US1082178A

US1082178A - Signal-lamp.

Info

Publication number: US1082178A
Application number: US72107812A
Authority: US
Inventors: Furman D Spear
Original assignee: ARMSPEAR Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: ARMSPEAR Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1912-09-18
Filing date: 1912-09-18
Publication date: 1913-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1930-12-23

Description

- P. D. SPEAR.

SIGNAL LAMPr APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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coLuMBq PLANDGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, D c.

P. D. SPEAK.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

1 p82 1 78 Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SEEET 2.

P. D. SPEAR.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLIYOATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBXA PLANGGRAPH c0, WASHINGTON, 11. c4

F. D. SPEAK.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

1 ,082, 1 78. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

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SIGNAL-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23,19113.

Application filed September 18, 1912. Serial No. 721,078.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, FURMAN D. SPEAK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal-Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that kind of signal lamps which are used in railroad service, for instance on locomotives for indicating the character or class of the train, usually called classification lamps, or on the rear end of the last car of a train, to mark the rear end of the train, usually called marker lamps, or on switches, semaphores and other railroad appliances. Signal lamps of this kind are provided with lenses of various kinds for projecting the light.

The object of this invention is the construction of a signal lamp which renders the signal visible over a field of considerable extent horizontally; which contains a sectional lens of several colors which can be readily changed for sections of different colors; which is provided with an internal shield by which the light is excluded from a portion of the lens circumferentially; and which is provided with a convenient wick raiser which extends to the outer side of the lamp.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a lamp provided with these improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the supporting bracket and adjacent parts of the lamp. Fig, 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the bracket and adjacent parts of the lamp base. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the wick raiser, showing the actuating shaft uncoupled from the wick-raiser shaft. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the wick raiser mechanism on line 7?, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section of the parts constituting the lower part of the lamp, the parts being separated for the sake of clearness in representation. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through the breast of the lamp, on line 99, Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rotatable looking mechanism connecting the breast of the lamp with the upright frame bars. Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the stationary light shield, on line 1111, Fig. 2, 011 a reduced scale. Fig. 12 is an elevation, partly in section, showing a modified construction of the means for connecting the lamp breast with the frame bars.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the lens which may be of spheroidal form, having flat ends and increasing diameter from both ends toward the middle, and it may have the refracting rings arranged on the inner side, as represented in Fig. 1, or on the outer side, as represented in Fig. 12. The lens is composed of a suitable number of upright sections arranged circumferentially side by side, four sections being shown in the drawings, Fig. 2, of which two may be white and two green, which arrangement of colors is often used in classification lamps carried on the locomotive. Any other desired arrangement or combination of colors may be used, as the particular service may require. The adjoining fiat sides 20 of the sections are preferably provided with grooves 21 extending from end to end of each flat side so that the two grooves in two adjoining sections form a duct which opens through the upper and lower ends of the lens when the sections are set up. This duct is filled with a packing strip 22 which is threaded into the duct after the lens is set up. These packing strips pack the joints between the sections and prevent the entrance of wind, rain, snow, etc., into the lens. The joints of the lens sections are preferably so constructed that the sections are in contact with each other on the outer sides of the grooves but not on the inner sides, whereby a narrow slit is formed on the inner side of the joint through which a needle or blade can be passed in threading the packing into the groove.

The lamp frame comprises a base portion or body hoop B, upright frame bars C secured at their lower ends thereto, a breast C detachably secured to the upper ends of said bars, and a top D which is hinged to the breast at 24 and fastened by a hasp 25 and turn button 26. The base B is rotatably arranged in a bracket E or other support which is secured to the locomotive, car or appliance on which the lamp is carried. This bracket is provided with a circular horizontal rest 27 in which the lower contracted portion 28 of the base is rotatably arranged. The base is provided above the rest 27 with a shoulder 29 by which it is supported on the rest and below the rest with an annular plate 30 which projects beyond the lower side of the rest and prevents displacement of the lamp in an upward direction. The marginal portion of this holding plate 30 is provided on its underside with an annular groove 31 for stiffening the plate. The rest 27 is provided with a hinged jaw 32, Figs. 3 and 4, which is secured by a bolt 33 to the fixed aw of the rest. Upon removing this bolt the lamp can be removed from the rest.

The fixed aw of the rest is provided with a spring catch 34: which engages with its bolt 35 in an opening 36 in the base of the lamp and holds the lamp against rotation. lVhen the lamp is designed to be used in two positions corresponding with two colors of the lens, two of these openings are formed in diametrically opposite sides of the base, as shown in Fig. 3, and when a greater number of positions is required the number of these openings is correspondingly increased.

F represents the oil font, 37 the burner and 38 the wick-raiser shaft.

