An Improved Connector for Electrical Conducting Wires.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 31st July, 1889-Accepted, 14th Sept.. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Connector for Electrical Conducting Wires.
We, Sir DAVID LIONEL SALOMONS, Baronet, of Broomhill near Tunbrige Wells,
in the County of Kent, and HAROLD FARADAY, of 3, Berners Street, London, W.,
Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to an improved connector for uniting the flexible conducting
wires, attached to electric light standards, pendants, and other portable or movable
electrical apparatus, with the main conductors or leads permanently attached to a
wall, ceiling, or other part of a building.
The Invention has for its object to provide a connector whereof all the parts
(except the safety fuse) are thoroughly infusible and are so disposed that accidental
short circuiting is impossible; the parts are readily accessible without the use of
tools; whilst, no screws or nuts being visible, the connector cannot readily be
tampered with, and there is nothing to tempt meddlesome persons to take it to
pieces; lastly the parts that act as insulators are secured by external means in such
a way that they are not liable to be split or injured in fixing them, or broken by
any object coming into collision with the fitting.
Tho
The connector consists of two parts, the one fixed and the other removable. The
fixed part has a base block of slate, porcelain, or other insulating material, fitted in
a metal flange adapted to be screwed to the wall or other support, an external rebate
or shoulder on the base block engaging with a corresponding internal rebate or
shoulder on the flange so that the former is securely held in position by the latter.
Upon this base block are mounted two terminal sockets to which the main supply
wires are attached the one directly, and the other through a safety fuse.
terminal sockets project, about one inch apart, from the face of the base block,
and are constructed of split tubes encircled by springs and are enclosed within a cap
or chamber of slate or other insulating material provided with apertures coinciding
with the terminal sockets. This cap is retained in place and protected by an
encircling casing which screws on to the metal flange above referred to, and has an
inwardly projecting shoulder that bears against a shoulder or rebate on the cap,
leaving only the apertured face, which is flush with the casing, exposed. The
above described parts together constitute the portion of the connector which is
permanently affixed to the wall or ceiling.
The removable portion consists of a chambered block of insulating material to
which are fixed a pair of pins, the pins projecting from the rear face of the block in
positions corresponding to the sockets in the base or fixed part of the connector.
To these pins are attached, by suitable means, the flexible wires which pass out
through an aperture at the centre of the block. The latter is made in two parts
screwed together, leaving the pins only projecting in position to be inserted in their
sockets. The part which carries the pins is a flat piece of insulating material and
the flexible or other leads being attached to these pins on the side away from the
fixed part of the connector are enclosed and protected when the cap portion of the
block is screwed on.
When the pins are inserted in the sockets of the fixed parts and electrical connection
thus made between the flexible wires and main leads, the said block may be secured
in position by being enclosed in a flanged metal cap which is united to the metal
casing of the base portion by a screwed collar.
By externally screw-threading the metal case which protects and holds together
the fixed part of the connector, a standard, bracket, or any other fitting, can be
rigidly attached and yet be unscrewed and removed at a moments notice. Moreover,

page_text: heavy fittings cause no strain whatever on the insulating parts which are generally
more or less brittle. When fixed fittings are attached, the movable connector
becomes a portion of the fitting either fixed permanently to it or loose in it.
In the place of a metal flange the insulator may be threaded outside and the metal
cap be screwed on direct. In this case, the insulating block should be expanded to
act in the same way as the metal flange to fix by. The metal cap may be replaced by
one of porcelain or any other insulating material.
Dated this 31st day of October 1888
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Connector for Electrical Conducting Wires.
We, Sir DAVID LIONEL SALOMONs, Baronet, of Broomhill, near Tunbridge Wells,
in the County of Kent, and HAROLD FARADAY, of 3, Berners Street, 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 :-
Our Invention relates to an improved connector for uniting the flexible conducting
wires attached to electric light standards, pendants, and other portable or movable
electrical apparatus, with the main conductors or leads permanently attached to a
wall, ceiling, or other part of a building.
The Invention has for its object to provide a connector whereof all the parts
(except the safety fuse) are thoroughly infusible and are so disposed that accidental
short circuiting is impossible; the parts are readily accessible without the use of
tools; whilst, 110 screws or nuts being visible, the connector cannot readily be
tampered with and there is nothing to tempt meddlesome persons to take it to
pieces; lastly, the parts that act as insulators are secured by external means in such
a way that they are not liable to be split or injured in fixing them, or broken by
any object coming into collision with the fitting.
