US1553538A - Railroad lantern - Google Patents

Description

Se t. 1511925v v M. A. KELLY RAILROAD LANTERN Filed Oct. 15, 4 2 Sheets-Shed l I 1,553,538 M. A. KELLY V RAIVPHOAD LANTERN Sept. 15

, Filed Oct. 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES MICHAEL ALOYSIUS KELLY, OF CEDAR- GROVE, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO TALBOT MADDING, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

RAILROAD LANTERN.

Application filedOctober 13, 1924. Serial No. 743,335.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lrIrcrri-xni. A. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cedar Grove, in the parish of Caddo. and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Railroad Lantern, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lanterns and more particularly to signal oil lanterns designed for use by railroads.

The object of the invention is to provide an oil burning lantern which is small and light and which is so ccnstructed as to prevent its rocking over and in which all danger of the light going out during the use of the lantern as a signal is prevented.

Another object is to so construct a lantern of this character that no springs are employed and which is also equipped with a protector for preventing burning. of the users arms when the lantern is being carried or during its use for various purposes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement'of parts and in the details of constructionhereinafter described and claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of What is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings.:-

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a latern constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is atop plan View thereof on a small scale; and

Fig. 3 is a central vertical on the line 83 of Fig. 1.

Among railroad men it is a well known fact that the lanterns now in use are unhandy, heavy and cumbersome as well as top heavy and therefore easily rocked over. To avoid these objections the lantern constituting this invention comprises a protective section taken outer casing 1 having a solid bottom onwhich the oil fount 10 is designed to rest and which is so held as to avoid the use of springs and thus eliminates all danger of throwing out the oil fountain during the giving of signals. This outer casing 1 has an annular support engaging flange 2 which is made convexo=concave in cross section and it being understood that.

attached at its inner edge to said casing at a point spacedv above the bottom thereof so that its surface-engaging edge 3 will be flush with or substantially flush with the bottom of said casing. This edge 3 is rolled inward to form a reinforcement at this point.

This casing 1 is equipped above the flange 2 with a plurality of air inlet apertures 4 and above said apertures is an annularoutstruct bead 5 designed to reinforce the casing at this point... The upper edge of the casing 1 supports an annular internally disposed sleeve or collar 6 the lower or skirt portion of which is offset inwardly and spaced from the casing 1. L i-shoulder 8 is formed at the junction of said sairt portion with the body of the collar and forms a seattor the lantern chimney '15. The upper edge of the collar 6 is rolled outwardly to form a hook-shaped engaging'lip 9 designed to fit over the upper edge of the casing l as is shown clearly in Fig. 3 whereby the collar or gallery 6: is supported.- I V I A cup-shaped fount supporting member 11 is disposed in the casing 1 and soldered or otherwise fixed to the bottom thereof, the bottom of said container 11 being provided with a plurality of radialcorrugations 12.

The chimney supporting collar or gallery 6 is provided with an annular series of air admission apertures 6* such as are ordinarily found in devices of this character and which provide for the passage of the air admitted through the apertures'a passing up into the chimney to supply oxygen to the flame- The gallery or collar 6 is also provided with a slot 13 which registers with a similar slot in the upper edge 01' the casing 1 and these registering slots are designed to receive the wick actuating rods 14;.

Secured to the upper edge of thecasing 1 is a skeleton cage 20 which is outwardly bulged to form a protector for the chimney 15 and is preferably composed of heavy vertically extending wires 21 soldered or otherwise secured to the casing 1 above the head 5, the wires being arranged in peripherally spaced relation as is shown clearly in Fig. 1

and which are connected intermediate their.

ends by an annular wire 22 while their-upper ends are bent, around an'annular top wire 23 to which is hinged the lantern top 30. The hinged connection of the top 30 is shown at 31 and at a point diametrically PATENT OFFICE.

opposite is a spring catch 32 which snaps down over the upper annular wire 23 and holds the top securely closed.

