US1079315A

US1079315A - Portable reading-lamp.

Info

Publication number: US1079315A
Application number: US72764512A
Authority: US
Inventors: George W Cassidy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-10-25
Filing date: 1912-10-25
Publication date: 1913-11-18
Anticipated expiration: 1930-11-18

Description

G. W. CASSIDY.

PORTABLE READING LAMP. APPLICATION FILED 001'. 25, 1912.

1,079,315; Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

W/itnesses Inventor I Attorneys.

GEORGE w. CASSIDY, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PoE'rA-BLE READING-LAMP.

Specification of LettersPatent. I

Patented Nov. 18, 1913.

Application filed October 25, 1912. Serial No. 727,645.

T 0 a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE GASSIDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of East Orange, county of Essex. and State of Xew Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Portable Reading-Lamp, of which the following is a specification.

The objects I have in view are to concentrate the light from a ortable lamp over a limited and controllab e area, and to prevent the direct rays of the light from striking the eyes of the reader.

Further objects are to produce a device on which the area of the illumination may be adjusted.

A still further object is to renderthe lamp adjustable so as to direct the light in any direction, so that the light may be concentrated in a single plane.

A further object is to produce a lamp which may be readily cleaned. I 4

Still further objects are to improve the details of construction.

These and further objects will more fully appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

p In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of an electricv lamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1: and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the supporting standard and frame.

In all of the views. like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a suitable light, 1. This light may be an incandescent electric lamp as shown in Fig. 1.. Any other suitable source of illumination may be employed.

The light 1 is carried upon and supported by the base 2. Any form of base may be chosen for the purpose. I prefer to arrange the base as shown, making it of a single part. and containing the-lamp switch. The lightis inclosed by a reflector 3. This reflector is open at the top. Its upper edge is above the level of the light. I prefer to employ a silvered glass reflector. In order to protect the glass from injury. it is covered by a metallic casing 9. The casing and reflector are shown as made up of separate parts; but this need not be so.

In connection with the parts thus described, I employ a diffuser 4. This diffuser acts as an artificial ceiling. The underside them into the eye shade. be made empirically by formmg the curve of the diffuser is preferably made dead white. It is preferably not polished. It is preferably made concave upon a parabolic curve, as shown. The purpose of this diffuse-r is to interrupt the light rays which are reflected upward and diffuse them downward over a limited area. The diffuser is combined with the eye shade 4*, the two being preferably integrally connected, and the line or point of separation being at approximately the point m.'r (Fig. 1). I purpose to so design the diffuser that the rays of light which are directlycast upward by the lamp 1, and reflected upward by the reflector 3, will be diffused and thrown downward, in the space confined by the eye shade. I dispose the diffuser so that the curve of its surface (usually a parabola) will intercept all or most of the rays and direct them downward, without directing Thls diffuser can of a large number of connected planes, each located at an angle equal to ninety degrees to the sine of the angle of the ascending and descending rays of light.

The diffuser is suitably supported upon the lamp. The means chosen for illustra- ;t1on in Figs. 1 and 3 comprises a standard The standard is vertically arranged above the light. Itis supported upon a frame 6. This frame. is carried upon the reflect-or casing 9. The standard passes through a central opening in the diffuser. A set screw 7 is carried by the diffuser and engages with the standard and locks the diffuser in position. By means of this set screw the diffuser may be adjusted vertically. to define the extent of area in which the light is reflected downward by the diffuser. I prefer to so locate the diffuser that the outer edge thereof is below the line of sightwh-ich is located at a point between the upper edge of the reflector and the light. By this arrangement. the user of the lamp cannot see the light directly. The diffuser, however, may be adjusted vertically in the manner described, so as to throw the light downward upon the reading matter or work that the user desires to have illuminated. thus varying the extent of illumination in a symmetrical manner. I prefer to connect the standard 5 with the frame 6 by means of a flexible joint 8, so that the angle of the standard and the difluser may be adjusted. By means of this construcchanging the vertical position of the diftion, the diffuser-may be tilted, whereby the distribution of light will vary with the angle at which the diffuser is tilted, and will be asymmetric. In this case, one portion of the field around the lamp may be illuminated to a much higher intensity than other portions. For example, a portion of the reading page may be more highlyilluminated than surrounding portions, so that the reader will secure increased illumination to the book, while the surrounding objects will secure less illumination, and the eyes of the reader will receive no direct rays of light. This double adjustment of the diffuser I regard as very important, as the extent of illumination can be adjusted by fuser, the area of illumination being'always symmetrical, while by tilting the diffuser, the area of illumination can be shifted, and then be asymmetric.

The joint 8 I prefer to make as follows:

The frame 6 carries a boss 10, having one plane surfaces into engagement and thereby produces a friction joint, which when adjusted, will hold the standard 5 at any angle at which it may be placed.

The frame 6 is preferably attached to the casing 9 in the following manner, which per- .mits ready access to the light, the reflector and the under side of the diffuser for cleaning. The frame has three legs, as shown. One of these legs is connected to the casing 9, by means of a hinge joint 14. The other two legs are connected to the casing by removable connections. I show in the draw ings, screws 15 for this purpose. These screws pass through holes in the ends of the legs and enter threaded openings in the casing. They have milled heads. By means of these screws, two of the legs may be disconnected from the casing, thus allowing the frame 8 to be raised, turning upon the hinge 14, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1. This will render the light 1 accessible, and will also allow the reflector 3 and the inside of the diffuser and eye shade to be cleaned.

As stated before, the diffuser and eye shade are preferably integrally connected, thus forming a diflusing shade. The outsides of the base, the reflector casmg and the diffuser may be ornamented in any suitable manner. The details and pro portions of the lamp may be varied, so that it may be utilized for other purposes.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A portable lamp, having a light; an inclosing reflector, open at the to and with its upper edge above the line 0 the light; a diffusing shade, above the reflector and extending beyond the edges of the reflector; and means for supporting the diffuser to permit vertical and angular adjustment.

2. A portable lamp, having a light; an in- ,closing reflector, open at the top and with its upper edge above the line of the light; a diffuser above the reflector, said diffuser being formed upon a concave parabolic curve, and extending beyond the edges of the reflector; and an eye shade beyond the diffuser; and means for varying the inclination of said diffuser.

3. A portable lamp, having a light; an inclosing'reflector, open at the top and with its up er edge above the line of the light; a di using shade above the reflector; and a frame connected to the reflector, said connection including a hinge, whereby the frame may be swung-to one side.

4. A portable lamp, having a light; an inclosing reflector, open at the top and with its upper edge above the line of the light; a diffusing shade above the reflector; a frame above the reflector, a standard connected to the frame; a friction joint connecting the frame and standard; and means connecting the shade and standard. I

5. A portable lamp, having a light; an inclosing reflector, open at-the top and with its upper edge above the line of the light; a diffusing shade above the reflector; a frame above the reflector, the support for the frame including a hinge joint; a standard connected to the frame; a friction joint, connecting the frame and standard; and adjustable means between the diffuser and standard, permitting vertical adjustment of the shadel This specification signed and witnessed this 17 day of October 1912.

GEORGE W. CASSIDY. Witnesses:

LEONARD J BECK, LILLY A. DAHNKE.