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification, wherein figure 1 is an elevation, and figure 2 is
a central transverse section, of the improved connector; the parts being fitted
together: Figure 3 is a section of the movable part separated, Figure 4 is a rear
face view of the movable part, and figure is a face view of the base block with
the insulating cap and metal casing removed. The same letters of reference indicate
like parts in all the figures.
The improved connector of this invention consists of two main parts A B, the
one A being fixed and the other B removable as is usual in such connectors. The
fixed part A has a base block a of slate, porcelain, or other insulating material, fitted in
a metal flangeb adapted to be screwed to the wall or other support, an external
rebate or shoulder a on the base block a engaging with a corresponding internal
rebate or shoulder on the flange so that the block a is securely held in position
by the flange b. Upon this base block are mounted two terminal sockets cc to
which the main supply wires d d are attached, the one directly and the other
through a safety fuse e. The terminal sockets cc project, about one inch apart,
from the face of the base block a and are constructed of split tubes encircled by
spiral springs as is usual in such connectors and are enclosed within a cap or
chamber of slate or other insulating material fitting on to the base block and
provided with apertures g g coinciding with the terminal sockets. This cap ƒ is
retained in place and protected by an encircling casing which screws on to the
metal flange above referred to and has an inwardly projecting shoulder that
bears against a shoulder or rebate f¹ on the cap leaving exposed only the apertured

page_text: face which is flash with the casing h. The above described parts together constitute
the main portion A of the connector which is permanently affixed to the wall or
ceiling.
The removable portion B consists of a chambered block i of insulating material
to which are fixed a pair of pins k k the pins projecting from the rear face of the
block i in positions corresponding to the sockets ec in the base or fixed part A of
the connector. To these pins & are attached by suitable means, the flexible wires /
which pass out through an aperture at the centre of the block i. The latter is made
in two parts screwed together, as shown, leaving the pins & only projecting in
position to be inserted in their sockets c c. The part which carries the pins k is a
flat piece of insulating material and the flexible or other leads attached to these pins
are enclosed and protected when the cap portion of the block is screwed on.
When the pins are inserted in the sockets c of the fixed part A and electrical
connection thus made between the flexible wires and main leads d, the said block i
may be secured in position by being enclosed in a flanged metal cap m which is
united to the metal casing of the base portion by a screwed collar n, embracing the
flange m' and screwing on to the casing as shewn.
By means of this collar n, a firm union is made between the two parts of the
connector, thus making the latter available for pendent wires, the part A being fixe
in an inverted position to the ceiling, instead of its use being limited, as hitherto,
wall fixtures.
By externally screw threading the metal case h, which protects and holds together
the fixed part of the connector, a standard, bracket or any other fitting, can be
rigidly attached and yet be unscrewed and removed at a moment's notice. Moreover,
heavy fittings cause no strain whatever on the insulating parts, which are generally
more or less brittle.
When fixed fittings are attached, the movable part B of the connector becomes a
portion of the fitting, either fixed permanently to it or loose in it.
In the place of a metal flange-the insulator-may be threaded outside, and the
metal cap-he screwed on direct. In this case, the insulating block-should be
expanded to act in the same way as the metal flange, to fix by. The metal cap-may
be replaced by one of porcelain, or any other insulating material.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. In the herein described connector for electrical conducting wires, the com-
bination with the fixed insulating base or support for the sockets or other electrical
connections, of an external metal casing enclosing and protecting the insulating
material and holding the same in position by external surface pressure without the
insertion of fixing pins or screws, substantially as specified.
2. The combination, with the insulating block a and cap respectively supporting
and enclosing the connections c, of the metal flange band casingh adapted to be
screwed together and respectively engaging with, and holding in position, the block
and cap by means of rebates or shoulders, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination, with the metal cased fixed part of the connector, of the metal
cased removable part constructed as described and of the screw sustaining collar
adapted to firmly unite the two parts, as and for the purpose specified.
Dal
1000
D. L. SALOMONS, BART.
H. FARADAY.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.