US1939857A - Electric hand lantern - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 19, 1933. H LARSON 1,939,857

ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Filed Oct. 5, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 19, 1933.

c. H. LARSON 1,939,857

ELECTRI C HAND LANTERN Filed 061;. 5. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec; 19, 1933 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Carl B. Larson, Elkhart, Ind.,assignor to The Adlake Company, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation of Illinois Application October 5, 1932. Serial No. 636,287

8 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a simple frame bearing a lamp and connections that can be easily and quickly assembled with a battery to form a light serviceable hand lantern for trainmen.

Selected ways of achieving this object are shown inthe accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a lantern;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View with the various parts displaced to show their form,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of lantern frame composed chiefly of wire, and

Figs. 5 and 6am fragmentary perspective views, illustrating selected ways of mounting the handle.

But these drawings and the corresponding description are used mainly for disclosure and are not intended to impose limitations on the claims that) will allow the substance of the invention to be appropriated by others during the life of the patent.

The battery generally, indicated by 10, comprisesa casing of insulating material having cells for electrolyte, plates, etc., each cell being provided with a cap 11, and two cells being connected by a bus bar 12. The terminals 13 and 14 project from the top. This form is chosen for illustration because it is available onthe market, and suited '30 to the purpose.

The base of the frame is a ring 15, which is grasped at opposite points by the rolled forks 16 of side pieces 18. Above the ring 15 the side pieces are curved inwardly to assume an upright position against a ring 19 to which they are spot welded. Some distance above the ring 19 the side pieces are offset outwardly at 20, to provide clearance for the heads 21 of. hinge pins. The

, handle comprises a metal loop covered with insulating material, such as hard rubber 22 fitted at its endswith metal tubes 23, flattened at 24 and perforated to receive the hinge pins. Fiber washers 25 on each side of the flattened portions provide friction for sustaining the handle in an adjusted position. Beyond eachfiber washer is a metal washer 26 and beyond that the pins are upset at 2'7 to secure the parts together.

Above the offset portions 20 the side pieces are received in offset portions 28 of another ring, divided at the side'and having parallel ears 29,

one of which'is threaded to receive a screw 39.

All parts of the frame as described are preferably of metal, such as steel or iron, except the fiber washers 25 and the cover for the handle 22.

For convenience, the ring 19 will be called a seat ring and the ring 31 will be called a clamping ring, or clamp.

The term insulating material, unless the context prevents, will indicate all that class of materials including hardrubber, fiber, formaldehyde condensation-products, and the like.

A block of insulating material 32 which, for convenience, will be called a battery seat, is disklike in form and rests upon the seat ring 19 with a reduced portion 33 extending well into the ring. The lower side of the battery seat is further reduced and made concave to conform with the back of a metal reflector 34, secured in place by screws 35, one of which also fastens an angularpiece of thin resilient metal 36 for maintaining good elec 70,1 trical contact between the reflector and the seat ring 19. V

Around the middle of the reflector there is a tubular flange 37 projecting into a bore 38 in the seat ring and ,a threaded 'metal lamp socket 39- 76; is soldered or brazed to the reflector and projects upwardly into a counter bore or recess 40.

, The upper side of the seat ring 32 is provided with an annular groove 41 and a diametrical groove 42. 1 The latter receives a fiat leaf spring 43 secured in place by a screw 44 and having a globular depression 45 for engagement with the base contact 46 of a lamp bulb 4'7.

The leaf spring 43 projects beyond the circumference of the battery and welded or riveted to it is an upright rod 48, insulated by a sleeve 49 to a point above the top of the battery and terminating in a threaded portion 50.

One terminal 13 of the battery is grounded to the frame by anangular piece of sheet metal 51, having one end return bent at 52 to form .a clamp for the terminal 13 and the other end provided with elongated slot 53 to receive the bolt 30, by which it is clamped between the ears 29 of the clamping ring. The other terminal 14 is equipped with a split lug 54 clamped. to it by a screw 55. This lug projects beyond the rim of the battery where it is perforated at 56, to receive the upper end of the insulating sleeve 49, which terminates approximately flush with or slightlybelow the top of the lug. I

A knurled nut 57 on thethreaded portion 50 of the rod 48 may be adjusted, as shown in Fig. 3, to open the circuit or run down against the lug 54 to close the circuit. 7 l 1 1 105 In the latter condition'the circuit will be from the terminal 13 to the connector bar 51, to the ears 29 of the frame, thence to the angular metal piece 36, reflector 34, and through the socket to the outer terminal of the lamp 46, then-from tern frame. metal bracket 79 having its ends turned about the base contact to the spring 43, the rod 48, and the nut 5'7, to the lug 54, on the terminal 14.

The clamping ring 31 is given a U-bend 58 to provide clearance for the rod 48, and the sleeve 49, and also to give a free opening and closing action of the ring.

with the parts assembled, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the lantern may be used in the ordinary way, and is lighted or turned outby a slight movement of the nut 57.

When the battery is to be changedthe screws 30 and the nut 57 are removed, the battery is lifted out and replaced by another equipped with parts corresponding to the connectorbar 51 and the lug 54, if they are available, otherwise the same lugs are changed from the old to the new battery.

It is contemplated that each time a lantern goes into service it will be equipped with a freshly charged battery and each time the lanterncompletes a tour of service the battery will be removed and recharged. I In this way the trainman will be assured of having a fully charged battery each time he goes on duty.

Of course, instead of the secondary battery, 2; primary battery may be used, but the secondary battery will be more economical and more satisfactory under many conditions.

