US1950458A - Lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

March 13, 1934. SCHEPMOES LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Nov. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jay INVENTOR QyL- m 3/ 3/ BY ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNHTED STATES eaten or LIGHTING FIXTURE Application November 5, 1931, Serial No. 573,070

8 Claims.

This invention relates to lighting apparatus.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide in lighting apparatus a fixture of a simple, practical and thoroughly durable construction. Another object is to provide a device of the above character of ready and inexpensive manufacture. Another object is to provide a device of the above character in which the lighting efficiency thereof is increased while striking ornamental effects are attained. Another object is to provide a device of the above character which will be of wide flexibility of use and wide adaptability of application. Another object is to provide a device of the above character which may be installed with a minimum amount of labor and whose installation is so simple that the position thereof may be easily moved. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my lighting fixture as mounted upon a wall;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view'of my lighting fixture as taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a front elevation of certain of the parts of my lighting fixture, certain portions thereof being broken away.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawangs.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown in Figure 1 a casing generally indicated at 10 having mounted upon its front side a specular reflecting member 11. Suitably positioned within member 11 is an opening 12 from which a translucent luminair 13 extends, all as will be more clearly described hereinafter. g

Member 11 may be formed of any suitable specular reflecting material, although I prefer to employ a highly polished plated metal such as, for example, sheet steel plated with polished chrome. Thus such a plated metal member carries its reflecting surface upon the front side thereof as distinguished from the ordinary mirror formedfrorn some transparent material, such as, for example, glass, where the reflecting surface is generally located upon the rear side thereof. For my fixture I have found it highly advantageous to employ a specular reflecting mem- 56 ber having the reflecting surface on the front side thereof, as distinguished from the above described mirror, although in certain instances it may be possible to employ a mirror with prevalent disadvantages. 5

The peripheral walls 14 of casing 10 preferably extend inwardly preferably at an angle, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3, to give the appearance that the sides of the casing are beveled. As is more clearly shown in Figure 2, the rear side or back wall 15 of casing 10 is preferably flat so that it may lie flush against the flat surface of a wall 16 in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter.

Although I may mount member 11 within casing 10 in any convenient manner, I prefer to provide a plurality of brackets 17 preferably secured to side 15 of casing 10 and having legs 18 running parallel thereto. Member 11 rests against legs 18 of brackets 17 and may be secured thereto other desirable ornament, this decorative feature being convenient in order to carry out the general symmetry of my fixture.

I prefer to provide two bulbs 21 and 22 for illuminating luminair 13. These bulbs are positioned within casing 10 and extend out into opening 12 in member 11 and hence into luminair 13. Suitably secured to member 11 is a part 23 ex tending downwardly (see Figures 2 and 1) and in"= substantial contact with luminair 13, in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter. Formed upon the rear end of part 23, or that portion lying adjacent side 15 of casing 10, is a threaded tubular portion 24 (Figure 2) thereof upon which is threaded or secured thereto in any desirable manner a socket 25. Socket 25 may be of any suitable construction in order to carry bulb 22 and suitable conductors may be led to socket 25 by way of a cord 26 extending through portion 2) substantially identical in size to part 23 and 110 secured to member 11 at the lower end of opening 12. Formed upon the inner side of part 27 is a threaded tubular portion 28 (Figure 2) thereof and a socket 29 is secured thereto. Socket 29 is of a size convenient for carrying bulb 21 and, due to the axial angle of portion 28, the socket is also at an angle with respect to side 15 of casing 10. In this manner bulb 21 may be inserted and removed from the socket. Conductors may be led to socket 29 through a cord 30 in a manner similar to that described with reference to cord 26, cords 26 and 30 being connected to form a single cord 31 which is led out of casing 10 through an opening 31a in the lower inclined wall 14 thereof.

Connected to or integral with part 23, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2, is a member 32 suitably secured to casing 10 and the outer surface of member 11. Also, I preferably provide two members 33 and 34 (Figure 1) suitably connected to member 11 and preferably formed of a suitable metal into the shape of a cord, tassel, or the like; they extend downwardly along member 11 and each to one side of luminair 13. I also provide a cord 35 secured to the bottom wall 14 of casing 10 substantially at that point through which cord 31 leaves the casing. If casing 10 is mounted upon a wall 16, cord 31, which has a suitable connecting plug 311) (Figure 1) at its end, may conveniently lead down toward the floor for connection in a receptacle 31c and, in such case, cord 35 acts to cover cord 31. Cord 35 and metal parts 33 and 34 are preferably of the same ornamental design and appearance, and thus the presence of a detachable connecting cord 31 is hardly detectable and in fact is hidden in the ornamentation. Thus parts 20, 32, 33, 34 and 35 (Figure 1), which have been secured to various parts of my fixture in the above described manner, not only add to the attractive and ornamental appearance of my lighting fixture and artistically balance various parts thereof in convenient and pleasant manner but also certain of them coast to negative the suggestion that a connecting cord (like cord 31) is associated with the fixture.

