US2235024A - Flashlight - Google Patents

Description

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l /9 A JMJ A RNVEN'TOR 2; /fmlmv W.` R. KOPP FLASHLIGHT Filed March S, 1938 37 A.. M /42 32 w8 ,/X 223 ...f

ATI'QRNEYS atented Mar. 18, 1941 vUNITED STATES 2,235,024 l msmxcn'r L'Walter R. Kopp. New Haven, Conn., assiznorfby mesne assignments, to Western Cartridge Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 5, 1938, Serial No. 194,023 4 Claims. (Cl. 24U-10.6)

This invention relates to portable lamps and has particular reference to a novel portable lamp Vof the ixed focus type; in which the-'source of light is held securely in a predetermined position 5 with respect to a -reflectorat all times during operation. The new lampris of a sirnpleconstruction adapted for manufactureat low cost,

may bequickly assembled and disassembled, and

whenV assembled maintainsthe light source securely'in adeiinite predetermined position rela.-

tive to the'reiiector so that the form ci the pencil or beam lof light remains constant throughout the useful life of the lamp.

. Forthe purpose of illustration, the principles i5 or the invention win be described mconneetion with a flashlight, although it is to be understood v that the .invention may take various other embodiments.

In flashlights as commonly made heretofore,

2u an incandescent lamp bulb is threaded into av are dependent upon two factors, namely, the

amount which the bulb is screwed in its socket and the amount which the lamp head is screwed 3o on the casing, and since these amounts vary considerably from time to time in the use of the dashlight, due to screwing or unscrewing the mem bers on their mating threads, wearing of the thread, etc., the concentration of the light from the bulb does not remain constant. Even after flashlights of this type are assembled in the factory, the concentration of light emitted from different -units' oi the same kind may vary for the reason that the bulb or lamp head-may be threado ed more -tightly onone :flashlight than on another. Various expedients vhave been devised heretofore to overcome this objection, but these have been unsatisfactory for numerous reasons, among which arelthe highcost of manufacture, 45 complexity oi structure, and failure to prevent completely any variation in the relative positions oi the bulb and reilector. i

The present invention is accordingly directed Cil to the provision oi a'novel flashlight, or the like 5o wherein the bulb and reiiector' are positively held against undesired relative movement when the parts are assembled, the new ilaslilight being oi? a simple construction which may be made cheaply, A l 55 'A flashlight made in accordance with the present invention comprises a casing for receiving a batteryor other source o1' energy, and a reflector mounted on the casing near the front end and preferably removable from the casing. Extending through a central opening in the re- 5 'ilector is 'a lamp bulb which is located by a shoulder provided on the base oi' the'bulb and held against a seat on the reflector, or on a part afiixed thereto, by clamping means carried by the ref fiector. The clamping means may 'take various 10 forms. but preferably comprises a cap threaded or otherwise secured on theback of the reector, and a spring contact arm on the cap which engages the usual terminal at the bottom of the base 'of the bulb and urges the shoulder of the 15 bulb against the reflector. The contact arm i's insulated from the'cap and is electrically confnected tol one terminal of the battery in the casing. 'In the improved form of the new ashlight, i the shoulder on the bulb is positively held against the reflector by a: collar extending 'forwardly 7 'from the cap and surrounding the base of the bulb with'its iront endin engagement with the shoulder, so that the cap when tightened on the reilector holds the collar against the shoulder with a clamping action.' The circuit through the battery and bulb may be controlled by a switch on the casing adapted to make and break contact with the cap on the reflector. 3G With this construction. the lamp bulb is held securely in a predetermined relation to the re iector at all times While the ashlight is in use, since the mounting for the bulb is carried by the reflector. The bulb may be easily replaced by '35 removing the reflector from the casing, detaching the cap and substituting another bulb. The parts may be readily assembled by inserting the bulb through the reflector from the back thereof,

screwing the cap in place on the reflector with "40 the collar clamping thelshoulder on the base of the bulb'against the reflector, and then mounting the reflector in position' on the casing. When the parts are thusassembled the bulb will occupy the desired predetermined position with re '45 spect to the refiector regardless oi the position oi the reflector relative to the casing.

