US1544191A

US1544191A - Portable electric searchlight

Info

Publication number: US1544191A
Application number: US694281A
Authority: US
Inventors: Roland L Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1924-02-21
Filing date: 1924-02-21
Publication date: 1925-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1942-06-30

Description

June 30, 1925. 1,5444gl9l n. L. SMITH roausLn LBc'rnrc -SEARGHLIGM Originl' Filed Feb. 21. 1924 Figl.

lnvenor.

Roland I .Smih

bym wlw Anya.

Patented `l une 30, '1925.

uNiTi-:D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC BEARCHLIGHT.

Application illed February 21, 1924, Serial No. 694,281.

To all whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I` ROLAND L. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Belmont, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Portable Electric Searchlights, of which the following description, in connection With the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawingr representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in portable electric search lights of the type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,170,012, granted Feb. 1, 1916, in which an electric search light comprising a suitable rellector for projecting the rays of .light is n iounted upon a storage battery whic supplies eurrent to the electric light. i

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a batte box or container having a supporting mem r or a stud projecting outwardly :from one of the walls upon which the Search light may be mounted, thereby enabling a more compact and serviceable construction to be produced.

Another object of the invention is to provide a battery box or container having a side provided with a metallic. reinforcing member having a support or stud rejecting through the outer wall of the si e, upon which a suitable bracket for the Search light may be mounted, the late serving to reinforce the side upon w ich it is secured, or preferably embedded, to a suilicient extent to enable the battery to be carried by the handle of the search light without other means of support, thereby avoiding the necessity of providing a strap or other means for carr ing the device.

A ,further o ject of the invention is to provide a novel form of bracket, for supporting the search light upon the projectin stud, which is so formed that the vertica line of the center of gravit of the apparatus passes through the han le of the search light thereby providing a balanced construction which can be readily carried by the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel bracket or support between the projecting stud and the Search light which enables the beam of the Search light .to be projected in any desirable direction.

A further object of the invention is to Renewed May 25, 1925.

provide a convenient means by which the search light can be removed from its support and readily manipulated.

A further object of the invention is to provide a Search light of the character described having a battery box or container provided with a plurality of oppositely extending supporting studs whereby a lurality of electric lights may be suppor upon the same battery thereby providing a construction which portable search light may comprise lights of different characters, Is uclh for example as a beam light of a flood ig t. By reason of such construction a search light is provided in which a narrow beam of light may be projected at a great distance, or a flood light employed to illuminate a relatively wide area.

Other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanyin drawings and will be particularly pointe out in the, claims.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the search light mounted upon a battery in the manner above described and also showing in dotted lines a second flood light similarly mounted and adapted to proecting its rays in the opposite direction rom those of the light which is illustrated in full lines.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through one side, preferably one side of the battery container showing a reinforcing plate embeddedin the siide of the container and having a stud projecting through the outer wall thereof, and,

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the preferred form of the reinforcing plate and stud illustrated in Fig. 2.

The portable Search light illustrated in full lines in the accompanying drawing coinprises a search light having the usual re- Hector 1 and lens 2 provided with the usual electric bulb (not shown) and having a stem 3 secured to and extending rearwardly from the reflector 1, a suitable handle 4 being rotatably mounted upon the stem 3 and rovided with the usual switch mechanism not shown) for turning on and oli' the supply of current to the electric light, through conductors 5 and 6 whih are respectively connected to the

terminals

7 and 8 of a suitable storage battery.

The storage battery which is illustrated herein as comprising a plurality of cells is enclosed in a preferably rectangular batte box or container 9 preferably formed of vu canized rubber com sition. One of the principle objects of t e invention is to provide means by which the search light can be mounted upon a support extending from a side, preferably an end of the battery box, thereby avoidin the necessity of mounting the support on t e top of the battery box or container and also avoiding the necessity of employing straps or other usual means for supporting the device when it is to be transported from place to lace.

This is accomplisllied' in the illustrative embodiment of the invention disclosed herein by embeddin a metallic plate 10, preferably of triangular form in one or more of the sides, pre erably an end or ends of the battery box o1* container, the plate having a stud 11 projectin through the outer wall of the side or end o the container as illustrated in Fig. 2. The preferred plate which is illustrated in 2 and 3 is of a skeletonized triangular orm ,having a base 12 extending in parallelism with the upper edge of the side in which it is embedded, with the apex 13 of the triangle extending vertically downward. In order to decrease the weight of metal in the reinforcing plate the

edges

14 and 15 may be reduced as bevelling or the central portion of the ate provided with a

rtures

16 and 17. Yt will however be undirstood that reinforcing plates or other forms of construction may be employed within the spirit of the claims.

