US1334471A - Searchlight - Google Patents

Description

H. B. STAMM.

SEARCHUGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1919,

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

HOWARD B. STAMM, OF CINCINNATI. OHIO.

" SEARCH'LIGHT.

Spccificaiionoli Letters Patent. Pa hh d \hu 23, [$)Z() Application filed March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286.318.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. STAMM, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cin cinnati, in the county of l-lamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Searchlight-s of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to im 'u'oven'ients in search lights for automobiles and similar purposes. One of its objects is to provide an improved reflector adapted to direct the light rays in the desired direction and to avoid a blinding glare in the eves of pedestrians or driversof vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Another object '?is to provide an improved reflector for the purpose readily applicable to search lights here tofore in use to incan'porate therein the dc sirable reflecting properties mentioned. My invention also comprises certain details of structn'ie and arrangement, all of which will be fully forth in the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a search light embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved supplemental reflector detached.

Fig. -l is an enlarged sectional detail.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the detachable reflector.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of m invention in, which 5 represents a parabo ic reflector of the general type heretofore in use. 6 represents a plane glass or lense across the front of the reflector, and 7 a metal housing or casing of usual type. An incandescent electric 1i ht bulb or other source of light 8 is located at the focus of the parabolic reflector 5 to afford a strong pencil of light-rays directed at the road some distance in ad vance of the vehicle, and requisite on CUUIM try roads and other laces where the streets and roads are not ot erwise illuminated.

A similar but smaller incandescent electric light bulb 9 is also preferably provided to provide a dimmed light for use as a signo] light Where the use of the. bulb 8 would afford an unnecessary amount of light.

In order to direct the rays from the bulb 8 forward and downwardly upon the road, and so as to prevent rays therefrom entering twbyes of pedestrians on :hc. is! met or drivers of other vehicles, i provide a supplemental or insert reflector 10, which presents two convex faces upwardly toward the bulb it and two concave faces downwardly toward the. bulb F1. and provided with a downwardly directed tongue 11. at its for ward central portion in position to be interposed in from of and to intercept any rays which might issue directl; from the bulb or source. of light 8 so as to enter the eyes of a pedestrian or other driver.

The two con vex concave reflector sections 10 and 10 are. united at the vertical center in a downwardly proje ting rib or crease 13.

The reflector so arranged serves to diffuse the light issuing froni'above the reflector 1.). and to concentrate the light issuing from below reflector l0. Thelight issuing from below the reflector 10 is directed in a fan m blade shaped pencil slightly downwardly and e enly over the face of the road, where it serves its purpose of enabling the operator to guide his machine without directing rays of light into the eyes of others. This form of supplemental or insert reflector with its downwardly directed medial rib is relatively rigid and well adapted to retain its positio e ative to the light bulb and the parabolic reflector. and to conserve and concentrate tlie light upon and adjacent to the road who're it will best serve. the operators purpose without injury to others.

The insert reflector 10 has lugs 12 at opposite sides at the front, to be clam ed between the glass 6 and the marginal f iice or flange it of the parabolic reflector to hold the reflector 10 in position, and at the rear reflector 10 has a. recess 19 which fits owl and is supported by the tubular socket 20 of the light bulb to firmly support the reflector it) in place. Reflector 10 preferably also has a marginal band 15 With a head 16 to fit closely against the face of the reflector 5. In order to prevent noise, rattling, or injury to the. reflectors Where they meet, or the .escape of light through the joint between the reflectors. I also preferably rovide a cord or band of textile material it, such as felt. plush, or velvet for instance, which rests in the recess or head 16. and. is retained thereby against displacement.

The li 'ht bulb 9 bein out of the focus of the re ector and the .ace of the reflector 10 directed toward the bulb 9 being convex, both tend to disseminate the liizht rays given tit out from the .bulb 9, so that there will be no region of suflicicnt intensity to have a blinding effect.

lhe l1 ht to s directed upwardl and forwardly rom t It bulb 8 and whici without the insert reflector would be liable to interfere with the vision of others are re rcivcd by thuconcavc faces of reflector l0 and the tongue 11 thereof, and are either interrupted entirely or reflected downwardly upon the lower portion of the reflector From reflector 5 these rays are again reflected together with other downwardly and roarwardly directed rays from the bulb 8 along paths to produce a wide flat fan r21 binds shaped pencil of rays dirccted upon the road in front of the vehicle, and which I have found to give the most satisfactory illuminating results. This ty )c of sup lcmental rvflector also affords so I cicnt diffused light or rays of less intensity at the opposite sides of the intense ventral iil-ulc of illumination so that trans, houses 1nd other objects at the sides of the road may be seen and possible obstructions uvii ictl. This \lifl'nscd light at the sides also materially assists in rounding curves in the road where the iencil of intensev illumination tcm 'iorarily does not fall upon the road. The blade of intense illumination is directed from the lower portion of the re flector, and at no point is high enough to materially interfere with other ersons. The reflectors 10 may readily be inserted and applied to any reflector i hts heretofore in use of the eneral t 'pe il ustrated.

The apparatus erein illustrated and dc-- scribed 15 capable of considerable modification within the scope of the claims without departing from the principle of my invention,

hat I claim is.

1. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type having a source of light at substantially the focal point of said parabolic reflector, an insert reflector comprising two curved reflecting surfaces intersecting along a vertical plane at substantially the focal point of said parabolic reflector and having a marginal flange to closely fit the surface of said parabolic re flector and an interposed light excluding packing material between the adjacent faces of said parabolic reflector and said insert reflector, said insert reflector serving to divide the space within said parabolic reflector into an upper compartment and a lower compartment with said. source of light in said lower compartment.

2. A search lijit comprising a reflector the lower half 0 which is of the parabolic type, and the upper rtion 0t wmcn com prises two concave ownwiudly reflect curved faces intersecting at a medial ri above the focal point of said parabolic sec-" said reflector, and a reflector interposed'bel6 tween said light bulbs and presenting a convex reflecting surface at each side of a vertical medial line toward the light bulb in the upper compartment, and a concave reflecting surface at each side of a medial vertical line toward the light bulb in the lower reflector compartment, united by a medial rib extending downwardly at its forward end and serving to intercept the upwardly directed and centrally forwardly 85 directed rays from the light bulb in the lower reflector compartment.

4. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type. having a source of lightjat substantially the focal point of.snid parabolic reflector, an insert reflector havin two" concave downwardly reflecting curved surfaces meeting in a middle rib from front to back of the reflector substantially above thefocal point of said parabolic reflector.

said insert reflector being located above said source of light and dividing! the interior space of said parabolic reflector into an upper and lower compartment and intercepting the upwardly directed and con trally forwardly directed rays from said source of light and reflecting a rtion thereof .upon the lower half of sni pain bolie reflector to he thereby reflected out upon the road.

5. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type having a source of light atML substantially the focal pointof said parabolic reflector. an insert reflector having two concave downwardly reflecting surfaces meeting in a middlerib from front to back itllOVt' the source of light and dividing the interior space of said parabolic reflect/0'! into an upper compartment and a lower compbrtment, said insert reflector having supportL ing lugs at the extremities of its front edge and a point of engagement. with the light, socket at the rear of said parabolic reflpetor.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HOWARD B. STAMM.

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