US2133299A - Electric lamp - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1938. w. w. LILLARD ELECTRI G LAMP Filed May 2, 1935 //v I/E/V TOR.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to portable electric lamps and more particularly to that type of such lamps commonly known as flashlights which ordinarily are burned only at intervals for short periods of time.

As electric flashlights are commonly constructed, an incandescent lamp bulb is mounted in a suitable reflector carried at the forward end of each lamp, the bulb being operatively connected through a switch with a dry battery carried in a tubular casing of the lamp. It has been proposed to mount a second lamp bulb at the rear end of a flashlight lamp on the outside of the usual tubular metallic casing and enclose this second bulb in a translucent protective cover member of glass or the like. Such an arrangement has some serious objectionable features in that it increases the length and bulk of the flashlight considerably and also leaves the glass bulb and glass cover member at all times without the protection afforded by the usual tubular metal housing of the flashlight. Such an arrangement of an additional lamp on a flashlight also calls for an additional switch mechanism which must be manually operated each time the additional lamp and the source of current is connected or disconnected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a flashlight having an additional lamp carried in operative position on its rear end and arranged to be disposed within the tubular casing of the flashlight for protective purposes when the lamp is not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide :1 an additional lamp concealed in the rear portion of a flashlight which lamp is automatically connected to the source of electricity of the flashlight when it is moved to operative position from its inoperative position inside the flashlight. 4f) According to one way my invention may be carried out, the rear cap of a tubular flashlight shell is provided with a door arranged to swing outwardly and lie closely against the outer face of the cap, a lamp bulb being mounted on the inner face of such door to be brought outside the shell of the flashlight when the door is open, and means being provided to automatically connect the lamp, when the door is open, with the usual battery of the flashlight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a flashlight, a disappearing lamp device mounted on a rear cap member arranged for screwing on and off the flashlight shell, such lamp device to be connectible to the usual source of current of the flashlight, irrespective of the angular position of the lamp device when the cap member is assembled on the flashlight shell.

A feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for obtaining from the same tubular flashlight having a single battery of endto-end dry cells, a concentrated beam of light at the forward end of the flashlight and/or an unconcentrated, candle-like source of light at the rear end of the flashlight.

A feature of my invention resides in the provision in a tubular portable electric lamp, of a rear cap member having an aperture or opening in its rear wall, and mechanism for moving an electric lamp bulb from the inside of the lamp through said aperture to an operative position at the rear of said wall, and back again to an inoperative, concealed position within the tubular lamp.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of means in a flashlight which moves a lamp bulb from a concealed position inside a casing element of the flashlight through an opening in the casing to an operative position outside the casing and which concomitantly closes nearly all of said opening when the lamp bulb is in its operative outside position.

A feature of my invention resides in the provision of a compact tubular terminal for the usual battery of a flashlight to be contacted from the interior of the terminal.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of switch means carried by a disappearing lamp and arranged for making contact with the interior surface of my novel tubular terminal when the lamp is in operative position.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of an electric flashlight having a tubular casing with a lamp thereon producing a concentrated, forwardly deflected beam of light and a lamp at the other end of the casing producing light which is dispersed in all directions except .1

forwardly, whereby the lights from the two lamps when both are burning simultaneously, supplement each other.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for utilizing the space in a tubular flashlight casing between the rearmost cell and the rear end of the casing for receiving both a usual contact spring in the flashlight circuit and an auxiliary lamp device arranged for movement outside the casing.

Other features and. advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

The drawing which forms part of the specification is for illustrative purposes and it will be understood that my invention may be embodied in other forms than those shown in the drawing without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the broader appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, broken away in part, of a flashlight embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing the additional lamp at the rear of the flashlight in its inoperative or concealed position.

Figure 3 is a top View, broken away in part, of the structure of Figure 2, being drawn to a smaller scale than Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detailed view illustrating an advantageous construction of switch elements.

which may be employed in practicing my invention.

Figure 5 is a detailed view, in section, illustrating a latch means for the door shown in Figure 1.

Figures 6 and 7 are cross sections along the lines 6-6 and ll, respectively, of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a side View, broken away in part, of a flashlight embodying a form which my invention may taken and which differs from the Figure 1 form.

Figure 9 is a partial top view of the structure of Figure 8 to a smaller scale.

Figure 10 is a cross section along the line l[ll of Figure 8 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 11 is a side View of a portion of the structure ofFigure 8 and illustrates means for latching the disappearing lamp of Figure 8 in its concealed position.