For a better understanding of theinvention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawingr in, which liig. l is a viewin longitudinal section of the iront portion oi one :forni oi the new lamp:

Fie, 2 is a section on the line t-i in Fig. 1,

bmi e Fig. '3 is a detailed View in section showing M a modified form of the cap for clamping the lamp bulb.

In the drawing, the numeral I0 designates the front portion of a flashlight casing which houses one or more battery units il. I he casing is provided with the usual end cap (not-shown) screwed on the rear end of the` casing and electrically connecting one terminal of the battery to the casing. The casing may be of any suitable form, but is preferably enlarged at its front end and provided with an inwardly extending peripheral iiange l2. A parabolic reflector I3 of polished metal, or the like, is supported on the flange l2, an lannulus I4 of insulating material being preferably interposed between the iiange l2 and a peripheral iiange I5 on the reflector. Seated against the iront of flange I5 is a glass lens I8, the lens and reflector being held in position on the casing by means of a metal sleeve i1 threaded on the upper end of the casing and provided with an inwardly extending iiange I8 overlying the front face of the glass disk. Preferably, a ring of insulating material i9 is interposed between the edge of the lens and the cap Il.

The base of reector i3 is formed in back with a central boss 2li, and disposed in an opening 2i in the boss is an incandescent lamp bulb 22 the lament of which is in front of the reector base. Preferably, the metal base of the bulb 22 is formed with a smooth cylindrical surface, as distinguished from the usual threaded surface, and the bulb is located with respect to the reflector by means of a peripheral shoulder 23 arranged at the top of the base of the bulb and held against a seat 24 formed in the boss Vof the reector.

The bulb 22 is held against the reiector by clamping means which comprises a metallic cap 25 threaded on the boss 20 of the reector and 40 provided in its end with a central opening 25'.

Insulating disks 26 and 26' are disposed around the central opening 25' inside and outside the cap, respectively, and a U-shaped contact arm 2l is held against the inner insulating disk 26 by a rivet 28 which extends forwardly through a metal washer 29, the insulating disks and opening 25'..and an opening in one leg of the contact arm. The head of the rivet is in contact with the central terminal 30 of battery ll, and; since the opening 25' is suiliciently large to permit av clearance between the cap 25 and rivet,

the latter forms an electrical connection between the central terminal 30 and the. contact arm which is insulated from the cap. The other leg oi contact arm 21 engages the central terminal 3| at the base of the lamp bulb and urges the bulb forwardly against the seat 24 on the reilector.

In order to hold shoulder 23 of the bulb'positively against seat 24 on the reector, a metallic collar I2 is disposed in the cap 25 with the rear end of the collar seated on a shoulder 33 of the cap. The forward portion of collar 22 is reduced and surroundsthe base of bulb 22, and the front end of the collar is clamped by cap 25 against the shoulder 22 so as to exert a pressure around the periphery of the shoulder and hold the latter against its seato 70 The energizing of bulb 22 may be controlled by a swi-tch including a contact arm 3l mounted in the casing between the battery Il and casing wall and adapted to engage the cap 25. 'Ihe contact arm 34 may be moved into and out of enn gagement with the cap by a suitable button (not shown), and when the contact arm is in engage ment with the cap the bulb is energmed by a circuit traceable through terminal 8i or?. the battery, rivet 28, contact arm 2l, terminal 3l oi the bulb, the lamp lament. shoulder 28 where the current divides and pwes to cap 25 by way of collar I2 and boss 20, and from cap 25 to contact arm I4 and back to the other terminal of the battery by way of the casing and end cap. Since the cap 25 and reflector i8 are insulated from the casing-by annulus i4, disengagement of contact arm 34 from. the cap will result in breaking of this circuit and entinguishment of the bulb.

