US1763874A - Battery hand lamp - Google Patents

Description

June 17, 1930. Jjs. ZOOK .BATTERY HAND LAMP Filed oct. 1e. 192s Y- INVENTOR F2924. /9 Joh/2 5. Zoo/f ATToRNEYs Patented `fune 17, 1930 UNITI-:o STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN S. ZOOK, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO BURGESS BATTERY COMPANY, OF MADISON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION O1? WISCONSIN BATTERY HAND LAMP Application led October 16, 1928. Serial N'o. 312,809.

My invention relates to a battery handV lamp and consists of a dry cell battery having an incandescent 'bulb in a separable lamp head so constructed as to be capable of being moved by the thumb or finger into an operative or inoperative positio n.`A

It is an object of my invention to=provide an electrical conducting and contact member to be incorporated in a hand lamp of this type to insure proper cooperation between the movable and stationary contacts at' all times and prevent misadjustments that other-` wise may be inherent or develop with use.

This invention consists essentiallyof improvements over the devices disclosed in the applications of John S. Zook, Serial N o. 225,045, tiled Oct. 10, 1927 (now Patent No. 1,701,093, granted February 5, 1929) and Halvard F. Nygard, Serial No. 286,620, filed June 19, 1928 and other devices' of similar character.

Further objects, advantages and distinct features will become apparent from the following detailed description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of my battery hand lamp with ,the lamp holder in solid'lines for the operative position and in dotted lines for the 'inoperative position, and with my improved connecting and contact member in position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a substantially rectangular perforated insulating sheet which forms part of my connecting member;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the insulating sheet material with a metal eyelet mounted in the perforation;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 of Fig. 3; v

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the cup at the top of the hand lamp with the insulating sheet material mounted in p'osition'therein;

Fig. 6 is a part sectional view of a modied form of my improved hand lampl with the lamp head removed; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of'the hand lamp shown in Fig.. 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 ofthe drawings, my improved hand lamp preferably consists essentially 'of one or more dry cells'l 4and 2, electrically connected as by connector 3. The battery is' arranged in a suitable carton 4,

which may be of paper composition or metal f and which projects abovethe topof the dry cells to form an oval receptacle. In this receptacle is placed a metallic cup 5, which is electrically connected to one pole of the battery, preferably by soldering to the negative can as at 6. An opening 7, in the bottom of the cup 5 allows the positive battery pole 8 to be exposed. The pole 8 is insulated from cup 5 by means of insulating washer 9. The cells are insulated from each other by means of a strip 10 of insulating sheet material.

The separable lamp head which is mounted in cup 5 comprises a lamp holder or backing member 11', formed of sheet metal, and provided With 'cams 12 at its base portion. The incandescent bulby 13 may be movably mounted Within the backing member 11 by being screwed into the pivoted socket member 14, or the bulb 13 may be rigidly mounted within the backing member 11 by being soldered directly to the base portlon thereof. A looped spring wire 15 is bailed to the backing member 11 and is adapted to be removably held in position at its looped end -by wings 16 and lug 17 which are punched in from hthe sides and bottom respectively of cup 5. Wings 16 also cause spring wire 15 to exert a downward spring pressure upony backing member 11, l

The edges of opening 7 are provided with downturned flanges 18 and upturned flanges 18. A substantially rectangular piece of insulating sheet material 19, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is adapted to be arranged in this opening. The member 19 is provided with a perforation20 into Iwhich a metal eyelet 21 -may be securely fastened by any suitable means such as riveting. The insulating sheet 19 is of a width substantially equal to the length of the opening 7, and is adapted to slide sideways into place between flanges 18v and the bottom of cup 5 with its plane parallel to the' plane of the bottom of'cup 5, as shown in Fig. 5. The insulating member 19 with the eyelet -21 mounted therein is so positioned that after the cup 5 is in position 10,0

at the top of the battery, eyelet 21 will be directly. over pole 8. A drop of fused conducting material, such as solder 22, may then be allowed to run into the hole of the eyelet and down upon the top surface of the pole 8, providing a permanent electrical connection between the two.

' The operation of the handv lamp is as follows. Spring wire 15 is bailed to the backing member 11 at 23, and the lamp head is adapted to pivot at this point. The thumb or finger may easily engage the tip 24 of backing member 11 and move it from its normal inoperative position, shown in dotted lines vin Fig. 1, to the operative position as shown in solid lines. During this operation cams 12 slide upon the bottom of cup 5 and are guided by flanges 18 to the outside of opening 7. The cams 12 areso shaped as to cause spring wire 15 to exert greater downward pressure atthe intermediate position and for that reason, the lamp head will assume either position with a snap. In the operative position, the backing member 11 acts as a reflector for the bulb 13 while in the inoperative position it forms a closure for the hand lamp. In the operative position the electrical circuit is completed 'as follows: The cup 5 isgelectrically connected to one pole of the battery at 6 and since the backing member 11 is in Contact with cup 5 in several places, the screw terminal of bulb 13 is in the electrical circuit by virtue of its being screwed into the metallic socket 14, or by being soldered directly to the backing member 11. The base terminal 26 contacts with the top portion of eyelet 21 and solder v22. The top surface of solder 22 is arranged to be substantially flush with the top of eyelet 21. The solder and eyelet thus cooperate to form a contact member for terminal 26 and a conducting member between terminal 26 and pole 8.

