US1520480A

US1520480A - Headlight

Info

Publication number: US1520480A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1924-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1941-12-23

Description

4 w. A. ROBERTSON HEADLIGHT Filed May 5, 1922 INVENTOR W 99. flier/50x7.

BY Z

' A'TTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

cm TED PATENT O HEADLIGHT.

Application filed Mayj, 19 22.

To all whom it 72mg concern:

Be, it known that LWILLIAM A. .Ronnn'r- SON, a citizen of the United'states, and resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new zinduseful Improvement in'Headlights, of which the following is, a specification.

' My invention relates to headlights. gener ally and to electrically I illuminated headlights particularly.

,The object of my invention is an efficient headlight adapted to emit illumination either, in the form of beam of light, or of diffused light, or of both, and toconiine substantially all of. this illuminationbelow a plane on a level withthetop of theheadlight.

I attain this object by mounting a pluralityof reflectors, of certain formation, in certain relationswith two lamps, of-substantial ly: equal candle-power, as; jdis'tinguished from the usual. dim ,or pilot 'lightand the bright lights, and by aswitclrarrangement which permits the illumination of either of the lamps separately: or; of both simultaneously.

iMy. invention is illustrated in the accompanyingi drawing which shows headlight constructedaceording to the presentinvention and in which Fig. 1, is a general; side View showinga headlight and switchr'F g. "2; is a section of, Figa showing clearly the arrangement of two' lamps in "relat on with a, main. reflector and a sub-reflecto'" and a hood reflector, Fig. 3 is a front end view of Fig. 1, Fig. i isa section of ig. 3, show ng a flat subreflejctor, and Fig. 5 is a section taken. similar to Fig. 4:, showing a curved subreflector.

, Similar reference characters refer to sim ilar parts throughout the views.

.The glare of headlights, particularly on automobiles and other, vehicles, isobjection- .able since it blinds drivers going in opposite r directions.

"Inorder to eliminate this glare, ,the glass of the headlights has been. treated in some .manner, such as painting or frosting, but such treatment necessarily weakens the illuminating power of the headlights. resulting in low efficiency.

s m No. 558,693.

The present invention aims to utilize substantially all of the light emitted by the lamps and direct it out of the headlight as aforesaid. I Referring now particularly to the drawing, a

The case A, open at the front end and obliquely dented in the lower front end, is provided with the lamp sockets 10 and 11 into which the

lamps

12 and 13 fit.

The main reflectorR, highly polished on the inside, is mounted in the case A and also has provisions to acconnnodate the sockets 10 a11d11.

The main reflector, R is of concave contour with a substantially circular front end interrupted, at the bottom, by a portion thereof ,being cut away obliquely in conformity to the dented in portion of the case A.

The lamp 12 is mounted in the socket 10 and makes theusual electrical connection therein and has its center of illumination located on theaxis of the reflector R. i

The lamp 13 is mounted in the socketll and makes the usual electrical connections therein andis, in this instance,located above and ahead of the lamp 12 but withiirthe boundaries of the main reflector B.

The subrefiectorB is secured to the obliquelyfdented in portion of the case A and covers the cut away portion of the reflector Band is highly polished r otherwise prepared ontlieinsideto act as areflector.

Theformationcf this reflector B may. be flat as shown in: Figs. Land 4, or curyed as shown in ,Fig. 5. l

[The {flat formation of the reflector B shown in section in 2 produces better diffused illumination while the curvedformation thereof produces better beani'illumi- .nation.

The sub-reflector B is either'flat throughout or curved (as shownin Fig. 5) conform ing to the dented in portion of the case A and faces the main reflector R.

The cover C is hinged to the case A by means of the hinges 14 and has the curved glass 15 held in'the frame 16 and. closes'the open front end of the case A.

The hood 17 of the cover C comprises a reflector shield, concave in contour, covering the lamp 13 and the upper portion of the main reflector R from view and redirecting downwardly the upwardly directed rays from both of the

lamps

12 and 13 and from the main reflector R.

The lugs 18 are provided on the case A to permit the headlight to be mounted readily.

The operation of this headlight is as follows:

When the switch arm 19, shown in neutral in Fig. 1, is rotated right handed to the first contact stop 20, electric current flows from the battery 21 to the arm 19 and to the con.- tact 20, then to the lead 22, then through the lamp 12, and then back to the battery through the ground 23.

