US1519209A - Lamp - Google Patents

Description

Drec,

F. c. MCELROY LAMP 'Filed l001.- 31. 1921 2 sheets-sheep 1 Q Frank 2f/X74?? @Marwua Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED VSTATES FRANK MOELROY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

LAMP.

Application filed October 31, 1921. Serial .No/511,698.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it vknown that FRANK C. McELRoY, a citizen of the .United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates broadly to improvements in lamps, and more especially to lamps of the character employed for illuminating purposes in connection with automobiles, motorcycles, railway head lights, Search lights, spot lights, and all other lamps that are used to project intensified light rays by the use of reflectors or mirrors, the primary object of the invention being to provide lamps of this character with improved means capable of deflecting, diverting or modifying the blinding rays coming from an open light reflector to such an extent that the light beams can be approached with security and comfortwithout blinding the eye sight or in any way 'interfering withthe vision of one approaching or looking toward the lens of the lampl In accorjdance with the invention there is provided a lamp wherein is included a main parabolic reflector having a source of light disposed therein, said reflector having a substantially transparent cover or lens provided for the open end thereof, and providing in conjunction with this structure a supplemental reflector, mounted contiguous to the central portion of said cover and disposed to face the said source of light in opposition to the main reflector the result of which structure being the production of light rays by means of which improved illumination will be produced, both 'longitudinally ahead and laterally to each side of a -vehicle equipped with the lamp over ordinary constructions, in more intense and brilliant illumination, andthe elimination of such normal parallel rays that tend to impair the vision of those approaching or looking toward the lamp.

Another object of the invention resides in formingthe supplemental reflector to inc'lude a polished reliecting surface of an opaque nature which will include a convex central portion and a surroundin planular wall having a substantially circ ar boundary, the said supplemental reflector being disposed adjacent to the central portion of the reflector cover or lamp lens and situated yin the principal axis of the main reflector',

and in such relationship with the source of lightthat the light pencil projected from the lamp will be emitted through a ring like aperture formed inthe lens or cover between the circular boundary of the supplemental reflector and the outer peripheral edge of the said lens or cover, causing the pencil of light to converge toward a virtual focal point longitudinally in'advance of the lamp and in the following dispersion of a light p/encil including gradually diverging rays, which will be of ample brilliancy and power for general illuminating purposes but which eliminate the direct glare producing rays of an ordinary unprotected reflector.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of positive means for directly connectingthc supplemental reflector or glare shield with the axial portion of a lamp lens, in order that the supplemental reflector or shield will at all times maintain its operative position upon the inner wall of a lens without loss of adjustment, and in connecting a supplemental reflector to the lens in such manner that fracture of the latter will be avoided.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and to the accompanying drawings wherein are described and set forth certain forms of the invention by means of which the latter may be practically demonstrated.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a lamp of the type employed upon motor vehicles and illustrating more particularly the construction of the improved supplemental reflector comprising the preferred form of the invention and its use and position in connection with the closure and other associated parts of the lamp, and illustrating by dotted lines the mode of light projection procured thereby,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the closure removed from the body of the lamp and disclosing the supplemental reflector or glare shield positioned thereon,

f type of lamp has Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the'suppleniental reflector on the line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a modified-form of lamp closure or lens 'and illustrating the same as formed in accordance with the princi les of the invention, v v

igure 5 is a front elevation of the form of lens disclosed in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through thelens of an ordinary lamp closure and disclosing a simple and fundamental form of the improved supplemental reflector and glare shield or screen comprising the present invention, y

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the structure disclosed in Figure 6,

Figure 8 isa sectional view of a further modified form of the invention, 'Y y Figure 9 is a similar view of another modified formv of the invention. Y

Figure lO is a modification disclosing the form of reflector wherein the same includes combined convex and concave reflecting surfaces, and

Figure l1 discloses a structure whereby the supplemental reflector or screen may be supported independently of the lamp lens.

