US1715628A - Display and illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

u 1929- Q E. SHAUGHNESSY 1,715,623

DISPLAY AND ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Dec. 4, 1926 hymn" it -H F-iy. 4

INVENTOR. wa/wi 2/ BY flaw {MW device.

Patented June 4, 1929.

EDWARD sneusrrnnssv, or wnsr ST. PA L. MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALE T MAX A. GROLLA, or wusrsr. reunmrnuusora.

1 DISPLAY AND .ILLUMINATING DEVICE.

Application filed December 4, 1926. Serial No. 152,671.

My invention relates to. anilluminated license and signal device for automobiles and other vehicles and the object is to provide-a1 simple efficient and inexpensive device par-" The ticularly'adaptable for motor vehicles. deviceisused in pairs and involves the'use of colored glass serving to d splay illummated license plates in predetermined colors and incidentally servingasparking lights when the vehicle is not in motion. I

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is atop View of one unit of my device, Fig. 2 is apartly sectional face View of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an approximately full size cross sectionfofa preferred type of lamp socket about as on line 33 in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of my device as used on an autotmobile.

Fig. 5 is a detail face View of a. modified form of lamp socket.

h Fig. 6 1s a. wiring diagram of a two-way switch system for controlling current to both lamps from a switch socket such as shown 1n Fig. 5 andlocated one at each illumlnatlng Referring to the drawing by reference numerals 1O designates a sheet metal reflector housing the front of which is of elongated quadrangular shape and open and said opening having inwardly directed flanges 10F on two long sides and one end while the other end is not flanged so as to slidably receive a colored glass 11 in front of which is a sheet metal license plate 12. The latter plate has suitable cut out numbers and lettering indicating the license number, State, year and class of car.

The plates 11 and 12 are stopped by the endv flange 10F and retained within the flanges; the position of said plates being shown dotted in Fig. 2 and there being a space between the free end of said plates and the adjacent end of the housing as at S in Fig. 2. 13 is a small screw or like means close to the open end of one or both parallel flanges 10F and located to prevent the plates 11'12, from slipping out of the device. I r

14 is an electric bulb removably fixed in the holder 15 of insulating material and suitably retained in a sheet metal sleeve 16 formed in tegral with the converging rearwardly slanting walls of the housing 10 (see Fig.3) and forming the reflector means back of the license and colored plates.

17'is a threaded central herein member 15 adapted to receive the threaded end of lamp 1-1. and of which 18 is connected to a center contact 19 in the bore17 frictionally engaged by the threaded socket end of the lamp 14, and

contact 18A has anexposed-conductor 20 with- 7 1n bore 17 to be engaged by the threaded lamp tactsand opens the circuit to the lamp.

In Fig. 4, 27 is a battery or other source of current from "which wire 22 extends tothe switch described in the housing 10, current continuing from thence through wire 24 to the front housing or rear housing as the case. may be and being rounded as at 28.. p

In themodilied form in Figs. 5 and Gthere are three contacts 21. 23 and 23A in the cap 26'- arranged close together. Inthis case the contacts 18 and 18A'are also close together to contact simultaneously with any two of the three contacts 21, 23and 23A. l/Vith this form of switch and wiring as shown in Fig. 6 there is a switch cap 26 at each housing and circuit is readily closed or opened to both illuminating devices by manipulating either switch. Thus the operator can switch on both lights from either end of the car.

18 and 18A are fixed contacts in holder 15 v 2 I prefer to use'red glass in the rearhous- Y ing and green glass inthe front housing to provide correspondingly illuminated license 9 These colors are'the numbers and letters.

most commonly used for forwardly and rear-j V wardly exposed parking lights but it is ob-v vious that my device should remain. lighted during dark hours 'andserve the double purquired colors.

The c1rcu1t control means of my device are purposely placed at or within each housing or both housings. The driver of a car'must leave his seat to turn the .lights on and off and he will then know 'definitelywhen doing pose of illuminating the license and parking 7} so that his lights are on or off as needed and V 7 that when one is, turned on the other is also on; Thus he need not bother with turning on parking lights even when the car is,

stopped. Illuminated license plates will also comply with regulations requiring clearly exposed numbers and also provide readily readable identifying means. The latter feature makes it drliicult for a driver to et away fromthe scene of an accident without his number being' e asily obtained.

It is" also obvious that in the use of my device socalled taillights are not needed on a I claim r In an lllum natmg device for motor vehicles, having a source of electric current, and

signal housings mounted one at each end of r thevehicle, an electric lamp in each housing and means for regulating in circuit with said source of'eleotric current said circult and fixed at each housing; each said housing 00111 prising a quadrangularopen frame, reflector panels formed integral with said frame eX- tending from all four edges thereof angularly toward a point of convergence centrally of and inspaced relationre'arwardof saidframe, an electric bulb socket vfixed at said latter point, a plate of translucent colored material adapted to be removably retained in said quadrangular frame, a sheet metal plate also i'e'movably retained in said frame and outfourth side being open to slidably insert said plates between the parallel channels into the end channel, and means for retaining said plates in position, consistingin providing apertures in the channel members adjacent said open end, and a retaining element insertible in each said aperture in a position to prevent endwise movement of the plates.

1n testimony whereof I affixmy signature,

EDWARD SHAUGHNESSY, V

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