US1444267A - Electric lantern - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1923. 11,444,267-

` A. A. PEARSON.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

FILED OCT, l2, 1921` 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

514.6%. @GQ/:50M

Feb. 6, 1923.

11,444,267. A. A. PEARSON.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

FILED OCTE 12| |921. 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

@How m o reanimeren. e, 192,3.

stares lai-M9267 ant caricia. l

ALBERT ANSON PEARSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

` ELECTRIC LANTERN.

Application leddctober 12, 1921. Slerial No. 507,290.

invention, such as -will enable others skilledi .in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1 This invention relates to animproved tric lantern for use .by railroad menand one object of the invention is to provide a .lan-

16 tern which is so constructed that it can be conveniently used for signalling purposes and which can alsov be conveniently used for4 throwing a light against the side of a car so that the number o"l the car' or other data can 2e be readily made note of. V Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a lantern havinga plurality of bulbs oneof which will be preferabl white and the second of whichwill be o some other color and preferably red, limproved switch means being provided so that the bulbs may be selectively illuminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of switch for selectively illuminating a desired bulb, the switch being so constructed that it can be easily moved into operative engagement with the desired `bulb and further so constructed that itwillbe securely heldin the adjusted position and not liable to readily slip out of operative relation to the desired bulb.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved -type of reflector which. is adjustablymounted'so that it maybe moved 4o into position to keep thelight out of the eyesof' the operator and vdirect the light against the side of a freight car when making a recordof the car numbers. Another objectl'of the Ainvention is to so A ,a5 construct this lantern-that it may be readily carried under one Varm or grasped by the handle and carriedzin a swinging position.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a lantern having a casing of an improved construction and carrying a head at one end which will be. removably mounted so that the plate or head'can be removed when it is desired to make repairs'or adjustment to the switch mechanism carried thereelec- This invention is illustrated in the accompanylng drawings, wherein:

igure 1 1s a view showing the improved lantern in sidev elevation.

Figure, 2 isan enlarged vertical sectional view through the lantern. Figure 3 is a .transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4fA is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the lower portion of the casing with the bulb and switch carrying head in place. Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view `of the bulb carrying plate or head with one of the bulbs place.

Figure 7. is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

and reiector plate shown in Figure 8` is a perspective view of the" switch mechanism, the view being taken looking at :the inner face of the casing head.

This improved lantern is provided with a casing 1 of any suitable shape to contain a battery, which is open at its ends and has itsupper end closed by a cover 2 hingedly mounted as shown at 3 so that this cover may be swung to an open position when` it is desired to insert or remove a battery. A .Collar 4 is .placed about the lower end por- -tion of the casing 1 and at certainpoints is Ycrimped to provide pockets 5 to receive the rods, 6 which constitute supports and have their lower ends connectedwith a base forming ring 7. Certain of these rods 6 are extended upwardly to provide arms 8 which carry at their upper ends cups or sockets 9 into which will be secured the ends of va U- shapedhandle 10, the handle being formed of rigid material so that a firmhandle will be provided.

The lower end of the casing is provided with an inwardly extending flange 11 which `is spaced from the endof the casing thus providing an annular seat 'to receive the ring 12 which will be soldered in place. This ring 12 carries U-shaped guard strips 13 in order to protect the bulbs 14 and 15 from being accidentally struck and broken when the lantern Iis in use. A plate 16'which forms4 a closure head for the lower end of the casing fits into this casing and rests u `on the `flange 11 as shown in Fig. 2,. Thls plate carries a gasket 17 formed of rubber and l adapted to provide spacing and cushioning lill@ vided at its inner end with a bulb engaging 'arni'22 and. at its outer end with an actuat-A ing handle 23. The arm 22 is provided with a head 24 which extends beyond the sides of the arm and has its extended side portions. bent upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 so that the head may easily move into engagement with either of the bulbs 14 and 15., This arm is formed of resilient material and is provided with a pin extension 25 which rests upon the strip 26 and will be seated' inV one ofthe seats or pockets 27 when the arm isin en-` gagement with one of thejbulb's. When the switch arm is in the neutral position of Fig. 4, the stem extension will be positioned upon the portion of the strip 26 between the pockets 27 and the switch will be held stationary by friction. By means of this construction, the switch arm 22 is prevented. from accidentally moving into engagement with one of the bulbs and will also be prevented from accidentally slip-ping out of contact with the bulb which it is desired to l have illuminated and thus current will be bulb illuminated whereas when theswitch prevented from being wastedpand the annoyance of having the bulb extinguished before desired avoided. The central contact 28 of the battery engages the switch ,and it will be readily seen that when the switcharmis in engagement with one of the bulbs the circuit will be completed and the switch arm is in the position shown in'Fig. 4, the bulbs will not be illuminatedA due to the fact that the strip 26 is insulated from the'plate or head 16 and the switch is also insulated from the head .or plate 16.