It will appear as the description proceeds that the present invention may be embodied in various types of portable electric lamps. According to one form my invention may take, a so-called flashlight lamp has a usual tubular shell or casing 29, the rear end portion of which may be provided with threaded elements 2| which may be rolled in the shell in a well known way or which may be made in other suitable ways The forward end offlashlights as they are now commonly constructed have an enlarged forward cap portion 22 releasably joined to the shell (Figure 1). In the cap is mounted a usual reflector (not shown) and a bulb B the base of which may be screwed in a socket element 23 which; carries fixed thereto a metallic contact disc 24 which forms part of an electric switch mechanism. A switch member 25 may be slidably mounted on the shell 26, in a well known way, to be moved against and away from the disc 24 by manual manipulation of a thumb piece 26 which may be constructed in a well known way. The socket 23 may be mounted in a stiff disc 21 of insulating material which may be strongly secured in a Well known way in the flashlight element 22 or in the shell 28. It can also be seen as the description proceeds that the mounting of the lamp bulb B in the flashlight may be carried out in diifer ent well known ways from that shown in Figure 1 without departing from the spirit of the present invention or the scope of the broader appended claims.

For mounting a lamp or bulb on the rear end of a flashlight and have it disappear within the flashlight casing according to one embodiment of the present invention, a rear cap generally designated as 30 may be arranged with a tubular threaded element 31 for screwing on the shell 20. As will presently appear, the cap 30 may be fastened on the shell 2! by other means than screw threads, if desired.

An end wall portion 32 of the cap 30 is provided with an opening 32' and a door member 33 is mounted on a hinged device 34 of well known construction and has a contour to fit snugly in the opening 32 and close the same tightly. A stop piece for the door 33 is arranged as a transverse lug 35 integrally joined to a downwardly extending wall portion of an annular head 36 formed on the periphery of the wall 32.

There is secured in any suitable way to the outer face of the door 33 (when it is open) a small block 31 of suitable electrical insulating material such as hard rubber. In this block 3'! there is firmly held a metal threaded socket 49 of well known construction arranged for receiving an additional lamp bulb designated as DB which may be constructed similarly to the bulb B. This socket 438 is made with an openinner end through which protrodes a usual contact terminal 4! of the bulb DB. 7

To conduct electric current to the bulb DB when it is in Figure 1 position a flexible strip member 12 made of suitable resilient metal such as phosphor bronze is mounted in the block 31 to make contact with the terminal 4i and to protrude therefrom on the side adjacent the door opening 32'. Another flexible strip 43 of similar construction to the strip 42 is secured in the block 31 in permanent contact with the socket 4B and protrudes from the block 31 on the side; adjacent the door opening 32 and is spaced away from the strip :32 as indicated in Figure 3. It can be seen as the description proceeds, that the strips 12 and 33 may be mounted in ways different from that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 with out departing from the spirit ofv my invention.

Other kinds of doors may be emplyed to replace the door 33, if desired, without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of thebroader appended claims.

The means for connecting the strips 42 and 43 with the battery carried by the flashlight will now be described. This battery may include a plurality of dry cells M of well known construction carried in the shell 20 and connected, one to another, in series, in a well known way. The center terminal i. e. the carbon terminal of the foremost dry cell (Fig. 1) presses against one side of the end portion of a metallic conductor strip 45. As shown in Figure 1, the strip 45 is pressed between the usual end terminal of the bulb B and the carbon terminal of the dry cell. The strip 45 is bent to extend rearwardly toward the cap 3%] and is held closely adjacent the inner face of the shell 20 by well known means (not shown) and is insulated from the shell by suitable nonconducting material 46. The material 46 may be made in the form of a narrow strip slightly wider than the strip 45 or it may be made in the form of a cylindrical tube arranged to fit tightly against the inner surface of the shell 28 as is indicated in Figure 1.

Adjacent the rear end of the shell 20, the conductor strip 42 is joined to a thin wall tubular metallic terminal member 50 which may be fastened to the shell 20 and insulated from it by a tubular insulating member 5| which may be an integral extension of the insulation 46 or made separately therefrom. The distance between the left hand edge (as viewed in Figure. 1) *of the block 37 and the adjacent area of the tubular member 541 is less than the length of the strip 42 outside of the block 31 and consequentlywhen the door 33 is in fully open position, the outer end portion of the strip 42 is pressed against the tubular member 50 firmly enough to make good electrical contact therewith. The length of the strip 43 and its mounting on the block 31 are such as to bring the outer end portion of the strip 43 against the lug part 35 so as to make good electrical contact therewith. The greater portion of each of the flexible contact strips 42 and 43 may have a thin sheathing 53 of insulating material such as rubber (see Fig. 4), the outer end portions of the strips being left bare and formed with downwardly bent extremities for contact purposes.

