US2455333A - Fluorescent lamp locking device - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 30, 1948. MA. HARRIS FLUORESCENT LAMP LOCKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1943 INVENTOR. NILT ON 1 7. HR

R/PIS aw, TTORNEY Patented Nov. 30, 1948 PATEN FLUORESCENT LAME LOCKING DEVICE Application September 22, 1943, Serial No. 503,590

1 Claim. 3

This invention relates to fluorescent lighting fixtures and has for an object the provision of improved protective means for maintaining a lamp and lamp socket in assembly.

Another object is to provide a one-piece protective member which securely maintains a lamp and socket in assembly, and yet is readily demountable.

Another object is to provide a protective member as described with means in locking relation with the base pins of the lamp and difierent means in holding relation with the lamp socket.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the following description and claim, taken in conjunction with the accompanyin drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective showing an assembled arrangement embodying this invention with a lamp socket in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is an assembly perspective taken from the rear of the socket and showing a part of the lamp;

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a protective device as of this invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective of an assembly of this invention, taken as from the front of the lamp socket;

Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of an alternate structure of a protective device; and

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through the lamp socket.

It should be noted that Figure 2 contains the structure of Figure 3, and Figure 4 contains the structure of Figure 5 Further, the lamps used in the above figures are of the elongated tubular fluorescent type with bases at both ends. Since both ends are identical as to lamp, socket; and protective device, only one end is shown.

A fluorescent lamp of this type is held in assembly with its sockets by the holdin engagements of socket spring arms I with lamp base pins 2. If this holding eflect is lost, the lamp starts to fall, and the pins 2 start to drop down through socket opening 3.

In this invention a protective device 4 is provided and so assembled with the socket 5 and pins 2 that the pins 2 may not so drop.

The socket 5 is provided with a lamp assembly recess 6 to which the opening 3 leads. Centrally of recess 6 is a stud l, hollowed from the back as at B.

Ordinarily, there is room for the lamp-base pins to pass between the stud 'l and the walls 9 of the recess 6, but when the V legs ill of the 2 protective device i are extended between the stud I and the pins 2, as in Figure 1, the pins 2 cannot move downward out of the socket 5.

The protective device 6 is formed of fiber material 'which may be heated and set to shape. When cooled. the material holds its set shape and has good resilient characteristics. Such a device may readily. be snapped into or out of assembly with a lamp and socket arrangement.

As in-Figure 3, the device has V legs ill for extending into recess 6, and a flange II for insertion in the hollow 8 of stud l as a holding arrangement to firmly maintain the assembly of socket, lamp, and protective device.

The outer ends of the V legs ID are flared outwardly as at l2 as an aid in holding the pins 2 in place, as in Figure 1. The apex of the V is some what rounded and widened, providing greater resiliency in the V legs l0.

The flange II is rounded and formed to substantially aseml-cyllndrical shape to fit in the hollow 8, and is formed slightly larger in diameter than the hollow so that it must be constricted to be assembled, and thereby provides a resilient binding action against the walls of the hollow 8. The protective device is provided with a looped spring corner as at l3. This adds to the resilient holding action ofthe V legs l0, and also provides a hand or finger hold by means of which the device may readily be assembled or disassembled; Gonstriction of the loop l3 may be made to remove the flange I I from the hollow 8 so that the V legs l0 may be removed, or'vice versa.

The structure of Figure 5 is like that of Figure 3 in that the material is the same, the flange H and loop are the same, but a covering surface I4 is substituted for the V legs ID. This surface blocks the opening 3, and has a recess l5 therein to receive and retain a lamp base pin 2.

What I claim is:

The combination of a holder for fluorescent lamps having pins extending from the ends thereof and comprising a. body membe'rhaving a front face and a rear face, said front face being provided with a centrally disposed lamp-pin receiving recess and a slot extending from the periphery of said front face to said recess, a stud extending from the rear of said body member into the lamppin receiving recess, said stud being hollowed from the rear end thereof and along its lonigtudinal axis, and a safety device comprising an arm, a flange disposed at one end of said arm and substantially perpendicular thereto and adapted to flt into the hollowed portion of said stud, and a second arm connected at one end thereof to the other end of Bald first-mentioned arm and extendingsubstantially perpendicular thereto and UNITED STATES W across the slot 1n the front face of the lamp holder Number Name Date body member. I 1 Wheat Jan. 5, 19s! MILTON A. HARRIS. .3 4. 88 Deeps-rd July 20, 1943 v 2,336,587 Blxby Dec. 14, 1943 REFERENCES CITED 2,336,588 Blxby Dec. 14, 1943 The following references are of record in the 330L610 June 1946 the of this patent:

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