When this device is in use,4 the b attery18 will be placed in the casing with its terminals or contacts 19and 28 engaging `the head or plate 16 and switch. The cover will then beshut and since the battery rests upon the cushion 17, the battery will be held firmly in place when the cover is shut. After the battery is put in place, the switch can be turned by means of the handle -23t0 bring the switch arm-22 into engagement with the desired hulb and this bulb AVwill he illuminated. The lantern may be carried by means of the handle and may be used in the ordi-v nary manner for signalling or it may be 'fused when held by the handle to illuminate e roadway and the light will be directed y down upon the roadway? If it is desired to use the lantern for inspecting cars and maliing notes of the numbers,'the lantern will be placed under one arm and `when thus held will be extendedforwadly and rearwardly of the operator. -When used in this manner, the bulb 14 will be illuminatedand the white vlight fromfthis bulb will be directed forwardly of the user. As previously stated, it is desiredto prevent the'light from .shining in the operators eyes whenthe, lantern is heldin thisman-ner and in order to do so, thereJ has been provided a plate 29 which is loosely upon a pin 30 carried by a bracket 3l'. This-plate 29 is slidably` as well as rotatably mounted'upon this pin 30 and is engaged by' a spring 32 so that it will b e yieldably held in the position shown, in Fig. 6. One of the bearing arms of the bracket 31 is crimped to provide pockets or Sea-ts 33 and it will be readily seen that .due to the action of the spring 32, the plate will be held in position for extending into the seat as the plate is swungv from the position shown` in full lines in Fig. 7 toward the-posi tion indicatedby dotted lines in this ligure. The plate canthusbe moved to an adjusted position! with the' plate extending outwardly from the head 16 and will be releasably vbut .securely held in. the adjusted position.

'When lin the position indicated by dotted lines, the light will be prevented from shining upwardly into\the operators eyes and -he will be able to readily see the numbers upon the freightA car. t i.

There has thus been yprovided a'lantern so constructed, that it can be readily used at night for illuminatingr cars, the light4 beingfdirected toward the [cars but prevented Ifrom' shining in the eyes of the operator. It will be further noted that'the lantern -is so constructed that it-may be readily used Ain the ordinary manner of a lantern for sig- -nalllng andcan further be used for directing light upon the ground Iso that the user vcan readily see his way. aroundin the dark. it should also be noted that since. the head or plate 16 is not .soldered orotherwise perq manently fastened, it can be easily removedwhen desired. l

claini: w V .l A 1. AnA electric lantern comprising a casing openbat its'upper and lower ends, a removable cover for the upper 'en'd of Said casing, ahead for the lower end of-the casing removably mounted inthe casing and closing the lower end, bulb carrying sockets carried by said head, and switch means carriedbyrsaid 4head for selectively engaging bulbs mounted in thesockets and closing a circuit from a battery in the casing through a selected bulb to illuminate the bulb.

2. An electric lantern comprising a casing open ended and provided with inwardl. extending abutment means adj aoent one en a removab-le closure for the other end of said casing, a head of conducting material positioned in said casing and engaging said abutment means, bulb carrying sockets carried by said head, a switch element movably carried by said head for selectively engaging bulbs in the sockets and closing a circuit from a battery in the casing through a selected bulb, the battery having a terminal engaging said switch and a second terminal engaging said head and said switch beingl operable externally of said head. l

3. An electric lantern comprising .a casing having a head at one end, bul-bv carrying means carried by said head, whereby a plurality of bulbs may be mounted with their 'bases extending through the head, and

Switch means, said switch means comprising a stem journalled and insulated from said head, an actuating handle carried by the outer end of said stem, a contact arm'extending from the inner end of said stem Vand having its freel end portion provided with a head extending beyond the sides of the arm and having its side portions bent to provide cam sections perm1tting the arm to ride easily into engagement with bulbs, and means for releasably holding the switch in an adjusted positio l. rlhe structure of claim 3 having a pin extending from the'head of said switch arm, and a strip extending across and-insulated from the head ot said casing and provided with sockets to receive the pin extension of the switch arm, the pin extension engaging said strip between the pockets when the switch arm is in a neutral position.

5. An electric lantern comprising a casing open at one end., abutment means adjacent the open end of said casing, a removable head for said casing fitting into the casing and against the abutment means to close the means carried by said head, switch means carried bythe head in operative'relation to the bulb carrying means, a collar about said casing having pockets, a support comprising a base member, arms extending from the base member and mountel in sald pocket, certain of said arms extending upwardly and having sockets at their upper ends, a handle mounted inthe sockets of said arms and extending beyond the other end o f said casing.

7. An electric lantern comprising a bat f tery casing having a head at one end and a removable closure for its other end, a bulb carrying socket carried by said head, switch means carried by the head in operative relation to the bulb carrying socket.v a bearing bracket carried b y said head adjacent the bulb calrryling socket and having spaced bearing arms, a pin carried by said arms, a plate pivotally and slidably mounted upon said pin, and spring means upon said pin engaging said plate to yieldably hold the plate in engagement with one of the bearing arms, the last mentioned bearing arm being provided with seats disposed radially of said pin for receiving the plate to releasa-bl hold the plate in a set position. n testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT ANSON PEARSON.

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