US1329639A

US1329639A - Light-signal

Info

Publication number: US1329639A
Application number: US62341A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence S Snavely
Original assignee: Union Switch and Signal Inc
Current assignee: Hitachi Rail STS USA Inc
Priority date: 1915-11-19
Filing date: 1915-11-19
Publication date: 1920-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1937-02-03

Description

C. S. SNAVELY.

LIGHT SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I9, 1915.

1 ,329, 6 39 I Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- I XVENgORI 4- C. S. SNAVELY.

LIGHT SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED rIov. I9, I9l5.

2 ,639; Patented Feb. 3,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIG. 10

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE S. SNAVELY, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH,'PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORA TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LIGHT-SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

Application filed November 19,1915. Serial No. 62,341. v

To all/whom it may concern:

Be'it known that I, CLARENCE S. SNAVELY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at yments in Light-Signals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to "the adjustment of incandescent electric lamps so that the filament of the lamp will occupy a predetermined position with relation to the lamp bulb. I

Incandescent lamps which have been adjusted in accordance with my invention are particularly adapted for use in apparatus comprising a lamp and an optical device such use reflector or a lens or bothfor projecting a beam of light from the lamp; such apparatus may, for example, be a light signal for use in railway signaling. In apparatus of this type it is desirable to arm ploy what is known as concentrated filament lamps; that is, lamps whose filaments are concentrated as'nearly as possible at a point. In order to obtain the highest efficiency, it is necessary that the filament belocated at a definite point with relation to the reflector or lens, this point usually being the focus. In the manufacture of these lamps, however, it has been found difiicult to locatethe filament accurately in a predetermined position with relation to the bulb, so that this position varies with different commercial lamps,'henceeve'n if the bulbs are all mounted in the same position in the signal the filaments of the several lamps will vary in position with respectto the reflector or lens. Y

My invention, therefore, provides for ad; ju'sting the parts of a commercial lamp so that the filament will occupy a redetermined position with. respect to t e lamp bulb? means can then be provided in the signal formounting the lamp so that the bulb occupies a predetermined .position with respect to the reflector or lens, this position being such that the filament will occupy the desired posilion with relation to the optical device or devices of. the signal-. When the lamp is replaced by another roperly ad ,vented certain new and useful Improvewith respect to the optical device or de vices, ,so that no adjustment is required in the signal itself. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 IS a view-showing one form of apparatus for adjusting the" filament of a lamp with respect to the bulb and embodying my in- 1 vention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of member 7 shown in Fig. 1. Fig.v 3 is a View showing.one type of standard adapted for use with the apparatus shown in Fig. .1. Figs. 4 and 5 are views showing one form of pliers for bending the neck of the bulb of lamp L. Fig. 6 is a viewshowing one form of base for the lamp bulb. Fi s. 7 and 8 are views showing one form 0 ap aratus embodying my invention for locatin the lamp bulb with respect to a lens. ig. 9

..1s a view showing a modification of the ap' paratus shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Fig. 10 is a" plan view showing a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a view showing in vertical section the a paratus shown in Fig. 10. Figs. 12 an 13 are views, showing diagrammaticall another modification of the. method em odying my invention or locating the filament 1 gt a predetermined position within the lamp ulb. Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

With reference to Fig. 1 the letter A des- 35 ignatesfia base plate on which is fastened by screws 1 a C-shaped supportingframe 2.

Reference character K designates a clamp .for grasping the bulb 4 of an electric into receive nuts 10. Pins 9 are adapted to justed lamp, the filament of t e new lamp I will, of course, occup'y the proper position enter slots 1.1 in plate 7, so that, when nuts 10 are drawn'up, the plate clamps the lamp bulb firmly against the u er member 5.

It, is apparent that clamp 'is very simple to manipulate- A simple counter-clockwise twist allows lamp L to be removed from the clamp and conversely a clockwise twist clamps the lamp in place. The firmness of j 25 portion" 55 flames 1m inge on the state.

the grip of the clamp can easily be adjusted by nuts 10. Qlamp K'is mounted onmemher 2 by means .of a st'ud'3 which extends upwardly from the center of member 5 5 through aliole in frame 2. A head 12 is fixed to the upper end of the stud by a pin 13, so that the clamp depends from frame 2 and is free to turn about its vertical axis a'b. However, for purposes which will to appear hereinafter, it is desirable to" limit the angular motion of clamp K to approximately a right angle. 'This maybe done by .any suitable. means-such, for instance, as

pegs 35 screwed into the upper member 5 of 15. clamp K approximately 90 apart (only one of these pegs appears on the drawing) The pegs are adapted to engage a stud 36 secured in frame 2, so that the-motion of clamp K is limited to the angle between pegs 35. p

