US1798079A - Flash light - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1931. s. A GILBERT FLASH LIGHT Filed March 7, 1929 gww'ntocz- 50m ueZ 4. Gz'leci' Patented Mar. 24, 1931,

UNlTED STATES sAM'UnL a GILBERT, or CHICAGO; rumors FLASH LIGHT Application filed March 7,- 1929. Serial No. 345,159. I

My invention relates to pocket flashlights which are commonly operated by internal batteries, and more particularly to the head piece of the article and my main object is to provide a head piece which is adjustable as to position yet remains in the close and compact position of the conventional head piece under normal conditions.

A further object of the invention is to conble connection from the body of the flashlight, whereby to permit the sufficient departure of the head piece from the body for various adjusting movements.

A final, but nevertheless important object of the invention is to design the novel flashlight on lines of exceeding simplicity, where- 'by to enable the same to be produced at low cost.

With the above objects in view. and any. others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims to follow, a better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, 5 in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the novel flashlight, showing by means of-dotted lines the extended. and adjusted positions of its head piece;

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the normal position of the head piece and its electrical connections; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the element connecting the head piece with the body of 35 the flashlight, the head piece being indicated by dotted lines.

I am aware of the fact that flashlightshave' heretofore been devised with head pieces which are adjustable to different positions in order to cast the-light into places not or dinarily accessible when the flashlight body is rigid with the head, but in the instances which have come to my attention, the head piece was either bunglesome, distorted, or in 5 volved various connections or arts of a delicate or unstable nature. Elso, in most cases the special nature of the head piece appeared to make the cost of the article prohibitive. It has been my intention to provide 'an improvement which efficiently action, such as indicated by the lowermost the head piece 12 of the same tubular nature as the body shell 10', but separate from the 10 struct the novel head piece with an extensilatter. Under normal conditions the head piece is but a continuation. of the body, as clearly shown in Figurefl, not occupying any more room'than't he conventional head piece. For the purpose of extendingthe head piece from the body, I provide on opposite sides I metal strips 14, these being riveted at their forward ends to thehead piece as indicated at 15; Their rear ends are, however, longitudinally slott'ed'as indicated at 16 to .re.-' ceive rivets 17 extended from the body shell 10, this relation rendering the strips 14 slidable upon the latter with some friction. Thus, should the head piece be extended from the body as indicated by the dotted lines at the top of. Figure 1, the extensible connection will be sufficiently stiff to maintain the head piece in the new position. However, the head piece could, when in this position, be swung over in one or the other direction to a position at the side of the flashlight, as indicated by the dotted line shown at the extreme left of Figure 1. vThe rivets 15 are semi-tight, permitting the head piece to be swung relative to the strips 14 in any direcdotted lines in Figure 1. By extending the head piece from the body ofthe flashlight, it not only secures sufficient room to swing as shown, but may itself be adjusted in one or another position while only extended and not swung as at the top of Figure 1, the extensive departure of the head piece lending'it enough room to be pivotally turned on the rivets 15 in any direction desired. By constructing the body shell 10 and the head piece 12 of insulation, such as hard rubber or bakelite, I am able to use the strip 14 as electrical connectors of opposite polarities. Thus, the rivets 17 receive leads 18 and 19 from the battery terminals to the respective strips 14; and the rivets 15 are extended with contact stems 20 and 21 leading, respectively, to the center and externalterminals of the illuminating element.

It will be apparent that in addition to the many adjustments of the head piece as made possible by my construction, two features are of prime importance. One is that the head piece in restored or normal position is virtually a part of the flashlight body and is quite as compact as the conventional flashportions to connect the latter to the body portion. I

3. A flashlight comprising a body fportion, a head piece endwise of and separate rom the latter, inks extended from opposite sides of the head piece upon the body portion, and an extensible connection between the links and the body. portion.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

SAMUEL A. GILB RT.

light head piece; and the other feature is that but the simple strips 14 and their connections are visible on the exterior of the flashlight bo y, no special wires or other connections being apparent for purposes of fastening any parts or-transmitting the electrical current. It is significant when the second feature is considered,that the electrical connections remain made or complete at all times, whether the head piece is compact with the body of the flashlight or extended or otherwise positioned. Thus, no special concern need begiven to the electrical make-up of the article, as the novel connections are simple,

firm and dependable; also, they are at no time prejudiced or affected by the movements of the head piece, and the user may handle or adjust the head piece without any concern whatever. as to the electrical connections.

I have illustrated the endportions of the flashlight with the usual corrugated ferrules 22 of sheet metal, but it will be noted that the ferrule applied to the head piece is in no way connebted or in the. way of the current-conducting strips 14, and may be considered as extraneous.

As to the operation of the flashlight, the improved head piece may be considered as fully connected as the conventional head piece, it being necessary to operate the switch button 23 in order to flash or extinguish the illuminating element.

While I have illustrated and described the I the external surface of the body portion.

2. .A flashlight comprising a body portion,- a head piece at one end thereof, links longitudinally spanning the head piece and the body portion, rivets connecting the corresponding end portions of the links to the 1 head piece, the other endportions of the links being longitudinally slotted, and rivets applied by way of the slots in such other end

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