US1530345A - Dashboard lamp - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 1925. 1,530,345

B. A. BENSON I DASHBOARD LAMP Filed Nov. 2, 1922 29 ,lhvezijrv Patented Mar. 17; 1925 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

BERNHART A. BENSON, OF

CHICAGO. ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR TO BDMIINDS d6 JONES CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DASHBOARD LAMP.

Application filed November 2. 1922.

and useful Improvements in aDasl'ihoard' i .am p: and I do hereby declare the 'following to he a full clear. and exact description of the invention, others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makaand use the same.

My invention relates to sockets l'or electric lamps and in someof its general aspects aims to provide a simple, inexpensive, conipact and easily manipulated socket in which the current can he switched on ()l'-"()il by the partial rotation of a portion of the socket; in which the needed rotational movement can readily be ell'eeted at the forward aid of the socket;

contact-making terminals is stationary; and

in which the switching is eli'ected by mov-- in;- the: lamp-holding: portion of the socket toward or away from the said stationary terminal.

irl o're particularly, my invention aims to provide a lamp-socket having a stationary outer shell and a stationary terminal-carry'ing body member mounted within this shell, and, having an inner shell extending between the outer shell and the said body member. the innershell being equipped for interlocking with the base ol a lamp. It also aims to provide conveniently arranged means for impz'irtinn' arotational movement to the innerfshell, and desirably aims to provide such means in the form of a handle extending radially ot' the socket and projectingthrough the mouth of-the hood or cowl if one is used in connection with the socket.

l urthermore, my invention aims to provide cooperating cani means associated with the inner and outer shells for causing a relative rotational movement thereof to pro- (hire a corresponding relative longitudinal morement thereof, and desirably aims to (:mplOy as a portion of the cam means the l t-zningr member which connects the outer shell to the terminal-carrying body memsuch as will enable.

in which one of the Serial No. 598,499.

oer so as to support the said body member in a stationary position. It also aims to provide spring means operatively interposed between the said body men'iber and the innor shell for continuously tending to move the inner shell longitudinally in one direc tion with respect to the outer shell; aims to provide simple means (desirably in the form of a stifiening collar secured to the mouth of the inner shell and also arranged forsupporting the operating handle) for limiting the said relative movement of the two shells by the spring; and aims to provide the cam means w1th a suitable latching formation for locking the two shells in a predetcrnrined position after they have been relatively moved against the resistance of the spring. Moreover, my invention aims to provide a socket of the class described in which the contact member earriedby the body member also afi'ords a Wire terminal, in which thewire can readily be connected to this teri'ninal While the body member is drawn entirely out 01f thesocket, in which.the detaching of a single camoperating element in the form of a screw will permit both the body member and the spring-to be withdrawn from thesocket shells, and in' which the said single screw serves as the sole means for securing the body member and the two shells in their normal operative relation. Still turther and also more detailed objects will appear from the following specification and from the acconmanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a perspective view of a dash board socket embodying my invention and having a hood fastened to the outer shell. for downwardly deflecting and distribnting the light ot the lamp and For shielding the driver oi. the autoi'nobile iron! the direct rays of light oi the lamp.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central and longitudinal section through the same embodiment, showing the socket in ,its on or if circuit'closing position.

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken after the handle or lever has been moved to partially rotate the inner shell and to cause the cam means to move the inner shell forp the inner shell.

' vention, namely one in which the latter, showing these as they appear whenthe handle and the fastening screw have been removed and when the spring has expanded to slide the body member out of Fig. 5 is a fragmentary central and longitudinal section, showing the forward portion of another socket embodying my inouter shell is equipped with a collar having aforwardly directed cylindrical portion for holding a hood of the cowl type.

. Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the lamp socket of my invention includes an outer shell equipped at its for- Ward end with an' outwardly directed flange 2 and having its rear end portion threaded for receiving a clamping nut 3 by means of which the flange 2 can be clamped against the face of a dashboard 4, this dashboard having a borethrough which the said outer shell extends. Extending into this outer shell and projecting somewhat beyond the forward end thereof is an inner shell 5 which has its forward end equipped with opposed bayonet slots 6 for interlocking with the usual lateral pins7 on the base of an incandescent lamp 8, the lamp being here shown as of the socalled single ,terminal 9, the rivet 14 pole type in which one terminal of the filament is grounded to the metal shell of the lamp. base whilethe other terminal of the filament; is grounded to an axial contact 9 disposed on the rear end of the.lamp base.

The inner shell 5 desirabl has its'rear end contracted to form a pertorated bottom 10 which takes the thrust of a compression spring 11 interposed between this bottom of the shell and the body member of the socket. This body member is here shown as including an insulating disk 12 pressed tightly into a metal sleeve 18 which fits slidably into the bore of the inner shell 5, and a combination wire-terminal and lamp-contactingmember, the latter member desirably consisting of a hollow rivet 14 extending through the insulating disk 'l2and presenting a head on the forward face of its insulator for contacting with the axial lamp being bored out from its rear end as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the tip of a wire 15 can be sol-' dered into the same.

' 1 Intermediate of its length, the outer shell I. has a transverse bore at one side for rcceiving the head of a screw 16 which extends through a cam slot 17 in themner shell and which is threaded into the body member of the socket, for which latter purpose the screw 16 is desirably threaded at its inner end into the said metal sleeve 13 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6. The slot 17 through which the screw 16 extends is disposed substantially spirally of the inner socket shell and desirably has a recess formation 18 adjacent to its rear end, this recess formation being joined to the main portion of the slot at a ridge 18 over which the fastening screw 16 can ridewhen the parts are relatively rotated to a sufficient extentlin one direction.- To effect such rotation, I provide means associated with the forward end of the inner shell and for this purpose desirably provide a collar 19 mounted on the forward end of the inner shell and secured against rotation with respect to the inner shell by indentationssuch as the indentation 280i Fig. 1. Then I desirably also employ this collar 17 for affording the additional len th of thread which is desirable for connecting the inner shell to the threaded stem ota handle 29 by means of which the above described rotational movement can be effected.

ln' assembling the socket as above .de-

scribed, ,the spring 11 is slid into the inner shell 5, and the wire 15 is secured to the combined wire terminal and contact member 14 while extending through the bore of the spring and through the perforation in the bottom 10 of the inner shell. Next, the. inner shell is inserted in. the outer shell land the body member of which the wire terminal too 14 forms a portion is forced back into the 1 inner shell against the pressure of the spring until the threaded bore'22 in the collar 13 of the body member alincs both with and with the lateral bore in the outer shell which bore normally houses the head of the screw 16, the alining of the latter being sc-' 17. which t'oro'iird end appears as the llPIM v end liortion in the View ol F ji. 4. This brlngs'the bayonet catch i'rirmation (i on the a por-' lion oi the cam slot 17' of the inner shell:

inner shell into sin-h a position Witllicspectl to the body member that the wire terminal 11 on the latter will be engaged bythe axial tip 9 ot' astandard lain w-hcn'such a lamp is interlocked with the liayonct slotsou the forward portion or the" inner shell in the usual manner as il ustrated in Fig. 2. Fron' then rotating the inner shell by room. ing the handle 19 in, a direction .in which 1 it would move toward the observer in Fig.

