Alert Safety Lite Products Co., Inc.

Alert Stamping & Mfg. Co., Inc.

Alert Stamping

Alert Stamping & Manufacturing Co., Inc.

Thomas J Blanch

James D Kovacik

Paul S Blanch

James W Kovacik

Female electrical connector with overload protection

A female electrical plug includes a pair of female terminals for engaging prongs of a male electrical plug, a female ground terminal, and a circuit breaker providing a path for electrical current and being responsive to electrical current flow in excess of a predetermined amount for opening the path and preventing the current flow, the circuit breaker having a reset button manually actuatable for closing the path. The plug also has a first conductor connected in series with the circuit breaker to one of the female terminals, a second conductor connected to another one of the female terminals and a third conductor connected to the female ground terminal. A body formed of an insulating material encapsulates the female terminals, the female ground terminal, the conductors and the circuit breaker. The body has a generally planar front surface with a pair of prong shaped apertures formed therein providing access to the female terminals and a ground prong shaped aperture providing access to said female ground terminal. Another aperture is formed in a side surface of the body through which the reset button extends and a pair of guard walls are formed on the side surface on opposite sides of the reset button for protecting the reset button from accidental actuation. An additional two sets of pairs of female electrical terminals and a female ground terminal can be encapsulated in the body on opposite sides of the two female terminals and connected in parallel accommodate three male plugs.

Female electrical plug with overload protection

Housing portion for a retractable electric cord reel

Retractable electric cord reel

A trouble light incorporates a circuit breaker in its handle to reduce the possibility of shock to a user. The handle is formed of right and left shells and includes a screw-type receptacle for a lamp and an electrical plug receptacle. The circuit breaker is connected in a series with a power cord, and to the screw-type receptacle and the electrical plug receptacle. The circuit breaker instantly interrupts power to the receptacles upon detection of excess current flow in the circuit in the trouble light. The handle shells are molded from an insulating material such as plastic and internal webs are formed to retain the various electrical circuit elements in the handle.

Trouble light with circuit breaker

Housing for an extension cord reel

A pulley for use in storing an electrical extension cord includes a pulley body having a generally tubular cord winding body with a radially outwardly extending flange formed at one end of its exterior surface. A generally disk-shaped flange plate is releasably attached to the other end of the winding body by locking tabs formed on the winding body which cooperate with apertures formed in the flange plate. Typically, the pulley body is formed of a nylon material and the flange plate is formed of steel. The winding body includes an internal wall and an aperture is formed in the wall and another aperture is formed in the flange plate for rotatably mounting the pulley on a supporting shaft. A coil spring has one end attached to the shaft and the other end attached to the winding body for automatically rewinding the extension cord.

Pulley for extension cord reel

An extension cord reel and carrying case is formed of a high impact plastic material. The case is formed of two cup-shaped halves which are releasably attached by cooperating locking tabs and locking apertures. The reel is also formed of two halves and includes a pair of duplex outlets and a circuit breaker. The reel is supported in the case on flanges extending through openings in the case and is manually rotated.

Extension cord reel and case

Multiple outlet strip

A self switching electric cord reel is disclosed in which a switch for energizing and de-energizing the electric cord is located on a housing of the reel itself. The switch is electrically serially connected with the electric cord and actuated by a pivotally mounted lever switch means, one arm of which operates the switch, and the other arm of which extends across an opening of the housing through which the electric cord passes. An enlargement of the electric cord contacts and pivots the lever switch means to operate the switch. The present self-switching electric cord reel is characterized by using a simpler and less expensive switch and design than formerly were employed, and by adapting the lever switch means to absorb or transmit the mechanical shock of its pivotal operation to the housing in preference to transmitting the shock to the switch.

Self-switching electric cord reel

A portable fluorescent tube assembly is disclosed having a relatively low voltage electric convenience outlet associated with the assembly. Although higher than normally supplied voltages are needed to initiate the lighting of a fluorescent tube, these voltages are unsuited for energizing still other electrical apparatus which is designed for normally supplied voltages. The circuitry of the present fluorescent tube assembly supplies both relatively high and low voltages at the portable unit itself, so that the tube can be fired to initiate lighting at the relatively high voltage, and yet other electrical apparatus can be energized directly from the portable assembly at a relatively low voltage.

Portable fluorescent tube assembly having low voltage convenience outlet

A portable fluorescent tube assembly is disclosed that is substantially all plastic and comprises improved end socket construction for the tube. In one form, an end socket comprises a support body having openings adapted to make an electrical connection therein with pins of the fluorescent tube. Radially extending fingers on the body tend to center it as desired. A rearward extension of the body has a transversely disposed aperture. Hollow socket members embrace the support body and have connecting sections which meet one another through the aperture of the rearward extension. Fastening means extend through the connecting sections of the socket members and the aperture to hold the socket construction in assembly. Optionally, one socket construction can contain a starter switch for the fluorescent tube and electrical leads needed to energize the tube. Preferably, the electrical plug for the electrical leads and the ballast for the fluorescent tube are combined in one integral unit remote from the tube to relieve the assembly of the weight of the relatively heavy ballast.

Growing community of inventors

Hudson, OH, United States of America

Thomas J Blanch