In order to support the plate during the molding of the side of the battery box, a boss 18 having a cylindrical depression 19 is provided near the apex to receive a suitable stud to support the plate while the composition is being introduced into the mold, this stud being withdrawn and the a erture in the material roduced by it fill in when the material of the container has suf- Iicientl set. A

By t us providin the embedded plate in the side or end of e container the wall is greatly reinforced and it is enabled to withstand blows which otherwise might break the side of the container and also provides an anchorage suicient to enable the battery to be supported from the stud 11.

- A -further feature of the invention consists in providin a novel device for supporting the search light in such a manner that it can be readily detached and also in such a manner that the rays of the search light may be rejected in any desirable direction. As illustrated herein the support for the search light comprises an articulated bracket the lower section of which comprisesa cylindrical rtion 18 having a bore to fit upon the stu 11. The c lindrical portion 18 is split and is provid with complementary parallel extensions 19 which are clamped together bly a winged screw 20. l The lower section of t e bracket is also provided with a vertical arm 21 having a laterally extending cylinv drical boss 22 which is similarly split and provided with a winged clampin screw 23.

The upper section of the artic ated member com rises a standard 24 having a re` duced cy ndrical end portion 25 adapted to fit within Athe c lindrical boss 22 of the lower section and to clamped into position there by a screw 23. The upper end of the standard 24 embraces the stem 3 and is secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The standard 24 is ofl'set to extend somewhat over the battery box so that the vertical line of the center of avit intersects the handle 4 of the searc lig t thus enabling the search light to be properly balan so that it can be readily transported from place to place by merely lifting it by the handle 4.

The upper section of the bracket may be rotarily adjusted in a\horizontal plane by loosening the screw 23 and rotating the bracket about the vertical axis of the cylindrical extension 25 of the standardI 24 so that the ray from the Search light may be projlected in any desired direction at ri t ang es to the axis of said extension 25. loosening the screw 20 the search light may also be swung about the axis of the stud 1 1 thus enabling the beam from the light to be projected in any desirable direction perpendicular to the axis of the stud 11. By reason of these two adjustments therefore about axes at right angles to each other a universal mounting is provided which will enable the beam of the search light to be thrown in any desiredV direction and by then clamping the screws the beam may be held in any desirable fixed ition.

Portable search light.: of this character have heretofore been manufactured with reflectors or other projecting ap ratus for throwing different characters o lights, for example a beam light in which the ra s are prcjected as nearly as possible in paral elism an other lights which are provided with projecting apparatus having more widely distributing rays. It is desirable that a single apparatus may ,be provided which will have means for projecting either parallel rays such as a beam light or more divergent rays such as a floo light, and: such a construction-,may be provided by constructin the battery container with a plurality o supports for diiferent lights. This may be accomplished 'by provi opposite sides, preferably opposite ends o Ythe battery container or box, with. supporting plates LlU 4laicaaci and studs upon which 'thejdiierent lights may be mounted in theigiainer aforesaid. This is illustrated in Fig. 1 in tibetaccompanyingfdrawings in which one of th Search lights is illustrated in tull lines and the other sea-rch llight and its mountings in dotted lines. ln such constructions the-bat tery box 9 isV provided with ane dded reinforcing plate similar to the plat 1 10il lustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 having a studJ 26 projecting through the outer wall of the bracket having mounted upon'it all artcu--` lated support ,the lower section 27, of which yis rotatably mounted upon: thestd 26V and secured by a winged screw 28 as above described and. is provided also with a cylindrical boss 29 in which the reduced end portion 30 of the upper section 31 is rotatably secured 'by a winged screw 32. The upper .section or standard 29 is secured to the stem 33 of another light 34 which may be a tlood light. The flood light may likewise be supplied from the battery, with current, 1n the manner above described. f

In such a construction the device may be carried either by thev handle 4 ofthe ban light or by the handle of the flodd light being understood that the supprts'or the lights are of the sameconstruction" and are so designed that the vertical line of gravity of the device will pass through the handle properly balancing the device.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is illustrative and not restrictive and thtvariou's changes in form, costrlictionand arran ement of parts may be made withinthe spi it and scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, whatI is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: t

l. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having a reflector provided with a stem having a handle extending rear# wardly therefrom and a. battery having a container a wall of which is provided with an embedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof, a standard for said light mounted on said stud engaging said stem and normally positioned to cause the vertical line of the center of gravity of the battery and light to intersect the axis of the handle wherebj7 the device will properlv balance when raised by the handle.

2. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having; a reflector provided with a stem having a handle extending rearwardly therefrom and a battery having a container a wall of which is provided with an embedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof. a standard for said light pivotally mounted atI its lower end on said stud, means for detachably securing said standard to said stud. means upon the upper end of said standard engaging said stern positioned to cause thevertical line o the ceiftrt-'of gravity of the battery and li f ht to intersect the axis of the handle wheregy the device will properly balance when .raised by the handle.

3. A portable electric search light comprising a lamp having a reflector provided with a stein having aliandle extending rearwardly therefrom and a. battery having a container awall of which-is provided with an embedded plate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof, an articulated light-supporting standard having a lower section pivotally mounted on said stem to swing about a horizontal axis and an upper section pivoted upon said lower section to swing about an axis perpendicular tothe axis of said stud.,4

4. A portable electric search light comfprising a lamp having a reflector provided with a stem having a handle extending rearwardly therefrom and a battery having a container a wall of which is provided with an embedded yplate having a stud projecting from a vertical wall thereof, an articulated light-supporting standard having a lower Vsection plvotally mounted on said stem to swing about a horizontal axis, an upper section pivoted upon said lower section to swing [about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said stud and means for detachably connecting the upper section of said bracket to the lower section.

5. A portable Search light construction comprising a battery container formed of rigid insulating material and having a side provided with an embedded plate of metal iaving a stud projecting through the outer vall of said side to provide a support for a o affording a support for the battery.

6. Amor-table search light construction comprising a battery container having a side provided with an. embedded triangular metallic plate having its base parallel to the upper edge of the container and its apex extending downwardly and a stud projecting from the central portion of said base through the outer wall of said side providing a mounting or a light-supporting mem- 7. A portable search light construct-ion comp'rising a battery container having a Side provided with an embedded plate of triangular forni having a central aperture thcrcthrpugh the walls of said plate being beveled toward said aperture and the base of said plate lying in parallelism with the upper wall of the receptacle and the apex of the plate extending downwardly` said base havingIr a stud projecting through the outer wall of the side providing a mounting or a light-supporting member.

8. A portable search light construction comprising a rectangular battery container ight-supporting member and also capable,

i Iii tiestilony whereof, I have signed by 10. Aporta le electrc-sarch light comnam to` this specification.

prising a plurality of lamps having diierent ROLAND L.- SMITH.

aving its opposite sides each provided with an embedded metallic plate having a stud projecting through the outer wall of the side providing a mounting or a light-supporting member.

9. A portable Search light construction comprising a rectangular battery container having its opposite sides provided with enibedded triangular plates with their bases lying oppositely to the upper edge of the container and their apexes extending downwardly and with study projecting from the lcentral portions of said bases through the outer walls of sides providing a mounting or a light-supporting member.

10. A portable electric search light comprising a plurality of lamps having different properly balanced when lifted by one of said handles.

In testimony whereof, I have signed by name to this specification.

ROLAND L. SMITH.

Oertlcate of Correction.

It is hereby eenied theal in Ieteere Pecent Ne. 1,544,19i`;greneed June 3o 192s,

upon the application of Roland L. Smith, of Belmont, Massachusetts,

"improvement in Portable Electric Searchlghts, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 115 and 128,'claims 6 and 7, and page 4, lines 4 and 15, claims 8 and 9, for the word or read for; page 4, line 12, claim 9, for the word study read studs; and line 14, before the word sides insert the Word said; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oilice.

Signed and sealed this 21st day of July, A. D. 1925.

[um] KARL FENNING,

Acting Uommiasmr of Patente.

Oertlcate of Correction.

It is hereby oertied that in Letters Patent No. 1,544,191`,\gra.nted June 30 1925, npon the application of Roland L. Smith, of Belmont', Massachusetts, or mi 'improvement in Portable Electric Searchlights, errors appeer in the printed specificationrequiring correction as follows: Page 3, lines 115 and 128, claims 6 and 7, and page 4, lines 4 and 15, claims 8 and 9, for the word or rend for; page 4, line 12, claim 9, for the word study read studs; ,and line 14, before the word sides insert the word said; and that the said letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the rerd of the case in the Patent Oiee Signed and sealed this 21st day of July, A. D. 1925.

[mL] KARL FENNIING,

4 Acting Uommssioner of Patente.