US1227694A - Lamp. - Google Patents

Description

R. H. TATLOW, 1n.

LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED 020.3. 1915.

1,227,694. Patented May 29, 1917.

RICHARD H. TA'ILOW, IB 0! DENVER, COLORADO.

LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 191 '7.

Application filed December 8, 1915. Herlal No. 64,878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD H. TA'rLow, J r., a citizen of the United States, residlng at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lamps, of Which the followin is a specification.

My invention relates to lamps, and particularly to headli hts for use on automobiles, cars and the ike.

The objects of my invention are to provide a lamp wherein is obtained the maximum efliciency from a source of light of a given candle power; to increase generally the efficiency of the lamp by preventing loss of the light rays through diffusion and by utilizing such rays, as would usually fall outside of the usual reflector of the lamp; to eliminate glare which is so objectionable without impairing the efficiency of thelamp to throw a beam of light downwardly within a relatively defined area so that the road bed in front of the automobile, or the like, to which the lamp is attached, may be suitably lighted; -to project the light rays dr rectly forward su stantially in parallelism with the focal axis of the lamp, so that the li ht is intensified, and the road is propery lighted;"and to project the beam of light in the form of a relatively narrow ribbon or band, so that while the beam of light is within relatively well-defined vertical limits relative to the focal axis of the reflecting surface, the beam is spread out somewhat horizontally and the entire width of the road over which the automobile may be travelin is lighted.

The a ove and other objects of my in- "ven'tion are obtained in the'structures described in the following specification, and shown in the accompanying drawmgs, Wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my improved lamp.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top "plan, while Fi 4 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally through the lamp shown in %i 5 is a side elevation partly in section showing a modified form of my improved F1 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a. head ight showing one of the various embodiments of whlch my improved lamp 1s susceptible.

Referring to the drawin s, wherein like parts are represented by li e numerals, 10 designates the body or casing of my improved lamp Which as shown particularly in Fig. 2 is oval, or in the form of an ellipse in cross-section. The lamp is provided with suitable means for securing the same to the usual lamp supports, in the present case, such means bein disclosed as apertured cars 11, although it is to be understood that any other form of attaching means may be used. Within the body or casing 10 is a main reflector 12 which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, is preferably parabolic in curvature. The source of light, in the present instance an electric-light bulb 13, is placed at the focal center of the parabolic reflecting surface so that those rays which strike the parabolic surface are reflected therefrom in lines parallel with the focal axis of the reflecting surface 12 as is generally understood by those familiar with the subjectof light. A chamber 1 1 is provided at 'the rear of my lamp between the walls of the main reflector 12 and the casing 10 which serves to house the socket of the light 13 and wires leading thereto.

The front 15 may be secured in any suitable manner to the body 10 so as to be removable therefrom, in the present instance, lugs or ears 16 being provided on the body 10 in the apertures of which are carried the set screws 17, but this attaching means is shown by way of illustration only. The front 15 is provided with a downwardly bent portion 18 which is disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4 as being curved outwardly, so that the concave portion of the reflecting sur face 19 on the inside of said downwardly bent-portion is toward the source of light 13, the curvature of the reflectin surface 19 being such that light rays whicfl ordinarily fall outside of the reflector 12' strike upon the reflecting surface 19 and are reflected back substantially through the focal center of the parabolic reflector 12 where they merge into those arallel rays which are propagated throug the light openin of the lamp. The lower portion 20 o the front 15 is curved upwardly and is pro- Vided with a reflecting surface 21 which intercepts those rays which ordinarily fa'll beneath the focal axis of the reflecting surface 12 and outside of this reflecting surface.

Between the edges of the downwardly and upwardly bent portions 18 and-20,,respem 'tively, is a light opening 22 which, as will be readily noted from Fig. of a horizontally extending elongated slot. It will be seen from Figs. and and 4 that the upper downwardly bent portion 18 overhan s or extends beyond the lower upwardly ent portion 20, the object of this construction all rays extendin above and at an angle to the focal axis 0 the reflectin surface 12 while permitting the road-be in front of the automobile to which the lamp is attached to be properly1 li hted. The rays of light pass throu h t e lght opening 22 in the form of a r1 bon or and, so that substantially the entire width of the road is 2, is in the form lighted and all objects thereon are in clear view, while, to a certain extent, objects to either side of the roadmay be seen b the driver of the automobile, and this is 0 particular importance where the driver of the automobile contemplates turning into a branch road.

