US2127133A - Lantern base support and lamp socket - Google Patents

Description

1938. w. M. MoxLY 2,127,133

LANTERN BASE SUPPORT AND LAMP SOCKET Filed NOV. 4, 1937 Patented Aug. 16, 1938 PATENT OFFICE LANTERN BASE SUPPORT AND' LAlVIP SOCKET William M. Moxley, Kansas City, Mo.

Application November 4, 1937, Serial No. 172,817

2 Claims.

This invention relates to small portable electric lanterns of the type adapted to be carried by a swinging bail but constructed to remain upright upon a table, floor or other support.

In my Patent 2,096,349, issued on October 19, 1937, I have disclosed a wire base adapted to support the lantern in an upright position and with the electric bulbs guarded against accidental contact with any object which might bring about breakage of the same.

In my patent aforesaid, the legs constituting the support for the lantern are clipped to the metallic shell constituting the base by leg caps or plates, the legs of a pair being united by bowed portions, which are clamped between the leg caps and the bottom of the lantern shell when the leg caps are riveted to said shell.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved arrangement of parts whereby a single element may serve as the leg cap for both pairs of legs, and this same element may be caused to serve as the socket for the light bulbs. By virtue of this new arrangement, I not only simplify and greatly reduce the cost of manufacture of the lanterns, but I provide a structure that is stronger and more reliable than those heretofore employed.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the lower portion of an electric lantern having the invention applied thereto;

Fig, 2 is a plan view of the bottom of the lantern shell;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the bottom of the lantern shell, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view upon line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the main shell of the lantern, which is adapted to receive a dry cell battery, a portion of which is indicated at 6 and which serves to supply current to incandescent lamp bulbs I. A cup-like lantern bottom 8 fits snugly upon the lower end of the shell 5 and may be fastened thereto by any suitable means, such for example as screws 9. A depressed portion In of the bottom 8 is provided with openings II for the passage of the electric bulbs I.

A leg clip plate I2 spans the bottom from end to end thereof, and its opposite ends are enlarged as indicated at I2 and the outer ends of these enlarged end portions are preferably shaped to conform tothe curved contour of the end walls I3 of the bottom 8. A rectangular wire loop I 4 constitutes the ground engaging member, and the lantern is supported from th 5 loop by legs I5 It will be observed that there is a pair of these legs at each end of the structure, and the upper ends of the legs of each pair are connected by an integral bowed loop IS. The leg cap plate I2 is forcibly bound to the bottom 8 by the rivets I1, and the act of applying these rivets clips the plate I2 forcibly upon the bowed portions I 6 of the legs and thus rigidly united these legs to the bottom 8 without the necessity of employing solder or any other fastening means.

The plate I2 is provided with openings I8 which align with the openings II, and these openings are so formed as to cause the plate I2 to, itself, constitute a socket for the electric bulbs and thus avoid the necessity of using separate threaded sockets for the reception of these bulbs. As is well known, the threads upon electric light bulbs are quite coarse.

By referring to- Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the openings I8 are not exactly circular, but that at one point their walls extend outwardly a little beyond the circular and that at one side of this point, the metal is stamped upwardly as indicated at I8 and that upon the other side of this point, the metal is stamped slightly downwardly as indivated at IB This brings about a slight difierence in levels of the metal upon opposite sides of the point X, and this is just enough to permit the relatively coarse threads of the light bulbs to be engaged, by a turning movement, with the walls of the openings I8, into which said bulbs may then be screwed in the usual way.

Since the metal of which the member I2 is made is much stouter and more rigid than the relatively thin sheet metal from which the lantern bottom 8 is made, it follows that the idea of engaging the lamp bulbs with the clip plate I2 gives them a much more substantial and reliable support than would be the case if the socket membars were attached to the relatively thin sheet metal of the lantern bottom as has been the custom in other constructions.

It should be emphasized that this advantage is achieved by the utilization of the same member which serves as the leg clamping cap. Further, since the leg engaging portions of the plate I2 are all upon the one member I2, it follows that the positioning of this member to mount it with respect to one pair of legs automatically positions it with respect to the other pair of legs.

I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. The combination with a cup-like sheet metal lantern bottom, of a pair of legs projecting downwardly from each end thereof, said legs being united by bowed portions above said bottom, and a clamp plate extending from end to end of said shell and overlying the bowed portions of said legs, and means for binding said plate forcibly against said bottom, the act of binding the one plate serving to automatically bind all of the legs, said plate being provided with one or more openings circular throughout the major portion of its circumference but enlarged beyond a true circle at one point and there having its material deflected out of the general plane of the plate to adapt said opening to receive a threaded lamp bulb and to cause said plate to constitute a socket for said lamp bulb.

2. An electric lantern comprising a shell, a web of sheet material spanning the bottom of said shell and constituting a bottom for the same, a pair of legs each comprising a horizontal bowed portion which lies above said bottom, the legs passing from said bowed portion downwardly through openings formed in said bottom, a clamp plate lying above said bottom, of a length to extend from one side of the shell to the other and to overlie the bowed portions of the legs, binding means for drawing the end portions of the clamp plate forcibly toward that portion of the bottom which overlies the bowed portions of the legs, said bottom being provided with an opening or openings of a size to permit the shanks of light bulbs to pass freely therethrough and the clamp plate being provided with a corresponding opening or openings shaped to receive the usual threaded portions of said light bulbs as and for the purposes set forth.

WILLIAM M. MO-XLEY.

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