US2312181A - Multiple tube socket structure - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 23, 1943. c T HEWS 2,312,181

MULTIPLE TUBE SOCKET STRUCTURE Filed NOV. 15, 1941 44f W a wflmj Patented Feb. 23, 1943 MULTIPLE TUBE SOCKET STRUCTURE Alfred 0. Matthews, Fox Chase Manor. l'a., assignor to Philco Radio and Television Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application November 13, 1941, Serial No. 418,981

14 Claims.

This application relates to the mounting of vacuum tubes in a radio receiver, and more particularly to a novel multiple tube socket structure.

It has been customary in the past, in the manufacture of radio receivers, to useseparate sockets The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel multiple tube socket structure which is particularly adapted for use in small radio receivers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure which eliminates the necessity of all external wiring between tube contacts which are to be interconnected.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel structure which greatly simplifies the mounting and wiring of tube sockets and associated transformers of a radio receiver.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and the following description, which are to be understood as merely for purpose of disclosure and not as limiting the invention.

In the drawing:'

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a multiple tube socket structure made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view with the lower plate removed, showing more clearly the connector strips provided by the invention;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the structure with tubes and transformers in place thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram showing the wires which are eliminated by the socket structure.

Referring first to Figs. 1-3 of the drawing, there is shown a mounting strip for a group of vacuum tubes and associated intermediate frequency transformers. This mounting strip consists of two superposed thin sheets of suitable insulating material I and 2, which may, for example, consist of resin impregnated fibrous material. These sheets constitute a mounting base forthe elements described hereinafter. Through these sheets are drilled the holes 3 which are placed or grouped so as to receive the prongs of the tubes. As shown in the drawing, the strips 55 are drilled or punched to receive seven-prong tube bases of the type now commonly used in "pocket type receivers, but it is to be understood, of course, that any other type of tube with different basing arrangement might be used and the socket holes would be drilled to correspond. Also drilled or punched into the mounting strip are the bolt holes 4 which are used to bolt or rivet the strip to the main frame or chassis of the receiver. The rivets 5 passing through holes at the center of the tube sockets serve to hold the strips I and 2 together. The large holes in and 5b are provided for the mounting of transformers, as described hereinafter.

Between the sheets I and 2, and extending longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the groups of apertures 3, are metal connecting strips 6, I, 8. These metal strips are arranged in accordance with the wiring diagram of the radio receiver, and in the present case it is assumed that only the filament connections are common to all tubes. In practice, it may be found that one or more other connections are common to two or more tubes, and in that case, additional I strips may be provided as will be explained later.

The filament strips 6, I have integral fingers 9 extending transversely of those of the openings 3 which receive the filament prongs of the tubes. The ends of fingers 9 are slit and the slit edges are deflected to provide prong-receiving openings, in a manner similar to the formation of the contact elements according to the United States patent to Loy E. Barton No. 2,206,799, granted July 2, 1940. The strips 6, 'I'also have integral terminal lugs l0. It is necessary, of course, that the fingers 9 be wid enough to serve as prongreceiving elements but they should be narrow enough to provide ample clearance between connections. The strips 6, 1 may be stamped from sheet metal blanks, after which the ends of fingers 9 may be treated in the above-described manner and the terminal lugs l0 may be bent.

In order to position properly the strips 6, I so that the ends of fingers 9 are aligned with the proper prong-receiving openings, small detents II are struck from the strips and corresponding openings I! are provided in either of the sheets I, 2 to receive the detents. In practice the sheets I and 2 may be made identical with the necessary holes formed in each so that the detents may fit into whichever sheet is the more convenient.

Thus the strips '6 and l constitute common connectors or bus elements for the filaments of the several tubes.

As mentioned above, a third metallic connector strip 8 is provided. This strip is insulated from the adjacent strip I by an insulating strip l8. Strip 8 has integral fingers I4 and I5 and integral terminal lugs I8, I I and I8. Fingers I4 and I 5 extend transversely of certain prong-receiving openings for some of the tubes and are formed in the same manner as the fingers 8. Strip 8 may be utilized to supply the necessary voltage to certain tube elements, such as the screen grid,

via the fingers I4 and I5. A suitable voltage source may be connected to lug I6 for this purpose. The same voltage may be applied to the intermediate frequency transformers merely by connecting the same to the lugs l1 and I8 which are conveniently located for this purpose. Thus the strip 8 further simplifies the wiring of the entire tube-transformer assembly.

The remaining leads to the tubes are connected to socket elements is which may advantageously beconstructed and arranged in the manner set forth in the aforementioned Barton patent. These socket elements have terminal lugs extending directly through the lower plate 2 for external wiring.

The relatively high distributed capacitance between the strips 6, I and 8 is of no moment, since normally no radio .frequency potentials exist therebetween. In practice the distributed capacity between the strip 8 and the filament strips 8, I will merely add slightly to the usual screen-to-cathode by-pass condenser.

' Fig. 4 shows the completely assembled socket structure including two intermediate frequency transformers 28 and 2|, and four vacuum tubes 22, 23, 24 and 25. Using the ordinary intermediate frequency connections, it will be necessary only to solder the wires from the intermediate frequency transformers to the respective plate and grid socket elements, to the lugs I1 and I8, and to a ground, bias, or AVC terminal. Thus it may be seen that the complete wiring is accomplished with a minimum of leads and soldered connections.

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically the wires which may be eliminated by employing the socket structure in a simple system comprising four tubes and two intermediate frequency transformers. Such wires are shown by the heavy lines, and they comprise the filament supply conductors designated generally at 28 and the B voltage supply leads designated generally at 21. This illustration shows clearly the substantial amount of wiring which may be eliminated.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the specific disclosure but is capable of various forms or embodiments.