39 represents a cup-shaped support and 40 a light shield which is secured at its lower end to a flange 41 projecting outwardly from the support 39. The latter rests with its bottom 4-2 upon the bottom 4E3 of the lamp base and is provided with a downwardly projecting square stem at which is arranged with its attaching flange 4:5 in a circular opening in the bottom 43. The bracket is provided on its underside with a holding arm 46, Figs. 1, 5 and 3, which is provided at its outer end with upturned ears 4:7 which straddle the shank of the bracket and are secured thereto by the same bolt 33 by which the hinged jaw is secured to the stationary jaw. The holding arm is provided with two branches 48 which engage with their curved ends 4L9 in the annular groove 31 on the holding plate 30 and assist in holding the lamp against lateral vibration in the rest of the bracket. The ends of this arm also form feet on which the lamp rests when the bracket and lamp are detached from the car or other structure on which they are carried. The holding plate 46 is provided with a square opening in which the stem 4A is arranged and whereby this stem, the shield support and the shield are held against turning.

The oil font rests loosely on the bottom of the shield support so that it can turn with the lamp. The wick-raiser shaft 38 is actuated by an extension shaft 50 which is journaled in a sleeve 51 arranged in a bearing 52 which is secured to one of the upright frame bars C, Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7. The extenwas exposed.

sion shaft is arranged in line with the wickraiser shaft and these shafts are provided at their adjacent ends with bifurcated coupling heads 53 54 which are held in engagement by a spring 55 pressing the extension shaft inwardly. When the lamp is rotated in the bracket the oil font follows the movement by reason of the engagement of the extension shaft with the wick-raiser shaft. The extension shaft is arranged in one of the lens joints, one side of which is provided ith a radial groove in which the sleeve 51 is arranged.

The upper edge of the peripheral wall of the base B forms the seat for the lens sections and is provided with a gasket or cushion 56 of rubber or other suitable material. The lens sections are held together at their upper ends by a rubber gasket 57.

The breast of the lamp frame can be secured to the frame bars in various ways. In the construction represented in Figs. 1, 9 and 10, the breast Ci of the lamp frame has an annular bottom 53 which bears against the gasket 57 surrounding the upper ends of the lens sections and holds the latter firmly together and upon their seat in the lamp base. The bottom of the breast is provided with openings 59 and with a superposed rotatable locking ring 60. The ring is provided with openings 61 and the heads 62 of the frame bars project. tirough the openings 59 of the breast and the openings 61 of the locking ring. The latter is provided with locking inclines 63 which engage underneath the heads 62 by a rotary movement of the locking ring and lock the breast to the bar. The parts are shown in the unlocked position in Fig. 9 and in the locked position in Fig. 10. No claim is made herein for this specific attaching means because it is claimed in an application filed by Judson S. Pixley of even date herewith, Serial No. 721,059.

In the construction shown in Fig. 12, the upper ends of the frame bars C may be provided with flanges 6% to which the breast D is secured by screws 65.

The lamp is provided with ventilating devices of any suitable construction. Those shown in Fig. 1 comprise the top D which is provided with an outlet for the products of combustion and with air inlets 70, and a draft tube 71 surrounded by a perforated diaphragm 72.

The sectional lens extends throughout a complete circle and permits the signal to be observed clearly and at a great distance in any direction, except where the lens is covered by the shield. The latter permits the signal to be readily changed by turning the lamp on its bracket so as to expose a part of the lens which was covered by the shield and cover a part of the lens which This rotarty adjustment of the lens is readily effected upon releasing the spring catch 3% which holds the lamp against accidental rotation.

When this lamp is used as a marker lamp, marking the rear end of a train, or as a switch lamp or on a semaphore, the shield andits supporting devices are omitted.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a stationary sup port having a circular seat, of a lamp which "is rotatably arranged with its base in said seat and provided With a central opening in said base, and a stationary light shield arranged within said lamp and having at its lower end a stem which extends through said opening in the base and is held against rotation by said support, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a stationary support having a circular seat, of a lamp which is rotatably arranged with its base in said seat and provided with a central opening in said base, a stationary light shield arranged within said lamp, a cup-shaped support for said shield which is arranged within the lamp base and provided with a stem which extends through said opening in the base and is held against rotation by said support, and an oil font arranged within the cupshaped support of the shield, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a lamp support, of a lamp which is rotatable in said support and provided with a shoulder by which it rests upon said support, and below said support with a holding plate which prevents displacement of the lamp in an upward direction and is provided on its underside with a marginal groove, and a holding arm secured to the lamp support and having convex end portions which engage in said groove, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a lamp support, of a lamp which is rotatable in said support, and a light shield arranged within the lamp, a support for said shield having an angular stem which extends downwardly through the base of the lamp, and a holding arm on the lamp support which engages said stem and holds the same against rotation, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with a lamp frame having upright members, a lens arranged in said frame and composed of upright sections arranged circumferentially side by side, and an oil font and burner provided with a wick-raiser shaft, of an external actuating shaft supported on one of said upright frame members in line with said wick-raiser shaft and passing through the joint between two of said lens sections, said shafts being provided with coupling heads, substantially as set forth.

lVitness my hand this 16th day of September, 1912.

FURMAN D. SPEAK.

\Vitnesses JUDsoN S. PIxLEY, J. STANTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.