US1982500A

US1982500A - Electric lighting system and controls therefor

Info

Publication number: US1982500A
Application number: US568670A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry A Douglas
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1931-10-14
Filing date: 1931-10-14
Publication date: 1934-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1951-11-27

Description

NOV. 27, 1934. DOUGLAS 1,982,500

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM AND CONTROLS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 27, 1934. H A OULA 1,982,500

ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM AND CONTROLS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM AND CONTROLS THEREFOR 2 Claims.

This invention relates to electric lighting systems and controls therefor more particularly for automotive vehicles.

Among other objects, the invention provides an electric lighting system having improved auxiliary control means in addition to the usual circuit controlling switch.

The invention is of particular utility in connection with a duplex lighting system for an automotive vehicle inclusive of normal driving lights and intermediate driving lights and improved means, whereby the normal driving lights may be temporarily extinguished and the intermediate driving lights substituted therefor, or vice versa,

5 at any time during the operation of the vehicle (for example, when the vehicle is passing another car), said means being desirably foot operated so that the hands of the driver of the vehicle are left free for other driving operations. The invention is also desirably inclusive of means permitting the driver to remove his foot from the auxiliary control means leaving the lighting system in the condition in which he has last placed it. I also provide that one pair of driving lights need not be extinguished until another pair is lighted, so

that the headlights do not go off during the selective alternations.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, in

which-- Figure 1 is an axial section of one form of structure for the auxiliary control means employed with my invention;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure of Figure 1; Y t

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

' Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of some of the parts of the structure of Figure 1 shown in separated relation;

Figure 6 is a projected view on a single plane of some of the parts shown in Figure 5; and Figure '7 is a diagrammatic view showing the illustrative mechanism applied to a duplex lighting circuit of an automobile.

Referring in detail to the figures of the drawings, I have shown an electric lighting system for automotive vehicles including a source of current such as the battery 1 (Figure 7) and a plurality of lighting filaments in each of the head lamps 2, such as the

double filaments

3 and 4. The filaments 3 may be located in the focus of the lamps and may thus constitute the normal driving lights of a vehicle, while the filament 4 may be of the same candle power, but located above the focus of the lamp so as to direct the light more downwardly and thus avoid dazzling the eyes of the driver of an approaching car, during the passing of the vehicles. Any suitable switching mechanism such as the conventional hand operated switch 5 (which may be conveniently located on the dashboard 6 of the vehicle and is in electrical connection with the battery 1 by means of the insulated lead 7) may be employed to establish circuits through each of the

filaments

3 and 4. In accordance with my invention, auxiliary switching mechanism is also provided for discontinuing the circuit through one of the filaments, say the filament 3, and continuing a circuit through another filament such as the filament 4,

or vice versa. This auxiliary switching mechanism is desirably foot operated and is represented by the switch 8 which is advantageously of the push-button type and may be conveniently located on the floor board 9 of the vehicle, preferably to the left of the clutch pedal (not shown).

The illustrative foot operated switch may include a metal base 10 (Figure 1) which may be appropriately secured to the underside of the floor board 9, the operative parts of the switch projecting through a suitable aperture in the floor board. The base 10 mounts upon one side a cylindrical turret 11 which projects through a suitable opening in the floor board 9, and upon the other side an insulating block 12, the turret conveniently having longitudinally extending lugs 13 which pass through holes in the base and are clinched over the insulating block 12, maintaining the parts in assembly. Sliding upon the turret 11 in telescoping relation therewith is a depressible member represented by the cap 14 and plunger 15, which may be riveted together as at 16 to constitute in effect a unitary member which is adapted to have uniform motion. That is the cap and plunger are moved in one direction on the turret l1 selectively by the foot of the operator of the vehicle and when released are automatically moved in the other direction to be returned to their original position, for the purpose of controlling the circuits referred to.

Contacts for these circuits may be carried by the insulating block 12 such as the contacts 1'7, 18, 19 and 20. These contacts are arranged in pairs, each pair constituting the terminals of one of the circuits and are grouped about a common center as being radially disposed thereabout, the contacts of a pair, such as the contacts 1'7--l9 or 110 vgo out during the alternation from one the contacts 18-20 are on diametrically opposite sides of the said center.

