US1956092A

US1956092A - Light distributing device for dials and other surfaces to be illuminated

Info

Publication number: US1956092A
Application number: US554018A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arno A Ewald
Original assignee: ROMORT Manufacturing Co
Current assignee: ROMORT Manufacturing Co
Priority date: 1931-07-30
Filing date: 1931-07-30
Publication date: 1934-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 1951-04-24

Description

April 24, 1934. EWALD 1,956,092

DEVICE FOR DEALS AND OTHER SURFACES TO BE ILLUMINATED Filed July 30. 1951 2. Sheets-Sheet l LIGHT DISTRIBUTING INVENTOR ATTORNEYS April 24, 1934. W D 1,956,092 LIGHT DISTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR DIALS AND OTHER SURFACES TO BE ILLUMINATED Filed July 30, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EL MWMW /fl ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 24, 1934 LIGHT DESTRIBUTING DEVICE FOR DIALS AND OTHER SURFACES TO BE ILLUMI- NATED Arno A. Ewald, Oakfield, Wis., assignor to R- mort Manufacturing Company, Oakfield, Wis.

Application July 30, 1931, Serial No. 554,018

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in light distributing devices for dials and other surfaces to be illuminated.

My invention is particularly applicable to air filling stations equipped for filling the tires of motor driven vehicles. Such a station ordinarily has a pressure regulator, and a dial to indicate the proper setting of the pressure regulator for the filling of vehicle tires to a desired pressure.

Such dials and associated parts are ordinarily exposed at the sides of streets to Weather and to clouds of oil laden dust rising from the street as Well as to widely varying conditions of temperature, sunlight and shadow, whereby the efiiciency of ordinary illuminators and reflectors rapidly deteriorates.

The object of my invention is to provide means for illuminating dial plates and other surfaces requiring to be artificially lighted, in which the light rays may be softly and uniformly distributed over the surface to be illuminated and in which the source of illumination and the light distributing means will be adequately protected fromthe elements and capable of maintaining maximum lighting and light distributing efiiciency through long periods of time.

It is a further object of my invention to provide suitably housed means for reflecting rays of light emanating from a common source of illumination in such a manner that the reflected rays will cross at a multitude of angles in or nearly parallel to a common plane while approaching the surface to be illuminated at slightly convergent angles thereto and preferably from points of reflection above such surface, thereby tending to eliminate shadows which would otherwise be produced by objects projecting from points upon or adjacent to such surface, and largely avoiding variations in the intensity of the illumination of the various portions of such surface.

It is also an object of my invention to provide means whereby the rays of light reflected as aforesaid upon the surface to be illuminated may be sub-divided into fields of reflected light which overlap upon said surface in a manner to sharply illuminate all sides of irregularities, and clearly define lettering and pictorial illustrations thereon.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a dial illuminated in accordance with my invention, the dial being otherwise of a type similar to those used in connection with pressure regulated means for filling vehicle tires with air at a pressure indicated by the setting of the dial.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the dial support or housing, drawn to line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the light transmitting and reflecting box in the upper portion of the dial housing, as seen from the inner side.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing my invention as applied to an octagonal housing having a surface to be illuminated.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of an air filling station dial embodying my invention in modified form and arranged for distribution of light over the dial notwithstanding the presence of an associated pointer or pressure regulating lever.

Figure 6 is a sectional view drawn to line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the solid light diffusing and reflecting block embodied in the modified form of construction shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In Figures 1, 5, and 6 the lamp housing may be assumed to be substantially the same in structure. In the housing illustrated, a cylindrical periphery 13 is shown integrally connected with a back wall 14 and closed at the front by an annular wall member 15 from which an inset dial 16 is supported by an inturned flange 17. Preferably the front wall portion 15 has a beaded outer margin 18 which seats against an annular shoulder 19 on the outer surface of a rubber packing ring'covering the front margin of the wall'13. Clamping screws 21 connect the bead 18 with projections 22 on the outer surface of the housing wall 13.

