US1355876A - Headlight - Google Patents

Description

O. WINSTON.

HEADLIGHT I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26.4917. 1,355 ,876'. v Patented Oet. 19,1920.

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HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATIQN FILED FEB. 26, 1911.

1,355,876. Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

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0. WINSTON. HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1917.

Patented ()ct.1 9,1920.

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HEADLIGHT. APPLICATIOR FILED ms. 26. 1917.

1,355,876. Patented Oct. 19,1920.

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HEADLIGHT APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, E917.

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OVER'I'ON WINSTON, 0F MINNEAFOLIS, MINNESOTA.

HEADLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedOctJQ, 1920.

Application filed February 26, 1917. Serial No. 150,978.

To all w from it may concern."

Be it known that I, OvnnToN WINSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and tate of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Head lights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and nse the same.

My present invention relates to head lights and is particularly directed to an improved form of lens and to an improved relative arrangement thereof, in respect to a concave reflector and an electric light bulb within the latter.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section showing a' headlight embodying my invention, and wherein a two-filament light bulb is employed as a means for shifting a light source from the axis of the reflector to a point vertically above said axis;

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking atthe inner face of the lens;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectio on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4.- is an enlarged fragmentary view in inner face elevation showing a segmental portion of the lens;

Fig.5 is a longitudinal section taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Figs. 2 and 1; 1

Figs. (5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 are fragmentary sections taken on the lines 6-6, 7--7 8--8, a e and 1o 10 of Fig. 4.;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section of one of the prismatic sections shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a headlight having a single filament light bulb and a slightly modified form of lens;

Fig. 12 is an inner face elevation showing the lens illustrated in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 :is'an enlarged section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12

Fig. 14; is an enlarged fragmentary view in inner face elevation showing a segmental portion of the lens illustrated in Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Fig. 14; P r

Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are sections taken respectively, on the lines 16-16, 17-1 7, 18-18, 19-19 and 20-20 of Fig, 1 1; and

Fig. 20 is an enlarged section of one of the prismatic segments shown in Fig. 20.

Of the parts of the headlight, the numeral 21 indicates the casing, the numeral 22 the clamping ring thereof, the numeral 23 the concave reflector, the numeral 24: the electric light bulb, and the numeral 25 the lens. The reflector 23 is preferably a hyperbolic reflector and it is provided with an axial passage through which the shank of the bulb 24 projects and is held by a suitable support. This bulb support, so far as this invention is concerned, may be of any suitable construction, but, as shown, comprises a shank engaging sleeve 26 and a tubular socket body 27 screwed into a flanged hub 28 secured on the back of the reflector.

The bulb'shown in Fig. 1 is a two-filament bulb, the one filament having its hot spot at a and the other having its hot spot at Z). The point a is at the axis of the reflector and preferably also at the focal center thereof. The point I), is vertically above the axis'of the reflector. By means of a threelead circuit 29, 30 and 31,.which includes a battery 32 and switches 33 and 34:, either of the two filaments a or b, may, at will, be energized andused at the lightsource of the headlight.

In Fig. 11 the light bulb 16 is provided with a single filament 0, the hot spot of;

which is at the axis of the reflector and preferably also at the focal center thereof. This filament is connected to a battery or source of electrical energy 35 by leads 36 in any one of which is a switch 37 l/Ve will now consider the novel construction of the lens, the preferred-form of which is illustrated in the drawings and which, described, is as follows, and will first con sider the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 10, inclusive;

One surface, preferably. the inner surface of the lens is formed with radial prismatic segments of peculiar form. These prismatic segments radiate from the center of the lens,- or from the axis of the reflector'and have their? greatest bevel at, or nearest to the'rim of the reflector. For'example, assume that the bevel surface of the prismatic segment has an angle of 22 degrees at the rim of the reflector, and that in a direction toward the axis of the reflector, this angle progressively decreases to zero at the said axis. This, as is obvious, produces the greatest thickness in the segments at points nearest to the rim of the reflector. All of the said segmental prisms, preferably, have an angle of approximately zero at their inner extremities; but the different prismatic segments, in a direction circumferentially of the lens, will vary in their maximum angle. In the preferred arrangement, the maximum angle of the prismatic segments, at their outer extremities, in a direction circumferentially of the lens, increase progressively from the upper vertical line, down to the horizontal radial line and below such horizontal line, have progressively decreasing angles. In Fig.2, the maximum angle of the prismatic segments, at their outer extremities, are indicated by the small numerals marked adjacent thereto.

As already indicated, the beveled surfaces of the prismatic segments flare, or diverge from the plane of the reflector in opposite directions from the upper vertical line of the lens. This arrangement produces a minimum downward deflection of the more intense rays from the back or inner portion of the reflector, and a maximum downward deflection of the less intense ra s from the outer portion of the reflector. he general effect is to produce a material downward deflection of the light beam. This arrangement, when the light source is at I), gives a good beam for city street driving.

In the modified form of the lens shown in Figs. 11 to 20, inclusive, a considerable portion of the lower part of the lens is left smooth or free from prismatic lens segments, and while the various prismatic segments have beveled surfaces that decrease in angle from the rim radially toward the axis of the lens, the decrease in an le is less rapid than in the previously described construction. For example, the lens segment varyin a maximum of 22 degrees at the rim of the Tens, would decrease toward an angle of approximately 11 degrees at the axis of the lens. Otherwise stated, the several prismatic segments have decreasing angles from the outer toward the inner portion, varying from the said maximum angle to approximately one-half of that maximum angle.

In Fig. 12, the maximum angles of the several segmental prisms at the rim of the lens, are indicated by the small numerals marked adjacent thereto.