It can be readily seen that the above described arrangement of the switch part 42 and the circumferentially disposed terminal member 50 makes certain a connection (contact) between the switch part 42 and the terminal 50 irrespective of the angularly differing positions the cap 30 may be disposed in on the casing 20 at different times. The angular position of the cap with respect to the casing will be determined partly by the force used in screwing the cap down on the casing. This force will often vary with the same person.

The zinc element of the dry cell 44 nearest the cap 30 may be electrically connected to the same by a piece of flexible, resilient wire 55 shaped and mounted as indicated in Figures 1 and 3 so as to be entirely out of the way of the strips 42 and 43 while they are being swung downwardly and counterclockwise to bring the door 33 and bulb DB to the Figure 2 position. The wire 55 may be fastened to the end wall 32 in any suitable way such as by strap members 56 of well known construction, which are placed in such angular relation, one to the other, that the lower end portion 51 of the wire 55 is constantly pressed against the zinc element of the dry cell. It will also be noted that regardless of the position of the door 33 and the lamp DB the contact strips 42 and 43 can never interfere or strike the wire 55 while the door is being opened or closed.

For fastening the door 33 securely in its closed or Figure 2 position against the stop lug 35 a detent device in the form of a recess element 60 may be made in a wall portion of the bead 36 and a boss element 6| of well known construction may be arranged on an upwardly extending tab member 6| on the door 33 for engaging in the recess element 60; to be disengaged by a light upward pull on the tab. It will be noted that no part of the hinge 34 or tab 6| extends upwardly (as viewed in Figure 2) beyond the outer extremity of the head 36.

If desired, a ring member (not shown) may be hinged to the outer end portion of the door 33 in a well known way to lie flat against the door normally and to be lifted for use as a finger hold in opening the door against the detent means described above. For holding the door 33 latched securely in its open or Figure 2 position, a detent 62 may be formed in the wall element 32 for receiving the tab GI and retaining the same by frictional engagement therewith. Also the tab BI and the adjacent wall of the recess 62 may be arranged with cooperative detent means as described hereinbefore for holding the door 33 latched in open position.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7, means are illustrated for latching in both open and closed positions, a door 33 which may be of substantially the same construction as the door 33. It will be understood that a mounting piece similar to the mounting piece 31 may be fastened to the bottom of the door 33' for carrying the bulb DB, such mounting piece and bulb being omitted for sake of clarity in disclosing the structure of the latching means. A bolt member 65 may be slidably mounted against the lower side of the door 33 by a well known means including rivets 56 working in oversized slots provided in the door. Two spaced apart finger members 61 of the bolt 65 are bent downwardly and forwardly to engage under a stop lug 35. A straight portion 68 of the bolt 55 is disposed against the top of the lug 35. An elongated recess 10 is formed in the wall 32' for receiving the heads of the rivets 66 so as to permit the door 33 to lie substantially flat against the top of the wall 32'. It will be noted by inspection of Figures 1, 2 and 5 that the resilient spring strips 42 and 43 will be effective in both the open and the closed positions of the door 33' to move the same still further out of alignment or parallel with the end wall 32 when the detent which holds the door in its open or closed position is released. Also. this resilience of the strips 42 and 43 and their arrangement causes the strips when in operative (Figure 1) position to be pressed firmly against their cooperative terminal elements, i. e. the cylindrical ring 50 and the lug 35. If desired, the head of the rivets 66 may be made large enough to serve as finger pieces or tabs for sliding the bolt 65 in either direction.

A ring or hook member 15 of a suitable shape may be fastened in a well known way to the end wall 32 (Figure 2) for hanging the flashlight on a wall or tree (not shown). It will be noted that the hook member 15 is positioned on the opposite side of the cap 30 from the opening 32, adjacent the rim of the cap. This arrangement provides an advantage of importance since it permits the bulb DB to be moved to and from its outer and operative position while the lamp below it is held suspended on the hook 15.