Some railway men prefer a wire frame lantern, and Figs. 4, 5 and 6, sheet 2 are inserted to illustrate how the invention may be embodied to suit those men.

In Fig. 4- thebase ring 15 and the seat ring 19 are retained as shown in Fig.2. The side pieces, however, take'the form of four wires 59 andthe clamping ring is also made of wire, as shown at 60.

The wires 59 are formed up by machine, the intermediate portions are welded to the seat ring 19 and their ends are turned about the base ring 15 and the clamping ring 60, as shown at 61 and 62 respectively. Adjacent the turned portion 62 the clamping ring is slightly offset, as indicated at 63 to assist in locating the wires 59.

A U-bend 64 in the clamping ring 60 serves the samepurpose as the U-bend 58 shown in Fig. 2. The ends of the wire constituting the clamping ring 60 are eachturned into a complete loop 65, which are bent to lie parallel as indicated in Fig. '4, and receive the bolt 66, by which the clamping ring is made fast about the battery 10.

Handle plates 6'? of sheet metal have their forked ends 68 rolled about the upper portions or the 'wires 59 and their intermediate portions 69 perforated to receive rivets '70, on which the wirehan'dle 71 is pivoted. Latches '72 formed of wireia nd pivoted on the clamping ring serve to hold the handle in fixed position or allow it free pivotal movement.

In Fig. 5 one of the wire side pieces '13 is provice-s with a bi'ght 74, in which the loop 750i the wire handle '76 is pivoted, and it will be understood without more complete illustrations that,

a similar structure is upon the opposite side of the lantern.

A sheet metal latch '77 pivoted on the clamping ring 78 serves to secure the handle '76 in upposition "or allow it free pivotal movement.

In Fig. *6 means is shown for mounting a handie -22, such as sho'wn in Fig. l, on the wire lan- This isaccomplished by a sheet abattery seat of insulating material on the seat ring, a. battery on the seat and encircled by the clamping band, a reflector below the battery seat and electrically connected with the seat ring, a lamp socket projecting upwardly from the refiector and electrically connected with it, a lamp in the socket having a base contact, a transverse conductor on the battery seat bearing a spring contact for the lamp, a rod extending from the transverse conductor upwardly alongside the battery, a switch between the rod and one terminal of the battery and an electrical connection between the other terminal and the clamping ring.

2. In a lantern, a metal frame including side bars connecting a seat ring and a clamping band, a battery seat of insulating material on the. seat ring, a battery on the seat and encircled by the clamping band, a reflector below the battery seat and electrically connected with the seat ring, a lamp socket projecting upwardly from the refiector and electrically connected with it, a lamp in the socket having a base contact, a transverse conductor on the battery seat bearing a spring contact for the lamp, a rod extending from the transverse conductor upwardly alongside the battery, a lug projecting from one terminal of the battery, a nut adjustable on the rod to open and close a circuit with the lug, and means for connecting the other terminal of the battery to the frame.

3. In a lantern, a frame including a seat ring, a battery seat of insulating material having a reduced portion in the ring, a battery on the seat, a lamp socket opening downwardly from the seat, a lamp in the socket, an electrical connection between one terminal of the battery and the lamp socket, an electrical connection between the other terminal and the lamp including a threaded rod alongside the battery, a contact lug projecting from the terminal and a nut on the rod adjustable into and out of contact with the lug.

4. In a lantern, a frame including a seat ring, a battery seat of insulating material having a reduced portion in the ring, a battery on the seat, a lamp in the socket, an electrical connection between one terminal of the battery and the lamp socket, an electrical connection between the other terminal and the lamp including a con- ,du'ctor on the seat extending laterally from the lamp beyond the side of the battery, a rod extending upwardly alongside the battery, a lug extending laterally from the terminal to the rod but insulated from it. and a nut threaded on the rod above the lug.

5. In a lantern, a frame comprising a seat ring below, a clamping ring above, and side pieces connecting them, a downwardly directed reflector electrically connected with the ring, a connector bar extending inwardly from the clamping ring and adapted to engage the terminal of a battery, a lamp socket in the reflector, a contact adjacent to the lamp socket but insulated therefrom, a conductor extending upwardly from the contact adjacent the side of the frame, and means associated with the conductor adapted to engage the other terminal of a battery.

6. In a lantern, a metal frame comprising a seat ring below, a clamp above, and side pieces connecting the ring and clamp, a battery seat of insulating material on the seat ring, a downwardly directed reflector on the battery seat electrically connected to the seat ring, a lamp socket electrically connected with the reflector, a lamp contact on the battery and electrical connections from the frame and the lamp contact for a battery. 7

7. In a lantern, a metal frame comprising a seat ring below, a clamp above, and side pieces connecting the ring and clamp, a handle pivotally connected with the side pieces, a battery seat of insulating material on the seat ring, a downwardly directed reflector on the battery seat electrically connected to the seat ring, a lamp socket electrically connected with the reflector, a lamp contact on the battery seat, and electrical connections from the frame and the lamp contact for a battery.

8. In a lantern, a metal frame comprising a seat ring below, a clamp above, and side pieces connecting the ring and clamp, a loop-shaped handle pivotally connected with the side pieces, a latch for holding the handle against pivotal movement, a battery seat of insulating material on the seat ring, a downwardly directed reflector on the battery seat electrically connected to the seat ring, a lamp socket electrically connected with the reflector, a lamp contact on the battery seat, electrical connections from the frame and the lamp contact for a battery and a switch in the lantern circuit controllable by the handle.

CARL H. LARSON.

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