A lamp 23 is mounted in the upper portion of the housing and is supported by an adjustable bracket 24 in a position to allow its direct rays 95 and those of its reflector 25 to pass through a glass plate 26 to an inclined and preferably arcuate mirror plate 27 mounted in the upper portion of the annular space between the flange 17 and the bead 18. The flange 17 is provided with an arcuate slot 28 in its upper portion, whereby the rays reflected by the mirror 27 may be directed downwardly through the slot and obliquely, with a slight inclination in the direction of the face of the dial 16. 105

If desired, the slot 28 may be covered by a dust-excluding light transmitting plate 29, an arcuate glass plate conforming in curvature substantially to the curvature of the flange 17 being preferably employed.

The mirror plate 2'7 preferably comprises a piece of sheet metal having a reflecting under surface preferably provided by chromium plating this surface. This piece of sheet metal has suitable cars at its respective ends which may be bolted to the flange 17 at the ends of the slot, as indicated in Figure 3.

The mirror plate 27 preferably has its upper margin provided with a down-turned flange 27 embracing the arcuate upper margin of the glass panel 26, the end of the plate 27 being similarly flanged to engage the ends of this glass panel, as best shown in Figure 3.

The lower margin of the glass panel is supported from the dial plate 16 bya bracket 31. As also indicated in Figure 3, the mirror plate 27 is longitudinally arcuate, although, as stated,

it is transversely inclined as best shown in Fig-- its ure 2. Its curvature, therefore, varies from inner to its outer margin, and the ends of the space above the slot maybe closed by flanges substantially perpendicular to the ears. The particular form of the mirror plate in this regard is "subject to considerable variation" in accordance withthe'desired illuminating effect to be obtained upon th'e dial plate, it being obvious that the form of the plate at the point where it is struck byany given ray of light from the lamp or from the reflector 25 willdetermine the direction of the ray and the point at which it will impinge upon the dial plate, toward which the larger percentage of the raysare directed. Some of the rays may fall upon the flange 1'7, and these rays, if inclined toward the dial, will be reflected by the flan'getothedial and'most of them will strike the--dial surfacebelow its center.

The exterior surface of the flange 17 will preferably'be also a highly polished reflecting surface, chromium plating being preferred because" of its durability 'andcapability of remaining untarnished either by oxidation or by other chemica'l a'cti0n of gases carried in the atmosphere.

It will be observed'in Figure 3 that the mirror plate 21. and the glass panel 26 form a com- -plete housing over the slot 28, thereby excludin'g dust and other. foreign matter from the interior of thehousing and protecting the lamp bulb and its mirror 25 from becoming tarnished or clouded; The arcuate light transmitting closure plate 29 may also be relied upon to protect the reflecting surface of the plate 27 and the outer face of" the glass 26 from foreign matter which might otherwise pass through the slot'28'. Butif the glass plate 29 is omitted these surfacesmay 'becleaned as often as desired by a suitable wiper inserted through the slot for that purpose. The location of the slot 28 underneatlrthe overhanging bead 13 and annular wall-'portion 15 is such as to protect the reflectingchamber from'the direct rays of the sun and from falling matter in the atmosphere so that frequent cleaning of the' reflecting surface of member 27, or the outer surface of the panel 26, will not be necessary even if the glass plate 29l-is omitted-and the slot 23 left open.

The-light delivered from the reflecting surface of the-plate Z'Z to the dial 16 will be a soft diffused light, which, coming from widely divergent angles, willvirtually eliminate shadows, and in cooperation with the rays coming from thecylindrical flange 1'? will illuminate all portions of the dial surface, even underneath a central-projection such as is illustrated in Figures' 5 and 6.

If desired, the reflecting plate 2'? may be formed to develop separate fields of illumination which may overlap upon the face of the dial. In Figure 4 a plate 27a is employed which is divided into three sections, including a central section extending horizontally across the upper margin of an octagonal dial plate 16a and two end sections inclined from the respective ends of the top section along the associated marginal portions of the octagonal dial. In this construction the wall portion 15a and its bead 18s are also octagonal, and the inturned flange 17a is correspondingly formed. The slot 28a is substantially c0- extensive with the three upper sections of the octagon.

