US1762565A - Indirect-lighting fixture - Google Patents

Description

4 E. D; TILLSON 1,762,565 INDIRECT LIGHTING FIXTURE June 10, 1936.

Filed April 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 10, 1939. E. D. TILLSON ,7

I INDIRECT LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed April 2;, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 1%, 193% entree srATEs PATEhET QFFICE EDWIN D. TILLSON, EVANSTON, ILLINGIS, ASSIGNOR TO SOMEBVILLE VT. THOMP- SON, TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS INDIRECT-LIGHTING FIXTURE Application filed Apri1'22, 192a My invention relates to the class of indirect lighting fixtures in which the lamp bulb is laterally housed by a reflector which redirects the light upwardly, and in which this reflec- I5 tor is housed by an opaque bowl.

In some of its general objects, my invention aims to provide a simple, strong and inexpensive lighting unit of this class which will permit convenient access to the interior of the reflector for cleaning the latter, which will firmly support the reflector from its bottom and without requiring auxiliary fastening elements for supporting the reflector, which will not cause a cracking ofthe reflector by temperature changes in the reflector and bowl, and which will permit both a ready inserting of the reflector in the bowl and a removal of the reflector from the bowl.

Furthermore, my invention aims to provide a bowl construction for such a reflector which can easily be manufactured and which will not impose undue strains on the reflector housed by the bowl. I Illustrative of my invention and of more detailed objects of my invention- Fig. l is a front elevation of my indirect lighting unit as it appears when in use, with one half of the bowl and reflector in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same unit, drawn on a reduced scale.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the same unit, drawn on the same scale as Fig. 2, showing the bowl and reflector swung out of its normal position for access to the interior of the re flector. 1

Fig. ,4 is an enlarged horizontal section through the arms which support the bowl, taken along the line 4- of Fig. 1 and looking upward.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged and fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the same unit, looking from the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged and fragmentary perspective view showing one of the hinging connections between the bowl and the arms whch support the bowl.

Fig. 7 is a central and vertical section through the bottom of my indirect lighting fixture, showing the disposition of the reflector with respect to the bottom of the bowl Serial No. 357,001.

when no cushioning disk is interposed between them.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section through the socket housing and adjacent parts, taken along the line 88 of Fig. 4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the incandescent lamp 15 is supported by a socket disposed within an upright socket housing 1, which socket is not pictured, since it forms no part of my present invention. To support a reflector bowl from this socket housing 1, I provide three flat arms 2, each of which arms has its upper portion 2A extending upwardly into the said socket housing and hearing flatwise against the bore of the housing. Each of these upper arm portions is clamped against the housing by a knurled screw 3 and is kept from rotating about this screw by the entry of an embossed nub i in a corresponding perforation in the housing. Thus arranged, a single screw serves for rigidly securing each of the said arms 2 to the socket housing, and'when the screws are tightened, all of the arms are held against swinging or misalignment. I

These arms are preferably spaced unifornr ly about the vertical axis of the socket housing, and the partof each such arm which is below the socket housing is twisted adjacent to the housing at right angles to the upper arm portion and bent edgewise so that the lower end portion of each arm extends substantially horizontally. The tip 213 of each such lower arm portion overhangs the inwardly directed horizontal mouth flan e 5 of an upwardly opaque bowl which bowl is desirably formed of sheet steel.

One such arm tip 2B (as shown in Fig. 5) extends between the parallel riser webs 7 of two angle-sh aped punchings 8, each of which has its base portion fastened to the bowl flange 5, as by a rivet 9; and this arm tip 213 is normally secured to both of the said punchings by a detachable member, such as a spring cotter 10 extending through alined perforations in the said arm tip and the riser webs 7 of the punchings.

Each of the other two arms has its lower and outwardly directed end bent to dispose this end in a parallel. to the arm tip 213, and

each such bent arm end 2C is pivoted on a rivet 20 extending through the riser 11 of a pivoting punching which has its base 12 se cured to the top of the bowl flange by'arivet 13, this assembly being shown separately in Fig. 6. These pivoting punchings are disposed (as shown in 2) so that the pivoting'rivets 20 have a common axis, and so that the risers 11 are both parallel to the risers of the punching 8 through which latter riser detachable spring cotter 10 extends.