- Reference character T designates a tele scope, one end of which extends through a hole in frame 2' and rests in a circular openmg in a plate'14 screwed to the .vertical frame 2, and the other end of which is mounted-by adjusting screws-15 in the ring-shaped end of an arm 16 riveted in frame 2. Reference character B denotes a blow pipe whose vertical tube 17 is adjusted to a sliding fit in a sleeve 18 extending through the lower horizontal portion of member 2 and base A." The lower end of tube 17 is adapted to receive gas and air from

flexible tubes

26 and 27. The upper end oftube 17 has a shoulder 19 over which fits a hollow pulley 20. A collar 21 engages the lower edge of shoulder 19 and is screwed top'uIley 20 so that the pulley is prevented from slipping off the .top of the tube. Pulley 20 is pro-' yidid with a tubular extension 24 closed at ltsupperend. Two diametrically opposite arms 22-*and 23 ranch out from extension 24 and terminate in tips 25. The mixture. of gas and air flowing through tube 17 forms into two jets, one'from each tip 25.

If the pulley is revolved by suitable means notshown, these jets are set into rotation and, when ignited,.apply an ,even heat to '60 an object inserted between them. Theblow pipe normally slides downward by gravity until collar 21 is seated on the upper flange of sleeve 18. When the blow pipe is raised" to the osition shown in the drawing, the neck of bulb 4, so that the g ass is readily heated to a ductile The use of the apparatus as thus far described may be explained as follows. The

operator inserts a standard S into member 5 of clamp K as shown in Fig. 3. He then adjusts the telescope until its cross hairs cover the ball tip 30 of a stud extend-- downwardly from the center of stand S. The operator then removes the standard but leaves the telescope in the ad justed position. It may be noted that the telescope is now so directed that its line of sight intersects the vertical axis w-b of clamp K at a fixed distance below member 5 of the clamp. The operator then fastens a lamp L in the clamp and proceeds to heat the neck of the lamp bulb by raisin the blow pipe tothe'position shown in the rawmg. After the rapidlyrotating flame of the blow pipe has heated. the neckof the.

that the stem is forced to follow the moveroent of the plier tips. The operator turns clamp K until one of the pegs 35 engages stud 36, sights through the telescope and brings the filament into the intersection of the cross hairs by proper manipulation of the pliers. Hethen turns clamp K through an approximate right angle, z. e., until the other peg 35 engages stud 36,-and repeats the operation. 3 In the above-described manner the operator has brought the filament into the same position relative to member 5 of clamp K as the ball tip 30 of the standard S occupied when it was inserted into the clamp K for adjustmentof the position of the telescope. This is also true of the filament of every lamp subsequently adjusted. It follows that the filaments of all the lamps adjusted in i i this manner occupy the same pre-determined position with respect to the bulb surface.

* I The lamp bulbs are next provided with a base, for example, such as Ihave shown in Fig. 6. ,Reference character 40 designates a shell of insulating material having a central prong 41, the tip of which is inserted into the hollow stem 32. The lead-in wires which pass through stem 32 are connected to metallic-studs ,43 whose heads are fastoned in shell 40 and whose shanks extend outwardly from the shell as shown.

cement 45. v a

In Figs. 7 and 8 Ihave shown the lam'p placed intb proper position with respect to a pair of Fresnel lenses. Reference characxters 46 denote a pair ofsprings attached by means of screws 48 and terminal posts 4! to a rigid supporting member 47 of insulating material. Member 47. and the Fresnel lenses are mounted in a casing which I have not shown on the drawing, sothat they are The baseis fixed to the lamp bulbby a suit-able circular recesses 50.

' Y sulating material is riveted at. its ends-to springs 46 and is provided at its middle with a stud 52 whereby the springs may be conveniently bent. The lamp is inserted'by the simple process of placing the upper end of the bulb into a corresponding recess in the Fresnel lens, pulling the springs backmeanthat for dissimilar ward bystud 52 and slipping the studs 43 into the recesses 50. Thepressure of springs 46 notonly holds the lamp in place with respect to the lens,'but also causes a firm contact between'springs 46 and studs 43 so that the circuit is completed from one terminal post through the lamp filament to the other terminal post.

