US1880399A

US1880399A - Floodlight

Info

Publication number: US1880399A
Application number: US436338A
Authority: US
Inventors: Reuben B Benjamin
Original assignee: BENJAMIN ELECTRIC Manufacturing CO
Current assignee: Benjamin Electric Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1930-03-17
Filing date: 1930-03-17
Publication date: 1932-10-04
Anticipated expiration: 1949-10-04

Description

0a. 4, 1932. EN A IN 1,880,399

FLOODLI GHT Filed March 17. 193o 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR;

I Ml/Al- A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 4, 1932. B BENJAMIN 1,88Q,399

FLOODLIGHT Filed March 1'7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY.

Patented Get. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR '10 BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MFG.

PATENT oFFicE (10., OF DES PLAINES, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS FLOODLIGH'I Application filed March 17, 1930. Serial No. 436,338.

This invention relates to lighting fixtures and has special reference to lighting fixtures of the type known as floodlights.

More particularly this invention relates to fioodlights which may be focused to give a concentratednr diffused beam of light, as desired, and in which the rays of light, except thoseprojecting substantially straight forward, are intercepted and'projected outwardm lyby the reflectors employed in the fixture at a comparatively small angle of deviation from the horizontal axis of the fixture.

Where it is desirable to have a spread beam of elliptical form, the front glass of the present fixture may be made of lens construction designed to spread the projected beams, as substantially all the light rays are projected forward by the reflectors. But due to the large proportion of divergent rays of direct light projected out through the lens in ordinary flo-odlights a spread beam lens cannot be used efficiently, as a front lens cannot be made to correct the divergent rays projected directly out through the lens and at the same time take care of the rays projected outward by the reflectors. As the present device is rotatable about its horizontalaxis, as well as being pivotally adjustable about a fixed point, the beam of light may be spread transversely in any direction and thrown in any locality desired.

A fixture of this type, due to its'high foot candle power, is unusually well adapted for night use in railroad yards and manufacturnovel arrangement of relatively movable reflectors whereby substantially all the light from a light source may be projected in a concentrated beam. In order to accomplish this the present device is provided with a stationary main reflector, a stationary suspended .reflector positioned forward of the lamp, and

ing plants, and industrial yards in general an inner reflector attached tothe lamp socket" and. movable horizontally with the socket. The inner portion of the inner movable reflector is made preferably parabolic, while the outer extremity is made spherical with a radius drawn from or near the lamp center. The inner end of the main reflector is likewise made spherical with a radius drawn from the same center. i V

The spherical portion of the two reflectors eflects a cylindical band in which there is no projection of light outwardly as the rays are reflected by the spherical portions of the reflectors against the main reflector, which then projects these rays outwardly. It is in this cylindrical band that the suspended reflector is positioned so that the outer surface thereof does not intercept any light rays.

If only the main reflector and the inner reflector were employed, a substantial portion of the direct rays would pass out through the front lens of the fixture without being intercepted by the reflector and could not, therefore, be concentrated. Inorder to avoid this, a third reflector, suspended forward of the lamp, is used. This latter reflector extends back between the center of the lamp and the outer edge of the main reflector, so that all the direct rays, except those directed almost'straight forward or intercepted by the main reflector, are intercepted by this suspended refiectorand are projected substantiall'y straight outwardly, which makes for a strong beam and a highly efiicient fixture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a light fixture of the above-referred to type which may be focused to give a concentrated or diffused beam, as desired. The lamp socket to. which the inner reflector is permanently attached is horizontally movable along the axis of the fixture, while the main reflector is stationary; therefore, when the socket and the inner reflector are moved rearwardly a highly concentrated beam results.

A still further object is to provide a spotlight in which the hood member carrying the socket may be easily removed, whereby it is necessary only to open the, front of the fixture to replace a broken lens. A bayonet con 10 nection between the casing and the hood is employed for this purpose.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a substantially weatherproof lightture with a portion of the hoodremoved to show the collar secured to the socket and slidably mounted in the hood;

Fig. 4 is a detailed plan view of one of the bayonet slots by which the hood is secured to the casing;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the collar for supporting the socket and the rods which project through the back of the hood and are sli dably mounted therein and v Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed view specifying the fastening means on the clamping member which holds the lens in place in the front of the casing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the construction shown comprises a casing 1, preferably parabolical. Attached to the inner end of the casing 1 by means of the bayonet slot 2 and the screw 3 isv a hood 4. A lamp socket 5 is slidably mounted within the hood 4, said lamp socket 5being provided with ears 6 to which is attached a U-shaped collar 7 which fits over the socket 5. This collar has horizontal rods 8 fastened adjacent each end of the collar 7 which extend rearwardly through guides 9 in the back of the hood member 4 and are slidable therein.

The rods 8 support the socket 5 within the hood 4 and guide it during horizontal move-.

ment. A stem 10 is secured'to the rear end of the socket 5. Any means desirable may be used to secure the stem to the socket which in the present construction is accomplished by means of a sqaure head on the stem being inserted into the square opening11 in the back of the socket and held rigidly in place by a screw 12 inserted from the front of the socket through the bottom of the lamp-res ceiving opening therein.

