Flash apparatus

Claim 1

IN COMBINATION WITH A CAMERA HAVING A FLASH SYNCHRONIZING SWITCH, FLASH BULB SOCKET MEANS DESIGNED TO RECEIVE A FLASH BULB HAVING AN ELONGATED BASE AND PROVIDED WITH ELECTRODES ON OPPOSITE ELONGATED SURFACES OF SAID BASE, COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS INDIVIDUALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FLASH SWITCH, EACH OF SAID CONTACTS HAVING A FIRST PORTION THAT IS FLAT AND AS WIDE AS SAID ELONGATED SURFACES OF SAID BASE ARE LONG, A SECOND PORTION CONNECTED TO ONE END OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND CURVING OUT OF THE PLANE THEREOF, A THIRD PORTION CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST PORTION AND INCLINED RELATIVE TO THE PLANE THEREOF, AND A FOURTH PORTION PARALLEL TO BUT NONCOPLANAR WITH SAID FIRST PORTION; (B) MEANS FOR SECURING SAID FOURTH PORTIONS TO SAID CAMERA HOUSING SO THAT THE FIRST PORTIONS OF SAID CONTACTS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND URGED TOWARD EACH OTHER, AND SAID SECOND PORTIONS ARE OPPOSITELY DIRECTED TO DEFINE THE SIDES OF A FLARED MOUTH ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE BASE OF SAID FLASH BULB WHEN THE LATTER IS DROPPED INTO SAID MOUTH FOR OPERABLY ORIENTING SAID BASE SO THAT THE ELECTRODES ENGAGE SAID CONTACTS; AND (C) A NONCONDUCTOR INSERTED BETWEEN SAID CONTACTS FOR NORMALLY SPACING THE LATTER WHEN THE BASE OF SAID BULB IS NOT INSERTED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PORTIONS; (D) EACH OF SAID CONTACTS ALSO HAVING A SECOND PORTION CURVED OUT OF THE PLANE OF SAID FIRST PORTION TO DEFINE, WHEN SAID CONTACTS ARE OPERATIVELY MOUNTED, THE SIDES OF A FLARED MOUTH ADAPTED TO BE ENGAGED BY THE BASE OF A FLASH BULB WHEN THE LATTER IS DROPPED INTO SAID MOUTH, SUCH ENGAGEMENT SERVING TO PROPERLY ORIENT THE BASE FOR INSERTION.