Luminair 13 may take any desired shape, although I prefer to give it-a shape as is illustratively shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Luminair 13 is, as above noted, translucent and may be made of any suitable material such as opal glass, or the like. To achieve other advantages, I preferably make it of a yieldable material such as, for example, synthetic resins or phenolic condensation product. Thus luminair 13, while being translucent in character, also is yieldably distortable so that its sides 36 and 37 (Figure 3) may be bent inwardly upon application of pressure thereto while upon release of such pressure the sides as well as the main body thereof resume their former shape. Luminair 13 is of such a length that it fits snugly between the ends of parts 23 and 27. Walls 36 and 37 thereof are so spaced that they fit snugly within the cpposite sides of opening 12 in member 11.

Formed upon the inner edges of walls 36 and 3'7 of luminair 13 are outwardly extending flanges 38 and 39 (Figure 3) respectively. Also I provide brackets 46, as best shown in Figure 3, secured to back wall 15 of casing 10 and having legs 41 running parallel to side 15 and in registry with the edge of opening 12 in member 11. The dis tance between the exterior sides of flanges 38 and 39 is greater than the width of opening 12.

Thus, to insert luminair 13 (where the latter is made of yieldable translucent material) within opening 12, I apply pressure to sides 36 and 3'? to force flanges 38 and 39 toward each other. In this position luminair 13 may be inserted within opening 12 until the inner sides thereof rest against legs 41 of brackets 40. Subsequently, if pressure is released, walls 36 and 3'? of luminair 13 spring away from each other and flanges 38 and 39 take underneath the edges of opening 12 to hold luminair 13 in this position. When it becomes necessary to repair or replace certain of the parts within the casing as, for example, bulbs 21 and 22, I may remove luminair 13 in an easy manner merely by applying pressure to walls 36 and 3'7, as, for example, by means of the hands.

I have found that it is very desirable to provide a fixture capable of being mounted upon a wall and presenting an appearance of stability in one position while being easily capable of being moved to a number of different positions. For this reason, I provide a hole 42 within side 15 of casing 10, as best seen in Figure 2. Mounted within wall 16 is a hook 43. I-Iook 43 may be secured to wall 16 in any convenient manner and, if the wall is formed of plaster, stone or the like, I may employ a sleeve 44 (which may be expansible if desired) suitably secured within the wall and having a threaded inner recess 45 into which hook 43 is threaded. It should be observed that hook 43, due to its simple character, may be changed to a number of different positions upon a wall and, also, due to its inconspicuous character, a number of such hooks may be placed at different positions upon wall 16 or other walls. To secure my lighting fixture to wall 16, it is merely necessary to bring hole 42 into registry with hook 43 thus to hang the fixture upon the hook. When my fixture is hanging upon the hook in the above described manner, as best shown in Figure 1, it presents an appearance of being permanently associated with or built into the wall while, as a matter of fact, its removal therefrom or a shift in its location is a comparatively simple matter.

When current is supplied to bulbs 21 and 22 through cord 31 so that light is cast through luminair 13, an image A of luminair 13 appears in reflecting member 11. Image A is the complement or reverse of that portion of luminair 13 which is visible to the observer. It appears at the sides of luminair 13 on member 11, thus tending to give the impression that there is a second luminair or another portion of luminair 13 corresponding thereto in shape and size and suspended in a space within casing 10 by members 32, 33 and 34. Furthermore, certain of the parts connected to member 11 as, for example, parts 23, 27, 32, 33 and 34 also act to form images in member 11 similar to image A thus to give the impression that these parts are complete symmetrical bodies, in a manner similar tothe combination of luminair 13 and image A. Furthermore, while reflecting member 11 produces this novel ornamental effect in my fixture, it also acts to intensify the illuminating efficiency thereof for the light cast from luminair 13 against member 11 is not absorbed thereby as is true in most common constructions but rather is reflected to add to the general illuminating efiiciency of the fixture. The visual effect is such that a complete luminair (instead of only a half globe) seems to be suspended in a recess (of a size determined by refiecting'member 11) in the wall; but luminair and this illusory recess may be easily and quickly shifted in position as may be desired by other considerations of decoration in the room. In other words, my fixture giving the effect of a recess within which is mounted a complete symmetrical luminair, may be moved to various positions upon a wall for different decorating effects.

