US1311951A - Headlight-dimmer - Google Patents

Description

M. CRAWFORD.

HEADLIGHT DIMMER.

APPLICATION FILED MMI` 21. |918.

1 ,3 1 1 ,951 Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. CRAWFORD.

HEADLIGHT DIMMEH.

APPLICATION FILED 11m17.191s.

Patented Aug. 1v 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ulillgumum fa/army UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILO CRAWFORD, OF SPRINGFIELU, MISSOURI.

HEADLIcHT-DIMMER.

Application tiled March 27, 1918.

. Be' it known that l, Mino Cnawroiu), a citizen ot' the United States, residing Yin the city of Springfield, county of Greene, State of Missoiii'i,:liavev invented new and useful ..Iinprovements in lleadlight-Dimmers, of

which the following is a specification, refer# ence being had tothe accompanying drawings.

,lhis device pertains to headlight dininiers for use upon automobiles, locomotives,

.street-cars, or, in fact, wherever a headlight may be employed.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a dimmer of al shutter pattern, wherein tivo oppositel f disposed shutters are adapted to .close together at the front, either partially or fully, over the heaillight, as

may be desired, the degree ot closure being readily controlled by a control rod exteiiding back to the hand of the driver.

A further object is the, production of a device of this character in a simple, praetical, ellicient and economic-al form, best adapted t'or the uses and purposes intended.

With these'and other objects in view, ats

tention is called to the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 1s a frontal elevation showlng my dimmer with the shutters closed;

Fig.` 2 is a frontal elevation showing thel dimmer with the shutters partially opened;

.Fig 3 1s a sectional side elevation; 4F ig. 4 is a plan vleW;

Figs 5, 6 and 7 are details showing the working elements of myA device.-

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 'in v invention resides primarily `in two oppositelydisposed curved shutters 1 and l', each shutter being mounted upon its respec-v plates' being curved at their outerperiphcries `to conform to the curvature in said shutters, andysaid shutters being so positioncdl upon said base plates that their line 'of curvature would `extend in a horizontal direction, wherel-iy the :'idjacent edges'l and 3 of said shutters 1 and 1 may be brought frontally together -on a straight vertical line, as shown in lig. 1. 'lhe base plates 2 and 2' are pivoted upon the common pivot 4 positioned in the center of the bottom 5 ol the casing (i. ,'lhe, base plates 2 `and 2' are extended 'each beyond the pivot 4, so as to forni lever arms v7 and 7, and to the. ends ot these lever arn'is 7 and 7 are pivoted'at the Vspecificaiiim of Letters Patent.

points S and 8 the links 9 and 9', same coiiverging rearwardly where they are pivoted to the control rod 10 at the common point 11. Coil springs 12 and 12 engage at their forward ends the base plates Q and 2', and at their rearward fends the easing their efl'ect being to draw back and normally hold in open position the base plates Q and 2 and the shutters'l and 1 carried thereby. The control rod 10 extendsl back into the body et the car and is pivoted to the lug 13, which in turn is rigidly joined to the journaled base rod 14. A lever 15 likewise joined to said base rod 14: and workingin connection with the pawl 16 and :ratchet 17, enables the operator readily to o `ienor close the dimmer. The upper ends ol said shutters 1 and 1 may be fitted to and held by top plates 2 and 2" corresponding tothe base plates 2 and 2', and likewise being pivoted together and to the supporting bracket 22-22 at the cominonpoint la This bracket 22H22 is disposed to the rear of the headlight so as not to interfere with the same. The shutters 1 may be made entirely of Celluloid or frontal half circles of celluloid 18 and 18' maybe employed, and the balance of the shutters filled in with heavy cloth 19-19 or any other suitable material. The bracket 2x2-22 is pierced with the hole 20, through which from the rear is introduced the ordinary electrical connections for the frontal headlight bulb 21 and from which may be -supported the ordinary headlight as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The shutters 1 and 1 are disposed to either side of said bulb 21' and the headlight so supported by said bracket, saine closing together in front of said bulb 21, or opening to either side thereof by operation o't' the control lever 10. Additional control levers, as 10 may be provided, one, each for each headlight employed. The apparatus may he constructed so that the shutters -1 and 1 will close on a horizontal frontal line, it preferred, instead of `on a vertical line., as shown. Suitable brackets, posts, bolts and screws are, of course, utilized for mounting the apparatus in operative position. y

While I have herein described and set forth a certain specific manner and method from thespirt of my invention, so as best to construct a practical device of the class described.

In operation, the headlight and elements` are mounted in proper operative position upon the vehicle. vhen the hand lever l is thrown forwardly, the shutters 1 and L are pulled open by the springsl l2 and l2',

tirely closed, a diused glow or' light willA nevertheless be transmitted through the l translucent fronts of said shutters.

I portions of each of the curved shutters, 'I'

What I claim to be new and patentable is :4

. 1. headlight dimmer comprising a pair .of curved shutters located opposite each other when open. and movable toward eachA other to a closed position, said shutters havlng 'senil-cingular frontal translucent por-d tlons, a layer of cloth covering the remain'- means for pivotin the shutters, and means for opening and c oslng the shutters.

2. A headllght dimmer comprising a pan' of curved shutters located opposite each other when open and movable toward each other to a closed position, a *vertically disposed approximately U-shaped bracket. having upper and lower arms and a vertical connecting portion adapted to be arranged in rear of and form a support for a headlightand provided adjacent one'of its arms with a guide opening, vertically alined pivots located at the upper and lower arms and connecting the shutters to the said bracketl and supporting the said 4 Slnvlttersi for pivotal movement, an operatingl lrod extending. 'through the guide opening of the bracket,Y and means for connecting'th'e operating arm with the Shutters. for enabling the latter to be actuated simultaneously by the said rod.-

- l MILo oRAWFoRD. Witnesses: i

MARTIN, i Mmmn ,STAHL

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