The forward cap element of a tubular flashlight such as the cap 22 usually has mounted therein a lens which is designated as L in Figure 1. In flashlights embodying the present invention, it is preferred to position the lens L slightly above the lower extremity of the cap (as viewed in Figure 1). By this arrangement the enlarged or flaring forward end of the cap 22 can be set upright on a floor, table or pavement and provides a stable base for the flashlight without danger of scratching or otherwise injuring the lens. it is desired to use the flashlight as a kind of upright electric candle to be set on a table. etc. It will be understood that the advantage of using an enlarged forward cap of a flashlight as a base in making use of my invention can be attained even though the lens is set approximately flush with the outer rim of the cap 22.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10, there are illustrated views of another form my invention may take wherein a disappearing bulb DB' is arranged to be moved Within the shell 20 along a path parallel to or coinciding with the axis of the shell. For guiding the bulb D'B' the following described means may be employed. In a rear cap 80, a circular recess 80 is provided therein and a guide cup or cylindrical member generally designated as 8| is fastened securely in an opening in the rear wall of the cap 80 coaxial with the recess 80. A protective grille device which may be similar in appearance to that of a lan- This is an advantage of importance when 7 in the walls of the cup 8| for receiving two oppositely disposed guide lugs of a guide plate 84 which is arranged for movement up and down in the cup 8| with a loose sliding fit. Four upright grille elements 85 are fastened securely in the plate 84 and their upper end portions may be threaded as indicated at 86 (Figure 8) for releasable engagement with a ring-like cap member 87. If desired, the upper end portions of the grille elements may be connected one to another by arcuate sections (not shown) integrally joined to the grille elements. It will be further understood that the protectivelantern grille construction about the lamp DB may be provided in other forms than that illustrated in the drawing without departing from the spirit of the present invention. A top plate 88 of glass or other suitable transparent material may be fastened in the cap 87 which may have an outer rim portion 98 made with a knurled surface of well known construction for facilitating turning of the lantern grille 82 and plate 84 angularly a small amount for a purpose presently to appear.

For mounting the bulb DB within the grille 82, a metallic supporting member 9| is fastened between the upright members 85 and a socket member 92, constructed similarly to the socket 48, may be carried in the supporting member 9| coaxial therewith for receiving the usual threaded portion of the bulb. A usual lower bulb portion 93 of non-conducting material projects below the supports 9| when the bulb DB' is in place in the socket 92. A usual metallic terminal element 94 is mounted on the bottom surface of the bulb portion 93.

One branch of the circuit of the bulb D'B in cludes the socket 92, the support 9|, the grille members 85, the plate 84, the cup 8|, the cap 88, and a resilient wire connecting member 55 which may be arranged as disclosed hereinbefore for engagingagainst the zinc element of a dry cell 4 The other branch of the circuit of the bulb D3 is made by means of the following construction. A plug of suitable nonconducting material is fastened securely in the plate 84 and carries a wire member 98 partly embedded therein. A short contact portion of the wire 98 extends outwardly to abut against the contact plate 94 and another portion of the wire may pass outwardly of the plate 84 through a radial slot 88 therein and be shaped as shown in Figure 10 after passing through a lengthwise slot 98 arranged in the cup 8| parallel to the lefthand slot 83 as viewed in the drawing. The outer portion of the wire 88 is bent to be disposed along the periphery of the cup 8| to come directly against the lower side of a rightward. extension 89 of a metallic resilient member I89 which is secured to the cup 8| and electrically insulated from it. This may be done by well known means including a layer of insulation I8! and usual insulating means (notshown) disposed for cooperation with, rivets or other fastening members which may be used to secure the member I08 to the cup 8|- When the parts of the flashlight are disposed as illustrated in Figure 8, an inner portion I82 of the member I88 is disposed substantially par* allel with the bottom of the cup 8| a short distance therefrom. 'A cam member I83 made of suitable hard insulating material may be fastened on the opposite side of the cup 8| from the insulating member I8I for a purpose presently to appear.

To the right end of the inner portion I82 is tightly fastened by riveting a light metallic spring member I84 which may have an arcuate form substantially as shown in Figure 8. When the resilient piece I88 which is stiffer than the spring member I84 is disposed in the Figure 8 solid line position it will move the more flexible member I84 upwardly against the cam member I83 and cause the outer end of the spring member I84 to be moved outwardly against the inner surface of a cylindrical shell terminal 58'. which may be of substantially the same construction as the terminal 58 of Figure 1 and be connected in a like manner to the carbon terminal of the dry cell battery 44 of Figure 8.

