US1638039A - Combined flash light and handle - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 9, 1927. 1,63%:;039

LJONES COMBINED FLASH LIGHT AND HANDLE Filed March 6. 1924 Patented Aug.v `9, 41927.,Y

UNITED STATES: f

IsAAc JONES, or DENVER,v coLoItAnov.V

" COMBINED FLASH LIGHT AND HANDLE.`

Application filed March 6, 1924.,.Seria1Y Nol `697,245.

This invention embodies improvements in combined flashlights and handles.

Vhile the invention is notto be restricted to any particular field or spheres of usefulness, it may be said to have been more especially devised asia railroad lamp, in avoidancel of the obviouslyA unsatisfactory oil lamps heretofore generally employed,` for car and equipment andanalogous inspecting, checking, repair work and other railroad or like uses, and for many other varied purposes, such as a household, factory, shop or analogous accessory, an accessory for garages and otherplaces, especially if they store oils or yother high inflammables or eX- plosives,'a trouble light and handy accessory for motorists, an accessory for tourist, camping and outing trips, and inshort for the usesfof a general utility light.Y

One object of the invention has been to provide such a type of light which7 in addition to its being adapted for facile manual manipulations, may be so conveniently hung from a belt, trouser band, garment/pocket or other:appropriate part of thevapparel of the user, as to properly direct or focus the light on the work to be done, while ate-the same .time leaving both hands entirely unhampered lin the accomplishment thereof.v y

Anotherand an analogous object-and advantage isto permit of its suspension from almost any form of rail, board, hook,l rod, bar or iron, at any desired angle and whether even upside down orotherwise as ldistinguished from the impossible use of oil lamps,

as well as to allow for its tiltedmounting upon a substantially flat-surfaced body, the ground or other like support, conveniently at h and, with the said light properly directed or focused upon the work or other material object as desired. ,y f The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages, however, includingsimplicity,

maximum durabilityand efficiency in operation, .with a minimum number of parts little.

'liableto get out of order,tcompactnesslin combined structure,and comparatively small costs of production 'and assembly, will be s0 clearly apparent as incidental to the following-disclosure, it is believed, that itfwould serve no useful purpose now lto further enlarge upon the same. lith these prefacing remarks, therefore, reference will be immediately had to the accompanying drawings, illustratinga practical embodiment Aof the improvements, in which drawings' Figure '1 is a longitudinal sectionalpview through the casing, lens and reflector of the light', taken on the liney1-11 of Fig.,2, with, the battery shown lin elevation and partly broken away, and an `adjustable handle shown at'two positions in dotted lines; `Figure 2 is a view, partly in longitudinal section and elevation, looking towards the right.-

of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is ya vtop planview;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional .view/'taken alongv the line 4-4. of Fig. 2,' Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view on the line y5--5 of Fig. 1, and Figure 6 is ari-elevational view', drawn on a reduced scale, showing the lamp tiltingly mounted in one position onta flatsurfaced orl analogous support. v' A 10 designates a casing, which 'maybe cylindrical as shown, for housing a battery 11 other element 15 is'disposed angularly theretojtowards the peripheral face of the battery, l

the other end of the battery being preferably i supported'byan outwardly tensioned coiled or othervspring 16, for obvious reasons.

Thec'asing 1() maybe provided withan.

internal longitudinally disposed trough-like vor other. suitable guiding andretainingmeans 17 for the battery-llrece1v1ng a corner edge face. ofthe battery if squared, to maintain theterminal contact; arms l4-and 15 properly positioned relatively to the contact terminals ofthe lampl, but of course .the battery4 couldbe of any suitable shape'A and held positioned in anyother suitable way. l

The insulated base contact 18y of the lamp engages the Contact arm Y14, while the central portion of the reflector .12 mayhave a boss, through which the lamp base is threaded,and this-boss ,is snugly encompassed by and in electrical connection with a suitable radially disposed spring contact arm or member 20, the outer end of which may bein thev nature of a ,shorter or longer Vsegmental portion,

than V.as actually shown by its T-like head facel seats a lens 22, contained within a capping' rim. 23." rI he said capping rim rotatably tits theouter 'open end of the casingllO, and is provided with an inturned vseating `flange 241: for receiving and vclamping a retaining ring 25 against the lens `22. Although additional securingv means'between the necessary partsV could be effected, this assembly of 'itself is such that `when the rim 23 is slightlyturned, one way or the other, theV other parts move in unison therewith, that is to say that the'contact Aarm 2O is swung into or out of contact relation with the contact arm l5, as the case might be, with the contactlS in engagement with the other springarm 14.

