US1430320A - District op - Google Patents

Description

N. E. PHILLIPS AND J. E. MATHERS. DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED m. n, 1922.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

z SHEETS-SHEEVT 1.

- W I v N. E. PHILLIPS AND]. E. MATHERS.'

DI'RIG'IBLE HEADLIGHTFO'RAUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1922.

- Patent edSept. 26, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

UNITED sreras PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN grnrnmrs AND JAMES E. MATH-BBS, orwAsnINeroN, nrs'rnro'r or COLUMBIA.

Application filed February 11, 1922. Serial No. 535,831.

To allwhomitmayconcern: 7

Be it known that we, NORMAN E, PHILLIPS and Janus E.' Marianas, citizens of the United States, residing at 507 E St. and 511 Fifth St; NE, respectively, Washington, District of Columbia, have. invented certain new anduseful Improvements in. Dirigible Headlights for Automobiles, of which the following, is a specification.

This'invention relates to means for illuminating the roadway in front of an advancing automobile, and is especially directed to the novel means of automatically directing the raysof light from a dirigible headlight into the zone. oftravel, as the automobile passes over a curved section of the roadwe I ther objects and'advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which: 7

Figrlis a front elevation of a portion of an automobile equipped with this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the lamp case, partly in section, showing the movable reflector.

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lower wall of the lamp case showing the reflector locking mechanism.

Fig. i is a plan, View of the locking mechanism shown in'Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail .view in perspective of the reflector operating mechanism attached to thehingeknuckle of an automobile axle.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the different views.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a lamp case rigidly-mounted on the-upright 2, "at the front end of the automobile frame. A movable reflector 3 is mounted within'the lamp case 1, to admit of oscillating movement in a horizontal plane. Located within the reflector 3 is a lamp socket- 1, into'which may be-mounted a lamp 5, wliichat proper times is" lighted by means'of anele'ctric current led thereto by the wires 6, from any source of electric energy (not shown).

The reflector 3, may be of any desired shape or design whichhcan be adapted to carry out the purposes of this invention; and with that object inview, the front end thereof is mounted on pivots at 7 and 8 positionedat thetop and bottom of the front end of the lamp case.

This invention consists in providing means whereby the reflector .3, will be caused to automatically swing on its pivots in the direction of, and as the automobile is caused to deviate from'a straight course. To provide means for actuating the movement of the reflector 3, the lower pivot 8, is extended outside of the lamp case 1, and its lower end 9, is suitably formed for. attachment with the end of the transmission cable 10, by means well known in. theart.

The opposite end of the cable 10, is similarly connected tothe projecting end 11, of the stub shaft 12. The stub shaft 12, is rotatively mounted in the journal 13, of the bracket 14. The bracket 14, is rigidly mounted on the axle bar 15. Mounted on the lower end of the stub. shaft 12, and adapted to rotate therewith, is the pinion gear 16. Meshing with the pinion gear 16, is the rack 17, whichis pivotally connected at the one end thereof, on the vertically projecting stud 18, which is mounted on the bracket 19. The bracket 19, is rigidly mounted on thehinge knuckle member 20 'ofvthe axle arm 21. The axle arm 21, is mounted between the stationary knuckle members 22. of the axle bar' member 15, and is adapted for oscillating movement in a horizontal plane well known in the art.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, that asth e axle arm 21, is oscillated through the operation of the steering mechanism of the automobile in the act of diverging its path of travel from a straight line, there will be a corresponding movement of the stud member 18, which will cause a reciprocal movement of the rack member .17. The rack member 17, being in mesh with the pinion 16, a'reciprocal movement of the rack member 17, w ll impart a rotative movement to the stub shaft 12. This movement trans mitted through the cable 10, imparts a like rotative movement to the pivot member; 8, upon which the reflector 3 is mounted, w1th the resulting effect that as the axle arm 21, is moved to deflect the course of the automobile, there will be a corresponding movement to the reflector 3, causing a beam of light to be projected in the direction in the'axle arm 21, is provided. by the method of mounting the rack member 17, which admits of being moved outwardly from the pinion gear 16, until it ceases to be in mesh therewith andiwhile held in this position, the pinion'gear 16, may be turned to advance or retard its cycle of rotation, and the rack member ,17, again placed in actuating mesh therewith. To maintain the rack member 17 ,in position of mesh with the pinion gear 16, there is provided the spring 30. i