Electric current from the plus or carbon terminal of the battery passes to the bulb DB through the terminal 58', the spring I84, the resilient member I88, the wire member 98, and the terminal 98. In some cases, it will be practicable to make the parts I88 and I84 as one continuous resilient member.

When the rear lamp of the flashlight is not needed, a light inwardly directed pressure on the ring 88 moves the plate 84 inwardly, lugs I85 on this plate sliding in the slots 83 until they reach the bottom of these slots. thereupon a slight clockwise movement of the knurled ring 98 swings the lugs I85 into latching slots I86 cut in the cup 8| transversely to the guide slots 83. In the wall of the cup 8| along the upper side of at least one of the slots I88, there is provided a latching notch I87 for cooperation with a low boss element I85 formed in the adjacent lug I85. A simple helical spring I88 (shown diagrammatically in chain lines) isdisposed between the plate 84 and the bottom of the cup SI and is effective to hold the boss I85 in the notch I8'I against accidental displacement therefrom. The spring however, permits the lugs I85 to be moved out of the slots I88 by a slight counter clockwise twisting movement of the ring 98 in the fingers of the user.

When the lugs I85 are moved into the locking slots I88 the wire 96 is permitted to be moved clockwise by provision of a slot II8. It will be noted that before the wire begins to be moved into the slot H8, it necessarily has already been moved downwardly (as viewed in Figure 8) out of contact with the extension 98 of the member I88 and therefore the circuit of the bulb DB' will have already been broken i. e. operatively dis- K connected from the battery of the flashlight.

When the cup 8| is locked in its inner or downmost position, the lower end of the plug 95 protrudes through a hole III in the bottom of the cup 8| and flexes the inner portion I82 of the member I88 downwardly to the dotted line position of Figure 8. The spring member I84 will be made with an initial tension such as to cause it to swing leftwardly away from the wall of the shell terminal 58 when the inner portion I82 is in its downmost position. At that time the cam member I83 has no effect on the spring member I84. Thus it will be seen that the spring member I94 is entirely out of contact with the shell terminal 58' when the rear lamp has been moved inwardly. This arrangement is desirable since it permits the rear cap 88 to be screwed on the shell 28 without having the spring member I84 scrape against the shell terminal 58' as the cap is revolved.

It can be seen by inspection of Figures 8 and 10 that the plate 84 in cooperation with the wire 86 and the supporting member 9| close nearly all of the opening in the cup 8i through which lamp bulb DB moves outwardly to its opposite position.

If desired a door device similar in construction to the door 33 may be used with the structure of Figure 8 to be closed over the carriage-like structure 82, and in such case the part 88 may be omitted It will be understood that the forward portion of the flashlight of Figure 8 may be constructed as shown in Figure 1, or in any other suitable well known way. It can be readily seen that should it be preferred to fasten the cap 80 on the casing 20 by a bayonet pin device of well known construction, the tubular terminal 50' may be replaced by a narrow lengthwise section of curved sheet metal secured to and electrically insulated from the casing 20.

My electric lamp may be used advantageously in several ways; sometimes with either lamp bulb burning alone, and sometimes with both lamp bulbs burning simultaneously. As an example of a simultaneous use of the two bulbs in my portable lamp, a person walking along an unlighted highway at night can advantageously use the focussed light rays from the forward lamp intermittently to illuminate the road ahead of him. At the same time, the continuous light from the rear lamp will serve to safeguard such person from being run down by an automobile coming up from the rear. It often happens, as when an automobile is approaching a pedestrian from the rear on a curved road or on a road through hilly country that the focussed beams from the automobile headlights do not disclose to the motorist, the position of the pedestrian until the latter is very close. Should the pedestrian be carrying an ordinary flashlight and have it burning continuously, its focussed beam would often be hidden from the motorists view by the pedestrians body.

As another example of a simultaneous, cooperative use of the two bulbs in my lamp, when two persons, such as a man and his wife, are walking single file at night along a rough, narrow trail or through a narrow mine tunnel, the lamp would be carried by the leading person and the forwardly deflected beam from the bulb B would light the path for the leading person while light from the rear bulb DB will illuminate the path for the rear person who otherwise would receive but little help, i. e. light where needed, from the beam of the bulb B. Furthermore, the widely dispersed flood light from the bulb DB will be much more advantageous to the rear person than a rearwardly deflected beam similar to that of the bulb B.

