Abstract: An improved device for protecting an electrical load from a current overload combines an electrical switch and a re-settable circuit breaker in a single housing. The device avoids the use of gate plates, visually alerts an operator to the existence of a tripped conditions, and provides automatically self-aligning, evenly-wearing contacts for the switch.

Abstract: An electrical cord is clamped in a plug or connector by longitudinally moving a set of projections integral with an inner main body against a set of locking legs integral with an outer husk. The cord is circumferentially clamped within an interior compartment so as to resist removal of the cord therefrom.

Abstract: A one-piece, multi-function, grounding strip is assembled within an electrical receptacle, and includes a screw terminal which is highly resistant to removal of a grounding screw from the strip. The grounding terminal portion of the strip is much reduced in thickness as compared to conventional grounding terminals, and includes a pair of spaced-apart tineman-type single screw threads formed on grounding plates. A support element is sandwiched between the plates to form a combination which is highly resistant to forces tending to strip the grounding screw from the plates.

Abstract: A multiple electrical outlet strip is made in a simple inexpensive manner, yet the device produced has enhanced mechanical and electrical properties. A housing is extruded from plastic, and includes elongated electrically conductive material-receiving interior channels. A plurality of sets of spaced through-extending openings are formed in the housing top surface adjacent the electrically conductive material-receiving interior channels, the openings for receipt of male electrical plug prongs. Elongated spring brass contact strips are inserted the electrically conductive material-receiving interior into channels, and the strips are electrically interconnected to a cord which extends exteriorly of the housing. A bottom cover which comprises a plastic extrusion is slid into covering relationship with the housing bottom, and end plates are mounted with the housing to cover its open ends.

Abstract: A boxless wiring installation in which a wall switch or a duplex electrical receptacle may be mounted with snap action within and on a support member which is mounted by means of swing-out wall clamps to a wall.

Abstract: A panel-mounted duplex electrical receptacle easily is ganged with another receptacle to form a power terminal strip of any desired length. Each receptacle is mounted with a snap action in a cutout formed in a panel. The receptacles are wired together by inserting a bare conductor into aligned channels formed in the receptacles. Resilient tongues are provided on contact strips provided within the receptacles for pressing the inserted conductor into electromechanical contact with the respective contact strip. A resilient tab on each receptacle lockingly retains the inserted conductor in each channel. Each contact strip is cut from a substantially planar preform in a scrapless manner.

Abstract: A rapid assembly electrical plug includes a main body which bounds a receiving channel for the end portion of an electrical cord and partially bounds an input opening, and a lid which is mounted on the main body for movement between its open and closed positions transversely with respect to the receiving channel and completes the bounding of the input opening in its closed position. Electrical contact prongs are mounted in the main body of the plug housing and include respective side penetrating portions which penetrate into the cord substantially transversely thereof at the region of merger of the input opening with the receiving channel, and end penetrating portions which penetrate into the electrical conductors of the cord substantially in the longitudinal direction of the cord and from the free end of the latter at the bottom of the receiving channel.

Abstract: A line switch for twin-wire cable comprises a switch housing of one-piece clamshell-type construction, a pair of terminals mounted within the housing, a leaf spring having a pair of movable contact portions within the housing, and an armature for moving the movable contact portions between a closed and an open position. A cover portion and a body portion of the switch housing are hinged together along a common longitudinal edge which serves as a living hinge. The housing has a channel in which an open elongated electrical wire is laid, and a piercing projection integral with a stationary contact portion of the terminals is operative to pierce through and electromechanically engage the open wire when the cover portion is pivoted to close the body portion in an assembled position. Snap-action legs maintain the cover and body portions in the assembled position.

Abstract: A panel-mounted duplex electrical receptacle easily is ganged with another receptacle to form a power terminal strip of any desired length. Each receptacle is mounted with a snap action in a cutout formed in a panel. The receptacles are wired together by inserting a bare conductor into aligned channels formed in the receptacles. Resilient tongues are provided on contact strips provided within the receptacles for pressing the inserted conductor into electromechanical contact with the respective contact strip. A resilient tab on each receptacle lockingly retains the inserted conductor in each channel. Each contact strip is cut from a substantially planar preform in a scrapless manner.

Abstract: A push-in electrical wire connector for interconnecting at least two electrical wires includes a housing and a wire-clamping member mounted therein. The clamping member has apertures through each of which a respective conductor is insertable, and a resilient clamping portion extending lengthwise of the housing in an overlying relationship with an interior support wall. Due to its resilience, the clamping portion deflects from an initial position to a deflected position in which the clamping portion electromechanically engages and constantly urges the inserted conductor against the support wall.