2, the cugagemeru oi the upper wall of the cam slot l7 with the shank of the screw 16 will cause the inner shell to move forwardly oi the outer shell during such rotational movement. As soon as this movement has extended to the point where the shank of the screw to passes over the ridge 18, the shank of thcscrew 16 will snap into the reccss at the rear end of the cam slot. whereupon the iidge 18 will act as a shoulder for locking the inner shell against rearward sliding with respect to the screw v16 and the outer shell. moved to this position as shown in Fig. 3, the lamp is moved so far forward that its axial terminal 9 is entirely out of contact with the wire terminal let, thus switching the current '03 the lamp. However, by making the ridge l8 quite obtuse, I provide merely a yielding latch, so that a slight pressure on the handle 29 tending to move the latter in a direction reverse to that above mentioned will snap the ridge 18 of the cam slot over the shank of the screw 16, thereby permitting the spring 11 to move the inner shell of the socket rearwardly until the axial terminal of the lamp engages the wire terminal on the body member of the socket. The socket can therefore readily be switched on or ofi by merely moving the handle 29 in one direction or the other, and the single spring serves for holding the parts either in the circuit-closing or circuitbpening position, while also serving to hold the contacting elements 9 and 1a in firm contacting relation when the socket is in its on p0 sition.

If the socket of my invention is to be used as a dashboard lamp, I desirably slip the outer shell-1 through a corresponding bore in the back 23 of a reflectorQO, which re-,

fiector is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 as being of a scoop shape so as to deflect the light in a wide spread downwardly while permitting the handle 29 to be reached with ease from below the reflector. However, I do not wish to be limited to the use of any particular shape of reflector in' connection with my lamp socket, nor to the employment of the same on the'dashboard, nor to the various detailsof the construction and arrangement above disclosed. Obviously, many modifications might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims. For example, I can. stop the rearward sliding of the inner shell either by the engagementof the forward end of the cam slot with the shank of the fastening screw, or by having the rear edge of the collar 17 engage the fa e of the flange 2 on the outer shell. 7

Neither do I wish to be limited to the use of any particular form of reflector-holding portion on my socket. For example, Fig

\Vhen the inner shell has been socket embodying my invention, namely one having the collar 2 on the outer shell provided with a forwardly directed collar 24 upon which the rear end of a cowl 21 can readily be sleeved. in this embodiment, the cOWl has a more restricted downward opening 2? and the collar 24: has a corresponding opening through which the operating handle 19 projects. In either case, it W111 be obvious that by having the inner socket shell project forwardly of the outer shell, I. can readily provide actuating means (here shown in the form of a lever or handle 29) in front oi this outer shell. By so doing, I avoid the necessity of having the outer shell project far beyond the dashboard, as has been true of sockets employing a switch ing disk or the like disposed behind the lamp. Moreover, since the collar 17 at the forward end of the inner shell can readily be reached, this might be manually rotated I even without the use ,of a handle for effecting the switching, hence I do not wish to be limited to the use of such a handle or inner shell being equipped at one end with means for holding a lamp and extending at liLS SaKl end beyond the outer shell, a contact element mounted Within the inner shell and stationary with respect to the outer shell, and cooperating means associated reing relative rotational movement of the two shells to afiord a relative longitudinal movement thereof.

2. A. lamp socket comprising an outer shell, an inner shell extending into the outer shell, the inner shell being slidable and rotatable with respect to the outer shell, the inner shell being equipped at one end with means forholding a lamp and extending at its said end beyond the outer shell, a corn tact element'mounted withinthe inner shell and stationary with respect to the outer shell, and cooperating means associated respectively with the said two shells for causing a relative rotational movement of the two shells to afford a relative longitudinal movement thereof, the said cooperating means comprising a. cam slot on the inner shell and an'elen'ient cxteiuling tiirough the cam slot and fast with respect to the outer shell.

3.1K lamp socket.- comprising an outer shell, an inner shell extcnding into the outer spectlvely with the said two shells for caus means for holding a lamp and extending'at 13Vv element, and a connecting element fast with respect to both the insulating body and the outersl'iell and; extending through the said slot, the slot and the connecting element cooperating upon relative rotary movement of the twoshells to effect relative longitudinal movementthereoi.