The operation of my improved light will be readily understood. The rays of light which are projected directly forward by the source of light 13 and those which strike that portion of the surface of the main reflector 12 which is in horizontal alinement with the light opening 22pass throu h the light opening in substantially aralle lines and in the form of a ribbon or and as heretofore described. Those rays of light which no not strike the reflectin surface 12 and which in the usual form 0 light are wasted are intercepted by the upper downwardly bent portion 19 and are re ected back onto the reflector 12 and are again reflected thereby to the light openin or slot 22. Furthermore, those rays whic strike the ra s of the reflector 12. out of line with the lig t opening, are reflected against the downwardly and u wardly bent ortions on the front of the amp and by t eseare again reflected back to the main reflector 12 and then they are again reflected out through. the light opening merging into the lig' t rays which are projected in parallel lines. Thus substantially all .of the rays of light are bunched or gathered together and the effective light intensified; glare'is eliminated; rays of light'which are ordinarily wasted are used to advanta and a stronger and brighter light is obtained without increasin the candle power of the light.

vAs t e upper downwardly bent portion 18 overhangs or extends be 0nd the edge 25 of the upwardly bent portion 20,'the roadbed immediately in front of the automobile is lighted, and glare due to upwardly, extending re s is avoided. Some of the re s which stri e the reflecting surface 19' epending on the angle 0 incidence, as is 'readillymnderstood willbereflected notback to the surface 12, ut downwardlythroug'h being to eflectually intere i gf casm the light opening and onto the road, so that the road bed is lighted within fairly well defined limits, and" the driver may avoid all holes, objects, argltthe like in the road. However, the rays which strike the surface 21 cannot escape immediatel through the light opening 22 for should any rays of light be reflected upwardly and outwardly by the reflecting surface 21 they would fall upon and be intercepted by the reflector on the overhanging and downwardly bent portion 18, which would reflect the rays back to the reflecting surface 12 in the manner above described.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5, it will be noted that instead of extending the upper downwardly bent portion beyond the lower upwardl bent portion, these portions are substantia ly in the same vertical line and the lower upwardly bent portion is provided with a horizontal ledge or flange 23 extending inwardly of the lamp. The flange 23 constitutes a continuation of the upward y bent portion, and the inner edge 25 of this flange is referred to in this embodiment of the invention as the edge of the upwardly bent portion. "It will be noted, that the downwardly bent portion of the headlight in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 overhangs the edge 25 of the upwardly bent portion; and in the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the downwardl bent portion overhangs the edge 25' o the upwardly bent portion. It is to be understood that where the edge of. the upwardly bent portion is referred to in the claims,the term is of sufficient scope to. include either of the edges 25 or 25' in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 5, respectively. One of the salient features of this embodiment is that the flange 23 extends inwardly of the lamp, and it is, of course, evident that this flange may be curved so that glare is prevented, and the light is reflected back through the center 0 .the lamp. Bythis construction, all beams of light striking the reflecting surface "21 below the flange 23 are intercepted bythisfrom escapiihg;

flange and are prevented through the light opening 22 and thus'those beams of ligh so objectionable to the pedestrian especially when he is close to the automobile is eliminated.

It is, of course, to be understood that my headlight may take various forms, and as disclosing one of these e'mbodiments,-I show the structure shown in Fi 6, wherein the casin 10 and the main re ector 12 are subwhich otherwise would propagated p a y at an angle to the? I parallel beams of light are caught, and glare stantlally conical instead of being parabolic,

the light being and the c amber 14 bein omitted. The rent of the casing is provide with the elongated light opening 22, but instead of laced in the apex of the front of While I have described improved light as applied to an automobi c, it maybeused as a headlight on locomotives, streetcars, vehicles," and the like, and by placing numbers upon the transparent plate 1n the light openin 22, the lamp may be used as a tail-light or automobiles, and the like.

What I claim is:

1. In a lamp, a main reflecting surface, a source of light at the focal center of said surface, a downwardly bent portion on the the lamp adapted to intercept all rays projected upwardly at a given angle to the focal axis of the lamp, an upwardly bent portion on the front of the light for intercepting those rays which are projected directly from the source of light at a given angle downwardly to the focal axis of the lamp, and a light opening between said portions comprising a horlzontally disposed elongated slot, said portions being so constructed that more upwardly extending rays are intercepted by the downwardly bent por tion than downwardly extending rays by the upwardly bent portion, so as to eliminate upwardly bent features shown glare and permit some of the ra s to be projected downwardly in front of t e lamp. 2. In a lamp, a reflecting surface, a source of light, a downwardly bent portion, an upwardly bent portion, and a light opening)? tween said portions, said downwardly nt portion being extended over the edge of said portion to intercept most of at an angle to the rays extending upwardly and to project the focal axis of thelamp some of the rays downwardly the lamp.

3. In a lamp, a reflecting surface, a; source of light, a downwardly bent portion on the front of the lamp and having a refl surface, an upwardly bent reflecting portion on the front of the lamp for intercepting those rays which are projected directly from the source of light at a given angle downwardly to the focal axis of the lamp, a light opening between said portions comprising a slot, and a flan e along the upper edge of said upwardly nt portion extendin 1nwardly of the lamp for intercepting t ose rays which are. reflected upwardly at an angle to the focal axis of the lamp by the reflecting surface which lies-substantially below said flange.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD H. TATLOW, J B.

Witnesses:

G. B. Mnans, C. J. GUYnB.

in front of eotmglio

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