For conveniently and detachably connecting this capping rim 23', in rotatable association with the casing end, the wall of the latter is peripherally slotted, as at 26 and 27, say from diametric positions, to receive the inturncd ends or terminals 28 and 29 of an arcuate resilient member 30, which is affixed centrally to the outside face of the rim 23j, and which said inturned ends 28-29 are adapted to be projected through complementary apertures, in the rim 23, registering with said slots 28-29. It will also be seen that the resilient arcuate element 30 is so tensioned that its ends normally spring outwardly, as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 5, but when the capping rim is applied to the casing and the inturned ends 28,-29 sprung inwardly through said apertures, then these ends are held Aclasped to the. capping rim and Vrotatable therewith along said slots, while functioning as retaining means for said capping rim against endwise displacement, the ends of said slots se-rving as limiting means to the degree of rotation in either direction.

llt will be seen, therefore, thatl have producedI an extremely neat, durable, conveniently compact and safe portable electric lamp, the opening and closing of the electric circuit of which'may be controlled simply by slight reverse turns of the capping rim thereof, and which embodies a reflector element, for properly directing the rays of light, a feature initself not common to the ordinary lamp or lantern such as used by railroad workers, auto-mechanics or garage men.

More important than the foregoing, however, is the feature vo f a certainA adjustable form of handle that is novelly mounted as combined with the lamp casing, which handle as a unitary structure functions as a hand grip, a clip or clasp member, a hanger element, or other form of supporting means for the lamp proper, being rotatably associated with the lamp casingk in ,such a manner-as to be maintained rigidlyxed at all times against displacement other than its rotary adjustment relatively to the' lamp casin v The Yhandle could be of other shapes than as actually illustrated, but itis shown somewhat like a double U-member, embodying a shorterA arm 3l joined by an intermediate curving end portion 33 with a longer arm 32, the said longer arm being opposed to the said shorter-warm, in substantially parallel spaced relation, and' terminating at its free end in an open'hooli 34, the extremity of which latter is substantially spaced from the end of the short arm 371. #The hook Betis shown as being turned inwardly, but it could be projected outwardly, or Vin fact there 1 could be two such hooks, if desired, one dis? f posed inwardlyand the other outwardly. l

The long arm 32 of the handle may ypreferthrough aligning apertures in the end ofV the short arm 3lV and inl a spaced angle barA or cleat-like member 39 on the lamp casing, the said pin having a head 40, located within the space betweenthe bar 39 and the lamp casing l0, and at itsother end being threaded to receive securing nuts 41. Thus the aforesaid handle is rotatably associated with the lamp casing, byV means of the pivotal mounting of its short arm 3l at a. position intermediately of the ends of its long arm 32, and maybe adjusted and held rmly adjusted, at various angles relatively thereto, as will be obvious. Also it may be stated that, although not strictly essential, the lengt/h of said handle element is preferably no greater than the lengthof` the ylamp casy .ing,'so that when disposed longitudinally of the casing it'will not project beyond the ends of the latter.

42 simply indicates a lip-like projection or support, on the face of the casing opposite to that side to which the handle is pivoted, such means being projected from the forward portion only, of the casing, to permit of the lamp being supported, in lan inclined or tilting position, upon4 a flat surface or the'like, and obviously this'element tages and functioning of the invention will be clearly apparent, but, while there has thus been disclosed one embodiment thereof, it

may later be found to be expedient or .desirable to make some alterations, although without departing from the gist of the invention. v A

It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is not to be restricted to all of the details exactly as illustrated, described and disclosed, excepting as they may come within the terms of the claims, or their equivalent, or as when fairly interpreted in the light of the specification if necessary.

`What I do claim, as new and patentable,

1. In combination with an elongate lamp casing, for a portable electric projector light having its lens element closing one end of said casing, a unitarily combined handle and hanger support therefor, associated with the longitudinal wall of said casing, comprising a short arm forming an approximately U-shaped continuation of a substantially parallel longer arm that terminates in an open hook disposed towards the said short arm, and means so connecting said .short arm to the longitudinal wall of said casing as to permit of the rotary adjustment of said unitarily combined support while at Vall times otherwiseV maintaining the same against displacement.

2.1 Inpcombination with an elongated lamp casing, fora portable electric projector light having its lens element closing one end of said casing, a unitarily combined handle and hanger support therefor comprising a short arm forming an approximately AU-shaped continuation of a substantially parallel longer arm that terminates in an open hook disposed towards the said short arm, the said combined support being ofno greater length than that of said casing,and means lso connecting the end of said short 'arm to the longitudinal wall of'said casing, at approxi-V mately a central position along thev latter, as to permit of the rotary adjustment of said support While at all times otherwise maintaining the same against displacement.

In testimony whereof, Iaffix my signature.

ISAAC JONES.

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