4. A lamp socket comprising an outer shell, a circuit tern'iinal rigidly mounted therein, an inner shell extending into the outer shell; the inner shell having means at one and for holding a lamp, and having means at one end whereby the inner shell may be moved to bring the lamp into or out of. contacting relation to the circuit terminal; and means continuously High)? such movement in one direction. T). A lamp socket con'iprisiug an outer shell, a circuit terminal rigidly mounted therein, an inner shellextending into the outer shell; the inner shell having means at one end for holding a lamp, and having n'ieans at one end whereby the inner shell may be moved to bring the lamp into or out of contacting relationto the circuit terminal; means continuously urging such movement in one direction, and means .il or latching the inner shell against such n'n'i'rcmcnt.

(l. A. lamp socket comprising an outer shell, a circuit terminal rigidly mounted therein, an inner shell extending into the outer shell, the inner shell having means at one end for holding a lamp and having means at one end whereby, the inner shell may be moved-to bring the lamp'into or out of. contacting relation to the circuit terminal, spring means continuously tending to move the inner shell to bring the lamp out of its said contacting relation, and means for latching the inner shell against such movement When the lamp is contacting with the circuit terminal.

7. A lamp socket as per claim 4, in which the means whereby the inner shell may be moved include a collar mounted on one end of the inner shell.

8. lamp socket as per claim 4, in which the means whereby. the inner shell may be moved include a collar mounted on one end ol the inner shell-and a handle carried by the collar. I i

9. A lampsocket as per claim 4, in which the means whereby the inner shell my be moved include a handle fast-on the inner shell and disposed beyond the adjacent end ol? the outer shell.

10. A lamp socket comprising an insulating body, wire-terminal and lamp-contacting means mounted thereon, a shell carrying the insulating body, a lamp-holding member extending between the shell and the insulating body and movable with respect to both of the latter to bring a lamp held by the said member into or out of contact with the said lamp-contacting means, and coopcrating means associated with the .lamp holding member and one of the members between which the latter extends for causing a rotational movement of the lamp-holding member to move the latter longitudinally with respect to the said shell so as to move the lamp into or out of contact with the said lamp-contacting means.

11. A lamp socket comprising an insulating body, wire-terminal and lam contact ing means mounted thereon, a she] carrying the insulating body, a lamp-holding member extending between the shell and the insulating body and movable with respect to both of the latter to bring a lamp held by the said member into or out of contact with the said lai'np-contacting means, and yielding means for maintaining the lampholding member in either of two positions between which it is thus movable and in only one of which it holds the lamp in contacting relation to the said lamp-contacting means 12. A lampsocket as per claim 10, in which the said cooperating means include a cam slot in the la1np-holdins member and an element extending through the slot and last with respect to the shell. r

13. A lamp socket comprising an insulat- Bill ing body, wire-terminaland lamp-contactholding a lamp, the'saidzinne'r shell having "a perforalped rear end and having a cam slot in its sidrj an outer shell within which the inner shell is slidable, a' fastcningmember rigidly cd' nesting the insulating body with the onterishell and'extending through the same slot, the ca m slot. having its rear end formed for latching the fastening: member in a rearward position, and a-compression spring interposed between the insulating body and the "rear end of the inner shell for continuousl .urging the inner shell rear- Wardly wit respect to the outer shell and thetastening member, and meanscn the inner shell disposed forwardly to the outer shell whereby the inner shell may be manually rotated 'to cause the cam slot to (ooperate with the fastening member for mov-- ingthe inner shell forwardly against the resistance of the spring. j

14. A lamp socket comprising an insulating body, wire-terminal. and lamp-contacting means mounted thereon, a-shell carrying the insulating body, a lamp-holding-member extending between the shelland the insulating body and movable with respect to both of the latter between two positions in which a lamp held by the lamp-holding member is respectively in and out of contact with the said 1amp-contactin; nieans, yieldinL moans opei'atively interposed betwetin the insuinb ing body and the lamp-holding means for -oiitinn0usiy urging a relative movement LilGIQOf in one direction, and cooperating means respectively fast on the insulating tiens.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, October 28th,

BERNHART A. BENSON.

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