US2833876A - Flash lamp support - Google Patents

Description

y 6, 1953 R. WESTRA 2,833,87 6

FLASH LAMP SUPPORT Filed July 11. 1956 3o29 272s 2| 39 3 I 4 26 35 25 FIG, 3 INVENTOR "'1.- REINDER WESTRA AGENT United tates Patent FLASH LAM? SUPPORT Reinder Westra, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 11, 1956, Serial No. 597,218

Claims priority, application Netherlands .luly 1), 1955 6 Claims. (Cl. Nil-51.03)

As is well known, a photographic flash lamp can be used only once and then has to be replaced by another one. This replacement, which is particularly inconvenient when a plurality of photographs must be made in succession, can be avoided by the use of so-called flash lamp supports. Such a support carries a number of lamps and is permanently secured to the associated battery and switch, hereinafter to be referred to as current supply. In this known flash lamp support a number of lamps are inserted in the support for making a number of photographs. When a lamp has been used, the support is moved to a subsequent position, so that, in making another photograph, another lamp is used which is already provided in the support. This construction has a limita tion in that, when all the lamps provided in the support have been used, the entire mechanism, inclusive of the current supply, must be rendered inoperative in order to enable new lamps to be inserted into the support. It is also known to use a flash lamp support comprising a single lampholder and a magazine provided with means by which a used flash lamp is removed from the lampholder and a new lamp is conveyed from the magazine to the lampholder. However, this construction is comparatively complicated and requires the use of flash lamps of an unusual type.

The flash lamp support in accordance with the present invention obviates these disadvantages. This flash lamp support is characterized in that it is provided with means by which it can be secured to an associated current supply so as to be immediately detachable mechanically and electrically. The support comprises a table provided with a number of flash lamp holders and, in addition, a switching mechanism such that, when the support is secured to the current supply, the flash lamps provided in the support can be ignited in a predetermined sequence.

Thus, a very simple flash lamp support is obtained. When all the flash lamps provided in the support have been used, the support together with the lamps provided in it can be removed from the current supply by a single manipulation and another support provided with new lamps can be mounted immediately. Consequently, a photographer who uses the flash lamp support in accordance with the invention, will lose hardly any time when exchanging supports. In addition, these supports can be constructed so as to be very simple, so that there is no objection to purchasing two or more supports.

If, according to a favourable embodiment of the invention, the means by which the support is secured to an associated current supply so as to be immediately detachable, are designed as a bayonet lamp holder, the advantage is obtained that the support in accordance with the invention can be used with all current supplies for use with flash lamps provided with a bayonet lamp-cap. Thus, a product is obtained which any photographer who has a flash lamp apparatus for use with the most usual flash lamps, can afiord.

If, according to a further embodiment of the invention,

the flash lamp support is designed so that the table forms 2,833,876. Patented May 6, 195a an integral structure with a reflector, a support is obtained which is very simple and is particularly suited to be substituted for the usual reflector which is rigidly secured to the flash lamp apparatus, for in some cases the available reflector may provide insuflicient accommodation for the flash lamp support in accordance with the invention.

In order to enable the flash lamps provided in the support to be ignited in a predetermined sequence, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the said table may be made movable, more particularly rotatable, relatively to the means provided on the support for securing the latter to an associated current supply, the switching mechanism being operated by the movement of the table relative to the means of attachment.

If, according to a further embodiment of the invention, the flash lampholders provided in the table are meant to be used with flash lamps having side contacts, the used lamps can be removed from the support by exerting a simple pressure. This applies particularly to the case where the table is provided with apertures for receiving the lamp-caps, which apertures extend from its front-side to its rear-side. In this event the lamps can be pressed out from the table by hand. It is structurally simple to design the table as a flat plate.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing. This drawing shows one embodiment of a flash-lamp holder in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side-view of the holder.

Fig. 2 is a front-view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross-section of the holder drawn to an enlarged scale.

The support substantially comprises a substantially vertical support 1 which is rotatable relatively to the means by which this holder is attached to a current supply (not shown) so as to be immediately detachable both mechanically and electrically. The current supply in most cases will be the usual flash lamp apparatus, i. e. a device which contains a current supply, a switch to be coupled to the camera shutter and a flash lamp holder. In the present case, these means consist of a projection 2 designed as a bayonet lamp-cap.

As will be seen particularly from Fig. 3 the support 1 has a flanged part 3 which is integral with a central projection 4. These two parts are made of insulating material. The part 3 is provided with six aperturesS, 6,7, 8, 9 and 10, into which sleeves 11 to 16 made from insulating material also are pressed. As will be seen particularly from Fig. 2, the inner wall of these sleeves is not circular. In each sleeve, two curved contacts are secured which, in the sleeve 11, are denoted by reference numerals 17 and 18.

