Abstract: An electric plug for connection to an electric cable, the core of the plug having sidewall slots for the wires of a cable and a positive contact with the plug blades by a wiping action, thus obviating the need for threading wires through holes and the tightening of screws on the wires. Other improvements include an improved cable clamping device within the plug and an improved pivoting ground pin with extending screw tab.

Abstract: An electrical outlet box with attached threaded coupling having a bore entering the box, the bore accomodating either thin wall conduit or cable. A removable gate in an interior wall slot in the box covers the coupling bore and a hole in the gate, smaller than the diameter of the bore, acts as a stop to prevent intrusion of conduit which is secured by a nut threaded on the coupling. When the gate is removed, a cable connector with hex end that snugly fits into the gate slot and is also secured by a threaded nut. Outlets for the box have U-shaped yokes at each end which are pressed into shallow grooves in each interior end wall to secure the outlet in the box, and the box covers have blocks near the sides of the inside surface for engaging the box interior side walls to prevent flexing and breaking.

Abstract: A toy windmill and noise maker comprises a frame and handle. The frame rotatably carries a shaft that has a windmill mounted at one end for rotating the shaft. The handle is connected to the center of the bottom member of the frame so that the device is balanced. Radially extending paddles are carried by the shaft and these actuate drumsticks that beat upon a metal drum supported by the frame. A rubber band having two enlarged ends is stretched across two side members of the frame and supports the drumsticks and causes them to strike the drum after they have been released by the paddles. The bottom member of the frame defines a depression therein near the drum to avoid damping the drum. The windmill is formed from a single square blank which has cuts therein to define the four blades. The four blades have integral extensions where the extensions of diagonally opposed blades are connected to each other in two pairs to hold the blades in concave shape.

Abstract: An electric plug having a threaded top cap has an internal spring loaded ratchet pin extending into engagement with tapered teeth about the inside of the cap and a manual pin retracting element on the outside of the plug body for removably locking the cap on the body and a ring and prong retainer for an electrical cord extending through the cap into the plug body.

Abstract: A coupling for an electric cable for connecting the cable to the wall of an electric outlet box so that the cable cannot be pulled free of the box, the cable wires being connected to the electrical unit in the box. A modified form of the device shows the coupling connecting the cable to an electric socket and again the cable cannot be pulled free of the socket. The coupling includes a cable receiving sleeve in which a plurality of longitudinally wedge-shaped grooves are provided. Wedges are inserted into the grooves and they are provided with teeth on their inner surfaces for gripping the cable. The inclination of the teeth is such as to grip the cable and prevent its withdrawal from the coupling.

Abstract: Twin electric sockets for an electric outlet box in which three electrodes are mounted in each socket and three bus bars electrically interconnect the electrodes in one socket with their associate electrodes in the other socket. A common base supports both sockets and it has two slots for removably receiving two of the bus bars. The ends of these two bus bars are bent so as to extend upwardly in the two sockets and these upturned ends receive their associate electrodes and make electrical connection therewith when the electrodes are mounted in the sockets. The third bus bar is inserted into a longitudinally extending slot in the base by means of an opening in the base that is in registration with the longitudinal slot. This third bus bar as an integral loop at one end for receiving an integral tongue on the third electrode when it is inserted into its associate socket. The opposite end of the third bus bar is frictionally engaged by an electrode in the other socket that has an integral yoke.

Abstract: An electric outlet box containing twin electric sockets in which each socket has electrodes and means for clamping the bare wire strands of the wires into electrical contact with their associate electrode. Also, the wire clamping means includes socket positioning pins mounted in the electric box and these pins are received in bores provided in extensions on the members that clamp the bare wire strands to the electrodes. The extensions contact a wall of the box that supports the pins and the cover for the box contacts the twin sockets and forces them against the same box wall and in this manner the twin sockets are secured in place and at the same time the bare wire strands are clamped in electrical contact with their associate electrode.

Abstract: A converter plug with improved self-locking terminals that are adapted to interlock with the terminals on a standard electric plug when the prongs of the latter are inserted into openings in the converter plug and the standard plug is rotated through an angle with respect to the converter plug for causing its prongs to interlock with the converter plug. Novel means is provided in the converter plug to prevent the displacement of the electrodes therein when the electrodes on the standard plug are inserted into openings in the converter plug and the standard plug is rotated with respect to the converter plug for causing its terminals to interlock with the terminals in the converter plug.

Abstract: An electric plug in which novel cable securing means is used for anchoring the cable to the plug so that any pull on the cable will prevent the cable from being pulled free from the plug and will also prevent the three wires in the cable from being accidentally disconnected from their associate electrodes. The electric plug has three electrodes with portions projecting beyond the plug, these portions being hook-shaped and designed to enter three openings in an electric outlet box, the plug being rotatable through an angle for securing the plug to the box.

Abstract: An electric plug that has a retractable ground terminal in addition to the customary two terminals. Novel means is used for electrically connecting the three wires to the three terminals without the need of screws functioning as binding posts between the wires and the terminals.

Abstract: A converter plug which has two electrodes designed to be removably received in a standard electric outlet box and which has a "ground" terminal that may be swung into an inoperative and concealed position when the outlet box is not equipped with a socket for receiving the "ground" terminal. A "ground" wire is connected to the "ground" terminal and may be connected to the outlet box when the "ground" terminal is not used. The converter plug also has an adjustable locking disc with three openings for receiving the three fixed prongs of a standard self-locking electric plug. The two electrodes and the "ground" terminal each have a hook-shaped end adapted to receive and interlock with its associated hook-shaped end of the three prongs in the standard self locking electric plug when the latter has its three prongs inserted into the disc openings and the standard plug is rotated with respect to the converter plug into locked position.

Abstract: An electric plug that has a pivoted "ground" terminal which may be swung from operative to an inoperative and protective position. The base for the "ground" terminal as well as the base for each of the two electrodes are provided with integral hook-shaped projections around which the bare strands of each wire in the three wire cable can be tightly wound for making an electrical connection between the bare strands of a wire and its associate base. In addition, the terminal carrier that receives the three wire cable has one end received in an end cap provided with recesses for receiving the outer ends of the hook-shaped projections. Also, the end cap has shoulders for pressing the bare strands of the wires into intimate contact with its associate base.

Abstract: An electric plug that has a retractable ground terminal in addition to the customary two terminals. This ground terminal is connected to the ground wire in the plug cable and when the ground terminal cannot be used, it is swung into a retracted or inoperative position and concealed from view. A ground outlet wire is used when the ground terminal is in inoperative position and this ground wire is wound around a spool when the ground terminal is used. This ground wire is connected by novel means to the ground terminal only when the latter is swung into inoperative position whereby the ground wire may be unwound from its inoperative position on the spool, and electrically connected to the outlet box and thus establish a ground connection from the outlet box to the ground terminal and thence to the ground wire in the outlet cable for the plug.