The lamp 12 is now emitting light rays in all directions, some of them directly forward and out through the glass 15, others impinging upon the reflector R, and others upon the reflector B, and others upon the inside of the hood 17 Some of the rays, which impinge upon the reflector R, are deflected out through the glass 15, others are reflected upon the reflector B, and others upon the inside of the hood 17. Some of the rays, which impinge upon the reflector B, are reflected upon the reflector R where they again are reflected either out through the glass 15 or upon the inside of the hood 17, other rays are reflected upon the inside of the hood 17 where they again are reflected either outward or downward, or upon the reflector R where they are again reflected as stated. Some of the rays which impinge upon the inside of the hood 17 are reflected outward and downward, and others are reflected upon the reflector R where they are again reflected as stated and others upon the reflector B where they are again reflected as stated.

The requirement of the present invention is that all, or nearly all, of the light rays emitted by the lamp 12 are directed straight out through the glass 15 and the curvatures and the disposition of the deflectors should be arranged to accomplish this requirement.

The rays of light emitted by the lamp 12 and passing directly out through the glass 15, and the rays reflected directly out through the glass by the reflector B, have the same general direction and constitute or form a beam of light straight ahead.

\Vhen the arm 19 is rotated further, in right handed direction, and to the second contact stop 26, electric current flows from the battery 21 to the arm 19 and to the contact 26, then to the lead 27, then through the lamp 13, and then back to the battery through the ground 23.

The lamp 13 is now emitting light rays in all directions, some of them directly forward and downward and out through the glass 15, others impinging upon the reflectors R and B, and others upon the hood 17. Due to the 01f focus disposition of the lamp 13, these impinging rays are reflected so that they do not collect as a beam of light but so that they leave the headlight as a diffused light.

Then the arm 19 is rotated "further, in right handed direction and to the third contact stop 30, electric current flows from the battery 21 to the arm 19 and the contact 30, then to the lead 27, then through the lamp 13, and then back to the battery through the ground 23. At the same time, electric current flows from the battery 21 to the contact 31, then to the lead 32, then through the lamp 12, and then back to the battery through the ground 23.

Both of the

lamps

12 and 13 are now illuminated and the headlight emits a beam of light due to the lamp 12, and a diffused light due to the lamp 13.

With this switch arrangement, either a beam of light (contact 20) or a diffused light (contact at 26) or a combined beam of light and diffused light (contact 30) can be produced.

Various modifications, as to location of the lamps, contour and location of the reflector-s and of the hood may be made without departing from the spirit and intent of the appended claims. Therefore, without limiting myself to the precise construction shown and described,

I claim 1. A headlight comprising, a case, a concave main reflector in said case, a lamp in said case and having the center of illumination thereof located on the axis of said main reflector, a second lamp in said case within the boundaries of said main reflector and the center of illumination thereof located away from said axis of the main reflector, and sub-reflectors co-operating with and facing said main reflector and both of said lamps; both of said lamps of equal illuminating power, and said reflectors ar ranged so that the illumination of the first said lamp emits a beam of light from said headlight and that the illumination of said second lamp emits a difl'used light from said headlight.

2. A headlight comprising, a case, a concave main reflector in said case and having an open front end interrupted by a subreflector facing said main reflector, two lamps of substantially equal illuminating power in said case, both of said lamps within the boundaries of said main reflector, the center of illumination of one of said lamps located on the axis of said main reflector to form the nucleus for a beamof light when the same is illuminating, the center of illumination of the other of said lamps located away from said axis of the main reflector to form the nucleus for adiffused light when the same is illuminating, and said sub-reflector adapted to assist in in the formation of said beam of light or of said diffused light or of both of said lights.

3. A headlight comprising, a case having an open end and an obliquely indented portion at the lower front end thereof, a main reflector mounted in said case and cut away at the lower front end thereof in conformity to said indented portion of said case, a sub-reflector on said indented portion of said case and over said cut away portion of said main reflector, a lamp in said case and the center of illumination thereof located on the axis of said main reflector, a second lamp in said case and the center of illumination thereof located away from said axis of said main reflector, a source of electricity for said lamps, and a switch means adapted to selectively connect said source of electricity with either one or with both of said lamps.

L. A headlight comprising, a case having an open end and an obliquely indented portion at the lower front end thereof, a main reflector mounted in said case and cut away at the lower front end thereof in conformity to said indented portion of said case, a sub-reflector on said indented portion of said case and over said cut away portion of said main reflector, a lamp in said case and the center of illumination thereof located on the axis of said main reflector, a second lamp in said case and the center of illumination thereof located away from said axis of said inain reflector, a hood on the front of said case and over a portion of said open end thereof, a reflector in said hood, a source of electricity for said lamps, and switch means adapted to selectively connect said source of electricity with either one or with both of said lamps.

WILLIAM A. ROBERTSON.