US1477923A - Signal lantern - Google Patents

Description

' ec. 1s 192s. 1,477,923

W. A. WELTON SIGNAL LANTERN Filed Aug. 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mw... llllflhumw arm 11 M4 Dec. 18 1923.

W. A. WELTON SIGNAL LANTERN 2 Sheets-She et 2 Filed Aug. 7. 1922 GU30: new

Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

WILLIAM ALBERT WELTON,

T0 FREDERICK n. FARLEY or LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS.

OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD AND ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES PHILIP WATERS, BOTH SIGNAL LANTERN.

Application filed August 7, 1922.

T0 aZZ whom a may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALBERT WELTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Little Rock, in the county of Pulaski and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and usefullmprove ments in Signal Lanterns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to lanterns such as carried by trainmen and others, and particularly to lanterns which are convertible from an ordinary lantern to asignal lantern or danger lantern by the provlsion of means whereby a red or other colored screen may be disposed around the burner of the lantern so that the lantern will display a red .or other colored light when occasion requires.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a lantern of this kind of a very simple construction,.in which the body'of.

the lantern is of ordinary form, and in which the screen lifting devices are mounted upon the bowl or base of the burner.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character wherein the colored glass screen is normally disposed between the oil font and the casing or base of the burner, and provide means upon the exterior of this casing or base whereby the screen may be raised up around the burner of the lantern or depressed between the oil font and the base.

A still further object is to provide means whereby the screen may be locked in its raised position when it is desired to use the lantern with the screen for any considerable length of time.

Another object is to provide means whereby the base or casing of the oil font and screen may be detachably engaged and locked to the frame of the lantern.

A further object is to provide means whereby the font may be detachably locked in place within the casing or base but is rendered easily removable therefrom.

Other objects have to do with the provision of a lantern of this character which shall be very simple and, therefore, cheaply made.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a signal Serial No. 580,171.

lantern constructed in accordance with my Invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the base of the lantern partly broken away;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the base of the lantern;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective View of the casing 20 and the parts coacting therewith;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rim '12;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the casing 20 partly in section;

Figure 7 is a through the rim 20;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the slidable frame and the glass screen supported thereb the screen and frame being separated.

Referring to these drawings, it will be seen that the frame of the lantern is of ordinary form, comprising the base ring 10, the upright wires 11 which extend upward and inward from the base ring and are connected to a supporting band 12 and then extend upward and outward, as at 13, these wires at their upper ends supporting a ring 14 upon which the hood 15 normally rests, this hood being held downward in cngagement with the ring 14 by a spring clasp of any suitable construction. This hood is provided with the usual perforated cap 16 and the bail or handle 16 pivotally engaged with eyes formed on the oppositely disposed uprights 13.

The band 12 is illustrated in Figure 5 as formed of a sheet of metal approximately right angular in cross section, the sheet metal being perforated at intervals for the uprights 13 and being bent around these uprights. The downwardly extending portion of the band has'an opening 18 at one point, through which the wick raising shaft passes, and this band is also provided with a plurality of outwardly projecting pins or studs 19. Detachably engaged with the band 12 is the casing 20, cylindrical in form and closed at its bottom and perforated intermediate its top and bottom by the perforations 21 and flanged at its upper end. At its upper end the casing is flanged outward,'as at '22, then extends up ard. as at circumferential section v 23, and at its upper edge is outwardly extended and then downwardly extended, as

head. The" at 24, so as 'toform' an o en flange 22 is formed at intervals with circumierentially extending, slots 25., which slots open into vertical} casing; extending" 'dewnward from this flange 22 to any suitable extent. The vertical portion 23 of the upper endo-fthe casing is formed at one point with an opening 27 and at a plurality'ot pointswith the" angular or bayonet slots 28, the vertical legs of these' slots extending into' the beach 24, as at 29.

Attached to the exterior ofthe vertical wall 23 is a latch fiOwhich' is somewhat resilient antl is attached at one endto the wall, as 'byriveting, lorazing or soldering, the'opposite'endof this latch be ing :outw ardly" bent, as 31*, to forma handle and being notched to accommodate the bead 2 L, as at 32, and having inward" of this notched portion an aperture 33: This latch is so arranged that the apei t ure 33coincides with the longitudinally. extending arm of one of the bayonet slots'28';

These bayonet slots 28, i-t' may be re marked, are intehded to receive the studs 19, while the opening 27 isdesignedtoalign with the opening 18 to permit the passage or" the" handle or shaft whereby the wick of the lamp is raised orlowered;-

Sliding upon the outer face of the casing 20 is i a ring 34' which has' anoutward-ly'pro somewhat fluted o1- corrugatedflan'ge35 forming a-handhold whereby thering may be'lowered or raised and given a slight rotation; Extending upward from the ring are therods 36-which-coincide witlr the slots 26, these rods being; connected at their upper ends'by' a" ring 3''? which is in terrupted at one point 38. The rods 36are preferably, through not necessarily, T- shaped in cross section so'th'at a portion of each rod will operate" inthe slot- 26, while the lateral flanges will' lie upon the outsideof the casing- 20: Each rod is also provided with an inwardly projecting stud 89' which form the supports for the colored glass screen 4L0; This screen at its upper end is formed with a head 41 which rests upon the ring 37. The screen 's also vertically; slotted; as at 42; this slot I coinciding: with the interruption 39in the ring- 5'7.

