US1631997A - Electric-fixture support and connecter - Google Patents

Description

R. B. BENJAMIN lI'SLEC'IRIG FIXTURE SUPPORT AND CONNECTER June` 14, 1927. l 1,631,997

Filed March 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v R. B. BENJAMIN f ,-ELEQTRIC FIXTURE sUPPoRT AND CONNECTER y Filed March 5, 1923 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 t @MENTON lm., Miu/M ATTORNEY Patented J une 14, 1927.

xUNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE-1 -EEUBEN B. BENJAMIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNon To BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION oF ILLI- NDIS.` 4 Y i ELECTRIC-FIXTURE sUPPoET AND CONNECTER.

Appncation'med March s, 19231 serial No. 622,760. v

My invention relates to electrical fixture supports and connecters.

One of the objects of my invention 1s to provide an improved fixture support and connecter which will be suitable for' use with a flat type canopy or cover', in which there is very little room between the canopy and the face of the receptacle to accommodate the fixture support and connecter;

A further object of my invention 1s to provide an improved electrical fixture support and' connecteridevice, which will pre# vent marring ot' the surface of `the wall when the fixture is being putin place.

Further objects willappear from the detailed description to` follow and `from the appended claims. I

1n the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is showny Fig. 1 is a part sectional, part elevational View showing a fixture and the supportlng end connection device;

Fig. 2 is a rear vview of part of the struction shown in Fi .1; Fig. 3 isa tront'view of the receptacle; Fig. 4 is a sectionron the line 4ta-4 of Fi 1' y f dig., 4a isa fragmentary view ofparts shown in Fig. 4., but in a vdifferent positlon; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5- of Fig. 4; 0 a

Fig. 6 is an unassembled perspective View of the support and connecter device and the supporting lplate'of the receptacle;

Fig. 7 is an 'enlarged' View showing the wa the hooks engage the supporting plate; an y Fig. 8 is a section `on the line 8-8 'of' Fig. 4. l Referring now to the drawings 'in detail, the construction shown therein comprises a fixture 10, a receptacle 11, anda fixture-supporting and connecter device 12, for supy porting the fixture in proper Vpositionwith `respect to the receptacle `11 and electrically connecting it therewith. y I j.

The `fixture 10is ofthe type havingpa flat canopyror ornamental plate 13, which lies so `close to the wall and to the surface of the receptacle that there ViS-veryflittle space between the canopy and the receptacle to receive the supportingand oonnecter'..,de vice 12.V It is ytherefore necessary to make this supportingfand connecter devcegvery thin fro'mufrontto rear, in order to get it into the available space.

In order to accomplish this desired result, I make the supporting .bracket 14, which mechanically supports the fixture, of sheet metal, and I make the insulating basef15 of theplug-in device 16 which electrically connects the fixture with the receptacle, of three superposed sheets 17, 18 and 19 respectively, (see Fig. 6) of insulating material, such as sheet fibre or the like, secured together, and mounted on the metal'bracket 14 which mechanically supports the'fixture.

In order that the hooks 20, 21 and 22 of the supporting bracket 141. may be engagedin the openings 23, l24 and 25 of' the supportlng plate 26' for the receptacle, itis necessary to mount the plug-in device 16 for sliding movement with respectrto the supporting bracket 14. For this purpose the supporting bracket 14'is cutout atits central portion, as indicated at 27 to provide a vertical slideeway, in which the intermediate layer or sheet 18 of the insulating base 15 slides, the other two sheets or layers 17 and' 19 lying onvr opposite sides of' the bracket, and extending beyondthe edges of the slide-way, to provide retaining and guide anges on opposite sides ot the bracket to hold the plug-in device in position on the bracket. l

The contact blades 28 and 29 of the plugin device, have bent-over foot portions orv bases 30 and 31, which occupy openings 32 `and 33 of the intermediate layer o1' sheet vof ythe layers 17,18 and 19, so that the three layers are thus firmly secured together to slideas a unit in the slide-Way in the bracket 14,i The frontlayer`17 of the insulating base isfcut-/aivayas indicated at 39and 40 'to permit the feed wires 41 and 42 to be led along the :tront of the plug-in device to a position adjacent the Contact blades 2S and 29, the intermediate plate also being correspondingly recessed, to provide olea-rance for the wires, and the rear plate 19 having passages 43 and 44'adjacent the `toot- portions 30 and 31 of the contact blades, thru which the ends ot' the feed wiresare led, the ends oit these eed wires being soldered or otherwise secured to the toot- portions 30 and 31 as indicated at 45 and 46 in Fig..2. As shown in .F ig. 2, the 'rear insulating layer 19 is apertured to permit the passage .o i the contact blades 28 and 29 therethru, and also to expose a portion ot' the toot- portions 30 and 31 of the contact blades to permitthe soldering ot Athe wires referred to above.