Referring more particularly to the details of the invention and to the form of the latter disclosed in Figures l to 3 inclusive, use is made of a lamp of the type employed 4forhead light purposes upon motor operated vehicles. It will be understood that this been selectedbecause of thefact that it can be employed to clearlydisclose the principles and features of the invention, but it will be understood, articularly asthe description.l proceeds, t at the invention is not 'limited to ,automobile head lamps alone, but may be usefully employed in connection with any form ofl lamp embodying a main reflector element. The lamp l includes the usual open sided body 2 capable of being supported by a standard 3,

` and the interior of the body is'provided with the usual circumferential seat 4, against which rests the outer peripheral flange 5 of a parabolic reflector 6 of standard construction. Disposed in the principal axis 7 of` the reflector isa source of light 8, in this instance in the form of an lincandescent lamp, the latter being situated in advance of the reflector so that light rays emitted by the lamp will strike'the polished 'inner surface of the reflector and diverted or reflected outwardly of the lamp through the glass reiiec tor cover, closure or lens 9, situated as usual at the open front end of the body 2 and .the reflector 6, thesaid lens having its circumferentialv edge engaged by a ring 10 capable of securely clamping the said lens in applied position in connection with the lamp. The

construction so far specically described is a lamp by lamps equipped prolific causev of vehicle accidents and is generally aserious impediment to successful vehicle operation. To reduce the glare, many forms 'of lenses have been proposed and employed, but in the main the same are open to the objection that they actually di- -minish the effective candle power of the lamps with which they arey used, that is,

the light emitted thereby is not in favorable proportion to the eective candle power of and ordinarily a diffused or `screened light is provided which is byno means as effective or eflicient lfor illuminating purposes as the original illumination obtained with clear glass lenses.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide' means adapted for use in a lamp including a reflector which will eliminate the glaring or blinding-rays mentioned and yet result in the production of a light, at least, as equally strong and brilliant y as that obtained through a clear glass lens or in certain `other forms of the invention to increase the strength or brilliancy of the illuminating source.

To this end, I provide -in the lampl a supplemental reflector or glare shield 11 which consists of an opaque body of any suitable material and formed to include a disk 12, .which is arranged to. be mounted upon the inner face or surface of the lens or reflector' cover 9 in a position wherein the axis of the disk will be in registration withA the principal axis 7 'of the'main reflector 6. It

will be observedl that the disk possesses a .diameter materially less than that of the lens-9 and experiments have lead me to believe thatw-hen properly proportioned the best results can be obtained by forming the disk so that its diameter will'be substantially one-half thatof the lens 9. Therefore, in view of the opaque character of the disk l2 the lens will be provided with a ring like light aperture 13 througli"which light rays set-'up within the lamp will find outlet. The term opaque used herein ,is of course relative, designate such materials as thin sheet metal,

'a silvered surface, wood, fiber, certain thick-v and I employ the same to the lamp 8 following the axis 7 By reason of the opaque nature of the disk 12 or its equivalent the eyes will be shielded from the glare ofthe and discharged from the lamp bywayv of amp 8 and the reflector 6,