As indicated in Fig. 7 the lamp filament is at the focal point of the Fresnel lens combination. This is made possible withoutadjusting the lamp relative to the lenses because, as described hereinbefore, the filament is at a definite position in the lamp bulb, which position is such that the filament occupies the focal point as shown when the lamp bulb is clamped in position. Naturally the filament of any lam bulb similar in size and shape and similar adjusted will occupy the focal point w en substituted for the first lamp. L

Sometimes the focal distance of the lens is so long that the lamp bulb would have to be excessively large in order to be located by a recess in the lens proper. In that case I provide a casting comprising a ring 55 for receiving one end of the lamp bulb as shown in Fig. 9. Three spider arms 56lead from ring 55 to another ring 57 which is adapted to receive the lens. In this manner the lens and the lamp are both fixed with res ect to the casting, so that the lamp and t e lens are also fixed with respect to each other. The distance between rings 55 and 57 is such that the filament of the lamp occupies the focal point of the lens, or any other desired pointwith respect thereto, when the lamp is placed into the position shown on the drawmg. a

It should be noted here that it is not-essential that all the signal lamps have bulbs of exactly equal size and shape, provided that the clamp which secures the lam in the signal is similar to the clamp whic secures the lamp in the adjusting stand. By this I amp bulbs the surface a of ring 55 (Fig. 9) against which the bulb rests in the signal must be exactly the same as the surface I) of member 6 of clam K (Fig. 1) against which the bulb is clamped 'while the filament is being ad usted. For, no matter what the size or shapc of the bulb, the filament after ad ustmen 1s at a definite predetermined position wit respect to the surface b of clamp K, and it will be 'in a de at the same relative position to surface a of ring 55- whenthe lamp is clamped to the ring. Of course, care must be taken that the ring 55as shown on the drawing.

Instead of a telescope other optical de vices ma be used for locating the filament h nite position with respect to the lamp bulb. In Figs. wand 11 I have shown, for example, a clamp K (similar to the clamp K shown in Fig. 1) provided with two so-called sights T and T of the following construction. As shown in Fig. 11, sight T comprises a vertical supporting member 60 fastened at its upper end to clamp K by screw 61 and bent at'right angles at its lower end to support an inclosmg casing 62. Inside casing 62 is'a mirror 63.

at an angle of 45 degrees to the vertical and V I a lens 64 adapted to receive light entering the casing through a hole in member 60.

' The upper face of the'casing 62 comprises a plate of ground glass 65. As .shown in Fig. 11 rays of light from lampfilament 31 pass' through lens 64, are reflected from mirror 63, and are focusedon the filament (as shown in dotted lines in Fig.

10). Sight T is of similar construction to round lass screen 65, where they form an image 0 the sight T this image is at right angles to the image in sight T The center of each sight T and T is determined b cross hairs on the ground glass 65 and t e sightsfare' so adjusted before they are fixed to clamp K that they definitely locate a point on the vertical axis of clamp K at a predetermined distance below its upper member 5'. In the use of this a paratus, the operator fastens the lamp bulli 4 in the clamp similarl as described for Fig. 1 and heats the nec of the lamp by suitable means as hereinbefore described. He' then inserts the jaws of the pliers shown in Figs. 4 and 5 into the stem 32 and bends the neck of the lamp bulb until indicated by the positioif of the images of the filament with respect to the cross hairs of both sights T and T, as shown inFig. 10.' Since thc'operator is able ,to watch both sights T and T sin'mltaneously, this method of adjustment is more expedient than the method described in connect-ion with-Fig. 1.

Still another way of securing an accurate the filament is in the desired position as is adjustment of the lamp filament with respect to the lamp bulb is shown in Figs. 12 and 13. In this method I make use of the so-called-refiex image of a lamp filament in a. spherical or elliptical. lamp bulb. The.