I claim:

1. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising an insulating base, contact elements carried thereby for engaging the contact members of a plurality of tubes, some of said contact elements having individuahconnection terminals extending directly to points below the base for connection to external wiring, and at least one common connector for contact elements engaging several of said tubes, said connector being disposed inlating strip for connecting the common terminals to other prongs of a plurality of tubes, said conducting strips having integral contact portions for said other prongs.

of insulating material in superposed relation having apertures disposed so as to receive the tube prongs, and metal strips for connecting the common prongs, said metal strips being interposed between said sheets and having integral connection terminals projecting through one of said sheets, said strips having integral contact portions for the common prongs, whereby the connections common to some of the tubes have only a single external connecting terminal.

4. A socket structure for a plurality of vacuum tubes, each of the vacuum tubes having a plurality of prongs in its base, comprising a pair of superposed sheets of insulating material having aligned apertures to receive the tube prongs, metal strips between said sheets, said metal strips each forming one of the filament connections for a plurality of the tubes, and each of said metal strips being constructed to provide one of the socket contacts for each of said tubes, and lugs extending from said metal strips to facilitate connecting the strips to an external circuit.

5. A socket structure for a plurality of vacuum tubes as defined in claim 4, characterized by the provision of an additional metal strip forming at least one of the socket connections for at least one of said tubes and having an external lug for connection thereto.

8. A socket structure for a plurality of vacuum tubes as defined in claim 4, adapted for the mounting of transformers between the tubes, an additional metal strip between said sheets insulated from said first-mentioned strips and adapted to be connected to a source of plate voltage, and external lugs on said additional metal strip near each transformer position to provide a high voltage terminal for each transformer.

'l. A socket structure for a plurality of vacuum tubes, each of the vacuum tubes having a plurality of prongs in its base, comprising a strip of insulating material having apertures arranged t receive said tube prongs, and metallic strips carried by said insulating strip and forming integral parts of the assembled socket structure for connecting several of the tubes, each metallic strip forming the connections to a plurality of prongs, some of said tubes being relatively widely spaced, and said insulating strip being adapted to receive intermediate frequency transformers in the spaces between said tubes.

8. A socket assembly adapted to receive a plurality of vacuum tubes or the like, comprising a plurality of sheets of insulating material having groups of perforations to receive the prongs of said tubes, socket contacts in juxtaposition with said perforations adapted to make contact with the prongs of said vacuum tubes, and connections between contacts of a plurality of said groups, said connections being disposed between the sheets of insulating material and extending externally thereof.

9. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising an insulating base having a plurality of groups of apertures, each group being arranged to receive the prongs of a tube, at least one common connector for certain elements of at least two tubes,

said connector being mounted on said base and having portions extending to the apertures which receive the tube prongs corresponding to said elements, said portions being engageable by the lastmentioned prongs, said connector being adapted for connection of an external conductor thereto, and contact elements arranged on said base for engagement by the other tube prongs.

10. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising a pair of insulating plates in superposed relation having a plurality of groups of apertures, each group being arranged to receive the prongs of a tube, at least one common connector for certain elements of at least two tubes, said connector comprising a metallic strip interposed between said plates and having portions extending transversely of the apertures which receive the tube prongs corresponding to said elements, said portions being formed to receive and engage the lastmentioned prongs, said connector being adapted for connection of an external conductor thereto, and contact elements carried by said plates and arranged for engagement by the other tube prongs.

11. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising an insulating base having a plurality of groups of apertures, each group being arranged to receive the prongs of a tube, a pair of common connectors for the filaments of the tubes, said connectors being mounted on said base and having portions extending to the apertures which receive the tube prongs corresponding to the tube filaments, said portions being engageable by the last-mentioned prongs, and connectors being adapted for connection of external conductors thereto, and contact elements arranged on said base for engagement by the other tube prongs.

12. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising a pair of substantially rectangular insulating plates arranged in superposed relation, said plates having longitudinally-spaced groups of apertures, each group being arranged to receive the prongs of a tube, at least one common connector for certain elements of at least two tubes, said connector comprising a metallic strip interposedbetween said plates and extending longitudinally thereof adjacent to the groups of apertures, said strip having fingers extending angularly' therefrom to the apertures which receive the tube prongs corresponding to said elements, said fingers being engageable by said last-mentioned prongs, a connection terminal integral with said strip and ex-,

tending below said plates, and prong-receiving contact elements carried by said plates and arranged cooperatively with the apertures which receive the other tube prongs.

13. A multiple tube socket structure, comprising a pair of substantially rectangular insulating plates arranged in superposed relation, said plates having longitudinally-spaced groups of apertures, each group being arranged to receive the prongs of a tube, a pair of common connectors for the filaments of the tubes, said connectors comprising metallic strips interposed between said plates and extending longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the groups of apertures, said strips having fingers extending angularly therefrom to the apertures which receive the tube prongs corresponding to the tube filaments, said fingers being engageable by said last-mentioned prongs, a connection terminal integral with each strip and extending below said plates, and prong-receiving contact elements carried by said plates and arranged cooperatively with the apertures which receive the other tube prongs.

14. A multiple, pre-wired, tube socket structure, comprising an insulating base, a plurality of groups of contact elements carried by said base for engaging the contact pins of a plurality of tubes, some of said contact elements having individual connection terminals extending exteriorly of said base for connection to external wiring, and at least one common interconnecting means connected between other contact elements of a plurality of said groups, said common interconnecting means being secured to said base and forming an integral part of the assembled socket structure.

ALFRED C. MATTHEWS.

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