To provide meansfor holding the reflector 3, in a fixed position, in case it is desired to disconnect the cable 10, or in case of breakage or accident to the operating mechanism Y of the reflector, there is provided as shown in Figs 3 and 4 an extended arm 23 rigidly attachedto the pivot 8 having. at its extend ed end a vertically movable stop 24, adapted to be positioned in the socket 25, formed in the lower wall ofthe lamp case 1.

The stop 24, is adapted to be yieldingly held in the, socket 25 by the leaf spring 26, attached to the extension arm 23, at the one end, and engagin the stop 24, andthe finger lever 27, at the ot er end. With the lever 2?,

in the position shown in Fig. 2, the reflector 3, will be rigidly fixed in a central position within the lamp case. With thelever 27, in the position shown in Fig. 3, the reflector 3, will be free to swing on its pivots 7, and 8. I

It has been found important that to properly illuminate the path over which an advancing automobile is passing, especially where such path may diverge froinan otherwise direct course, that the rays oflight from the illuminating means he so deflected as to cover the whole sector of the curved roadway beingapproached, and to eliminate the occurrence of a zone of darkness in the immediate front of the automobile resulting from the use of the illuminatingmeans now in common use. This is accomplished by providing a greater scope of oscillation to the. reflector 3, than that of theactuating means comprising the axle arm 21, and for the purpose of illustration attention may be c l d t -th ex en o -t eswwr o th a rave sed by ach 111 the preferred embodiment of our invention as illustrated in the drawing, the extreme scope-of oscillation of the axle arm 21, is through an arc of thirty-five degrees. This same movement of the axle arm 21 causes an oscillation of thereflector 3, through an arc of forty-five degrees.

It is to be iindelstoodyhowever, that we do not limit our invention to the proportionate degree of variation of movement, as other proportions may be applied, without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we accomplish by the means illustrated is a divergence of the projected'light, in advance of the divergence of the auto mobile, in rounding a curve in the roadway,

whereby everysector of the curve traversed claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination with an automobile and the steering knuckles thereof, a rack carried by one of said knuckles, a lamp case rigidly mounted on said automobile, a re flector mounted for oscillating ,movement within said lamp case, a flexible shaft connected to said reflector having a pinion mounted thereon and adapted to mesh with the rack carried by the knuckle and to ac tuate the oscillation of the reflector Within the case, with, but at a greater angle than the steering knuckle.

2. In combination with an automobile and the steering mechanism thereof including the front wheel knuckles, a bracket projccting from one of said knuckles, a spring controlled longitudinally and transversely movable rack bar pivoted on said bracket, a fixed lamp housing carried by the automobile, a reflector mounted for oscillating movement within said housing, a shaft detachably connected to said reflector, a pinion mounted on said shaft, means to yieldingly hold the rack in mesh with said pinion whereby the reflector is oscillated within the lamp housing, with, but at a greater angle than the steering knuckle.

3. In combination with an automobile and the steering knuckle thereof, a bracket rackbar, and means to maintain the reflector stationary within the lamp housing while the rack .bar and pinion are outof mesh.

4. A headlight of the character described 3 compr a e amp ca ng mounted on -"'projecting from said knuckle, a spring conan automobile, a reflector mounted for osoilwith, but at a greater angle than the steering latlng movement thereln, a flexible operating knuckle.

shaft connected to one of the pivots of the In testimony whereof We have afiixed our reflector, a steering knuckle mounted for signatures in the presence of two Witnesses. 5 rotative movement, a gear actuatlng rack operatively conneetedto said knuckle and an operative gear mounted on said flexible shaft in mesh with and adapted to be Witnesses:

rotated by said actuating rack whereby the JOHN F. A. BECKER,

10 reflector will he moved in the same direction B. A. DUKE.

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