Mounting device for strand supported elements

June 2, 1959 g. _w. long© 2,889,451

MOUNTING DEVICE FOR STRAND SUPPORTED ELEMENTS

Filed March 14, 1958

<img file="US2889451A_D0001.tif" />

INVENTOR

<img file="US2889451A_D0002.tif" />

ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

2,889,451

Patented June 2, 1959

2,889,451

MOUNTING DEVICE FOR STRAND SUPPORTED ELEMENTS

Gregory W. Longo, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application March 14, 1958, Serial No. 721,501

Claims. (Cl. 240—52)

This invention relates to an improved mounting means for ornamental lamp devices normally arranged at spaced intervals on strand members as is the case for example, with strings of Christmas tree lights, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved mounting device for individual strand supported elements including a first part associated with said element, and a second co-acting part adapted for pre-positioning on a mounting support or structure.

In the positioning and arrangement of ornamental lamp devices normally spaced on strand members, a problem frequently arises in providing suitable means for anchoring the ornamental devices in desired locations. This is particularly true with strings of ornamental lights, such as Christmas tree lights, which are frequently used to outline door-ways, windows, and other parts of houses and buildings. The common practice has been to staple the supporting strands or wires to the particular door frame, window frame, or other building part, but this is generally unsatisfactory since repeated tacking up of ornamental strands tends to disfigure the building part. Also at times when placement of decorative lights or other ornamental strands is to be accomplished, the weather may be such that working with staples or similar fasteners is inconvenient and uncomfortable. In some instances, these difficulties are overcome by mounting a string of lights, or the like, on rigid supports which are secured to the building part to be decorated. This, however, is an added storage problem, and has the further disadvantage of tending to disfigure the part or parts being decorated.

An object of my invention is to provide practical means for quickly and easily attaching and detaching ornamental lights, and the like, in a predetermined pattern arrangement without experiencing the inconveniences heretofore encountered. A further object of the invention is to provide practical and inconspicuous mounting members which can be permanently mounted at convenient times and positioned in a desired pattern arrangement, and which provides quick and easy snap engagement for coupling and mounting ornamental lights, or similar devices, in a predetermined pattern arrangement.

In accomplishing these and other objects, I employ a two part device which may be generally described as having one part intimately associated and positioned with respect to an ornamental light or similar device, and a second part having snap engagement therewith which is adapted to be nailed, screwed, or otherwise permanently mounted on a part of the structure to be decorated. Details concerning my invention will be readily understood from a consideration of the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing which show preferied adaptations of the invention in which tb^. various parts are identified by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a Christmas tree bulb with a sectional view of one form of my improved mounting means illustrated in association therewith;

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the device as shown in 5 Fig. 1, taken in the direction of the arrows 2—2 and showing the parts of the mounting device relatively detached;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a slightly modified form of light socket and also illustrating a 10 modified form of mounting device; and

Fig. 4 is a view generally similar to Fig. 3 wherein the light socket is of modified construction to form per se one part of my improved mounting device.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, a light socket 15 10, carrying a bulb 11, and mounted on wires 12, is intended to illustrate a single unit in a strand of ornamental or ‘ Christmas tree” lights, which may contain any desired number of sockets 10 on a strand of wires 12. The mounting device 13 associated with the bulb socket and 20 wire assemblage is shown as an essentially cylindrical socket 14 having at opposed sides thereof, elongated grooves 15 terminating in lateral bayonet offsets 16 for receiving the wires 12. It will be evident that the socket part 14 can be attached to the lamp socket 10 by sliding 25 upwardly with the wires moving in the grooves 15 until the wires reach the bottom of the grooves 15, and then slightly rotating the socket 14 to engage the wires 12 in the offsets 16, thereby locking the same against displacement.

The lower extremity of the cylindrical socket part 14 is provided with an inwardly beaded edge 17 having a snap engagement with an outwardly beaded edge 18 on a relatively flat mounting part 19. The mounting part 19 is suitably provided with a central aperture 20 to re35 ceive a screw, nail, or other fastener when securing the same to the surface 21 which may be a door frame, window frame, or any structural part to be decorated/

Inwardly of the beaded edge 17 and spaced closely with respect to the bayonet groove 16, I preferably employ a 40 transverse wall member 22 which lends an element of rigidity to the lower mounting end of the socket part 14. It is to be understood, however, that the wall part 22 is not essential, and could be completely eliminated without seriously impairing the use and effectiveness of the device.

While the socket part 14 and mounting part 19 can be fashioned from various materials, they are particularly adapted for molding from suitable plastics such as poly_g0 ethylene, which provides a sufficient degree of rigidity with a flexibility suitable for engagement and disengagement of the interfitting beaded portions 17 and 18. A further advantage in the use of plastics such as polyethylene, is the relative stability and non-staining char55 acter thereof as compared with ferrous metals, and the like. It will also be practical, however, to fashion the mounting part 19 from certain metals such as aluminum, which are resistant to the elements. In this connection, it should be borne in mind that the part 19, once mount00 ed in the desired location in association with the other members 19 to form a decorative pattern for the arrangement of lights or other ornamental devices, will remain permanently in place so that when the light strands or other ornamental devices are to be arranged for deco65 native purposes, a socket part 14 is merely engaged with each lamp socket 10 and associated wires 12, and the assemblage is snapped into engagement with the mounting part 19. In the mounting operation, the socket part 14 is given a final twist to insure that the offsets 16 of the bayonet grooves are in proper engagement with the

2,889,451

33α on the socket 33 than to provide the much larger plastic unit required in the socket parts 14 and 23 as previously described. In other words, Fig. 4 represents an adaptation of the invention to an initial article of manufacture, whereas the', devices shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing are adaptations in the nature of supplemental devices or attachments for use with existing equipment. It will, of course, be understood that in the modification as shown in Fig· 4, the location of the male and female parts can be reversed. In such event, the bottom plate 33α as. shown in Fig. 4, will have a crosssectional contour similar to the bottom portion of the device as shown in Fig. 1, and the mounting part 36 will be similar to the mounting part 19.

In the various figures of the drawing, the size and contour of the beaded edges of the interfitting stud and socket parts have been somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clarity of showing. It will be recognized that the relative size of the beaded portions of the stud and 20 socket parts are factors which in production should be specially adapted to the particular resilient plastic or other construction material employed so as to provide free insertion and removal of the stud part with respect to the socket part while at the same time provid25 ing a sufficiently close engagement therebetween to prevent inadvertent detachment of the parts.

In any of the forms of construction shown, it will be apparent that the mounting parts adapted for permanent . positioning on structural parts of buildings, and the like, 30. can be supplied in excess numbers so that these parts can .-. be mounted in a number of different patterns and locations. In this way, a single strand of ornamental lights, or the like, can be quickly and easily put up and taken down in various pre-arranged patterns desired for differ35. ent festive occasions.

Various changes and modifications in the invention as herein described will occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such changes and modifications are embraced by the appended claims, it is to be under40 stood that they constitute part of my invention.