While the collar 32 in. vthe embodiment illustrated in Fig. l is removably seated in the cap 26, it will be apparent that it may be rotatably aiixed thereto if desired. For example, the collar may be locked in a cap 25a oi the .torni shown in Fig. 3 by iorrning the cap with an inwardly ,projecting rib 25 which overlies the enlarged f Iportion of the collar and holds the collar seated against shoulder 33a of the cap. Also, if desired, the collar 32 may be made integral with cap 25. The construction shown in Fig. 1 is preferred, however, because it allows the collar 32 to adJust itself to inaccuracies in the manufacture and assembly of the reilector and cap 25. For example, if the shoulder 33, after assembly of the parts, should lie in a plane which is not normal to the bulb artis, due to inaccurate forming of the threads on the reiector, etc., the collar 32 will tilt on shoulder 52 so as to maintain contact around the shoulder 2l oi the lamp and hold the lamp rrny seated.

It will be observed that the new flashlight may be readily disassembled for replacement of bulb 22, or for any other purpose, by unscrewing the cap l1, removingthe reiiector I3, and detaching the cap 25 from the boss 20 on the reiiector. The bulb 22 may then be removed from the seat 24 and another bulb substituted. When the parts are assembled, the bulb will always assume lthe desired position with respect to the ireiiector, regardless of how tightly cap 25 is threaded on the boss, as long as the shoulder 23 of the bulb is clamped on its seat, and regardless of the position of reflector i3 with respect to the casing. Also, the contact arm 21 serves the dual function of establishing an electrical connection between the central battery terminal and the base contact of the bulb and supplementing the action of collar 32 in seating the shoulder of the bulb.

While the shoulder of the lamp bulb in the illustrated embodiment, is seated against a part of the reector, it may, if desired, be seated against a member which is aiilxed to the reector, and 1n the following claims the term "reiiector" includes any member iixed relative to the reilecting element.

I claim:

l. In a portable lamp, a. reflector having an opening therein, a -lamp bulb disposed in the opening and provided on its base with a shoulder, the reflector having a seat engaging said shoul der around the lamp bulb, a cap mounted on the reflector, and a collar seated at one end in the cap and surrounding the base of the lamp bulb, the other end oi' the collar engaging said shoul der to hold the same against the seat and thereby secure the bulb against displacement from the seat.

2. In a portable lamp, a reflector having an Lil) @All

@,lllllmll and normally mein@ will slloulolel against the opening lhesrem, el lamp bull disposed lm the opelllmg enel provided; 'with al shoulolem n, www tlleecleel om the :eeleelmlr and halvlng an 'lnlel'mll 1ll;l :mel el eollell llewln@ un enlarged portleml lllllm eloeely lu the emv between lhe eml there el enel smal mls, the lrenl; endl el the cellar suf-1 mlmfsllmg the lmee el 'the lamp bull@ amd ell lilllzllnlll elmllllzles? 'le hold jlslle same egallrlsl; el geel-llevo. m 'llle l'elleelm Suroundlng said openm Y mall-.labile lamp emmene-lng al casing; a. 1re lleelml mullmlelzl am. elle msm@ enel. lam/ille im l lmlllf ellepolseel, :mn lille "ll sl'loulazlel, el my@ refleelm, memls extending llllougl'l seid openimg in the cap for seeming the contact; amm in position and adapted to engage the one terminal of 2l battery nseled. ln the casing, said memls and; Contact wm bein@ insulated from the mlm and al switch element en the cerslng: mov/allele into and owl' @l commet Wltll the ema.

fl. ln al portable lump, e, relleelam: han/img ml opening lllerell'l, el lmnp hulls, dlslmoserl m the opening wel lmulveleel wllll @l ellelllclel, e elm seem-ed te the Telle-cm1 wal lfmsvlmg en. lmemll seat, and a enllm llreel lm, the eem will?. lts wem' end moulu-eel en semi eem, the from; enel @l the collar surrounding Elle lease el the lmnp lmlllll anni will@ sellel shoulder le lile mme am polline, lll-le lelleelm ellrlmlmlllm'

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