US1051388A - Cut-off shade for headlights. - Google Patents

Description

,M. F. CASTLEMAN. GUT-OPF SHADE FOR HEADLIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1912.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. P. CASTLEMAN GUT-OFF SHADE POR H EADLIGHTS.

APPLIOATIUN FILED MAR. 7, 1912. LQ@ Jl] Patented @11.28, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/NI/ENTOR maurice Clemfl our-ciu"q enana ron. nnannion'rs.

holiness.

Specification of Letters Patent.

appueauon met umh 7, i912. serial No. 682,179.

To all lwhom it may conocen.'

Be it known that I, MAURICE l?. Cas'rnn` MAN, a citizenof the United States, residing at Berryville, in the county of Clarke `and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Cut-@if Shades for Headlights, oit which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This inventionirelates to shades intended; for use in connection with automobileheadlights, or headlights of other vehicles, and. has for its object the production of a simple and efficient means vfor permitting the driver of the car to cnt oli any portion of; the rays of light from the lamp at will...

The present device is especially intended. for use upon automobiles when the same are' traveling upon country roads wherein it isl often necessary to cut od a portion of thel rays of light ot the lamp in order toprevent blinding horses or occupants of approaching vehicles. At the same time it should be understood that the present device does hot.

diminishv theintensity of the beam thrown.I from the lamp but merely cuts oli a portion@ of the beam sothat the light may he shaded from the eyes of horses approaching and the road over which the machine is traveling. will be at the same time fully illnminated Another object of this invention is the production of an eicient and simple mechanism whereby the shields or hoods which are adapted to cut off the rays of light may m y ture above briefly descrlbed it should he be quickly and eiiiciently operated.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in general of certainnovel constructions, arrangements and comn hina-tions of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the; several views, and Figure l is a perspective. view of an automobile showing the shield device attached thereto andl also showing the eiiect out cutting ott the rays of light at a desired point. Fig. 2 is a front view of' the lamps showing the operating mechanism forv the shield hoods, the machine being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion ci' a machine showing the aI rangernentv of the operating rod which co operates. with the lamp shields. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lamp partlybroken' away showing the shield hoods cross \sec\ "tionl Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the shield hoods in a partially eX- tended position. Fig. 6 is an enlarged' sectional view through one of the bearings for supporting the shield hoods. Fig. 'Z' is a central sectional view through the' lamp showing the position of the shield hoods when not operated upon "by the operating lever. Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the lamp showing the shield hoods with the primary hood cutting od part of the lightfrom the iamp. Fig. 91s a sectional view ot the lamp howing the shield hoods in still another posit-ion from that shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

Patented aan. as, 1era.

Fig. l0 is a longitudinal sectional View of A the adjustable connector for connecting the hood-operating rods. Fig. 11 isa modiiied forml of invention showing the shield hood as mounted upon the, outside of a lamp. Fig. 1Q is a detail perspective of the hand for clamping the hood, as illustrated in Fig. l1 to the lampcasing. l Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the crank lever carried by ne corner of the machine for connecting the operating rods which operate the lamp shields.

As previously stated, the present device is especially adapted to be used upon automobiles and may be so operated by the foot of the operator or driver of the machine so as to easily cut olf the rays of light to any desired'point and also cause the light to shine to its full intensity without moving from the seat of the vehicle.

ln carrying out the objects of the strucnoted that the device may he 'applied tothe ordinary lamp now in use since the shield or cut oil' hoods l may be journaled upon the inside of the lamp casing 2, as illus trated clearly in Figs. 4.. and 7. These hoodsI y l are s o shaped as to conform to the cont/our of the inner portion of the lamp casing 2 and are concavoconveX in cross section. The hoods l are )ournaled upon stub shafts 3 'which shafts pass through the sides of the .casing 2 and carry nuts 4 upon their inner ends for firmly holding the hoods upon the stub-shaft 3. The outer end of the stub shaft 3 is provided with a knuckle joint- 5 whichA joint 5 engages one end ot the hood operating rod 6. This rod 6 is rotated through the medium' ot a mechanism oonnected to a foot lever, as lhereinafter described;

vlt is preferable to use two hoods as illustrated in Fig 7, which hoods may be turned to form a sectional or telescoping shield, and each of these shield hood sections is journaled upon the same shaft 3.

The sectional cut-oif hood 1 comprises an outer section 7 and an inner section 8. The outer section 7 is provided upon its underface near its rear edge 'with a depending lug 9, which depending lug is adapted to abut against the projecting lug 10 upon the upper face of the inner or auxiliary section 8 of the cut-off hood 1. 5 f

A coil spring 11 is wound about Vone of the stub shafts 3 and has one end ixedly secured i to the side of the lamp casing 2 as at 12.

vThe opposite end of the coil springv 11 is folded about the lfront face of the inner sec- 'tion 8 of thel cut-'od hood 1, as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, and this spring 11 is adapted to normally holdvthe section in a vertical position.