The rays of light emanating from the lamp and its associated reflector may thus be sub-divided into three distinct fields of reflected light, directedby the reflector 27a through the slot 28a to the octagonal dial, and, owing to the inclination of the reflecting surface and the wide variation in' angles at which'the:rays of light will strike such surface in the different fields, it is obvious that by a proper adjustment of the lamp its rays may bewidely distributed but relatively concentrated toward the lower portion of the field along lines oblique to a central vertical line in addition to their pitch in the direction of the dial wall.

A similar effect may be obtained from the arouate'mirror 27. It is obtained throughcontinuous variation in pitch, andithe illuminatingeifect is quite different from that obtained by the structure as illustrated in Figure 4, because the latter has a greater tendency to develop shadows and observable variati'ons in the intensity of the illumination of different portions of the dial face.

In Figures 5 and 6 the construction maybe the same as that shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, except that'in place of the glass panel 26, re flectingplate 27, and dust-excluding glass plate 29, I substitute a glass block 32 having an arouateportion 33'of reduced width formed to fit within the slot 28. The top of this block is subdivided into

sections

34, 35, 36 and 3'], each of which is transversely inclined forwardly and downwardly. The flat faces 34, 35, 36 and 3? of the block 32 are each tangential to an arc of somewhat greater curvature than that of the lower faces'of the block, said lower face being concentric with the field to be illuminated. The rear side of the block is preferably vertical and the front side may also be vertical. Rays of light from the lamp 23 enter the block through its rear face and become more or less diffused and softened as they pass through it to the flat reflecting

surfaces

34, 35, 36 and 37, whereupon the reflected rays are sub-divided into different fields as described with reference to Figure l, and are thrown downwardly and inwardly in the direction of the dial to reach the surface thereof with a softer radiance than is obtained by the means disclosed in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive. However, the form of construction disclosed in Figures 1 and 4 is less expensive.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have clearly illustrated the manner in which my improved illuminator solves the problems encountered in the construc tion of vehicle tire filling air stations. These stations ordinarily have housings substantially like those disclosed in the drawings hereof and serving to enclose diaphragm pressure regulators 40 each having an inlet port 41 and an outlet duct .2.

The pressure regulator is has its casing ex tended through an aperture in the dial 16 and provided with an exterior adjusting screw 48 within which a pressure regulating-spring i9 is '1" mounted, the outer end of the spring being seated against the head of a calibrating screw 50. The adjusting screw 48 is covered by the hub 51 of an adjusting lever 52 which has a pointer 53 positioned for travel over a suitable index on the dial to indicate the pressure to be obtained by any given adjustment of the lever. The upper connecting screw 21 is provided with an elongated head 54 which serves as a stop for the lever. Neither the regulator, nor its structural features constitute a part of the invention herein disclosed, and they are referred to largely for the purpose of showing how light from an overhead source may be distributed to those portions of the dial which would otherwise be shadowed by the hub 48 or the lever 52. The problem of properly illuminating such dials has heretofore remained unsolved except in cases where a plurality of lamps are employed, and while in such cases the illumination may be complete, wide variations in the degree of illmnination greatly impair the benefits derived from the use of a plurality of lamps, and the soft radiant effects obtained by the use of my invention are absent.

It will be understood that a certain degree of light diffusion and refraction will occur in the arcuate member disclosed in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, and in that disclosed in Figure 4, since in these structures the rays of light pass through at least one glass panel if not through an arcuate glass plate covering the slot in the flange 1'7. The glass panel and the reflector plate, or the glass panel, reflector plate and slot covering plate, may be regarded in either case as a light diifusreflecting and refracting member or unit operating in a considerable degree as an equivalent for the solid block of glass with its top surface of reflecting material disclosed in Figure 7.

