US2047823A - Headlight for toy vehicles - Google Patents

Description

July 14, 1936. R ERICSQN 2,047,823

HEADLIGHT FOR TOY VEHICLES Filed April 22, 1933 IN VENTOR Patented July 14, 1936 George R. Erlcson; St.

Louis. Mo., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Metalcraft Corporation, a-corporation of Missouri.

Application April 2.2, 1933, Serial No. 667,455

I V 9 Claims; It will be understood that this invention is susceptible of many modifications, and accordingly, I donot wish to be limited in'my protection, except as set forth in the accompanying claims. g

This invention relates to improvements 'in headlights for toy vehicles. It is an object of the invention to produce aneilicient and; reliable headlight device for such vehicles at the lowest possible cost. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the foliowing specification and accompanying drawing, referring to thedrawing:

Figure I is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a toy truck having my invention applied thereto. V

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in Figure 1, the section being-taken along the broken line 2-2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a detailviewtaken alongthe line 3 3 of Figure 2 showing a section of the front end of the truck. v The reference numeral I indicates the chassis of a truck having a floor member 2, a hood}, and a cab 4. An opening is formed inthe forward portion of the floor 2to receive a removable support 5, which may be sprung into place .bycompressing the handles or flanges 6, thesupport member is formed'with outwardlyv projecting portions 1 to engage the opposite edges of the open ing in the floor of the truck. The opening is of suitable shape and size' to receive a single dry cell 25 of the type ordinarily used for pocket flash lights. The dry cell is wrapped with the usual insulating paper covering its cylindrical surface so that it is normally insulated from the support member 5.

The hood 3 is provided with outwardly extending lugs 8 which are struck up from the middle of the hood itself, forming openings I. A headlight supporting member ll comprising a bent sheet metal strip of rectangular cross section is passed thru the openings l0 and insulated therefrom by means of U-shaped insulating material as indicated at l2. The ends of the member H are of substantially or at least partially cylindrical formation as indicated at I3, the inside diameter of the cylindrical portion being just 50 sufficient to freely receive the screw threaded base of the headlight bulbs H. To serve inplace of a screw thread, a single dent is made in the outside of the cylindrical portions l3 thereby forming a corresponding projection on the inside of these portions. The projection 15 enters the screw threadof the headlight bulbs and serves very satisfactorily to hold it in position. When the bulb is screwed into place, its central terminal l6 contacts the member 8 and firmly holds the member II in position. 7 .5 The dry cell 25 has the conventional central terminal I! which is in position to contact a portion of the headlight support member H as indicated in Figure 2, and since the member IT projects slightly beyond the end of the zinc cas- 10 ing of the battery, it is not necessary to provide insulation between the outer edge of the battery and the member H. The front end of the battery is prevented from moving sidewise by the said walls of the front of the hood. The rear of the 15 The battery is free to move forwardly or back- 20 wardly on the member 5 except as it is limited by the member II and the switch 20, which extends thru the body of the truck and is provided with a bent central portion 2! which may be moved against the base of the battery by operating the 25 handle 22, thereby grounding the zinc casing of the battery of the body of the truck and forming a circuit thru the body of the truck, the members 8, the central terminals I 6 of the light bulbs, the insulated light supports, and back to the com 30 tral terminals ll of the dry cell.

The battery may be inserted or removed by first turning the switch to off position and then removing the member 5 by compressing the flanges 6 towards each other.

I claim:

1. A support for electric light bulbs comprising a sheet metal strip bent at each end into a partially cylindrical portion of suitable diameter to freely receive the screw threaded base of a 0 light bulb, and indentations in the outer surfaces of said cylindrical portions, said indentations forming corresponding projections on the inner surfaces of said cylindrical portions, said projections being adapted to enter and engage the screw threads of the light bulbs.

2. In a headlight device for toy vehicles, a sheet metal hood, having opposite openings therein, said openings being formed by removing a portion of said sheet metal hood, the metal removed 50 from said opening being bent outwardly at the rear of said openings to form contact members,

a headlight support comprising a sheet metal I member of substantial width in comparison to its thickness, said sheet metal member being bent into at least partially cylindrical formation at each end to receive the base of a headlight bulb, means for insulating the front edge of said headlight support member from the front edge of the openings of the hood, projections on the inner surfaces of said cylindrical portions to engage the thread of the screw threaded base of said light bulbs.

3. In a headlight device for toy vehicles, a chassis member having a floor, an opening in said floor for receiving a dry cell, a support member for said dry cell, said support member being made of sheet metal, provided with hand-grip portions, and adapted to be sprung into or out of position to open or close the opening in said chassis, whereby the dry cell may be conveniently inserted or removed.

4. In a toy vehicle, a chassis member having a floor, an opening in said floor of suitable size and shape for receiving a battery, and a closure for said opening, said closure comprising a pair of downwardly extending parallel flanges, extending thru said opening and providing a hand-grip portion below said floor, the flanges of said closure member being connected by a concave central portion.

5. In a toy vehicle, a chassis member having a floor, an opening in said floor of suitable size and shape for receiving a battery, a closure for said opening, said closure comprising a resilient member adapted to be sprung into position between opposite edges of said opening, and to be detachably held in position in said opening'by its own resiliency, said closure having a hand-grip portion extending below the floor whereby it may be conveniently opened.

6. In a toy vehicle, a chassis member having a floor, a hood mounted above said floor and adapted to contain a battery, an opening in said floor beneath said hood, and a support member adapted to be mounted in said opening, said support member comprising a pair of downwardly extending portions extending into said opening and provided with hand grip portions below said floor, the parallel portions of said member being connected by a concave central battery supporting portion.

'7. In a device of the class described, a sheet metal hood, a radiator simulation at the front end of said hood, an insulated transverse contact member extending transversely thru openings in said hood at the rear of said radiator, an outwardly extending member formed of the metal removed in forming said openings at each side of the front end of said hood, a pair of headlight bulbs, each forming a connection between one of said outwardly extending members and said insulated transverse member, a dry cell mounted in and completely enclosed by said hood, said dry cell being removable thru an opening at the bottom of said hood, a movable support for the lower side of said dry cell, the forward end of said dry cell being adapted to contact said insulated transverse strip.

8. In a lighting device for toy vehicles, a body structure comprising a hood and a radiator simulation at the front end of said hood, a dry cell enclosed insaid hood, said dry cell being insertable or removable thru the lower part of said hood, a movable support for releasably holding said dry cell in position, a transverse contact strip extending thru openings in the sides of said hood at the rear of said radiator, the metal removed in forming said openings being turned outwardly to form outwardly extending contact members, a pair of electric light bulbs forming electrical connections between said outwardly extending contact members and said contact strip,

one terminal of said dry cell being in electrical contact with the central portion of said strip, and a switch member for simultaneously pressing said dry cell forward against said contact strip and grounding a terminal of the-dry cell to the body structure.

9. Ina toy vehicle, a body structure comprising a hood and a radiator simulation at the front end of said hood, a dry cell mounted in and enclosed by said hood, said dry cell being removable thru the bottom of said hood, a movable spring device for normally holding said dry cell against the top of said hood,openings formed in the sides of said hood at the rear of said radiator, the metal removed in forming said openings being turned outwardly to form outwardly extending electrical conductors, a contact strip extending through said openings, electric light bulbs connected between said contact strip and said outwardly electrical conductors, the central portion of said contact strip serving as a support for the central terminal of said dry cell and a switch member for simultaneously grounding the base of said dry cell and moving said dry cell forwardly against said contact strip.

' GEORGE R. ERICSON,

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