It should be understood, of course, that as soon as the outer hood 7 is brought to such posit-ion as to cause the projection 9 carried thereby to engage the projection 10 carried by the inner hood, the inner hood will, in turn, be swung with the outer hood, thereby entirely cutting oli' the rays of light, or -merely cutting oil' the lower rays by swinging the hoods to a ted lines in Fig. 7

0f course, the usual lighting means may he employed in connection with the lamp and the lamp may also be supported upon position, as shown in dotthe usual fork supports 13, ormaybe supobvious that a very eicient and useful device has been produced whereby the light ported in any other desirable manner.

It, of course, should be understood that the s ring 11 just described maybe used upon both ends of the shield hood v1, or may be employed only upon one end.

-4 Thehood-operating rods 6 extend transversely of the machine and have their ends ositioned in a connectin member 14.

heee ends are held in an a justed position within the clamp or connecting member 14 by means of thumb screws 15, which 'thumb screws irmly engage the hood-operating rods 6 and hold the same within the sockets 16 formed in the connecting member 14. The connecting member 14 is provided with a rearwardly extending integral arm 17 ,to which arm is connected a -link member 18. The link member 18 is connected to a bellcrank lever 19 `which lever is pivotall secured to the front of the automobile, as lllustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 The bell crank 20 is secured to the machine near its front end, and is connected to the arm of thercrank 19 by means of a link rod 21. This bell-crank 20y is also connected to the operating foot 23. The foot lever 22 through the medium of a link rod ever 22 is pivotally' mounted upon the bracket 24 and is provided' with a foot engaging portion 25. This lever is norf mall held in such posit-ion as to keep the hoodY l in an inoperative position through the medium of a spring 26, as illustrated-in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 11 there is illustrated an embodi ment of ,the present invention wherein the shield hood is formed or carried upon the outer portion of the lamp casing 2.l ThisY cut-olf or shield hood 27 is pivotally secured to a band 28, which band inay lbe made-of with an angularlyextending hook 29 which engages one of the adjusting apertures 30 formed in the band 28. The opposite end.

of the -shaft 28 is formed so as'to provide apair of overhanging ears 31 for constitutsol ing a guide for the band 28. Through the l medium of the adjusting apertures 30 1t will .be obvious that the band ma be adjusted to accommodate diii'erent size lamps.

v The structure, as illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12l is especially adapted for use where the hood isattached to the outer casing of the lamp and where it is desired to attach the shield device or cut-o hood tothe ordinary lamp without injuring the casin ln 'the structure as illustrated in Fig. l1` '1t should be noted 'that this hood will not only act as means forcutting oil.E a portion of the ray of light but will also act as a shield forpreventing moisture from collecting upon the face of the lamp, such as snow or ice.

From the foregoing description it will be of the lamp of an automobile or "thervve hicle may be cut off to a diiierent line without reducing the intensityofthe light.

It is obvious that minor changes'may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material principles thereofA and it isv therefore not wished to conine the device 'to the exact formherein shown and described, but it is wished 'to include all'such as properly come within the scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is: Y 1. ln a device ofthe class described, the combination with a plurality of lamp casings, hoodscarried by said-lamp casings,

stub shafts connecting said hoods and projecting laterally therefrom, hood-operatingv said stub shats, a coupler;

rods connecting member engaging said hood-operating rods, a bell crank being adapted to be carried by the front Iof the vehicle, an operating link Vbeing adapted to pass along the sidepf the machine and connected with said bell crank lever, and means coperating with saidlastmentioned link for controllingthe swin ing of said out o" hoods so Vtliatfthe' light rom said lamp casing may be cut olf toa certain determined line. j

2. In a' vehicle of the class described, the

combination with a plurality of lampl casings, cut-olf hoods carried by said casings, stub shafts carried by said casings, hoodoperating rods extending transversely of said vehicle, coupler means connecting said rods whereby the hood of eachzlamp may be simultaneously operated with the hood of the other lamp, a Jfoot lever carried by said vehicle, and means coperating with said.

coupler for swinging the .same vertically whereby the cut-0E hoods may be swung upon said casings so as to cut oii" the desired portion of a beamk of light from said lamp casings.

3. Ina lamp of the class described, the combination with a casing, of a sectional hood comprising an outer and inner section, said outer section provided with a depending lug, said inner section rovided with anl upwardly extending lug belng adapted t0 be'` engaged with said depending lug by said outer sectionforcausing said inner section tion, means for pivotally supporting said sections within said casing, and holdin said hoods in the top of said casing, an means coperating with said hoods for causing the same to dro light whereby the light from said casing will be cut off from the top of the lamp so asl to shield the eyes of an approaching horse or a driver of an approaching vehicle.

down infront of a,v

5. In a lamp of the class described the c'ombination with a casing, of a sectional hood comprising an'inner and an outer section, said sections being segmento-spherical in shape, means `fol' pivotally connecting said sections to said casing, a coil sprin se-` cured to said casing and engaging sai inner section for normally holding the outer ends of said hoods in a vertical positionin the top oi said casing, and means coperat- 1 g with said hoods for causing said hoods in front of a light contained vwithin aid casing whereby rays of light may be shielded to .protect the eyes of gan approaching horse or'the eyes of the driver of an approaching vehicle. l

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix 4my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAURICE I". CASTLEMAN. Witnesses:

Jas-W. Fou-ir,

ConNnLIUs VAN DEVENTER.

-t be dropped from the top of said casing y

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