the circular aperture 13 provided between the outer circular edges of the disk 12 and the corresponding edgeof the lens 9. At this point the reflected light beams cross one another, and then proceed to spread out in a circularand gradually diverging manner as distance increases ahead of the lamp. This light pencil may be employed for general illuminating purposes, it'possesses substantially the full candle power of the lamp and is in'nowi'se diminished by the inclusion of the screen or disk 12.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the disk 12 is formed to include an inwardly projecting axially located, convex member or surface 14,:which may be integrally or separately formed with the disk as desired, the inner plane face or side of the member 14 being disposed to engage with the corresponding side of the disk 12. Preferably, the inner surfaces of the disk 12 and the convex member 14 are polished to produce light reflecting or deflecting surfaces, and it is by reason of this fact that (he disk 12 and the convex member 14 constitute a supplementalreflector for the lamp. By reference to Figure 1 the noticeable effect which the supplemental reflector produces upon light rays set up within the lamp is disclosed by dottedilines. IThe surface of the main reflector whichl is effective in projecting light rays from the lamp has been designated as extending between the points a and b, whiclrdeline an annular space loca-ted contiguous to the outer portion of the reflector, which serves to project the light outwardly through the aperture 13 in the hollow conical beam 0, which converges at the focal point d, situated immediately in advance of the lamp 1, and, as above stated, from the point d the light rays gradually diverge to produce a beam or pencil of required projection. By reason ofthe reflecting surfaces provided upon the disk 12 and the convex member 14: light rays are concentrated upon the main reflector between the'points a and b, so that a strong and intense light of augmented power is projected through the light aperture of the lens, but by reason of the conical formation of these rays the same will be prevented from directly striking the eyes of one appreaching the lamp, unless the observer should stand between the focal point d and the lens 9. Another important advantage to be obtained from the use of the convex member is' the production of what maybe termed lateral or side rays, which are indicated diagrammatically by the lines c and f set forth in Figure l. These rays are of reduced-strength, wiLh respect to the main beam c but are of sufficient power to clearly illuminate the side premises of the lamp 1,

i. s theythe driver of aA motor vehicle, for 65,

instance, may be apprised as the physical `tion with the lens.

condition of the roadway immediately to each side of the head lamps.

To provide a positive construction for retaining the supplemental reflector or glare shield' in its required axial position upon or contiguous to the center of. the lens 9, the latter is formed in this instance with an axially disposed opening 15, in which is situated a bushing or sleeve 16, which 'latter receives the threaded'bolt or pin proouter end of the bolt 20,- which projects beyond the outer face of the lens is provided 'with a nut 21 which, when tightened, will` force the supplemental reflector tightly against the washer 17 and the inner surface of the lens and also the washers 18 and 19 firmly aga-inst the outer face of' the lens, a condition which results in locking the supplemental reflector in 'an applied position. Any suitable means may be provided for locking the nut 21 against vundue rotation. In connection with this structure it will be observed that the supplemental reflector can not lose its position of application by reason of its positive axial connecv For instance, the supplemental reflector may rotate bodily about the bolt 20 but `by reason of its circular nature its maximum effectiveness will be maintained. Thus, a structure is provided for insuring the proper operation and posi-r tioning of the supplement-al reflector or glare shield which will prevent the occurrence of accidents by reason of causes traceable to loss of adjustment. I prefer to secure the supplemental reflector for this reason directly to the lens, but it is apparent that it is within the range ofthe. invention to mount the supplemental reflector axially within the lamp by employing a'wire frame by means of which the supplemental reflector may be connected with the casing or body of the lamp, ,or any other relatively stationary part other than the lens.

In Figures 4 and 5 the invention vmay find practical embodiment by adapting its principles to a lens o f peculiar' construction. Such a lens. has been designated by the numeral 22, and, as shown, consists of a glass or other transparent body capable of being mounted to protect the main reflector of'v a lamp. In this-instance the lens 22, in its process of formation, is formed to provide .an inwardly projecting convex surface or protuberance 23, which is surrounded by a flat, substantially circular integral portion 24, which corresponds in diameter and function to the disk l2 set forth in the'preferred form of the invention, and similarly, the convexed surface 23 corresponds with the convex member 14 set forth in the preferred form. In order to render the portions 23 :l'nd 24 of the lens relatively opaque and at the same time reflective the lens 22 is provided with a socket or depression 25, which has its surface silvered so that the lens will provide a supplemental reflector when the same is situated within the lamp l, and which reflector will be positioned in the principal axis of the lamp and in opposition to the main reflector thereof as regards the source of light 8. By silvering or otherwise equivalently coating the wall of the socket depression 25, as indicated at 26 the lens 22 will bei formed so that the same results may be obtained therefrom as by use of the preferred form of the invention, thatis, light will be projected in the same manner with corresponding results and the eyes of those looking toward the lens protected by the opaque coating 26. The socket or depression 25 may be protected by means of a glass disk or wafer 27, suitably secured within the socket by a cement or other suitable means.

