US1185978A - Electric hand-lamp. - Google Patents

Description

c. F. BURGESS, ELECTRIC HAND LAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAYZB, I915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

f STATES PATENT cam-C CHARLES. F; BURGESS, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR' TO 0. FpBURGESS LAB-- ORATORIFS, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

' E ECTRIC HAND-LAMP.

to a miniature lamp located adjacent to the battery and controlled by means of a contact device conveniently positioned for operation by the thumb of the user.

It is the object of the present invention to effect a more reliable connection between thebattery and the lamp, and to provide for easier renewal of the battery and to prevent inadvertentopening of the case in which the battery is housed, and to provide a more effective arrangement of lamp and contact device whereby both are mechanically protected and are easily accessible for renewal or repair.-

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and

others which will become clear from the following detailed description, I support the battery from thecover or closure of the case, wholly independent of the case, and. I arrange "the active elements of the device so that they can all be assembled in operative relationbefore the battery is inserted into the case, and before the case is closed by means of-itscover. Unlike the common types of hand lamps, the battery does not press against the. case and so does not tend .to unseat the cover, and, furthermore; by

the type of construction here disclosed.-. the

' user can see whether he has properly fitted his battery to the lamp, and can examine andadjust all of the working parts while they are freely exposed and easily accessible.

In the accon'ipanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal central section of the batterv case and its. cover and associated parts; Fig. '2 is a Slfll' elevation of the battery installed on the. cover ready for'insertion into the case; Fig, 3 shows the bottom of the bat- Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 28, 1915.v Serial No. 30,964.

Patented June a, 1916.

tery; Fig. 4 illustrates a modification wherein the battery is secured to the cover by a metal strap which extends'entirely around the battery; and, Fig. 5 is a front elevation of either modification.

In the drawing, the electric hand lamp comprises a case 1.consisting preferably of sheet metal integral throughout. This case is closed at the bottom and open at the top and is provided with a cover or closure consisting of an insulating block 2 offset at 3 to telescope into the open end of the case with a snug fit. Preferably this insulating block is opaque, as when made of'hard rubber, fiber composition, or the like, and is provided with a central recess into which is threaded a metal reflector ladapted to receive and make electrical contact with the base of a miniature incandescent lamp 5. At the side of this insulating block or cover is a recess 6 to receive and house a sliding contact device, as hereinafter explained.

On the back side of the cover is a bracket 7 in the form of a metal loop held in place by a screw and adapted to receive the long yielding contact terminal 8 of a dry battery 9, holding that terminal in contact with the centlalterminal 10 of the incandescent lamp, and also serving as means for detachably securing the battery to the cover. The other terminal 11 of the battery fits within the side recess 6, as shown in Fig. 1.

Within the metal case 1 and extending along the side of battery 9 is a metal strap 12, the front end of which lies in recess 6 and forms an outer wall therefor, and is bent inward across the front face of cover 2 and has its end 13 positioned under the edge of reflector L and in electrical contact therewith. The front face of cover 2 may be notched to permit .this metal strap to lie flush with its front face, as shown in Fig. 1. The other endof this metal strap is bent over to engage the bottom of the battery at 14. v

Within recess 6 is a contact device preferably consisting of a U-shaped leaf-spring 15, one arm of which bears against the insulating block and the other arm of which is provided with a post and thumb piece 16 projecting through a slot in strap 12, so that by sliding the spring backward or forward in the recess, it may be brought into or out of contact with battery terminal 11 to tery terminal 8.

The leaf-spring 15 may have its outer end bent up in the form of a finger 17 fitting in a transverse slot in strap 12, and locking the'contact device against sliding movement until inward pressure is appliedto thumb piece 16 to free the finger from its slot.

With the arrangement above described, the lamp is sunk into the opaque cover and is thereby protected from breakage, and, furthermore,-the light does not strike into the users eyes and produce the glaring effeet which is present in-many other types of flash lights. The battery is supported entirely from the cover, and unlike the com-- mon types of hand lamps, it does not press against the metal casing and thus tend to open it up. There is in addition the decided advantage that the battery can be fitted to the cover and can be adjusted with respect to the lamp and the contact device, while all of the parts are wholly exposed and freely accessible,'and after the several parts have been completely assembled, as shown in Fig. 2, the battery can be slipped into its case as shown in Fig. 1.

In most battery hand lamps there is some freedom of movement of the battery, and this makes difficult the establishment of contact when current is to be delivered to the lamp, and also it frequently causes the lamp to be left on during shipment or when being carried in the pocket. By establishing a comparatively rigid connection between 'the battery and the lamp, an adjustment once made need not be altered until the bat-- tery is worn out, and when this occurs it is a simple matter to pull it out of its case and after unhooking strap 12, swing it around out of bracket In-the modification illustrated in Fig. 4, wherein corresponding parts are numbered as in Fig. 1, the metal strap 12' passes entirely across the bottom of the battery and up theother side thereof, andhas its bent end 18 fitted into a saw'scarf cutinto the side of the insulating cover! lVith this ar rangement the battery is held in fixed but detachable relation to the cover without the needfor a bracketv on the cover. In other respects the arrangement and advantages are as set forth in connection with the modification first described. I

I claim:

metal strap secured to said cover and. engaging the bottom of said battery to detachablysecure the battery to the cover so that it may be assembled in operative relati'onto .the lamp before" the battery is inserted into the case.