A pair of coil compression springs 47 and 4S are provided, to hold the hooks ,20,21 and 22 in connected position with respect to the plate 26. The construction and operation ot these springs will be described more in detail hereinafter.

The flat canopy 13 which carries the tixture 10, is secured to the supporting bracket 14 by means of a pair of screws 49 and .50. The hooks 20, 21 and 22, which engage vthe openings 23, 24 and 25 in`the supporting plate 26 are so constructed that they prevent the ornamental plate or canopy 13 from scraping against and mariing the surface yof the wall adjacent the receptacle when the tixture is beingconnected. For this'purpose, the hooks are made to inclinedownwardly and rearwardly from the supporting bracket and the holes in the supporting plate are made just large enough to receive these inclined hooks without allowing` much play, so that the bracket has to be'connected by means of an inward and Ydownward slanting movement, the plate or canopy being thus toi-ced to move with a parallel motion, which prevents any part of it scraping against'the wall.

Each oi the upper hooks 20, 21, is pro vided with a shoulder portion 51 and the lower hook 22 is provided with an otiset forming a shoulder Iat 52, these shoulders 51 and 52 serving to limit the downward movement of the bracket as it is hooked into the openings in theV supporting plate 26.

The receptacle 11 is secured to the rear face of the supporting plate 26 in any suitable manner. A suitable ornamental finishing plate 53 may be secured'in front of the supporting plate.

In connecting the fixture, the blades 28 and 29 of the plug-in device are inserted into the openings 54 and^55 in the receptacle, the bracket 14 is slipped 'upwardly against the action of the ' springs 47 and 48, to the position shown in Fig. 4, to bring the points oi the hooks 20, 21 and 22 above the edges of the openings 23, 24 and 25, the bracket 14 is then slid inwardly and downwardly, to bring the hooks from the dotted line position Ashown inl Fig. 7, to the full line position, in which the hooks are -securely connected to the plate 26 and-the shoulders 51 and 52 of the hooks rest on the lower edges ot' the openings 23, 24 and 25.

The springs 47 Vand 4S, previously referred to, hold the bracket 14 down, against any torce which might otherwise accidentally jar the bracket loose from the plate 26, these springs being held in position by Ineans of lugs .56, 57, and 59 (Fig. 6) on the insulating base l5 and bracket 14.

it will `-be seen that I have thus provided a very vthin construction of connecter and plug-in device, which makes it suitable for use with a canopy or ornamental plate of the fiat type, in which there is very little,

room between the canopy and the receptacle.

lVhile I have shown but one form of my invention, it is obvious that it may be embodied in other forms covered and defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States, is:

1. A plug-in device and ixturesupporting bracket for cooperating with a receptacle having blade receiving openings and a supportingvplate having hook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades for entering said blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supporting bracket having hooks for entering said hook-receiving opening, said plug-in device being slidably mounted on said bracket, said plug-in device comprising an insulating base on which said contact blades are mounted, said insulating base comprising two sheets of insulating material on opposite sides of said bracket and secured together. i

V2. A plug-in device and fixture supporting bracket for cooperating with a receptacle having blade receiving openings and a supporting plate vhaving hook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades for entering said blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supporting bracket having hooks vfor entering said hook-receiving opening, said plug-iin device being slidablv mounted on said bracket, said plug-in device comprising an insulating base onv which said contact blades are mounted, said bracket having an opening therein forming a slide-way, said insulating base comprising three sheets of insulating material, superposed upon each other, the intermediate sheet being slidable insaid slide-way, and the outside sheets being located on opposite sides of said bracket, and extending'beyond said opening to form guide 'flanges i 3. A plug-in device and liXture supporting bracket `for cooperating with a receptacle havingblade receiving openings and a supporting plate having hook receiving open ings, said plug-in device having blades for entering said blade-receiving openings, and said fixture supporting bracket having hooks for entering said hook-receiving opening, said plug-in device being slidably mounted on said bracket, said plug-in device comprising an insulating base on `which said contact blades are mounted, said insulating base comprising two sheets of insulating material on opposite sides of said bracket and secured together, said blades having foot-portions clamped in place between said sheets.

4. A plug-in device and iXture supporting bracket for cooperating with a receptacle having blade receiving openings and a supporting plate having hook receiving openings, said plug-in device having blades for entering' said bladereceiving openings, and

20 saidfixture supporting bracket having hooks for entering said hook-receiving opening,

other, the intermediate sheet being slidable i in said slide-Way, and the outside sheets being located on opposite sides of said bracket, and extending beyond said opening to form guide flanges, said bracket and the intermediate sheet oi' insulating material having co-operating spring positioning means, and a spring held in place by said positioning means, for holding said hooks in connected position with respect to the plate.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto sub Y scribed my name.

' REUBEN B'. BENJAMIifI.v

Images