US2455582A - Safety electric wall plate - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 7, 1948. c. 1 HoEssEl.

SAFETY ELECTRIC WALL PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed OCT.. 18, 1946 FIG- INVENTOR.v

CARL I .HoEssl-:L

ATTDRNE'YS Dec. 7, 1948.

Filed Oct. 18.A 1946 C. L. HOESSEL SAFETY ELECTRIC WALL PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4..

'INVENTOR ATTD RN EYE Patented Dec. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for preventing children and others from accidentally inserting wires, plugs, and other means in a wall plug such as is ordinarily used in homes, oiiices and the like.

Wall plates, with sockets for electrical connections are commonly placed near the floor of a room and available for small children to insert plugs, wires, and other articles which may cause a shock to the child or other person.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device for a wall plate for an electrical plug which eliminates the possibility of children or others from accidentally making contact with electrical terminals, which might cause injury or death.

A further object is the provision of an electrical outlet plate which can be made of plastics or other materials, and easily and quickly attached to a wall.

These and other objects are attained by the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a wall embodying the invention.

Fig 2 is a rear view of the wall plate device.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the device when a disc has been rotated 90 degrees.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line B-S of Fig. 2.

Fig, 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 'I-l of Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the wall outlet device.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a disc used in the device.

Referring to the drawings, the device is shown to comprise a block I of plastic material or other insulating material, having sockets 2 and 3 in which are mounted spring clips 4 and 5 connected to terminals 6 and 'I. The block has a recess 8 in which is positioned a disc 9 having a slot Il) adapted to receive a tongue I I on the block I.

The disc 9 has two holes I2 and I3 arranged to receive the prongs of a plug, and a bushing I4 is mounted on the disc 9 by means of a screw I5 or the like, to which is attached one end of a spring I6, the other end of which is attached to the block I at I1. The spring has asmall cover I8.

The bushing I4 moves in a groove I9 in the block I. The block I has a cover plate 20 which has an opening exposing the holes I2 and I3 in the disc 9. A hole 2l is provided to prevent the disc 9 from getting stuck by dust and dirt dripping in between the cover and disc.

Number In operation, a plug is inserted in the holes I2 and I3 and the disc 9 is turned to the right as far as it will go, and then the plug is moved up so that the prongs of the plug will enter sockets 2 and 3 and engage the clips 4 and 5. The tongue I I will enter the recess I0 and hold the -disc firmly in position. When the plug is withdrawn the spring IS will return the disc to its initial position.

It will be seen that it is not possible for children or others to insert pins, wires or the like in the sockets 2 and 3 when the plug is removed, as the sockets are covered by the -disc 9.

The above description is to be considered as illustrative and not limitative of the invention of which modiiications can be ma-de without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

The invention having been described, What is claimed is:

In an electrical Wall outlet, the combination'of an insulating block, a plurality of prong sockets lying in a common plane in said block and adapted to receive the pair of prongs of a plug,` an elongated recess in said block, a cam slot in said block having an arcuate groove portion and a linear groove portion extending therefrom, a disk on said block and having prong holes lying in a common plane for receiving the prongs of the plug and initially positioned offset from the plane containing said prong sockets, said disk being angularly movable in said recess and bodily shiftable therein along the longitudinal axis thereof, a bushing secured to said disk and slidable in said cam slot whereby upon movement of said disk along the longitudinal axis of said recess said disk will be first rotated, placing the prong holes in the same plane as said prong sockets, and then shifted in the direction of said recess axis, causing the prong holes to register with said prong sockets, thereby allowing the plug prongs to pass from said prong holes into said prong sockets, and spring means anchored to said bushing and said block whereby upon withdrawal of the plug prongs from the sockets said disk is returned to initial position to block the entrance of the plug prongs into said prong sockets.

CARL L. HOESSII'L.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNTTED STATES PATENTS Name Date Whittlesey Sept. 17, Hubbell Feb. 5, 1935 Hubbell Dec. 21, 1937

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