Certain of the fundamental results 0f my invention may be attained, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, by taking a plain clear glass lens and painting or otherwise coating thereon a disk 28, of a diameter corresponding substantially to one-half 'that of the lens v29 on which the disk 28 is formed. This simple form of the invention, however, does not tend to increase the illumination but ad mirably serves its purpose as a glare shield and in producing a ring like light aperture 30 in the lens 29.

In Figure 8a similar form ofy the invention is disclosed wherein the disk is formed from thin sheet metal and is provided with a polished inner Areflecting surface 31, disposed to face a source of light. This disk is equipped with a bolt 32, corresponding to the bolt 20, which passes through an opening formed axially in a lens 33, a nut 34 b`e-` ing carried upon the threaded outer end of the bolt 32 to retain the disk in its applied position. In Figure 9 the disk 34 is of convex cross sectional formation, the planular reflecting surface being omitted, while in Figure l() the supplemental reflector 35 includesnot only a convex reflective surface 36 but also a concave surface37 which I have found is capable of being employed to advantage. In Figure ll a frame 38 is shown for supporting the supplemental reflector 39 independently of the lens, the said frame being extended so that the outer ends thereof may be positively connected with the outer edges, of the lamp reflector 6 or the flange 5 for the purpose of retaining the supplemental reflector in its operative position. In this form of the invention the reflector is provided with a concave surface 40, which surface may also be used in certain forms of the invention.

In view of the foregoing description it will be seen that the present invention provides a round screen made of any opaque material and of a diameter equivalent to substantially one-half that of the effective diameter of a light reflector, .and wherein the screen or glare shield is placed and se cured to the front and center of a lamp and reflector. The screen, glare shield or sup'- plement'al reflector, as it may be called, deflects the light beams produced by a source of light in front of a main reflector,l and regulated by the focal adjustment of the source of light with respect to the main reflector. At this focal point the reflector light beams are focused to cross one another and then proceed to spread out in a circula-r manner more and more as the distance increases ahead of the lamp. Thus, the construction prevents one approaching the lamp from seeing but a small portion of the light beam at any point except at a short distance directly in front of theflamp, where the light rays meet and cross one another. Therefore, the screen makes it possible to approach a lighted lamp using a highly polished reflector Without therays thereof blinding the eye sight to any serious or dangerous extent. It is believed from the foregoingl that'the nature, principles and construction of the present invention will be clearly understood by those versed in the art, and therefore a more extended explanation has been omitted. It is deemed advisable to state that the focus d of the light rays is not primarily the direct result of the glare shield 11, but is produced by the focal relationship existing between the source of light and the parabolic reflector. Vith the light so focused, however, and the glare shield utilized, the most efficient results are to be obtained.

- lhat is claimed is:

l. A lamp closure for controlling light projection from a vehicle head lamp comprising a transparent plate, and asupplemental reflector provided centrally on said plate, said reflector being formed to comprise a centrally disposed convex reflecting surface surrounded by a flat annular reflecting surface.

2. A device for controlling light projec- .tion from vehicle head lamps, comprising a metallic disk, an axially disposed convex reflecting surface mounted upon said disk, a

)lane annular reflectiiw surface on said disk and arranged to surround Vsaid convex reflecting surface, and fasteningv appliances for mounting said de vice on a transparent lamp closure.

3. A device for controlling llight projecvided upon said body and uniting said con- A tion from a vehicle head lamp oompmsi'ng' a veX and plane reflecting surfaces, and fastenmetallic body, an axially disposed convening appliances for mounting said device on 10 reflecting surface provided upon said body, a transparent lamp closure.

- a plane reflecting surface on said body and In testimony whereof I aix my signature. arranged to surround said convex reflecting v surface, a concave reilecting surface pro FRANK C. MGELROY.

Images