spherical lamp bulb acts as a reflector of the filament within the bulb and produces an image of the filament as far, to one side of the center of the bulb as the filament isdisplaced from the opposite side of the center, as I have indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 12. The reflex image ofthe filament is barely visible when the filament is coldbut is distinctly noticeable when the filament is heated to a dull red. For use of the re flex image of the filament for adjusting the filament with respect to the bulb the operator connects the lead-in wires of the filament to a source of potential of a suflicient voltage to send enough current through the filament to cause it to come to a dull red glow. He then applies heat toathe neck of the lamp bulb, inserts the jaws of the pliers into the hereinbefore described, and

stem 32, as bends the neck of the bulb until the filament occupies the desired position with res ect to its reflex image. If for instance, it is esired to locate the filament centrally in the-lamp bulb, the operator adjusts the filament until the reflex image coincides in position with the filament, as shown in Fig. 13. It is apparent that this is a very expedient method for securing adjustment of the filament with the reflex image.

respect to the bulb and is of special advan tage where it is desired to locate the filament in the center of the. lamp bulb, although it is possible to secure an accurate location of the filament above or. below the center of the bulb by adjusting the filament so that the image is at a given Although I have herein shown and described only a few forms of apparatus em-i bodying my invention, only a few methods embodying tion and modifications may be made therein my invenwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope distance above or below;

and have explained it is understood that various changes the bulb, and locating the filament 1 optical means at 'a predetermined posi- I the desired position of the filament 1,329,,csa

which the filament is, attached, and then moving the filament to such predetermined position. i

3. The method of adjusting commercial incandescent lamps which consists in determining by optical means the desired position of the filament with'respect to the bulb surface, heating to a plastic state the portion of the bulb to which the filament is attached,

and then moving the filament to such predetermined position.

4. The method of adjusting commercial incandescent electric lamps which consists in; applying heat to render the filament movable with respect to the bulb, and moving the filament'to a predetermined" position with respect to the bulb surface.

5. The method of adjusting incandescent electric lamps, which consists in heating to a plastic state the portion of the lamp 'bulb to which is attached the stem carrying the filament, whereby the stem may be moved with respect to the bulb, and moving the stem until the filament occupies a predetermined position with respect to the bulb.

6. Apparatus for adjusting commercial incandescent electric lamps, comprising means for rendering the lamp filament movable with respe'ct tothe lamp bulb, and means for determining when the filament occupies a predetermined position with respect to the surface of the bulb.

7. In combination, a base member, means for mounting a lamp bulb thereon in a given osition, means for applying heat to said ulb to render the same plastic whereby the filament may be moved with respect to the bulb, and optical means carried by said base member for determining when thefilam'ent occuples a predetermined position with respect to said base member.

8. In combination, a base member, meansfor mounting a commercial incandescent electric' lamp thereon so that the bulb surface'occup'ies a. predetermined osition with respect to said member, means or rendering plastic the portion of the bulb to which the lament is attached whereby the filament may be moved with respect to the bulb, and

optical means for determining when the filament occupies a predetermined position'with respect to said base member. y

9. In combination, a base member, optical means for determining a. fixed int with relation -to said member, means or holding a lamp bulb to said member in a -predeter-.

mined position with relation 13088.1(1 point, and means for heating to a plastic state the portion of said bulb to which the filament is attached whereby the filament man be moved to said point. e

10. In combination, means for holding an incandescent lamp bulb, and a rotary gas jet for heating to a plastic state the portion of said bulb towhich thefilament isfiatof the bulb surface occu position with respect to said lens. a '13; The process of locating the filament of an incandescent lamp with res ect to the 'e tached, whereby the filament may be ad-' justed with respect to the bulb.

11. In combination, optical means for projecting a beam of light, an incandescent amp having the filament accurately located at a given point with respect to a portion of the surface of the bulb, and meansfor' mounting said electric lamp so that the said 7 portion of the bulb surface occupies a predetermined position with respect to the said optical means.

P 12. In combination, I a. lens, an incandescent lamp having the filament accurately located at a given point with respect to a portion of the bulb surface, and means for mounting said lamp so that the said portion bulb surface which comprises eating the .end of the bulb which supports the filament; T determining b -o tical means the plro cation for sai I ament, bending t 6 brought into' said mg t pics a predetermined erlo eated I surface of the bulb so that said filament is' 25 proper location, and coole heated "surface; a a I 14. In combination means for holding an incandescent lamp bulb, a rotary jet for heating to a plastic state .the portion of said bulb to which the filament is attached where- .by, the filament may be moved with respect to thebu1'b,- and optical means for determining when the filament occupies a predetermined osition with respect to the bulb.

15. he method of locating the filament of an incandescent lamp accurately with respect to an optical device, which consists in accurately locating the filament with respect to a portion of the bulb'surface and accurately locating "said portion ofthe bulb sur'-.