US1746852A - Device for artificial illumination - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 11, 1930. .L. x. CHAMPEAU 2 DEVICE FOR ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION Filed April 25, 1923 INVENTOR MM By A TTORNE Y 5 Patented Feb. 11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE CHAMPEAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 KIRBY, CHAMPEAU CO., INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DEVICE FOR ARTIFICIAL ILLU MINATION Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to artificial illumi nating devices, and more particularly to illuminating devices for use in art galleries.

In the lighting of art galleries it has been the practice to illuminate paintings hung upon the side walls by means of lights with reflectors located slightly above the paintings so as to direct the light downwardly at an angle upon the paintings and to prevent the direct'rays from striking the eyes of the observer. The upper part of a painting is ordinarily produced in colors of comparatively light tones. The method of illumination just described which has been heretofore employed has the disadvantage that the lighter upper part of the painting is illuminated much more brightly and is brought out more clearly and strongly than the darker lower part, thereby producing an effect quite different from that intended by the artist as when the picture is illuminated by daylight. The reflectors and supporting de vices employed in this method also cast objectionable shadows when the gallery is illuminated by daylight.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to improve the construction and arrangement of illuminating devices for art galleries and to provide a device so arranged in a gallery that a picture hung upon a wall of the gallery will appear to be substantially uniformly illuminated by the light directed thereupon.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises the novel and improved features, constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form, and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings- Fig. l'is a view in section of an illuminating device embodying certain features of the present invention, the section being taken substantially along the axis of said device;

1923. Serial No} 634,416.

Fig. 2 is a view of the illuminating device taken in the direction of the axis thereof from its forward or lens side;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section illustrating an art gallery with illuminating devices arranged therein in accordance with certain features of the present invention; and

Fig. 4 an underside plan view illustrating the ceiling of a gallery with a series of illuminating devices installed to illuminate the side walls of the gallery.

The illuminating device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing comprises a casing indicated at 2, at the rear end of which is mounted a device indicated at 4 for producing artificial illumination, this device in the construction shown consisting of an ordinar electric light bulb. Associated with the light bulb 4 is a light collecting reflector indicated at 6 mounted on the bulb support and surrounding the rear portion of the bulb so as to direct the light rays striking the interior surface thereof toward the forward end of the casing 2. This reflector may be varied in cross section as desired to produce the most advantageous results.

Mounted within the forward end of the casing is a light directing and concentrating lens indicated at 8. This lens, which may be of rectangular outline as shown in the drawings or of any other suitable outline, is constructed and arranged to deflect the rays transmitted thereto directly from the source of illumination and also the rays reflected thereupon from the reflector 6 toward the axis of the lens, thereby concentrating the light within a relatively small area. To produce this result the lens is preferably formed upon its outer face with a series of concentric circular prismatic ridges or prisms, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 Fig. 1 illustrates the manner in which the rays striking the lens are deflected toward the axis of the lens, the rays transmitted to the lens directly from the source of illumination being indicated in dotted lines and the rays reflected from the reflector 6 upon the lens being indicated in dot-and-dash lines. Vith a lens constructed with prismatic ridges as shown in Fig. 1, the deflecting of the light rays as they pass through the lens is of course due to the refracting action of the glass.

In employing an illuminating device of the character illustrated in FigsQl and 2, the illuminating device is preferably installed in the gallery substantially in the manner shown in Fig. 3. As shown in this figure. one or more of the illuminating devices indicated at 10 are mounted in the ceiling of the gallery and are directed obliquely toward a side wall of the gallery. The illuminating devices may be concealed by means of a beam 12 secured to the ceiling and an angle plate 14 secured to the beam for supporting the illuminating devices. This figure shows a picture indicated at 19 hung upon the side wall 18 of the gallery. The picture is preferably located. upon the side wall or the illuminating device is so directed that the rays from the source of illumination transmitted along the axis of the illuminating device or the axis of the lens will strike the picture at a point substantially of the distance from the top to the bottom of the picture. The illuminating device produces a prism or cone of light at the central part of which the light is strongest, the light becoming gradually somewhat dimmer from the central axis of the cone toward the margin thereof. This cone of light is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 3 by the dotted lines. \Vith the construction and arrangement of the illuminating devices illustrated in Fig. 3 and the location of the painting or other picture with relation thereto as shown and described. the lower of the picture will be located nearer the central axis of the light cone than the upper third of the picture. The upper third of the picture, however, will be located nearer the source of illumination. The result will be that the picture will receive a strong, substantially even and uniform illumination over its whole surface.