The beveled surfaces of the prismatic segments that are on opposite sides of the upper vertical line of the lens, incline or bevel in reverse directions, so that they increase the thickness of the prisms in both directions, circumferentially from the said upper line. This direction of the bevel is important because it causes the rays that leave the face of the lens to be given a material downward deflection, or, in other words, projection below the radial planes of both the reflected and direct rays. The effect of this is to produce a general downward deflection of the light beam, so that a very much greater part thereof, will reach the round than with any lens known to me. Moreover, it is the rays of the beams that ordinarily are projected upward and which produce blinding effects, but do not light the road, that are thus most deflected or refracted, and turned downward onto the road. This arrangement also permits a still further improved light effect. Moreover, it is the rays that are most nearly to a horizontal that are ven the greatest downward deflection. he exact manner in which the segmental prisms are distributed may be varied but are preferably as illustrated in the drawings and above described in detail.

With the two filament light bulb or shifting light source shown in Fig. 1, there will be the above noted downward deflection of the beam when the light source is at point a, but this downward deflection will be materially increased when the light source is shifted from a to 6. Hence, the shifting light source, in combination with a lens, such as described, makes possible a light beam of long projection, but with a maximum amount of light on the road and a minimum amount of light above the road.

An ideal beam for headlights for city street driving is, as already indicated, produced when the light source is at the vertically offset point 6.

In the use of a headlight with an ordinary reflector adjusted so as to throw approximately the lower half of the light beam upon the ground, which is a quite common arrangement, the lower half of the light beam will be distributed over many hundreds of square feet of road surface, and per unit of surface, the road will be given but a very small percentage of light, as compared with the amount of light thrown upon avertical object in the road, by the upper half of the light beam. This is a result just reverse from that desired. An ideal arrangement would be one in which there would be at least as much light per unit of surface thrown upon the road as there would upon a vertical object above the road; and such an arrangement, obviously, requires very much the greater part of the light beam to be distributed on the ground and a very minor part of the light beam to be diffused above the road. This ideal resuit is closely approximated by the use of the improved lens above described, which, as already stated, produces very great downward deflection of the more intense rays of the light beam and diffuses some or a minor par(ti of the less intense light rays above the roa What I claim is:

1. A lens for headlights having a group of prisms beveled in the same general direction, the individual prisms, in themselves, in a direction from the rim of the lens inward, having decreasing angles to the basal surface of the lens.

2. A lens for headlights having a group of prisms beveled in the same general direction, which, among themselves, in a direction circumferentially of the lens, having varying angles to the basal surface of the lens, the individualprisms, in themselves, in a direction inward from the rim of the lens, having decreasing angles to the basal surface of the lens. 7

3. A lens for headlights having a group of prisms beveled in the same general direction, which prisms, among themselves, in a direction circumferentially from the vertical toward the horizontal diameter of the lens, have progressively increasing angles to the basal. surface of the lens, the individual prisms, in themselves, in a direction inward from the rim of the lens, having progressively decreasing angles to the basal surface of the lens.

4. A lens for headlights having a group of prisms beveled in the same general direction, which prisms, among themselves, in a direction circumferentially from the upper toward the lower portion of the lens have progressively increasing angles to the basal 1 surface of the lens, the individual prisms, in

themselves, in a direction inward from the rim of the lens, having decreasing angles to the basal surface of the lens,

5. A lens for headlights having two groups of prisms disposed on opposite sides of its vertical diameter, the prisms in the same group being beveled in the same general direction, and the prisms of different groups being beveled in opposite directions, the individual prisms, in themselves, in a direction inward from the rim of the lens, having decreasing angles to the basal surface of the lens.

6. A lens for headlights having two groups of prisms disposed on opposite sides of its vertical diameter, the prisms of the same group being beveled in the same general direction and having, among themselves, in a direction circumferentially of the lens, varying angles to the basal surface of the lens, the individual prisms, in themselves, in

a direction inward from the rim of the lens having varying angles to the basal surface of the lens.

7 A lens for headlights having two groups of diverging prisms disposed on 0pposite sides of its vertical diameter, the prisms in the same group being beveled in the same general direction and having, among themselves, in a direction circumferentially from the upper toward the lower portion of the lens, progressively increasing bevel to the basal surface of the lens, the individual prisms, in themselves, in a direction inward from the rim of the lens, having progressively increasing angles to the basal surface of the lens.

8. A lens for headlights having radial prismatic segments, the beveled surfaces of the segments of which have maximum angles to the plane of the lens at their outer portions and decreasing angles toward the center of the lens, the said prismatic segments, in directions circumferentially of the lens, having progressively varying maximum angles to the plane of the lens.

9. A lens for headlights having radial prismatic segments, the beveled surfaces of the segments of which have maximum angles to the plane of the lens at their outer portions and decreasing angles toward the center of the lens, the beveled surfaces of the prismatic segments, on opposite sides of the upper vertical line of the lens, diverging from the plane of the lens in opposite directions circumferentially thereof.

10. A lens for headlights having radial prismatic segments, the beveled surfaces of the segments of which have maximum angles to the plane of the lens at their outer portions and decreasing angles toward the center of the lens, the said prismatic segments, in directions circumferentially of the lens, having progressively varying maximum angles to the plane of the lens, the beveled surfaces of the prismatic segments on opposite sides of the upper vertical line of the lens diverging from the plane of the lens in opposite directions circumferentially thereof.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OVERTON WINSTON.

Witnesses:

CLARA DEMAREST, BERNIOE G. WHEELER.

Images