The stem 10' having its outer end threaded projects outwardly through an opening in the recessed portion 13 in the back of the hood 4. A thumb nut 14 is threaded onto the threaded end of the stem 10 and by turning this nut the socket is moved horizontally and thereby focused.

Attached to the front end of thesoc'ket 5 is an inner reflector 18, the inner end of which is preferably parabollcal. This reflector 18 is formed with an annular groove at the inner end in-Which is positioned a metal ring 19.

The metal ring'19 is fastened to the socket 5 by means of screws 20 which extend through openings in the projecting portions 21 of the socket and thread onto the ring 19. The outer portion of the inner reflector 18 is preferably made spherical with a radius drawn from or near the light source and shown in Figure 1 by the cross. 1 I 1 A main reflector 22 having an outer parabolical portion is positioned within the casing 1 adjacent the sides thereof. The inner end of the main reflector 22 is also preferably made spherical with a radius drawn from the light sourceof the lamp. This inner end is made large enough to fit over the lamp to be used in the fixture. The reflectors 18 and 22 are preferably formed so that their adjacent ends always meet even when the socket is positioned toward the rearof the hood, whereby there is-never a gap between the two reflectors through which the light rays may.

escape.

A third parabolical reflector 23 which is substantially cylindrical at its outer end is suspended within the reflector 22 so that its inner end extends rearwardly and back of an imaginary line drawn between the light source of the lamp and theouter edge of the main reflector, wherebvno rays of light from the lamp may be projected directly outwardly through the lens between the outer surface ofv the reflector 23 and the inner surface of the reflector 22. The reflector 2.3 is provided with arms 24 which extend outwardly and are secured to the casing 1 by the clamping mem-' ber 25 whichalso secures the reflector 22 and the lens 26 to the casing 1.

In order to avoid any danger of rattling and to insure a tight fit, felt strips 27 are placed over the outer edges of the reflector 22 and the lens 26. The outer ends of the arms 24 he between-the felt strips placed over these edges." The clamping member 25 isthen' easy access to the fixture is provided by means of the removable hood.

A band 30 is secured about the inner cylindrical end of the casing 1. The ends of the band 30 are bent so as to form parallel arms 30a having perforations through which a screw 31 is extended. A wing nut 32 threads onto the end of the screw 31 so that this band may be loosened or tightened at will, by which means the whole fixture may be rotated about a horizontal axis. A portion of the band intermediate the arms 30a is riveted to a socket 33 which is placed over the ball 34 to form a ball and socket connection, the ball 34 being mounted on the end of a stationary support 35.

Although the present fixture has been described as being constructed with the hood extending rearwardly of the casing, it may be constructed with the axis of the hood running vertically and the casing being at right angles to the hood. In such a construction the lamp would extend either upwardly or downwardly and the inner reflector 18 would be positioned at the rear of the lamp. Instead of the casing, the hood would be secured to the stationary support and the casing could be hinged to the hood so that the whole front portion of the fixture would swing out to afford access to the interior thereof.

Although the casing and reflectors have been described as being parabolical, the same could be flattened and made parabolical so as to provide an elliptical beam where such is desired.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications thereof may be made with out departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and I desire, therefore, that the same be limited only by the scope of the prior art and the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lighting fixture comprising a casing having a main reflector therein, a hood removably secured to said casing, a lamp socket having ear portions extending outwardly therefrom, a collar member fitting over said socket and secured to said ear portions hav ing rods extending rearwardly and through the back of said hood, registering guides in the back of said hood for slidably receiving said rods and maintaining said socket in said hood, and an inner reflector attached to the forward end of said socket and movable therewith.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a casing having a main reflector therein, a hood removably secured to said casing, a lamp socket having ear portions extending outwardly therefrom, acollar member fitting over said socket and secured to said ear portions having rods extending rearwardly and through the back of said hood, registering guides in said hood for slidably receiving said rods and maintaining said socket in said. hood, a stem fixedly secured to the back of said socket having the outer end thereof threaded and extending through an opening in the back of said hood, a thumb nut threaded onto said stem for moving said socket to focus the fixture, resilient means for urging said socket forwardly, and an inner reflector attached to said socket and movable therewith.

3. A lighting fixture comprising a casing having a main, reflector therein, a hood removably secured to said casing, a lamp socket having ear portions extending outwardly therefrom, a collar member fitting over said socket and secured to said ear portions having rods extending rearwardly and through the back of said hood, registering guides in the back of said hood for slidably receiving said rods and maintaining said socket in said hood, a stem fixedly secured to the back of said socket having the outer end thereof threaded and extending through an opening in the back of said hood, a thumb nut threaded onto said stem for moving said socket to focus said fixture, a spring positioned between the rear of said socket and said hood for urging said socket forwardly, and an inner reflector attached to the forward end of said socket and movable therewith.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.-