US2394468A - Electric lamp adapter - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 5, 1946. E. B. NOEL ELECTRIC LAMP ADAPTER Filed Oct. 13, 1944 ZNVENTUR E WARD E1. NUEL /-//5 ATmRA EY Patented Feb. 5, 1946 ELECTRIC LADIP ADAPTER Edward B. Noel, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October 13, 1944, Serial No. 558,519%

2 Claims.

My invention relates to adaptersfor electric lamps and its principal object is to provide an adapter comprising a bayonet socket engaging part and a socket part into which a lamp base may be inserted and removed by force applied longitudinally of the adapter. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description thereof and from the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevational, partly sectional view of an adapter embodying my invention and a fragmentary View of the base end of a lamp of a type insertable into the socket part of the adapter; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lamp base disposed in the adapter; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the adapter shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the lamp base shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the adapter rotated 90 from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing the adapter I has a socket portion 2 comprising a plurality of lamp base gripping, spring fingers 3 disposed in a circle and a bayonet socket engaging portion 4 provided with a pair of indexing and locking contact pins 5 and B. The lamp I is a photofiash lamp of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial Number 530,667, filed April 12, 1944, and comprises a light transmitting bulb 8 and an electrically insulating base 9 having a pair of electric contacts or terminals I6 and II disposed and exposed on the bottom or web portion I2 of the base 9 (Fig. 4). The contacts In and II are bent-over extensions of the current inlead wires I3 and I4 which extend into the lamp bulb 8 from the base 9 and which may support the usual igniter and the combustible, light emitting material (not shown for purposes of simplicity of illustration) in the bulb 8. The base 9 is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed flanges I5 and is (Fig. 4) which are engaged and gripped by the spring fingers 3 of the adapter I (Fig. 2) to hold the lamp 1 firmly in the adapter I.

The adapter I is made up of an outer shell consisting of resilient metal. The shell has a solid walled, cylindrical portion I! having an inwardly extending flange I8 at one end thereof which defines an opening accommoidating an electrically insulating, hollow cylindrical busha metal nut 23. The bushing I9 is held in position against flange I8 by the pins 5 and 6 pass ing through the wall of the shell portion l1 and terminating inside the bushing I9 (Fig.1).

Th socket engaging part 4 extends with uni form bore an appreciable distance from the free surface of bushing l9. The spring fingers 3-extending from shell portion I1 flare outward to form bottom wall 24 and then turn in the direction of the adapter longitudinal axis to .form the base gripping, socket part 2 of the adapter I.

The part I of the adapter accommodates a metal ring contact 25 which is in the form of a sleeve 26 slidable longitudinally along the part 4. Thesleeve26- has an inwardly extending flange 21 at its nd portion extending into the socket part 2 of the adapter I. A metal spring 28 is aftlxed, as by clamping or soldering, to the under side of flange 2'! and rests against the free surface of the electrically insulating bushing I9 to support the ring contact 25 partially within the space defined by the bottom wall 24 and the side wall having spring fingers 3 of the socket part 2. One end of the spring 28 passes through the bushing I9 (Fig. 5) and the flange I8 of the portion Il. It is afiixed to the latter as shown at 29, as by soldering, to make a positive electrical connection therewith. The ring contact 25 engages with contact II on the base 9 when the latter is inserted into the socket portion 2 of the adapter I (Fig. 2).

The ring contact 25 is concentric with a metal pin contact having a shank 3| and a flattened, lamp contact engaging head 32 supported in a common plane with flange 27 of the ring contact 25 by a metal spring 33. The spring 33 is aflixed to the under side of the head 32, as by soldering or clamping, surrounds the pin shank SI and rests against the top of screw 2I extending beyond nut 23. One end of spring 33 passes through an offset opening in nut 23 (Fig. 5) and. is affixed therein as by soldering o clamping. The shank SI of the pin 39 is slidably disposed in the bore of the screw 2 I.

When the lamp base 9 is out of the socket 2 the contact flange 21 and the contact head 32 are in socket portion 2 as shown in Fig. 1. The lamp base 9 is inserted in the adapter by moving the lamp I longitudinally toward the adapter I until the bottom of the base 9 engages the bottom wall 24 of socket portion 2 (Fig. 2). With base 9 in this position the springs 28 and 33 force the contact flanges 2'! and contact head 32 firmly against the base contacts I I and Ill, respectively, to establish good electrical contact therewith.

Then the surfaces of the fingers 3 sloping downwardly from the. ridges 3.4 engage; the flanges t5;

and [6 so thatthe force. exerted inwardlyby the spring fingers retains the base 9 in the socket 28 and 33 against the base contacts II and l9,

l0 portion 2 against the force exerted by the springs;- t

respectively; The lamp base 9 is thus iheldfirm-lyin the socket portion 2 and after being flashed by the usual means now muse forflashing such photoflash lamps it may be pulled out of the socket'part 2 for replacement, by an unflashed lamp,

The adapter 1 makes possible the use of photoflash lamps equipped with bases of the type shown in the drawing and described above in existing; equipment, such asphotoflash lamp units, in-- tended to be used with lamps provided with single contact, candelabra bases; Further, by using the adapter described above in conjunction with existing, and commercially available adaptershaving ascrew base portion and asingle contact, candelabra socketportion lamps having thebasfes described herein may beused with present equip- A ment provided with screw type sockets.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. An adapter for an electric lamp having spaced; electric terminalsexposed on the bottom of a base, said adapter comprising; a shell; having minal engaging head concentric with the said a socket engaging portion, and a socket portion having lamp base gripping spring fingers, and spring mounted, spaced, electric contacts normally projecting from the interio oflsaid socket engaging portion into said socket portion for engaging the terminals of an inserted lamp, one of said contacts being a sleeve slidable along the bore O said socketengaging portion and; having an inwardly extending, lamp terminal engaging flange at its end in said socket portion, another of said contacts being a 'pin supported with its lamp terflangef V 2;- An adapter forqan electric lamp having spaced, electric terminals exposed on the bottom of a base; said adapter comprising a shell having afincket, en flging-mrtion, a socket portion having I a plurality of lamp base gripping spring fingers,

and; spring mounted, spaced, electric contacts normally pr jecting. from the interior of said socket. engaging rportion into, said socket portion for engaging the terminals of an inserted lam-p, one of said contacts being. a'hollow sleeve. slidable, along the, bore of the socket engaging portion and having an inwardly extending, lampter-l minal engaging, flange at its, end;- in, said socket portion, another ofsai'd contactsbeing apinsupe ported, within said sleeve contact with its lamp terminal engaging head conc ntric with the. flange of. the sleeve contact, said contacts, being. subfported'by the'socket, engaging ortion of said adapten EDWARD B'. NOEL;

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