US1640288A - Nonglare headlight - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 23, 1921..

J. B. NICHOLSON ET AL NONGLARE HEADLIGHT Filed Jan. 4, 1927 Fig.1.

utter "e1 Am 23, 1927. i

STATES JOSHUA BANKS NICHOLSON AND CLARA S. NICHOLSON, OF

OF COLUMBIA.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT NONGLARE HEADLIGHT.

Application filed January 4, 1927. Serial No. 155,941.

Our invention relates to headlights for automobile or other vehicles and has for its object to provide a headlight which, while furnishing ample light for lighting the road way suiiiciently to make clearly visible any substantial objecton the road up to 200 or 300 feet ahead of the car, will be free from glare, that is, will not permit emanation of rays of such brightness as to cause discomfort or anno ance or interference with vision.

Anti lare devices consist usually of a hood or screen, louvres or some sort of shield to be fitted to the reflector or lamp and either reduce too much the light required for properly lighting the, roadway or fail to materially affect the glare which results from the headlight beam being aimed too high or improperly focused. Few if any of these nonglare devices have been found satisfactory in practical use and it is a very general practice where it is considered worth while to avoid objectionable glare for the automobile driver to dim or shut off the headlight when about to meet another automobile.

It is the object of our invention to avoid any necessity of shutting down or dimming the headlight and at the same time avoidi glare so as to maintain at all times a light of uniform intensity on the roadway.

With the objects above indicated our invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional view of a headlight embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the same. .Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view of a headlight provided with a dimmer bulb, and

Figure t is a front view of the construction shown in Figure 3.

In the drawings 1 indicates the outer shell of a headlight reflector and 2 indicates the inner shell usually formed of a sheet of brass stamped or otherwise formed to semi-cylinder or parabolic shape with its surface coated or plated with silver or otherwise adapted to provide a good reflecting surface. 3 indicates a tube extending rearward from the centre of the outer shell 1 adapted to be held by a suitable support. 4 indicates a tube extending vertically downward through the outer and inner shells of the reflector at a point between the centre of the reflector and its-upper edge so located as to support the electriclight bulb 5 with its filament 6 substantially in line with the centre of the reflector, the electric light bulb. being so arranged that the light rays from its end are directed downward while the forwardlydirected rays are those. from the side of the filament. V

At the'centre of the reflector, back of and in line with the electric light bulb 5 we provide a non-reflecting surface 7 preferably in circular form and of substantially the diameter of the bulb and we also provide on. the inner surface of the reflector below the centre a non-reflecting surface Sin line with the axial line of the electric light bulb in position to receive the light rays which emanate from the end of the bulb. This nonreflecting surface is preferably crescent shaped as shown.

In the automobile headlight as usually constructed and arranged the light bulb is arranged at the centre of the reflector with itsaxis substantially horizontal so that the beam thrown directly forward is that emanating from the end of the filament and includes the forward thrown rays from the entire filament concentrated to a greater or less extent by the interior surface of the bulb. Thus the strongest light possible is secured as a direct forwardly thrown beam. The surface of the reflector takes up the less strong rays which emanate from the sides of the filament and turns them forward to add to the strength of the forwardly thrown beam. The strong beam thus thrown clirectly forward lights up the roadway but also lights up a considerable space above the roadway with such intensity as to be blinding to theeyes of the driver of an approaching automobile.

In our device the strong rays thrown out in the line of the axis of the light bulb are directed downward and are difiused by the surface of the reflector and rendered less objectionable even if the non-reflecting surface 8 is not present. With this non-reflecting surface these strong rays are, so far at least as those directly in line with the axis of. the light bulb, practically eliminated. The rays thrown directly forward are those from the sides of the filamentand are not to any great extent concentrated by the interior surface of the bulb and the rearwardly thrown rays are not reflected forward but are absorbed by the non-reflecting surface 7. At

the same time the rays thrown out laterally from the bulb are deflected by the surface of the reflector and added to the forwardly thrown beam.

The non-reflecting surfaces 7 and 8 may be formed by cutting away the reflecting surface of the reflector or by applying a coating of black paint.

While the headlight as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 is free from glare it may be found. desirable in driving the automobile in city streets where the roadways are Well extending downward through the outer and portion of the reflector and an electric light 30 bulb carried by said support having the axis of its filament vertical in front of said nonrel'tlecting surface, the reflector being provided below the electric light bulb with a non-reflecting surface in line'with the axis of the filament in position to receive the end rays therefrom.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

JOSHUA B. NICHOLSON. CLARA S. NICHOLSON,

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