Fig. 4 shows a series of illuminating de vices mounted in the ceiling of a gallery so as to give a substantially uniform illumination from one end of each of the side and end walls of the gallery to the other. As shown in this figure, a series of illuminating devices constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are arranged in abutting relation at a distance from the corresponding side and end walls so as to form bands of these illuminating devices as shown in this figure. Each of the illuminating devices in these bands is preferably arranged as shown in Fig. 3 so as to direct the light obliquely at an angle upon the adjacent side wall and the illuminating devices are concealed from an observer in the central part of the gallery by means of beams 12 and angle plates 14.

With the illuminating devics constructed and arranged as above described, these devices do not in any way interfere with the proper illumination of the gallery by daylight. Not

only do these devices produce a uniform and even lighting etl'ect upon the paintings or upon the side wall of the gallery, but by means of the devices associated therewith, shown in Fig. 3, the direct rays from the source of illumination are prevented flOIl'l striking the eye of the observer so that there is no interference with the clear view of the picture. The spaces between the bands of lighting devices themselves and between said bands and the walls of the room indicated at 16 in the drawing, may be filled with glass suitable for the transmission of sunlight into the gallery. Thus, with this system, the gallery may be arranged for either artificial illumination or daylight illumination. The arrangement of the artificial illuminating devices enables the gallery to be lighted in a. highly cfiicient and satisfactory manner by sunlight. Furthermore, the illuminating means of the present invention permits the inconspicuous arrangement of the source of artificial illumination and at the same time its construction lends itself readily to architectural adaptation,

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, but that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and having specifically described a construction and arrangement embodying the invention in its preferred form, what is claimed is 1. Illuminating devices comprising, in combination, a source of illumination and a light directing and concentrating lens arranged to produce a symmetrical illumination the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lens, and located adjacent the ceiling of a gallery and spaced from a side wall so that the axis of illumination is directed obliquely downwardly and outwardly toward the nearer side wall.

2. Illuminating devices comprising, in combination, a source of illumination, a light directing and concentrating lens arranged to produce a symmetrical illumination the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lens, and located adjacent the ceiling of a gallery and spaced from a side wall so that the axis of illumination is directed obliquely downwardly and outwardly toward the nearer side Wall, and means for concealing said source of illumination from an observer in the central part of the galler 3X Illuminating devices comprising, in combination, a source of illumination, a light collecting reflector, and a light directing and concentrating lens arranged to produce a symmetrical illumination the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lens, and located adjacent the ceiling of a gallery and spaced from a side wall so that the axis of illumination is directed obliquely 1 downwardly and outwardly toward the nearer side wall.

4. Illuminating devices comprising, in combination, a source of illumination and a light directing and concentrating prismatic lens arranged to produce a symmetrical illumination the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lens, and located adjacent the ceiling of a gallery and spaced from a side wall so that the axis of illumination is directed obliquely downwardly and outwardly toward the nearer side wall.

5. Illuminating devices comprising, in combination, a source of illumination, a light directing and concentrating prismatic lens arranged to produce a symmetrical illumination the axis of which is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the lens, and located adjacent the ceiling of a gallery and spaced from a side wall so that the axis of illumination is directed obliquely downwardly and outwardly toward the nearer side wall, and means for concealing said source of illumination from an observer in the central part of the gallery.

this 16th day of Signed at New York city April, 1923.

LAWRENCE X. CHAMPEAU.

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