Housed by the bowl is an upwardly open reflector 14, this reflector desirably being of glass si vered on its outer face and ribbed or otherwise conflgurated to avoid the projecting of images otthe filament of the incandescent la np 15 which depends from thesocket housing. The reflector 14 has its month end sufllciently large in diameter so as to underhang the bowl flange'fi', andhas a height approximating the interior height of the bowl. The bottoms of the bowl and the re flector are desirably convexed downwardly, and the lower end of the reflector may seat directly on the bottom of the bowl, as shown in 7, in which case theconvexing oi": the reflector bottom is preferably greater than that of the bowl bottom 6, thereby limiting the interengaging of these parts to a'lsmall area. However, I may interpose a cushioning disk 16 between the bottom of the reflec tor and the bottomof the bowl, as shown in Fig. 1. In. either case, the reflector can'be of such a he ht that it reaches close to the.

howl flange 5, provided that the diameter of the month end of the reflector is only slightly bowl will center the reflector.

smaller than the bore of the bowl just below the flange '5, so'thatthis bore'portionof the To allow for the use of a reflector having a mouth ofgreater diameter than the bore of including a lower main portion 6 having a cylindrical collar 6A at its upper end, which cylindrical portion is of larger diameter than the mouth of the reflector, and a bowl ring fitted upon this main bowl portion. This bowl ring comprises an upright'and tubular lower end portion 5B telescoped into the said collar 6A, and an inwardlyand upwardly curving intermediate part 5A., and the aforesaid inwardly directed top flange 5. i

By forming the intermediate bowl ring part 5A so that the bore of its upper portion is only slightly larger than the diameter of the mouth end of the reflector, I enable this how]. ring portion to center the reflector in the bowl; When the reflector has been inserted in the main'bowl portiomthe bowl ring '3 slipped over the month end of the reflector so as to telescope the ring portion 5B into the bowl collar 6A, and the two bowl p grts are then secured to each other by screws 1 lVit-h the reflector-housing bowl of my unit ture,'and by making the interfitting portions possible exception of a small central bottom thus composed of two parts having telescopically interfitting peripheral portions, the two interfitted portions together afford a quite stiff peripheral part, so that my bowl will readily retain its shape even it made of relatively thin metal. .Hence I can employ metal which can easily be drawn to an artistic curva- 5B and-6A considerably larger in ciameter than the month end of the bowl, I avoid the need of following the shape of the reflector, which shapenecessarily is determined largely by the desired distribution of the reflected light. Furthermore, I can readily-ornament the tubular collar portion 6A, if desired.

.Moreover, by vertically elongating. the periterations in the bowl collar 6A, through which perforations the screws 17 extend, I

permit the bowl ring to he slid snugly down .upon the mouth end of the reflector according to the exact height of the latter, thereby clamping thereflector against thev bottom of the bowl when the screws 17 are tightened,

The. reflectoris then held rigidly,so that it will not shift in position even it its mouth somewhat smaller than the upper p'artof the collar portion 5A. Soalso, the relatively largediameter of the interfltting tubular porf tions permits the main bore part6 (with the portion) to betreely spaced from the 'glas reflector, so that accidental impactagainst the bowl from any side or the latter will not damage the reflector. V

Byd-isposing the hinging arm ends 1 3C so that they are both parallel: to the detachable third arm end 23, I also permit the entire I bowl and reflector assembly to be sw down at a considerable angle,,while st-ill remaining securely supported through theZnon-detachable hinging rivets 20,as shown in Fig- This makes the cleaning of the rciicctci' both easy and safe. So also, by twisting the supporting arms 2 asabove described,l not only secure rigidity for these arms but also dispose the flat faces of their main portions upright, so 'as-to reduce the shadows cast by these armsf 1 p v Moreover, by supporting the reflector from the bowl bottom on which it seats, I entirely avoid the use of screwsunderhanging mouth 7 portions of the reflector, thereby eiiniinati g the cracking and breaking of the mouth flanges of reflectors which occurs so frequent I ly when reflectors are supported by screws in i the heretofore customary manner. 7

However, while I have heretofore "de scribed my invention in an embodiment including numerous desirable details con-- struction and arrangement, I donot wish to be limitedto these, as changes may obviously be made without departing: either froin the spirit of my invention or from-the-appended claims; 'Nor do. I wish to be limited to the Lilies employment of all novel features of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. An indirect lighting fixture comprising an upwardly open reflector having a downwardly convexed lower end, and a bowl housing the same; the bowl having an upwardly concaved bottom portion supporting the reflector and an annular upper end portion clamped down upon the month end of the reflector.