Certain of the advantages of my invention will appear from a reading of the foregoing part of the specification. Other advantages arise from the provision of simple means for connecting the carbon element of a flashlight dry cell battery in separate circuits of a plurality of widely separated lamps on the flashlight.

Other advantages arise from my space-conserving means for connecting an additional lamp bulb to a usual battery of a flashlight so as to require no attention when the usual lamp bulb is being operated.

Still other advantages arise from the arrangement of a rear contact spring and an additional lamp bulb carried inside a flashlight casing on mechanism operable for moving the bulb outside the casing, the bulb and carrying mechanism being arranged with regard to the rear contact spring so as to require only a small additional amount of space in the casing.

Still other advantages arise from the provision of simple compact means for latching a lampcarrying mechanism in an inoperative concealed position when such mechanism is moved into a tubular casing along a path parallel to a side of the casing.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing, a rear cap, a battery, a tubular terminal member for said battery disposed adjacent said cap in close relation to the inner surface of said casing and insulated therefrom, an electric lamp bulb supported by said cap and movable from an interior position relative to said casing to an illuminating position outside said casing, and devices necessarily operable upon movement of said bulb to its illuminating position for connecting said bulb with the interior surface of said tubular terminal.

2. In an electric flashlight lamp having a battery, a tubular casing inclosing said battery, a rear cap for said casing, said cap having an aperture in its rear wall, a carriage carried by said cap and movable lengthwise through said aperture along the axis of said casing into and out of the same, an electric lamp bulb mounted in said carriage, and means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said bulb and said battery in accordance with the out and in positions, respectively, of said carriage.

3. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing, a rear cap for said casing, a battery in said casing, a tubular terminal member for said battery disposed adjacent said rear cap and held in close relation to the inner surface of said casing and insulated therefrom, an electric connection between said tubular terminal and the forward terminal of said battery, an electric lamp bulb supported on said cap and movable from an interior position relative to said casing to an illuminating position outside said casing, and devices necessarily operable upon movement of said bulb to its illuminating position for connecting a terminal of said bulb with the interior surface of said tubular terminal.

4. In an electric flashlight having a battery, a tubular casing, a rear cap for said casing, a carriage mounted on said cap, means for guiding said carriage for lengthwise movement along the long axis of said casing into and out of the same, an electric lamp bulb mounted in said carriage to be moved to a protected position within said casing when not in use, and to an operative illuminating position outside said casing when in use, and means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said bulb and said battery in accordance with the out and in positions, respectively, of said carriage.

5. In an electric flashlight, a tubular threaded casing, a battery in said casing, an electric lamp carried in the forward end of said casing, manually operable means for operatively connecting and disconnecting said lamp and said battery, a threaded rear cap for said casing, said cap having a hole therethrough, an electric lamp arranged at the rear end of said cap in a way to flood light the space therearound, means operable upon assembling said cap on said casing in any angular relation thereto for connecting said last named lamp to said battery, means operable for moving said last named lamp through said hole inside said casing, and means operable concomitantly with the operation of said moving means for closing said hole and operatively disconnecting said last named lamp and said battery.

6. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing having a normally closed end with an openable portion in said end, a carriage normally disposed with its long axis parallel to the long axis to said casing and inside the same, means for moving said carriage through said openable end portion to an operative position outside said casing, a lamp bulb mounted on said carriage, means for operatively connecting said lamp bulb and said battery when said bulb is moved on said carriage outside said casing, means for disconnecting said lamp bulb and said battery when said carriage is disposed inside'said casing, and means for releasably latching said carriage inside said casing.

7. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing, a cap member normally closing one end of said casing, a door opening in said cap member, a door hingedly mounted for closing said opening, and for swinging to an open position wherein it lies approximately flat against the outer surface of said cap member, a lamp mounted against the inner face of said door to be moved through said opening to an operative flood lighting position outside said casing, automatically operating means for operatively connecting said lamp bulb and said battery when said door is opened, and latch means effective for releasably latching said door in its open or closed position.

8. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing having a rear end cap threaded thereon, a battery, a centrally located hole in said cap, a carriage normally disposed with its long axis parallel to the long axis of said casing and inside the same, means for moving said carriage through said hole to an operative position outside said casing, a lamp bulb mounted on said carriage, a transparent member in said carriage over said lamp bulb arranged to close said hole when said carriage is in said casing, means for operatively connecting said lamp bulb and said battery when said bulb is moved with said carriage outside said casing, said transparent member permitting light from said bulb to pass therethrough, and means for disconnecting said lamp bulb and said battery when said carriage is in said casing, said transparent member permitting inspection of said bulb after it is in said casing whereby the operation of said disconnecting means may be checked.

9. In arportable electric lamp having a battery and a casing provided with an opening to render the interior of said casing accessible, the combination of a closure member for said opening including a portion having a normally fixed relation to said casing and an aperture in said fixed portion, an electric lamp bulb disposed in inoperative position inside said casing adjacent said aperture, manually operable means for moving said lamp bulb through said aperture to and from an operative, illuminating position outside said casing, and means automatically operated by the movement of said lamp bulb to and from said illuminating position for operatively connecting and disconnecting, respectively, said lamp bulb and said battery.

'10. In a flashlight, a tubular casing, a rotatable rear cap for said casing, said cap having an apertured rear end wall, threaded means for fastening said cap on said casing, a battery in said casing, means carried by said cap for moving said lamp bulb through said apertured wall angularly into and out of operative position at the rear of said cap, and means for operatively connecting said lamp bulb and said battery irrespective of the angular relation of said casing and said cap when said cap is screwed on said casing, said connecting means becoming operative automatically upon movement of said bulb to its outer position.

11. In an electric flashlight, a tubular casing, rear end closure means for said casing including a releasable member attachable to said casing in a plurality of positions having different angular relations one to another, said closure member havin an opening therein, a first electric lamp bulb mounted on said casing at the forward end thereof, a circuit for said bulb including said closure member as an element thereof, manual means for opening and closing said circuit at will, a second electric lamp bulb, a movable mounting for said second bulb on said closure member for moving said second bulb from an exposed candlelight position at the rear of said closure member through said opening to a protected position Within said casing, a circuit for said second bulb including said closure member as an element thereof, and means concomitantly operated by movement of said second bulb to and from its exposed position for closing and opening, respectively, said circuit of said second bulb.

12. A rear cap device for a tubular threaded casing of an electric flashlight which includes a battery in said casing and at least one terminal of said battery disposed adjacent the rear end of said casing coextensive with the inner surface thereof and insulated therefrom, said cap device including a rear wall having an opening therein, and a threaded portion for screwing said cap on said casing, a lamp bulb below said wall, a switch member operatively connected with said bulb to form an element of its circuit and positioned inwardly from said threaded portion, means for moving said bulb outwardly and upwardly through said opening and concomitantly moving said switch member outwardly against said terminal, said means closing said opening when said bulb is below said rear wall, and moving said switch member away from said terminal,

13. A terminal device for a portable electric lamp having a tubular casing and a battery in said casing, said terminal device including a split, ring-like metallic portion having a bare inner surface of a greater diameter than the diameter of said battery, said device further including a strip connector portion integrally joined to said ring portion for extending along said battery, the outer end of said strip portion being transversely bent approximately parallel to the plane of said connector portion, said device being made of a metal having at least a slight spring temper, and said ring portion being formed to engage tightly against the inner surface of said casing and to be co-extensive therewith, said terminal device having an electrical insulating coating on the surface next to said casing, said bent end portion being free of said coating.

14. In a portable electric lamp of the class described, the combination of a casing having a tubular body portion and a flared forward end portion, a rear cap for said casings rear end, said cap having an opening therein, a closure member for said opening pivotally mounted on said cap for movement to an open position, and a lamp bulb mounted on said closure member for movement therewith from a position within said casing to an illuminating position without said casing, the

center of gravity of said lamp bulb in its outside position being approximately in line with the longitudinal axis of said casing when said flared body portion rests on an approximately level surface.

15. In an electric flashlight lamp, a tubular casing, a rear end closure member therefor attachable thereto in a plurality of angularly differing positions, said member having an opening therein, a battery in said casing, a first electric lamp bulb mounted on said casing at the forward end portion thereof, a circuit for said first bulb including said battery and a portion of said closure member, a second electric lamp bulb mounted on said closure member for movement between an outer, candle-like position at the rear of said casing through said opening to an inoperative position within said casing, a circuit for said second bulb including said battery and said portion of said closure member, a connection between said closure member and a terminal of said battery which is common to both of said circuits, and separate means for opening and closing each of said circuits at Will.

WILLIAM W. LILLARD.

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