Abstract: An improved incandescent light bulb which is capable of affording increased light efficiency without a resultant increase in either cost or energy consumption. In one embodiment of the bulb, said bulb includes a refractory stiff supporting element, at least one elongated helical resistive filament, two terminals which are each capable of being physically and electrically connected to a different socket and an elongated light transmissive envelope. In another embodiment the bulb additionally includes a reflector bonded to the envelope which reflects light and conducts heat away from said envelope. The stiff supporting element is formed to have a hollow interior. In said hollow interior a magnetizable elongated slug and two holding magnets may be contained. The slug and holding magnets cooperate with a switching means in the interior of the envelope to allow the bulb to selectively emit either a bright or a dim light.

Abstract: A slat assembly is mounted upon the leading edge of an aircraft wing, and responds automatically to changes in air speed or in the angle of attack of the wing, to increase lift at lower air speeds, and to reduce the stalling speed of the wing. A capability is induced in the aircraft for landing and taking off in short distances. For an aircraft of given size and power, also, there is offered an added safety factor in that the aircraft is permitted to land at slower landing speeds than have heretofore been possible. For the purpose of accomplishing these results, the automatic leading edge slat utilizes a base plate projecting from the leading edge of the aircraft wing, and supporting a slat having airfoil characteristics forwardly of the leading edge of the wing.

Abstract: An AC switch mechanism utilizes a ball contact to which generally linear motion is imparted by a rockable actuator having a spring providing downward contact force and a spring acting ball pusher leg to provide a snap action. In a single pole configuration disclosed as a typical and basic embodiment of the switch, the ball contact in one extreme position engages and extends as a conductive bridging element between bared conductor wires of an electric cable. The cable thus dispenses with the need for assembling separately made switch terminals with the other components of the mechanism. When moved from the "on" position to its other extreme, "off" position, the ball moves onto sloping ramps having a slight, gradual inclination relative to the lengths of the conductor wires. The construction offers a slow break to provide a minimum arc length before the zero point of the AC cycle, a characteristic of great importance in the design and operation of AC switches.

Abstract: A hot water collector to be erected on the sloped roof of an enclosure so that solar energy, i.e. the rays of the sun, will shine on the collector and heat water flowing therein. The collector features a plurality of parallel generally rectilinear channels arranged on the roof, extending transversely to the pitch of the roof and extending horizontally and transversely across the sloped roof. Water flows from one end of a channel to the other and then down to the next lower channel. The water is heated by the sun as it flows along successive channels, and heated water is removed from the lowest channel for space heating or other uses. A specific configuration of solar hot water collector consisting of an elongated metal strip and a plurality of metal mounting brackets is also disclosed, as well as a method of installing a solar hot water collector on the sloped roof of an enclosure using a plurality of elongated metal strips.

Abstract: A screw socket for use as a part of a lighting device such as a table or floor lamp or a ceiling or wall fixture. The screw socket includes a synthetic plastic screw husk having several new features, namely, (a) two one-piece metal strips, each of which at one end is formed into a contact for the screw thread base of a lamp and at the other end is formed into a push-type power termination for connection to the bare core of a sheathed electric conductor, each strip further including anchoring means, and additionally comprising locating means to inhibit twisting of the strip, (b) a hickey including a longitudinally gapped threaded nipple formed in one piece with an offset footed pedestal, (c) raised wiring bosses containing the push-type power terminations, and (d) alternately, instead of or in addition to the anchoring means and the locating means in one piece with each strip, a wedging means to accomplish the same functions.

Abstract: A socket mountable in a light fixture such as a table or floor lamp or a wall fixture. An electric light bulb is mounted in the socket, and is switched off and on by means of a central lower axial switch, the turn knob of the switch depending downwards from the socket. The improved bottom turn socket features a husk and cooperating lower cover housing about the switch. The housing includes at least one interior boss. The electric line cord is placed in a slot in the cover housing, and the boss, which is adjacent the slot, pinches the line cord against an end of the husk when the cover housing is emplaced, to provide strain relief. Preferably, two slots are provided in the cover housing, each having an associated adjacent interior boss to provide strain relief, so that a second line cord electrically connected in parallel within the bottom turn socket may extend from the husk of the socket to another light fixture.

Abstract: A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFI) in which a load circuit is energized through a normally closed magnetically latchable circuit breaker. When no fault exists that is of sufficient magnitude to actuate the GFI, the latching coil of the circuit breaker is ineffective, whereby the circuit breaker remains closed. The coil is connected to the amplified DC output of a ground fault sensing circuit and is energized in a certain sense to open the circuit breaker upon the occurrence of a fault, the circuit breaker then being magnetically latched open. A capacitor is continuously DC charged in a certain sense by the AC supply line through a rectifier. To reset the circuit breaker the capacitor is selectively connected across the coil to discharge a pulse of a sufficient magnitude in a proper sense to reversely energize the coil enough to release the magnetic latch and allow the circuit breaker to reclose. The GFI is tested by closing a circuit that simulates a fault of the low magnitude which is to be sensed.