US1326856A - Headlight - Google Patents

Description

A. FAST.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED 553.1

Patented Dec. 3U,

w, 0 1T- h C v H ll .'LGER FAST, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Deeso, 1919.-

Application filed February 12, 1918. Serial No. 216,723.

I To all t/Lam t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALGER FAST, a citizen' of the United States, residing at `Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a nenr and useful Headlight, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to headlights par ticularly. for use in motor vehicles, and the main object of the invention is to provide a headlight which Will effectively illuminate the roadway in front of the vehicle', and will not project any rays into the space in front of the vehicle, above 'a given height, so as to avoid the disagreeable and dangerous ef# fects of the glare which is produced by ordinary headlights.

v It has heretofore been attempted to reduce the glare from headlights by dimming the 4headlight; In either case there is, a serious "loss ofilluminating` power in the zone Where illumination is required, and the expedient of dimming or obstructing the upper part of the headlight is ineffective, as rays are reflected from the lower part of the reflector into the eyes of approaching persons, so that the glare is Anot satisfactorily eliminated. My invention provides for effective elimination of any suoli undesirable reflections, While maintaining effective illumination Within the required Zone.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of-Iny invention, and referring thereto:

vFigure 1 is a side elevation of the headlight, showing by broken lines the manner in which the light is projected.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in section.

' Fig. 4.- is a section on line 4 4 in. Fig. 2. Y

The headlight is provided Witha casing 1,.of suitable shape, for example, approximately cylindrical, (or if desired, approximately spherical) said casing having snitable supporting means, such as brackets 1 and having an aperture 2 in its front wall,

said aperture being preferably formed as a horizontal slot extending substantially the full Width of the casing. The illuminating means, which may be an electric lamp 3 supplied with current by lamp cord 18, is mounted in the upper forward part of vsaid casing, above the slot or aperture 2, and is provided with a concave or focal reflector 4l which may be of any suitable shape, for

example, parabolic, so as to concentrate the light from the lamp 3 into a beam. AThe lamp 3 may be adj ustably mounted in reflector 1, by socket 5 and set screw 5. A plane or substantially .plane mirror or reflector 6 is mounted in the rear part of casing 1, in the path of the beam of light from lamp 3, and is disposed at such angle as to cause such beam of light to be reflected through the slot .or aperture 2, in such manner that the upper edge of said beam, represented by line A in Fig. 1, is substantially horizontal so that at no part of the beam thus projected forivardly from the headlight is the beam at sufficient height to enter the eyes of a personA walking or driving in front of the vehicle. The aperture 2 in the front of the casing 1 is preferably provided With a glass pane 7, and an inclined shield 9 of glass or other transparent material is provided above said pane to shed Water therefrom and prevent obscuring of the pane by Water in rainy weather. -I also prefer to provide a transparent section 15 of colored glass in the lloiver part of the front pane 7; thissection 15- being for example colored green in the right hand lamp-and rediin the left hand lamp of the vehicle, so that the headlights Will also serve as right and left signal-lamps. `basing 1 may have a glass Window l on one side to serve for villumination at the side of the vehicle. The bottom of the casing 1 has an opening 28 toenable access to the interior of the casing, this ,openingfbeing normally closed by a slide 29, preferably blackened on its upper surface to avoid reflection of any light therefrom. i

The 'concave reflector 4 with the lamp 3 attached thereto, is preferably adjustable so as to vary the direction of incidence of the beam of light on the plane mirror 6, said re Hector and lamp being mounted on a slide member 10 Which slides in a curved guide- Way 11 in the front Wall of. casing 1, suitable means such Aas clamp nut 12 being provided for holding the said parts in set position. The plane mirror 6 may also be adjustable in casing 1 by means of bolt 18 Where head 18 engages in Aa curved keyhole slot 19 in mounting 2,0.onthe back ofsaid mirror, ksaid bolt extending "through a sleeve stud 22 and through a slot 23 in casing;A 1,

and provided with nut 24 for clamping the parts in set relation. An upper plane mir ror 28 maybe provided above the mirror 6 and having adjusting means consisting for example of a stud 29 in said mirror 28, having a screw 30 passing through slot 3l in casing 1 and fastened by a nut 32. In the operation of the headlight, the light from lamp 2is directed by the concave re'- ector Il on to the plane mirrorS, and is re- -flected by the Llatter throughthe aperture-2, in the form of a beam of light whose upper limit, indicated by` the line a in Fig. 1 is atsubstantially uniformheight 'above the ground, say about 40 inches, -so as not to produceany glare in zone above that limit.

Most of the light is directed straight for-l wardl from theaperturefbut some of the light is refie'cted downward sias to illuminate the ground `for a suflicient distance in j front of the vehicle for practical purposes,

such illumination being more or less diffused and being exceptionally satisfactory in de- 'lining details of the roadway withoutfa-I tiguing the eyes of the driver. Partof the light from lamp `3 is received directly by upper-plane mirror 28 and is 'thereby reflected forward and downward 'through aperture 2 in such vmanner as 'to uminate the roadway immediately in' front 'of the Vehicle. i

What I claim' is Y "1I A headlight comprising a casing vhaving an aperture in therlower part of its front, a lamp mounted in the forward part of the casing above said aperture, a focal reflector for directing the rays o'f said lamp yrearwardly and downwardly, 'and a plane mirror at the rear lower part of the-casing, mounted in such manner as to rece'ivethe raysso reflected. and A to 'reflect'.ithem forwardly through saidaperture', the bottomv of fleeting surface to prevent reflection of light forward and upward through said aperture.

2. A headlight comprising a casing having an aperture in the lower part of its front, and .having a non-reflecting bottom 4 member, a lampfinounted labove said aperture, a focal reector for dnecting rays from sald lamp rearwardly and downwardly, ,a

Yplane mirror at the lower rear part of the casing mounted in such manner as to reg,

ceive the rays so reflected and to reflect them forwardly through said aperture, and

a mirror above the first named plane mirror.V

and adapted'to receive rays directly from said lamp and to Ireflect such rays forwardly and downwardly through saidaaperture.

vheadlight' according Yto claim 2, wherein said lamp and focal reflector are angularly adjustable, 'and' said first named plane mirror is augularly adjustable indeto vary the direction of the reflected rays.

4. A headlight according to claim `3, .wherein the second named mirror is angu- -larly adjustable independently of the lamp` and lof the first named mirror.

A5. A head1-ight. comprising a stationary vpendently .of the lamp and focal reflector,

casing having an 'aperture in the lower part l scribed my name this 6th day of February,

reis.

` ALGERrAs'r.,

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