Mounted on the top 30, which is equipped with the'usual gas outlet apertures 33, is an arm protecting guard 35 designed to prevent contact of the operators arm withthe hot top. This guard 35 is shown in the form of an annular wire 36 spaced periphorally from the upper portion of the top and extending in a plane above it and which is secured to the top by diverging arms 37 any desired number of which may be employed, four being here shown which securely support the ring and hold it rigid. This guard prevents the top of the lantern from contacting with the bare arm of the operator which frequently occurs with lanterns of the old type and which often results in the operator letting loose of the lantern or the objects on which he is working. Ordinarily operators which use these lanterns wear gauntlet gloves for the purpose of protecting their arms from being burned while with this device the gloves may be omitted.

This top 30 which extends well over the upper end of the cage 20 has located therein an annular skirt 34 designed to fit snugly over the upper edge of the glass chimney 15 as is shown clearly in Fig. 3. This skirt 34: is equipped with the usual ventilating openings or perforations 34?.

A fixed bail-shaped handle 38 is secured at its ends to two of the diametrically oposite cage wires 21 near their lower ends as is shown clearly in Fig. 1, the ends or terminals of this handle being preferably constructed of heavy wire arms 39 which have eyes engaging the wires 21 and are soldered thereto. These arms 39 diverge toward their upper ends and are connected by ferrules 40 with an insulating U-shaped member 41 preferably constructed of wood although not necessarily so. These ferrules 4L0 taper toward their lower ends where they are connected with the arms 39 and at their points of connection are fixedly en gaged by laterally extending arms 42 arranged at diametrically opposite points on the upper portion of the cage and which are here shown in the form of loop-shaped wires which, formation strengthens and adapts them to rigidly hold the handle 38 in operative position. This bail-shaped handle 38 extends well up over the lantern and down toward the bottom thereof being spaced therefrom sufficiently to prevent all possibility of contact with the lantern by the hands or arms of theoperator, and which adapt-s the lantern to be swung bodily in giving signals.

The oil fount 10 is made of a size sufficient to hold oil enough to last sixteen hours ing surplus oil. This oil fount 10 fits snugly in the cup 11 and in the gallery 7, with the wick actuating rod 145 extending laterally or radially from the burner thereof through the slots 13 and 13" in the gallery and easing 1 with the hand grip of said rod projecting beyond the casing. This not only provides for an outside wick adjuster avoiding the necessity of raising the chimney or globe 15 to adjust the light but operates also to assist in holding the parts securely in position which is accomplished by means of the chimney or globe resting on the rod whereby all possibility of the fount moving vertically is prevented, while the slots in which this rod is mounted holds the fount against lateral movement.

As will be observed this lantern is made short and dumpy which prevents its rocking over when used on a moving train. The top draft is lowered, giving direct draft for gasses to pass out to the atmosphere avoiding smothering of the light in muggy weather such as frequently occurs with lanterns of the old type. Owing to the construction of this lantern it may be used as signal and which by having a solid casing or bottom for the oil fount to rest in eliminates the use of springs as well as the danger of throwing the oil fount away during the movement of the lantern for signals.

I claim i 1. A lantern of the class described comprising a flat low base having a low broad cage carried thereby, an oil fount mounted in said base, a globe mounted in said cage, a hinged top carried by said cage for securing the globe in place, a handle secured to said cage, and an arm protector carried by said top and made in the form of a ring spaced from the top in all directions with arms fixedly securing it to the top.

2. A. lantern of the class described comprising a flat low base having a low broad cage carried thereby, an oil fount mounted in said base, a globe mounted in said cage, a hinged top carried by said cage for securing the globe in place, a bail-shaped handle having the lower portions of its arms converging and secured at their terminals to said cage near the bottom of the lantern, the body portion of the handle extending up over the lantern, arms extending laterally from thefcage and fixedly secured to the handle arms whereby a rigid handle is provided fixed to the lantern frame, and an arm protector carried by said top and made in the form of a ring spaced from the top in all directions with arms fixedly securing it to the top.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature.

MICHAEL ALOYSIUS KELLY.-

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