GB2104204A

GB2104204A - Arrangement for mounting lighting fixtures

Info

Publication number: GB2104204A
Application number: GB08216681A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harri Koivumaki; Paavo Paajanen; Jouko Sinkkonen
Original assignee: Ahlstrom Corp
Current assignee: Ahlstrom Corp
Priority date: 1981-06-22
Filing date: 1982-06-09
Publication date: 1983-03-02
Also published as: FI821411L; SE8203476L; FI69692C; FI821411A0; GB2104204B; FI69692B; SE435315B

Abstract

An arrangement for mounting lighting fixtures is provided. The lighting fixture (2, 3, 4) or a plurality of lighting fixtures in a row are mounted on carriages (5, 6) movably disposed on a horizontal rail (1). According to one embodiment of the invention, the lighting fixtures can be moved from an operating position to a maintenance position by means of a first rope (15) connected to the last carriage (12), whereby the movement of the last carriage to its maintenance position will push the carriages in front of it with regard to the direction of movement to a position in which all carriages are positioned close to each other. The lighting fixtures can be moved from a maintenance position to an operating position by means of a second rope (11) being connected to each of the carriages, whereby movement of the last carriage to the operating position by means of the first rope (15) will pull the carriages behind it with regard to the direction of movement to a position in which all carriages are positioned a distance apart from each other. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Arrangement for mounting lighting fixtures The present invention relates to an arrangement for mounting lighting fixtui es, and its object is to facilitate maintenance and cleaning of lighting fixtures.

According to the invention, the lighting fixture is mounted on a carriage which is movably disposed on a horizontal rail and connected to means for transferring the lighting fixture from the position where it normally operates to a position where it can be maintained.

Lighting fixtures in industrial buildings are usually mounted above manufacturing machines or in other places difficult to access. In order to maintain them, cranes or other lifting means are needed. Lighting fixtures which are connected to a wire rope by means of which they can be taken down for maintenance are known, but this does not provide an acceptible arrangement if the lighting fixture is disposed above a manufacturing machine which is in operation.

By means of the invention the lighting fixtures can be transferred to a position, in which the maintenance can easily and in accordance with the safety regulations be effected without any need of cranes.

The installation of the lighting fixtures is also very favourable from the viewpoint of economy.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of an arrangement comprising two lighting fixtures in their operating positions; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the lighting fixtures in their maintenance position, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged side view of the lighting fixture shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a side view of an alternative arrangement comprising two lighting fixtures in their operating positions, Fig. 6 shows a side view of the above mentioned lighting fixtures in their maintenance positions, Fig. 7 shows an enlarged side view of the lighting fixture shown in Fig. 5, Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 7.

In the figures, reference number 1 refers to a horizontal rail suspended from the ceiling of the building. A lighting fixture comprising a ballast assembly 2, an optical assembly 3 and a distributing assembly box 4 is mounted on a frame 5 to which two sets of wheels are attached. The frame and the wheels form a carriage for the lighting fixture. The wheels 6 are disposed in a channel 7 of the rail 1 forming two flanges 8 along which the wheels can move guided by the side walls of the channel.

A plurality of lighting fixtures can be mounted on the same rail, two of which are shown in the drawings. The distributing boxes of the lighting fixtures are electrically connected to each other and to the supply voltage by supply leads 9. A ballast lead 10 connects the ballast assembly to the distributor box.

A wire rope 11 running along the supply leads from the last carriage 12 with regard to the maintenance site to a terminal box 13 disposed on the wall of the building, is fastened to the frame of the carriages by clamps 14.

In the embodiment ofthe invention shown in Fig.

1-4, another wire rope 15 connected to carriage 12 only runs as an endless loop from a rope drum 16 to a rope drum 17.

When the lighting fixtures are to be moved to their maintenance position close to each other, shown in Fig. 2, the drum 17 is rotated clockwise by means of a crank 18, whereby the wire rope 15 attached to the carriage 12 moves it to the left. When carriage 12 has reached the carriage directly in front of it, the former will begin to push the latter and successively cause all the carriages in front of it to move in the same direction. The movement of the carriages is controlled until their maintenance position is reached.

After maintenance, the carriages are returned to their operating position a distance apart from each other, shown in Fig. 1, by rotating the drum 17 in the opposite direction, whereby the wire rope 15 connected to the last carriage 12 will move it to the right, and will successively begin to pull all the carriages interconnected by the wire rope 11 to move in the same direction, until they are restored into their initial position.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in Figs.

5 to 8 the wire rope 11 running along the supply lead or another wire rope 15 which is fastened to the last carriage 12 runs from said carriage around the rope drum 16 and is then arranged to be wound upon the rope drum 17.

When the lighting fixtures are to be moved to their maintenance position close to each other, shown in Fig. 6, each carriage is manually hauled one at a time by means of the wire rope 11 connected to the first carriage and interconnecting the carriages, to the left. After maintenance, the carriages are returned to their operating position a distance apart from each other, as shown in Fig. 5, by rotating the winding drum by the crank 18, whereby the wire connected to the last carriage moves it to the right, and will successively move all the carriages until they are restored into their initial position.

The arrangements can be used, primarily in the same way, for a single lighting fixture. The drum 17 can be driven by a motor.

It is also possible to use other drive means for moving the carriages, such as an individual motor for each carriage.

The embodiments shown are not meant to limit the scope of the claims.