I claim:

1. The combination of a plate having a surface to be illuminated, a lamp, a light transmitting member projecting at one side of the space in front of the plate and provided with a reflecting surface adapted to receive light from the lamp through the transmitting member and redirect it at various angles therethrough to the plate, and a housing enclosing the lamp and all of the transmitting member except that portion of its surface through which the rays pass to the plate, the upper surface of said member bein su divided into a series of flat faces, each substantially tangential to the arc of a circle concentric to the center of the field to be illuminated and also laterally inclined downwardly and forwardly with reference to the surface to be illuminated.

2. A housing provided with a face plate having an inset dial and a light diffusing, reflecting and refracting member of a generally arcuate form carried by an outwardly projecting portion of the face plate in a position for transmitting and reflecting light from a source within the housing and diffusing it with substantial uniformity over the s' rface of the dial, said diffusing reflecting and refracting member having end portions formed with flat surfaces oblique to the other surfaces and adapted to direct rays of light to the lower portion of the dial from opposite sides of its vertical center line, said dial and the arouate face plate being exposed to the elements to facilitate cleaning and polishing the same, and the source of ligt including the transmitting and reflecting member within the housing being protected from the elements.

3. The combination with a lamp and a lamp housing provided with a face plate, a light diffusing, reflecting and refracting member overhanging the face plate and having a reflectin surface in such relation to the lamp and face plate as to direct rays of light from the lamp to said plate, said light diffusing, reflecting and refracting member having a generally arcuate light ornitting surface, and corresponding light reflecting surfaces inclined transversely for direction of rays of light obliquely through said light emitting surface toward the dial with different degr es of angularity due to the curvature of the are along which the light reflecting and emitting surfaces extend.

l. The combination with a housing provided with a dial in one wall, a pressure regulator mounted at the center of the dial and a source of illumination within the housing, said housing havin a projecting wall portion provided with an arcuate slot through which rays of light may be directed to the dial and a generally arcuate light reflecting member housed by said projecting wall portion and inclined for direction of rays of light from said source of illumination to the surface of the dial, whereby the ends of the light reflecting member are adapted to direct rays to portions of the dial on the opposite side of the pressure regulator from that which receives light from the central portion of the reflector.

5. The combination with a lamp containing housing having one wall provided with an inwardly extending slotted flange, a plate mounted at the inner margin of said flange, 2. body of transparent material in a position to receive rays of light from a lamp within the housing and having reflecting surfaces pitched at different angles and adapted to direct rays of light through the flange slot over the surface of the plate, said flange being also provided with a reflecting surface adapt-ed to direct rays of light therefrom to the associated plate.

6. The combination with a lamp housing provided with a face to be illuminated overhung by a portion of the housing, said overhan ing portion having an arcuate slotted bottom wall in combination with a light refracting, diffusing and reflecting member closing said slot and provided with a forwardly downwardly inclined top surface, said top surface and the portion of the bottom which fills said slot having faces respectively tangential to concentric arcs corresponding generally to the curve of said slotted wall.

'7. The combination with a lamp housing provided with an inset face to be illuminated, the housing having an inturned cylindrical light refleeting portion extending outwardly from said face and having an arcuate slot the top portion of the wall, a lamp concealed within housing at the rear side of said face and provided with a reflector adapted to project rays of light from the lamp into the portion of the housing above said slot, and a light diffusing, refracting and reflecting member adapted to receive the rays of light from the lamp and its reflector and distribute them directly over said face and indirectly by reflection thereto from said cylindrical reflecting portion of the housing wall, said face housing wall being exposed to the exterior for cleaning and polishing purposes, whereby substantially all available rays of light from the lamp may be distributed for uniform illumination of all portions of said face.

8. The combination with a lamp housing having an inset dial in one wall exposed to the elements with substantial uniformity, said means comprising a light reflecting, diffusing, and retracting member adapted to direct rays divergently from its central portion directly to the dial and indirectly to said cylindrical Wall for reflection to the dial and having end portions adapted to direct rays convergently to the lower portions of the dial and across the space immediately in front of the dial to said cylindrical wall for reflection to the dial.

ARNO A. EWALD.