A metal cap 20 which is shaped in the form of a bayonet lamp-cap and is provided with bayonet pins 21 and 22, is moved over the central projection 4 and secured thereto by means of a securing-bolt 23, the head 24 of which engages the end-face 26 of the metal cap in the inner position of a washer 25 made of insulating material. The extreme rim of this cap 20 is provided with six apertures 27. A ball 30 which is acted upon by a spring 29 is arranged in a recess 28 of the projection 4. The manner in which the cap 20 is attached to the member 3-4 made of insulating material permits the latter to rotate relatively to the cap 20; due to the co-operation of the spring-controlled ball 30 and the apertures 27 provided in the cap 20, the member 3-4 can assume six preferred positions with respect to the cap 20.

The curved contacts 17 are each connected through a contact strip 32 to a metal ring 33 secured to the outer periphery of the flanged part 3, which ring in turn is connected through a metal conductor 34 to the securing 3 bolt 23, for the end 35 of this metal strip is pressed against the flanged part 3 by means of the nut 36 provided on the bolt 23.

In addition, the curved contacts 18 are electrically-connected-each to one of six metal strips'38 which arearranged onthe surface of the flanged part 3 and are held to this table owing to the fact that their centrally directed ends are accommodated in recesses 39 provided in the projection 4. A metal wire strap 40 is secured to the outer surface of the cap by soldering and, on rotation of the table relative to the cap, is brought into contact with .each'of the 'metal strips 38 insuccession and thus, when the lamp-holder concerned contains a lamp, completes a circuit the battery and the main switch of which are situated in the associated flash lamp apparatus (not shown). i

Fig, 1 shows rthe manner in which a reflector 54), which is indicated by broken lines, can be secured to the support 1; adjacent itstop this reflector is provided with apertures pf passage for the sleeves -11 to 16 provided in the table. The reflector can be made integral with the table by means of bolts (not shown) which are passed through associated apertures 51, 52, 53 and 54 provided in the table 3. v

When the assembly shown in Fig. l is used, the support 1 can be previously provided with six lamps and held in readiness. If, now, a number of flash lamps exposures have to be made, the assembly is inserted by means of thebayonet lamp-cap 2 in a flash lamp supply apparatus at the point at which normally a single flash lamp only is arranged. When the circuit in the supply apparatus is completed one of the lamps provided in the support 1 will be ignited according to the position of the contact strap 40. When the first photograph has been made, the support 1 must be rotated only through an angle of 60 to move the next lamp into the operating position, while the cap 2 remains inserted in the supply apparatus. This process of rotation can be repeated until the last lamp available'in the support has been used; then the entire assembly shown in Pig. 1 is removed from the supply apparatus and replaced by another which may have been previouslyloaded. Even when a single device only is ava'ilable,-this .does not mean a great loss of time. Owing -tothe fact that the lamps to be used are provided with side contacts, they can'be removed from the holders by a simple movement in that pressure is exerted on'their rear-sides. When use is made-oflampsl of the kind shown in Fig. Linwhichthe lamp-cap comprises parts of the bulb neck and of the'exhaust tube whichhave been fused together this removal is very simple; by exerting pressure on the sealed exhaust-tube part 60 of the lamp 61 in the direction of the arrow P shown inFig. 1, this lamp is removed from the lampholder without any difficulty, since it is only held by the clamping .force of the curved contacts 17 and 18. Inserting the lamps in the 4 holders can also be performed very rapidly; the noncircular inner shape of the lampholders causes the cap of a lamp to be inserted, which cap also shows a non-circular cross-section and is provided with the current supply leads on the part having the largest outer diameter, to take up the correct position on insertion substantially automatically.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the means of attaching the flash-lamp supports to the supply apparatus are shaped in the form of a bayonet lamp-cap. Obviously, these means of attachment may have a different shape without departing from the scope of the invention; as an alternative, mention may be made of a plugin construction using plugs and sockets.

What is claimed is:

l. A multiple flash bulb holder comprising a support both electrically and mechanically removable from said holder, means on said support for removably holding a plurality. of flash bulbs, a switching arrangement operatively and selectively connected to each of. said flash bulbs when said support is mounted in said holder whereby the flash bulbs are ignited in a predetermined sequence.

2. A multiple flash :bulb holder as claimed in. claim I wherein said support has a bayonet cap for removable insertion in .said holder.

3. A multiple flash bulb holder. as claimed in claim 1 -further comprising a reflector, and said reflector being integral with said support.

4. A multiple flash-bulb :holdcr as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means include resilient contact members which engagetheside of saidfiash bulb;

5. A multiple .fiash bulb holder ,as claimed in claim 4 wherein saidmeans include apertures for receiving said flash bulbs, said apertures extending completely througl said support.

6. A ,multipleflash bulb holder comprising a support both electrically and mechanically removable from said holder, means on said support for removably holding a plurality'of-flash bulbs, a switching arrangement operatively' and'selectively connected to each of said flash. bulbs when said support is mounted in said holder whereby the flash bulbs are ignited in a predetermined sequence, said switching. arrangement being fixed, said support being relativelyfiatand being rotatable relative to said switching-arrangement whereby the rotation of said support causes each ofisaid flash bulbs to'be selectively connected .to Said switching :arrangement, and said fiash bulbs extendingin a planeparallel to the'central axisof said support. 1

References Cited in the file vofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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