1. An arrangement for mounting one or more lighting fixtures in a row, comprising a carriage for the or each lighting fixture movably disposed on a horizontal rail, two rope drums, at least one of which having driving means, a first rope running from one drum to the other, the rope being connected to the last of the carriages with regard to the maintenance site, whereby movement of the rope will cause

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

SPECIFICATION Arrangement for mounting lighting fixtures The present invention relates to an arrangement for mounting lighting fixtui es, and its object is to facilitate maintenance and cleaning of lighting fixtures.

According to the invention, the lighting fixture is mounted on a carriage which is movably disposed on a horizontal rail and connected to means for transferring the lighting fixture from the position where it normally operates to a position where it can be maintained.

Lighting fixtures in industrial buildings are usually mounted above manufacturing machines or in other places difficult to access. In order to maintain them, cranes or other lifting means are needed. Lighting fixtures which are connected to a wire rope by means of which they can be taken down for maintenance are known, but this does not provide an acceptible arrangement if the lighting fixture is disposed above a manufacturing machine which is in operation.

By means of the invention the lighting fixtures can be transferred to a position, in which the maintenance can easily and in accordance with the safety regulations be effected without any need of cranes.

The installation of the lighting fixtures is also very favourable from the viewpoint of economy.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings in which Fig. 1 shows a side view of an arrangement comprising two lighting fixtures in their operating positions; Fig. 2 shows a side view of the lighting fixtures in their maintenance position, Fig. 3 shows an enlarged side view of the lighting fixture shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 shows a side view of an alternative arrangement comprising two lighting fixtures in their operating positions, Fig. 6 shows a side view of the above mentioned lighting fixtures in their maintenance positions, Fig. 7 shows an enlarged side view of the lighting fixture shown in Fig. 5, Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of Fig. 7.

In the figures, reference number 1 refers to a horizontal rail suspended from the ceiling of the building. A lighting fixture comprising a ballast assembly 2, an optical assembly 3 and a distributing assembly box 4 is mounted on a frame 5 to which two sets of wheels are attached. The frame and the wheels form a carriage for the lighting fixture. The wheels 6 are disposed in a channel 7 of the rail 1 forming two flanges 8 along which the wheels can move guided by the side walls of the channel.

A plurality of lighting fixtures can be mounted on the same rail, two of which are shown in the drawings. The distributing boxes of the lighting fixtures are electrically connected to each other and to the supply voltage by supply leads 9. A ballast lead 10 connects the ballast assembly to the distributor box.

A wire rope 11 running along the supply leads from the last carriage 12 with regard to the maintenance site to a terminal box 13 disposed on the wall of the building, is fastened to the frame of the carriages by clamps 14.

In the embodiment ofthe invention shown in Fig.

1-4, another wire rope 15 connected to carriage 12 only runs as an endless loop from a rope drum 16 to a rope drum 17.

When the lighting fixtures are to be moved to their maintenance position close to each other, shown in Fig. 2, the drum 17 is rotated clockwise by means of a crank 18, whereby the wire rope 15 attached to the carriage 12 moves it to the left. When carriage 12 has reached the carriage directly in front of it, the former will begin to push the latter and successively cause all the carriages in front of it to move in the same direction. The movement of the carriages is controlled until their maintenance position is reached.

After maintenance, the carriages are returned to their operating position a distance apart from each other, shown in Fig. 1, by rotating the drum 17 in the opposite direction, whereby the wire rope 15 connected to the last carriage 12 will move it to the right, and will successively begin to pull all the carriages interconnected by the wire rope 11 to move in the same direction, until they are restored into their initial position.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in Figs.

5 to 8 the wire rope 11 running along the supply lead or another wire rope 15 which is fastened to the last carriage 12 runs from said carriage around the rope drum 16 and is then arranged to be wound upon the rope drum 17.

When the lighting fixtures are to be moved to their maintenance position close to each other, shown in Fig. 6, each carriage is manually hauled one at a time by means of the wire rope 11 connected to the first carriage and interconnecting the carriages, to the left. After maintenance, the carriages are returned to their operating position a distance apart from each other, as shown in Fig. 5, by rotating the winding drum by the crank 18, whereby the wire connected to the last carriage moves it to the right, and will successively move all the carriages until they are restored into their initial position.

The arrangements can be used, primarily in the same way, for a single lighting fixture. The drum 17 can be driven by a motor.

It is also possible to use other drive means for moving the carriages, such as an individual motor for each carriage.

The embodiments shown are not meant to limit the scope of the claims.

1. An arrangement for mounting one or more lighting fixtures in a row, comprising a carriage for the or each lighting fixture movably disposed on a horizontal rail, two rope drums, at least one of which having driving means, a first rope running from one drum to the other, the rope being connected to the last of the carriages with regard to the maintenance site, whereby movement of the rope will cause movement of the carriage from one end position to another, one of which being an operating position and the other a maintenance position and a second rope connected to the first and last of the carriages and interconnecting consecutive carriages in the line, whereby movement of the last carriage to its operating position by means ofthe first rope pulls the carriages behind it with regard to the direction of movement to an operating position in which all carriages are positioned a distance apart from each other.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the first rope is an endless rope and the movement of the last carriage to a maintenance position by means of the rope pushes the carriages in front of it with regard to the direction of movement to a maintenance position in which all carriages are positioned close to each other.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, in which the first rope is arranged to be wound upon one of the rope drums.

4. An arrangement for mounting lighting fixtures as claimed in claim 1,2 or3, in which the second rope and supply leads connected to a ballast assembly of each lighting fixture, are arranged to run alongside each other between the carriages.

5. An arrangement for mounting one or more lighting fixtures in a row constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.