There are several advantages gained by the l t ed to contact directly therewith. Since in-` dividual cells often vary in height, it is impossible to always obtain a uniform relation between the positions o f the pole 8 and cup 5. In the operation of assembling the lamp head, regardless of whether the bulb is mounted in a socket or soldered direct to the backing member 11, it is necessary that the bulb position, in each hand lamp, be adjusted to pro' vide proper contact between the base terminal 26 and the pole -8 when the lamp head is in the operative position. The most satisfactory results are obtained if the base terminal 26 makes firm contact with the`pole 8 when cams12 and the lower edge 27 of the backing member 11 both rest upon the bottom of the. cup 5, as shown in Fig. 1. y The position of the lamp head is then fixed. In the event that the base terminal 26 should protrude farther from the base portion of the backing member 11, the cams 12 and the lower edge 27 will not rest upon the bottom of cup 5 and the lamp head may then be moved into a number of positions. In case the base terminal 26 does not protrude far enough it will fail to make contact with the pole 8. Vith the intermediate connecting member in position the effective height of the battery terminal 8 is always the same relative to the bottom of cup 5 and the same position of the bulb 13 within backing member 11 may vbe maintained in every lamp head. The positioning operation may be made to be automatic.

Unless the eyelet 21 is firmly held in its position, as by soldering, the repeated operation of the lamp head will eXert a hammering action upon the pole 8 which 'will tend to drive the cell 2 lower in the carton4, with the result that the terminal 26 may soon fail .to make contact with pole 8. Insulating material 19 This construction allows the battery unit to be assembled completely before it is inserted into the carton 4, thereby greatly simplifyl ing the assembling of the hand lamp. If the carton 4 is made of metal the cell 2 and connector 3 need only to be insulated from the metal can. It may be preferable to wrap both cells with a wrapper as a unit anmftalso insulate the bottom connector. Such a attery unit may be slipped readily into and out of the carton 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a modified form of may improved hand lamp comprising a plurality of cells 28 and 29 in end-to-end relation, with the carbon poles lowermost, encased by an open-ended cylinder 30 of insulating material, within a metallic casing 31. The upper end of casing 31 is punched to receive a cup 32, similar to cup 5 of Fig. 1, which may be soldered or otherwise suitably secured in place. The cells are connected in series since the carbon vrod of cell 28 is soldered to thezinc can of cell] 29. The carbon pole 33'rests upon and may be soldered to) the bottom of casing 31 which provides electrical connection between pole 33 and cup 32.

Cup 32 is insulated from cell 28 by means of a fibrous washer34 which is provided with an eccentric opening 35 beneath the flanged opening in the bottom of cup 32. A piece of insulating sheet material 36 containing an eyelet 37 is maintained in place by flanges 38 formed on the cup. A drop of solder 39 connects the eyelet 37 to the bottom of the negative can 32v and to the cell 28. A lamp head similar to that heretofore described is adapted to be inserted into cup 32 and to be operated as hereinbefore'descr-ibed. The assembly in this modification is rigidl held together and forms a very compact evice.

Although this battery hand lamp has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments, it should be clearlyr understood that .this invention is not limited to the particular structural details shown, and that certain changes, modifications and alterations may be made Without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. f I claim:

1. In a battery hand lamp, a battery, a cup at one end of said battery, said cup being electrically connected to one pole of said battery and having an opening for exposing the other pole and being insulated from said second pole, flanges along the edges of said opening, a piece ,of insulating sheet material iitting between said flanges, a perforation in said sheet material, a metal eyelet mounted in said perforation, and fusible conducting materiall in said eyelet connecting said eyelet With said exposed pole.

2. V I u a battery hand lamp, a batteryfa cup at one end of said battery, said cup being electrically connected to one pole of said battery and having an opening for exposing the other pole and being insulated from said second pole, a piece of insulating sheet material mounted in said opening, said sheet material being provided With a perforation, a metal eyelet mounted-in said perforation, conducting material connecting said eyelet to said exposed pole and an incandescent bulb pivotally mounted in said cup and adapted to be pivoted into an operative or inoperative vposition, the base of said bulb contacting With said conducting material when in said operative position. I

3. In a battery hand lamp, a battery, a'cup at one end of 'said battery, said cup being .connectedto one oleof said battery and having an opening or exposing the other pole,`

an electrical conducting member insulated from said cup and permanently connected to said exposed pole and an incandescent bulb pivotally mounted in said cup and adapted f to be pivoted into an operative or inoperative position, the base of said bulb contacting with said conducting'member when in said operativeposition.

4. In a battery hand lamp, a battery, a cup at one end of said battery, said cup being electrically connected to one pole ofsaid battery and having an opening for exposing the other pole and being insulated from said" second pole, a metal conducting member mounted in said opening, said con ucting member being insulated from said cup and contacting with said exposed pole, and an incandescent bulb pivotally mounted in said cup and adapted -to be pivoted into an operative or inoperative an opening for exposing the other pole and being insulated from said second pole, means comprising an electrical connecting and contact member mounted in said opening and permanently connected to said exposed, poleI to maintain constant the effective position of said exposed pole'relative to the bottom of said cup', and an incandescent bulb pivotally mounted in said cup and adapted to be pivoted into an operative or inoperative position, the base of said bulb contacting with said contact member when in said operative position.

6. Ina battery hand lamp,` a battery, a cup at the top of` said battery, said cup being connected to one pole of said battery and having an opening for exposing .the other pole, and being insulated from said second pole,l means for permanently adjusting the effective height of said second pole relative to the bottom of said cup, said means comprising a conducting member supported'by said cup and permay'ico

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