2. An indirect lighting fixture comprising an upwardly open reflector having a downwardly convexed lower end, and a bowl hou ing the same; the bowl comprising a main bowl part having central bottom portion supporting the reflector and having a tubular upper end, and a bowl ring having a lowor portion telescopically fitting and secured to the said tubular end of the main bowl part,

the bowl ring having at its upper end an in turned flange overhanging the month end of the reflector.

3. An indirect lighting fixture comprising a socket housing, a 1. mp depending from the housing, a plurality of rigid. arms fast on the housing and extending downwardly and outwardly from the housing, a reflector underhanging the housing and into which the lamp extends, and an opaque bowl housing the reflector and supporting the reflector from the bottom ot the latter, two of the said arms having parallel outer ends non-detachably hinged to the bowl, and means detachably Ii connectin the outer end of the third arm to dia me": r

the bowl.

t. in an indirect lighting unit, an opaque bowl and upwardly open bowl having an inturned annular flange at its month end, a re flector ioused by the bowl. and having a con tral bottom portion seated on the bottom of the bowl, the reflector having its month end underhanging the said flange, the interior of the said month end being sub stantially equal to that of the bore 01'' the said flange, the outside diameter of the said re flector mouth end approximating the bore of the portion of the bowl below and adjacent to the said flange, whereby the said bore por tion centers the reflector in the bowl.

5. In an indirect lighting fixture, an upwardly open and upwardly flaring reflector, and an urn-shaped bowl housing the reflector and sli htly taller than the'reflector; the bowl comprising a main bowl portion shorter than the reflector, and a bowl ring fitted upon and secured to the upper end of the main bowl portion; the bowl ring havin at its upper end an inturned flange overhanging and adj acentto the month end of the reflector, the portion of the bowl ring ad jacent to the said reflector month end having a bore approximating the outside diameter of the said month end so as to center the reflector in the bowl; the reflector having its bottom seated on the bottom of the bowl and the bowl having all parts between its said bottom and the said bore portion freely spaced from the reflector.

6. In an indirect lighting fixture, an upright and upwardly flaring reflector, and a substantially urn-shaped bowl housing the same; the upper end part of the bowl comprising an annular flange overhanging and close to the mouth end of the reflector and of a bore approximating that of the said reflector mouth end; the reflector having its lower end seated on a relatively small bottom portion of the bowl and having its month end centered in the reflector by the bore portion of the bowl adjacent to the said flange, the bowl being formed so that all portions thereof between its said small bottom portion and its said reflector centering portion are freely spaced radially of the bowl from the reflector.

7. In an indirect lighting fixture, an up-- wardly open reflector having a downwardly convexed lower end; and a substantially urnshaped bowl housing the reflector and consisting of upper and lower parts secured to each other at the largest diametered portion of the bowl; the lower bowl part having its lower end engaging a relatively small lower end portion of the reflector; the upper bowl part having a portion surrounding and adjacent to the month end of the reflector so as to center the said month end in the bowl, the upper bowl part also having portions closely overhanging the month end of the reflector to prevent a tipping of the reflector in the bowl, the last named portions being spaced from the axis of the reflector by distances at least equal to the radius of the mouth end of the reflector.

8. In an indirect lighting fixture comprising an upwardly flaring reflector and a sub stantially urn-shaped opaque bowl housing and supporting the reflector; the reflector be ing seated on the bottom of the bowl; the bowl having an annular month end portion closely adjacent to the month end of the reflector so as to center the reflector in the bowl, the bowl having at its month end an inwardly directed flange suiliciently close to the mouth end of the reflector to prevent a tipping of the reflector in the bowl, the said flange having a bore at least equal to that of the mouth end of the reflector.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, April 19th, 1929.

EDWVIN D. TILLSON.

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