US1721292A - Combination resistance and reflector units - Google Patents

Description

.July 16, 1929. o. c. BRITSCH 1.721392 COMBINATION RESISTANCE AND REFLECTOR UNITS Filed April 23, 1926 l ATTORNE S.

Patented July 16, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO C. IBRITSCH, OF WOODHAVEN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY HYMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

COMBINATION RESISTANCE AND REFLECTOR UNITS.

Application filed Apri1'23, 1926. Serial No. 104,050.

My invention relates to combination resistance and reflector units, particularly suitable for and preferably used in connection with electrical lighting devices for Christ-ma trees.

As Christmas tree lights are usually installed there are eight lights in series on a string. Should one of these lamps burn out the circuit of all the others is open and they also go out.

I have overcome this difficulty by connecting a resistance in shunt with each lamp so that if the lamp filament burns out, the circuit for the other lamps is maintained. I prefer to mount the resistance on a reflector and connect it so that when the reflector. is in position, the resistance will be automatically connected in shunt to the lamp.

My invention will be better understood by reading the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fi 1 is a vertical section of a reflector showing the arrangement of the parts;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of certain parts of the unit;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion ofthe resistance unit;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a modified form of the unit; I

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the device shown in Fig. 4;

-Fig. 6 is a circuit diagram of a string, or outfit; and a Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of a modified form of the invention.

The unit consists of av base 1 of porcelain or other insulating material having a screwthreaded member thereon. The member 2 may be extended and somewhat enlarged to form the socket 3. The reflector 4 forming the body of the device may be of any suit-v able material, althoughI prefer to make it of asbestos composition, which is not only an insulating material but fireproof as well. Preferably in the perimeter of the reflector the resistance unit 5 is imbedded on a core 6 of any suitablematerial.

Extending through the porcelain base 1 is a screw 7 having a head 8 which engages the center contact of the usual lamp socket. The other end of the screw 7 extends into the socket 3 and connects with a metal strip 9, which in turn connects with the resist-. ance 5. I The other end of the resistance 5.

connects with a strip 10, which in turn is connected to the socket 3. The end 11 of the screw 7 forms the center contact of the socket and when the lamp is screwed into the socket 3 the center contact engages the end 11, thus connecting one end of the filament to the circuit, and the shell of the lamp base engages the socket 3, thus connecting the'other end of the filament to the circuit and at the same time the resistance 5 is connected in shunt with the filament. The sur-' face 12 of the reflector may be of any desirable character, either plain, polished or colored, so as to produce the desired effect shown in Figs. 1 to 3, but the reflector is divided into two parts 13 and 14. These parts are preferably'of porcelain and the part 13 is molded around the shell 15 and holds the screw 16 in position, as shown in Fig. 5. One end of the resistance 17 is connected with the shell 15 by a conductor 18, and the other end is connected with the screw 16 by a conductor '19. The member 14 of the reflector is provided on its interior with screw threads and may be screwed into place on the socket 20, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5. Openings 21 are provided in the members 13 and 14 so as to allow free circulation of air around the resistance to keep its temperature down. By reference to Figs. 1 and 5, it will be noted that a substantial part of the resistance 17 is exposed to the air. a

In Fig. 6, I have shown a circuit diagram in which the resistances 5 are connected in shunt with the lamp filament A. From this diagram it will be plain that upon the burning out of one or more filaments, the circuit of the other filaments will be maintained through the resistances 5.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated a modified form of the invention wherein a second resistance 22 is connected in multiple with a part of the resistance 23. The resistance 22 maybe alamp filament, a cigar lighter, or any other device. The advantage of connecting the resistance 22 at intermediate points of the resistance 23 is that usually one side of the domestic lighting circuit is grounded, as, for instance, the negative where D. C. current is used. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, if the end 24 of resistance 22 should become grounded as by touching a radiator or other device, the resistance 25 would be across the circuit. That is to say, current would flow from the plus wire 26 to ground at the point 24 through resistance 25. Under like circumstances, if the point 24 were connected directly to the conductor 26 as at 27, aground on the point 24 would result in a dead short circuit across the wires 26 and 28. I11 the event that the wires 26 and 28 were supplied by A. C. current, either side of the resistance 22 might be grounded without causing a short circuit.

The devices shown in the drawings may be used for other purposes than reflectors, for instance, as units in an electric heater. In such case a plurality of the units are screwed to fether to form the desired size of heater.

any advantages of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art and many changes may be made in details without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A reflector for Christmas tree lights having an upper member carrying a screw plug and a socket, a resistance unit having one end connected to the center contact of the plug and the other to the socket and a lower member for said reflector adapted to be screwed onto said socket to hold the said reiistance between said upper and lower memers.

2. In combination, a body having a socket therein for the reception of an electrical power consumption device, two contacts in said socket and adapted to be connected when said device is inserted in the socket, and a fixed resistance in the form of a continuous conductor substantially embedded in said bodyand having its ends permanently connected to said contacts, thereby forming a shunt circuit of fixed resistance in parallel with the lamp whereby when the device is in place in the socket, a circuit therethrough is normally established and whereby when the' circuit through said device is interrupted a SlluIlhClICulb through the resistance is provided.

OTTO C. BRITSCH.

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