2. In an electric hand Imp, combination of case, a cover for-said case," a lamp in said cover, a battery in said'cas'e and a metal strap secured to said cover and encircling said battery to detachably secure it to said cover.

3. In a battery hand lam'p, the combina- .tion' of a case,-a cover fitting into, the open end thereof, a lamp in said cover, a battery having one terminal contacting with said lamp anda metal. strap secured to said cover and engaging the bottom of said battery to det'achablysecure thebattery to the cover 7 so that it may be assembled in operative relation to the lamp before the battery is inserted into the case.

,4. In a'battery hand lamp, the combination. of a case, a cover fitting into the open end thereof,;said cover consisting of insulating material and having a recess, a lamp fit ting in said recess, a battery in said case, means for detachably supporting said battery from said cover, said means including a'metal strap secured to said cover and engaging the bottom of the battery, and means for connecting saidstrap to one of the terminals of the battery to permit current to flow therefrom to said lamp.

5. In an electric hand lamp, the combination of a metal case, a cover fitting into the. open end thereof and consisting of insulating material, said cover having a recess near its center and having a recess at its side, a lamp in said central recess, a battery having one terminal connected to said lamp and the other terminal lying in said side recess,

'means for supporting said battery from said cover independently of said case, and a contact device in said recess for establishing connection with the other terminal of said battery.

6. In an electric hand lamp, the combination of a sheet metal case closed at the bottom and-open at the top, a battery therein, a cover for said case consisting of insulating material having a recess near its center, and having arecess at its side to receive a contact member, a reflector threaded into said central recess, a lamp mounted insaid reflector, a battery in said case supported from said cover independent of saidcase and a-sliding contact devicein saidside recess for establishing connection betweemsaid battery and said lamp, substantially as deatithe top, a battery therein, a cover for said I case, said cover consisting of insulating niaterial having a recess near its center, a' lamp in said recess, a bracket secured to said cover to engage a yielding terminal of said battery and hold it against the central terminal of said lamp, and means for establishing electrical connection between the other terminal of the battery and the other terminal of the I lamp, substantially as described.

- and held thereby against the central termi nal of said lamp, and ametal strap secured at one'rend to said cover in electrical connection .with said lamp, the other end of said strap engaging the bottom of said battery to detachably secure the battery to the cover so that it may be assembled in operative relation to the lamp before the battery is inserted into the case.

9. In an electric hand lamp, the combination of acase'closed at the bottom and open at the top, abattery therein, a cover for said case, said cover consisting of insulating n1aterial having a recess near its center to receive a lamp, and having a recess at its side to receive a contact member, a lamp mounted in said bentral recess, irbracket secured to said cover to engage a yielding terminal of said battery and hold it against the central terminal of said lamp, the other terminal of said battery resting in the recess at the side of said cover, a metalstrap having its front end connected with said lamp and its other end engaging the bottom of the battery so that the battery is supported from the cover whollvindependent of the case, and a con tactdevice Within the side recess of said cover between said strap and the adjacent battery terminal.

10. In an electric hand lamp, the combination of a sheet metal caseclosed at the hottom and open at the top, a battery therein, a fcover for said case fitting snugly therein, said cover consisting of insu ating material having a recess near its center to receive a lamp and having a recess at its side to reagainst the centralterminal of said lamp,

the other terminal of said battery resting in the recess at the side of said cover, a metal strap having its front end connected with said lamp and its other end engaging the bottom of the battery so that the battery is supported from the cover wholly independent of the case and a contact device Within said recess of said cover, substantially as described.

11. In an electric-hand lamp, the combination of a sheet metal case closed at the bottom and open at the top, a battery therein, a cover for said case'otiset to fit snugly in the case, said cover consisting of opaque insulating material having a recess near its center to receive a lamp, and having a recess at its side to receive a contact member, a reflector in said central recess, a lamp mounted in saidrefiector, a bracket secured to said cover to engage a yielding terminal of said battery and hold it against the central terminal of said lamp, the other terminal of said batte'ry resting in the recess at the side of said cover, a metal strap having its front end contacting with said reflector and its other end engaging the bottom of the battery, so that the battery is supported from the cover wholly independent of the case, and a contact device within the side recess of said cover and movable rearwardly into contact tion of a sheet metal case closed at the bot tom and open at the top, a battery therein, a cover for said case offset to fit snugly in the case, said cover consisting of opaque insulating material having a recess near its center .to receive and completely house-a lamp, and having a recess at its side to receive a contact member, a reflector threaded into said central recess, a lamp mounted in said reflector, a bracket secured to said cover to engage a yielding terminal of said battery and hold it against the central terminal of said lamp, theotherterm'inal of said battery resting in the recess at the side of said cover, a metal strap having its front end arranged under the reflector and contacting therewith and its other end engaging the bottom of the battery, so that the battery is supported .from the cover wholly independent of the case, and a contact device within-the siderecase of said cover consisting of a U-shaped spring bearing against said strap and movable rearwardly into contact With the adjacent battery terminal, said spring having a thumb piece projecting through said strap and having an upturned end receivable in a slot in said strap to lock said spring'in retracted position until inward pressure is applied to said thumb piece, substantially as described. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

' CHARLES F. BURGESS.

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