While I have referred, asabove; to' this screen being of glass and while this screen preferably will-be of glass, I do not, wish to'loe' limited to this, as tlie screen might be formed of celluloid or like more: or less transparent colored material: Neither do I wishtobedimited as the; sc'reen being; or

transparent or translucent material, as' th'e screerr inightibe of: monster less opaque? ma terial and; conceal the light or therlantern instead or-iriaking; it appear aslight: This screen restsusesthe lugs 39 slo'ts 26 formed in the" i the-usual burner colored and, therefore, as .the screen supporting frameforrned by-the ring-s 34k and 37 and ring 34 has beenni'oved upward above these lugs on tongues; however, the ring may be given asligllt turn, permitted iby the width ofth'ej'slots 26, which will cause thelugxon tongue to engage the bottom ofrthe ring and hold' it upward;- A slight" reverse turn will,fof course, release'the ring 34" from its engagementwith'the lugs or tongues 48 and permit the depression ot'the screen carrier, holder or frame:

The oilcupi's designated45 and' is pros vided with a plurality of-studs: 46 and with 47 having wick operate by the wick-lifting sliaftASr The bottom of the casing 20 isformed with an annular flange 49 having. 'F-sllape'd" bayonet slots 50' withwhich thestuds=46 are adapted to engage when the oil font) is insertedd in the casing and given a slight turns Thus the oil f'ont' i's locked inplace. T=he usual glass shade51 is held in place the: hood at its upper end and at its lower end rests upon the seat-formed by'thering 12-. V

In the use of this device and under normal circumstances, the screen 40' is lowered into the casing 20 so that it is entirely enclosed Within the casing and the lamp lens shows a white light and may be used for all the ordinary purposes of a' white light lamp;-

Vvhen it is desired to use the screen, however, andtherebyconvertthe lamp into a danger lamp or signaihlampby the use of a colored light, upward pressure is applied to the ring 343- which carriesthe screen supporting frame of holder upward until the colored screen surrounds the burner of the lamp: When the screen has been fully raised, a slight rotation to the right is given to' the ring 34', which causes the tongues 43 to l'oclr the screen" held in its raised position. A slightrotation to the left unlocks the screen holder and permits the screenholder to be lowered again and the screen concealed. The font45, asabove remarked, looks within the casing 20' and the casing 20 looks througlr the ring 12 byli13ting tlie'casing until the dep'endi g flange ofthe] ring 12 is inserted betweenthe ring 23 and the screen holder: abnd tlien giving.- a slight turn to the" casing. This causes the studs 19 to enter the? bayonet slots 29 and; 28: and whenthe casing is given a slight turncne of these studs-springs intotheopeningi iyg of the latch 31 and the parts are locked in their position and cannot become unlocked unless this spring latch is retracted.

It will be seen that ordinarily the lantern operates precisely like any ordinary lantern and is used in the same manner, but it is quickly convertible into a signal lantern whenever desired. Trainmen, fiagmen and other operators on trains will use a red screen for their signal lantern, car repair men will use a blue screen, and agents at flag stations will probably use a green screen. Obviously other colors may be used.

I claimz- 1. In a lantern of the character described, a supporting frame having a hood and a handle, a globe supporting annulus disposed intermediate the top and bottom of the frame, a font holding casing having its upper end flanged to surround the annulus and formed at intervals with bayonet slots, the annulus having outwardly projecting pins engaging in said slots and the casing having a latch engaging one of said pins to hold the casing from rotation, the lower end of the casing having an upwardly projecting circular wall inward of but concentric to the casing wall and formed with a bayonet slot, a font detachably mounted in the casing and having a burner, and a wick adjusting device, the font at its lower end having a pin engageable with the bayonet slots of said wall.

2. A lantern of the character describe-d comprising a frame and a globe supporting annulus carried by the frame, a cylindrical casing detachably engaged with said annulus and depending therefrom, an oil font detachably locked within said casing and spaced from the inner face thereof and carrying a burner at its upper end, the casing being vertically slotted at a plurality of points, a vertically movable ring mounted upon the exterior of the casing and having vertical rods having portions projecting through said slots having sliding engagement therewith, a screen normally disposed betw en the oil font and the casing, the rods having seats upon which said screen rests whereby as the ring is raised or lowered the screen is raised or lowered, the screen being slotted for the passage of the wick raising shaft of the burner, and means for locking the ring in its raised position upon the cas- 111g.

3. In a lantern of the character described, a supporting frame having an annulus formed to provide a globe seat, the annulus having a depending flange formed with studs, a cylindrical casing having a flanged portion at its upper end and formed with bayonet slots with which said studs are adapted to engage, the casing being vertically slotted, a screen carrier comprising a ring surrounding the exterior of the casing and slidably mounted thereon, vertical rods operating in said vertical slots of the casing, the rods being connected by a ring at their upper ends, said ring being split at one point, a colored screen disposed within the screen carrier and resting upon the upper ring, the screen being vertically slotted, an oil font detachably mounted within the 021s ing and between the screen and having a burner at its upper end, a wick raising shaft extending outward through the slot in the colored screen, and means for locking the screen carrier in a raised position with the screen surrounding the burner.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM ALBERT VVELTON.

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