US2029578A - Flashlight - Google Patents

Description

G. MAISER Feb. 4, 1936.

FLASHLIGHT Filed Feb. 24, 1955 lnve nfor:

By Affor ney I Patented Feb. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE FLASHLIGHT Georg Maiser, Dessau in Anhalt, Germany, as-

signor to Agfa Ansco Corporation, Bingha-mton, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Eebruary 24, 1933, Serial No. 658,414 in Germany February 27, 1932 Claims.

.My present invention relates to the art of making flash light for photographic purposes.

One of its objects is a new material to be used for the production of flash light. Another 5 object is a device suited to be used in connection with the aforesaid material. Further objects will be seen from the detailed specification following hereafter. Reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a device provided with frictionally operated igniting device tor the production of flash light according to my invention,

. Fig. 2 shows an electrically operated igniting device.

It is known to produce flash light with the aid of finely pulverized magnesium, zirkonium or a similar material. The combustion products of such materials, however, term a white cloud of dust which is rather disagreeable. In order to avoid the formation of dust use has been made of a bulb-shaped vessel which after having been evacuated is filled with oxygen and wherein the flash light material, for instance an aluminium foil, is fired by electric ignition. The manufacture of this kind of flash light lamp, however,

is rather expensive. Foils of magnesium have hitherto not been used practically for the production of flash light as their speed of combustion was not sufilciently great.

The present invention is based on the discovery that foils of magnesium are well suited for the production of flash light, if the thickness of the foils is inferior to 0.04 mm. and is preferably 0.01-0.001 mm., that is a foil of a thickness which approaches that of a geld beaters skin. The same result is obtainable by using magnesium in the form of a wire, the diameter of which must, however, not exceed 0.1 mm. The material according to this invention may be fired while freely suspended in a space such as a transparent vessel which communicates with the atmosphere. It required the concentration of oxygen may be raised above that which is normal for the atmosphere. The ignition may be achieved, for instance, by means of an incandescent filament having the necessary current supplied, for instance, from a cell such as is used in electric torches, or a device operating in the manner of a socalled gas lighter fitted with a cerium-iron ignition flint. If the magnesium is used in form of a wire the latter may be directly connected with the circuit of an electrically operated ignition device.

Magnesium foil of the thickness required according to this invention has not hitherto been produced. The preparation may be as follows: magnesium, whether ina cold or warm condition, is rolled into a sheet of about 0.06 to 0.02 mm. thickness. The thin foil thus prepared is then beaten, in the manner known for the preparation of silver foils, while inserted in forms of thick oiled paper (or leather). By this treatment the foil is reduced to a thickness of about 0.005 mm. The foils reduced to such a thickness are then cut to pieces and are further beaten according to the process known for the treatment of gold foils. The beating forms used for this purpose are made of very thin paper. In these forms heating is continued, if required in several 5 operations, until the desired thickness of 0.001 mm. or less is obtained. For producing a flash light of normal efficiency, about 750 to 1000 sq. cms. of magnesium foil of 0.001 mm. thickness (about 0.2 gram in weight) are necessary.

