston A', and the other piece W, the current will pass at this moment. If inversely
the rod T is pushed from the right to the left, the sector D³ will take the position
shown in Figure 24, so that the communication between W¹, and A³ through the
medium of the metal piece E³ is interrupted and a current does not flow.
3
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of ny 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 :
First. The employment of contact pistons A formed by the combination of a nut E,
pin C, and helical spring R, for lamp holders or supports.
Second. The various arrangements of interruptors for lamp holders or supports

page_text: substantially as above described and represented in the accompanying Drawings, and
in general the arrangement in lamp holders or supports of an interruptor D made of
insulating material and of any suitable shape, and traversed by two metal pieces whose
'extremities can be set in communication on the one hand with conducting pieces
connected to the filaments of the lamp, and on the other hand with metal pieces
communicating with the conducting wires, the said interruptor D being adapted to
receive either a motion of translation, or rotary motion or oscillating motion upon any
axis, which motions are designed to make or break the above mentioned contacts, that
is to say, to allow or interrupt the passage of the current through the lamp.
Third. The employment in a lamp holder or support having interruptors, of a part
having the shape of an ordinary gas or water cock in which the metal is replaced by
insulating material and the hole or holes are occupied by conducting pieces.
Fourth. The combinations of the snug N with the notches n, n, and of the projecting
parts a, a with the screw threaded ring or collar X, for the purpose of connecting the
several parts of the lamp holder or support.
Fifth. The arrangement of a rod T adapted to shift to the interior of the lamp
holder or support a movable part the displacement of which causes the interruptions of
the circuit.
Sixth. The arrangement of the lever O and of the double lever P¹ P' which enable
the lamp to be lighted and extinguished by a downward movement, and their
application to any kind of lamp holders or supports, the said levers being made of the
described or other suitable shape.
Seventh. The improved lamp holder or support consisting of the parts constructed
and combined substantially as described with reference to either of the modifications
shown in the accompanying drawing.
*11000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.