It should be understood that the term luminair is here used in a broad sense to signify any translucent light-emitting body capable of being formed into a convenient shape such as that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 for example.

Turning to Figures 1 and 2, I have shown a series of inlet vents e6 extending through casing 10. Similarly, I provide outlet vents 4'7 preferably at the top of casing 10. Thus air entering vents 46 may circulate about bulbs 21 and 22 and various parts associated therewith from which heat is emanating, thence to carry this heat off upon making its exit from the casing through vents 4'7.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a thoroughly practical and efficient device in which the several objects hereinbefore described as well as many others are successfully achieved.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing including a specular reflecting member, a luminair extending from said reflecting member, ornamental parts associated with said reflecting member and positioned adjacent the opposite sides of said luminair, an ornamental member extending from the bottom of said casing in a downward direction and being similar in appearance to said ornamental parts, lighting means for said luminair, and a cord carrying conductors to said lighting means and extending from said casing substantially at the bottom th reof, said ornamental member covering said cord.

2. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing having a rear side, said side being flat and adapted to lie snug against the flat surface of the wall of a room, a specular reflecting member secured to said casing and spaced from said rear side, a luminair extending from said reflecting member to reflect on said member substantially a complementary and continuing image of said luminair, lighting means for said luminair disposed within and concealed by said casing, and means for detachably suspending said easin upon a supporting member whereby light difiused through said luminair gives the appearance of being difiused through said luminair and its complementary image.

3. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing having a rear side which is flat and adapted to lie snug against a wall of a room having a plane surface, means upon said casing adapted to coact with means upon a wall for detachably securing said casing to said wall, a specular reflecting surface forming a part or" said casing opposite said side, and a light-emitting body extending from said reflecting surface to reflect on said surface substantially a complementary and continuing image of said body whereby when said casing is mounted on said wall said image and said body create the impression that a complete and continuous symmetrical body is suspended in a space in the wall and easing.

4. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing having a rear side shaped to fit snugly against the flat surface of the wall of a room, said casing having means associated therewith adapted to coact with means upon said wall for temporarily suspending said casing in one position, a specular reflecting member forming a part of said casing opposite said side, a translucent luminair extending from and connected to said reflecting member to reflect on said member substantially a complementary and continuous image of said luminair, lighting means disposed within and concealed by said casing and said luminair to project light through said luminair, and ornamental parts connected to said reflecting member and adjoining said luminair whereby when said casing is mounted on said wall the images and bodies of said luminair and said parts create the impression that the luminair is a com plete symmetrical whole suspended in a space in the wall and in said casing by said parts.

5. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing having a flat side adapted to fit snugly against the wall of a room, a reflecting member forming the side of said casing opposite said first-mentioned side, a translucent luminair extending from said member and secured thereto to reflect on said member substantially a complementary and continuing image of said luminair, said casing and said luminair forming a complete enclosure, lighting means disposed within said enclosure and adapted to project light through said luminair, and means associated with said wall and said casing for detachably securing said casing to said wall whereby light diffused through said luminair gives the appearance of being difiused through said luminair and said image.

6. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a casing having a flat side adapted. to fit snugly against the wall of a room, a reflecting member forming the side of said casing opposite said first-mentioned side, a translucent luminair ex tending from said member and secured thereto to reflect on said member substantially a complementary and continuing image of said luminair, said casing and said luminair forming a complete enclosure, lighting means disposed within said enclosure and adapted to project light through said luminair, means associated with said wall and said casing for detachably securing said casing to said wall, and ornamental parts secured to said reflecting member and extending'therefrom and adjoining said luminair whereby light diffused by said luminair forms said complementary image of said luminair and complementary images of said parts to give the impression that said luminair is a complete and continuing symmetrical whole suspended in a space by said parts.

7. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a frame, a reflecting member mounted in said frame, the sides of said frame extending therefrom so that their edges lie in substantially the same plane, a translucent luminair secured to said reflecting member and extending therefrom, means for detachably securing said luminair to the wall of a room so that said wall, said sides and said reflecting member form an enclosure, and a light emitting member secured to said frame and said sides and disposed within said enclosure to project light through said luminair whereby upon the operation of said light emitting member a complementary and continuing image of said luminair appears in said reflecting member to give the appearance that the diffused light from said luminair is emanating from both said luminair and said image.

8. In lighting apparatus, in combination, a frame, a reflecting member mounted in said frame, the sides of said frame extending therefrom so that their edges lie in substantially the same plane, a translucent luminair secured to said reflecting member and extending therefrom, means for detachably securing said luminair to the wall of a room so that said wall, said sides and said reflecting member form an enclosure, a

LINDSLEY SCHEPMOES.

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