In the accompanying drawing there is shown in Fig. l a flash light lamp suitable for use with the material according to this invention. This lamp consists of a transparent bulb I of glass, cellulose acetate, regenerated cellulose or the like 25 which-by the opening 2, covered with a net 3 of wire or tissue, is in contact with the atmosphere. The bulb I is charged with the magnesium foil 4. Through the net 3 the ignition device 5 is intrd duced into the interior of the bulb. This device 30 comprises a handle 6 with an extended piece 5 and means I mounted on said extended piece for fastening the device on the bulb 4. On the extended piece of the handle there are furthermore mounted two bent pieces I2 and I3 provided with 35 openings in which glides the rod 9 bearing at one of its ends a hook I! and at the other a plate I0 of rough steel. The spring II surrounding the rod 9 bears with its one end against the bent piece I2 and is with its other end attached to the rod 40 9 near the bent piece I3. At the end of the extended piece 5, there is mounted the tube 22 containing a pin 3 of cerium-iron pressed against the plate In by means of the spring I4 fastened on the extended piece 5 at I5. Near the handle 45 there is mounted on the extended piece 5 the detent mechanism comprising the part 2| fixedly mounted on the extended piece 5, the trigger I6 forming one piece with the part I9 and rotatable about the pin 26 by means of which it is connected 50 with part 2| in a slit of the extended piece 5, the spring 24 is fastened around the pin 26 and grips with its ends the parts I9 and 2| in order to press part I9 and therefore the trigger I6 in the direction of the vessel I, the part 20 having its end 55 away from the handle perpendicularly bent to form a hook I] which engages the hook of the rod 0, the part 20 being connected to the part. II by means of a pin 23 about which it is rotatable, 5 the spring 25 which is fixedly mounted in the trigger engages the part 20 on the side towards the handle, so that the hook it is pressed against the hook l1. When pulling the trigger in the direction of the handle the plate III will be pushed back. However, after a certain back movement of the trigger the hook I. of the part 20 will be pressed towards the extended piece 5 so that it releases the hook ll of rod s and by the action of the spring II the rod 0 will be pulled forward so that the plate l0 vehemently rubs against the pin I thus producing a gerb oi sparks which causes the ignition of the magnesium foil.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a device for electrically igniting the magnesium foilan'd which may simply be substituted for that shown in Fig. 1. The device consists of a tube provided at bothends with pieces of insulating material 32 and ii. The piece 3! bears two contact-screws 31 which may be connected with a suitable source of electric 25 energy. From the contact-screws 31 two insulated wires 35 lead to the points 36 where they are soldered to two wires 33 embedded in the piece II of insulating material: The ends of the wires 03' are connected by-a thin wire' llt'whlch is 80 brought to incandescence by the-i'c'urrent" of the source of electricity. On the tube 30' there are mounted flaps 1 by which the device can be mounted on the vesel l of Fig. l.

' In a preferred form the net I is connected with as the ignition device so as to form one unit; in this case the bulb containing the magnesium foil or wire can be united with and separated from the ignition device without any difficulty. The bulb when separated from theignition device 40 may for purposes of transport, be closed with a rubber or a cork stopper. In order to assist the combustion of the magnesium foil, the bulb closed with a rubber stopper and containing the magnesium foil may be fllied with oxygen.

05 Though, when assembling the bulb and the ignition device, the oxygen will inevitably escape in part yet a certain quantity thereof will remain occluded at the surface of the magnesium foil and assist the combustion. For the production of 50 a normal flash light, however, such filling of oxygen can be dispensed with. If desired, use may also be made of substances which evolve oxygen or substances which promote combustion such as collodium foils or the like.

55 The advantages involved in the flash light lamp according to this invention may briefly be summarized as follows: Low cost of manufacture neither evacuation nor gas-charging being necessary; no formation of fumes in the space sur- 60 rounding the lamp occurs as the combustion products are prevented from escape by provision of the net; the material in the lamp can be ignited with certainty also without the use of a cell for electric torches.

What I claim is:

l. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent 5 bulb made of a non-burning material having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foil of magnesium having. a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnedum havl0 ing a diameter of less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, and means for igniting said magnesium.

2. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of a non-burning material having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foil of magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net of wire or tissue covering said opening, and 0 mechanically operated means for igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior of said bulb.

3. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of a non-burning material having an 25 opening communicating with the atmosphere, a material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foil of magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a 30 net of wire or tissue covering said opening, and electrically operated means for igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior of said bulb.

4. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent 35 bulb made of a non-burning material having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, but the concentration of oxygen within the bulb being greater than that in the surrounding atmosphere.

a material of the group consisting of loosely 0 crumpled foil of magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net oi wire or tissue covering said opening, and mechanically operated means for igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior of said bulb.

5. A flash light lamp comprising a transparent bulb made of a non-burning material having an opening communicating with the atmosphere, but the concentration of oxygen within the bulb being greater than that in the surrounding atmosphere,

9. material of the group consisting of loosely crumpled foil of magnesium having a thickness of less than 0.04 mm. and wire of magnesium having a diameter less than 0.1 mm. in said bulb, a net of wire or tissue covering said opening, and electrically operated means for igniting said magnesium protruding through said net into the interior of said bulb.

GEORG KAISER.

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