As here shown, the contact members 1'7, 19 and 20 each rivet to the block 12

metallic terminal members

21, 22 and 23, respectively, whereas, the contact 18 is in electrical connection by means of the metal strip 24 with the contact 17. Incooperation with suitable binding screws, such as the screw 25, the

terminal members

21, 22 and 23 electrically connect the

insulated leads

26, 27 and 28, respectively, with the

contacts

17, 19 and 20 (Figure 6). The lead 26 connects the dash switch 5 with the contact 1'7; the lead 27 connects the filaments 3, constituting the normal driving lights of the vehicle with the contact 19; and the lead 28 connects the filaments 4 or the intermediate driving lights of the vehicle with the contact 20.

I provide a current conducting bridge here represented by the metallic wiper 29 which is adapted for selectively connecting the contacts of the pairs of contacts, that is, the contacts 1'7 and 19 may be electrically connected by the wiper 29 or the contacts 18 and 26'may be connected. When the contacts 17- and'19, for example, are connected by the wiper 29 (assuming the main switch 5 to be in circuit continuing position) a circuit is established through the grounded battery 1, leads 7, 26 and 27 and through the grounded filaments 3, causing the normal driving lights of the car to be lighted. Similarly when the

contacts

18 and 20 are connected by the wiper 29, the circuit just described is broken and the circuit is established through the grounded battery 1, leads '7, 26 and 28 and each of the grounded filaments 4, causing the intermediate driving lights of the vehicle to be lighted.

The wiper 29 is desirably wide enough so that the connection between one pair of contacts, say 17 and 19, is not broken until the circuit is established through another pair, 18 and 20, so that either of the

filaments

3 or 4 will glow continuously in any position of the wiper 29, provided the switch member 5 is in circuit closing position, thus desirably insuring that the head lights do not lighting filament to the other.

In the present exemplification of the invention, the wiper 29 is rotatable by movement of the cap and plunger 14 and 15, means being provided for transforming the reciprocable movement of the cap and plunger into rotary motion to rotate the wiper upon reciprocation of the cap and plunger in either direction.

The wiper 29 is adapted to be rotated on an axis coincident with the center about whichthe

contact

17, 18, 19 and 20 are arranged. For this purpose, the wiper may .be a thin strip of metal diametrically fixed upon an insulating disc 30. The disc 36 may comprise a plurality of laminated layers of insulating material, as shown in Figure 1, (the ends'of the wiper being clinched thereover) and the rotary member so formed is coaxially secured by suitable. means to one end of a square hollow shaft 31,. To rotate this member, the shaft 31 is shown in telescoping relation with a hollow cam follower having a shaftlike portion 32 which is also square in cross section and is closed at one end and open at the other. Through its open end the follower receives the shaft 31 with a snug sliding fit. The follower also includes a circular metal plate 33 secured to the open' end of the shaft 32 and having the integral radial follower fingers 34, spaced ninety degrees apart around the follower; These fingers project into a cam path formed by the opposed cam surfaces 39 and 40. These cam surfaces may be conveniently produced by suitably cutting the opposing ends of two cylindrical members 41, thus making each cam surface continuous. The cylindrical members 41 may be secured about the axis referred to by staking them as at 42 to the inner walls of the turret 11, holes 43 being produced in the cylindrical members 41 to receive the indented portions 42 of the turret (Figures 1 and 4). Each cam surface 39 and 40 has a series of hills 44 and valleys 45 and the hills of the valleys of the two surfaces are staggered, that is a hill of one cam surface is opposite and substantially midway between a hill and valley of the other cam surface. Each hill and valley provides an inclined slope 46 which the follower fingers 34 ride upon. The follower 32 therefore can reciprocateon the shaft 31, but will cause the shaft to rotate with it, on reciprocation in either direction of the follower 32, rotation of the wiper 29 being therefore caused on an axis which is common to the wiper and to the center about which the contacts are disposed.

Since the inclines 46 of both cam surfaces face in the same direction and are alternately arranged, reciprocation of the follower 32 in one direction will cause the fingers 33 to slide along the inclines 46 of the cam surface 39. During this movement of the follower, the fingers will be given an angular movement by sliding along the inclines 46 and the follower will be partially rotated.

Reciprocation of the follower in the opposite direction will cause the fingers to leave the inclines 46 of the cam surface 39 and to engage the inclines 46 of the cam surface 40, when the follower will be further rotated. Regardless, therefore, of which direction the follower is moved, it will upon any movement be partially rotated in the same direction and consequently the wiper 29 will also be rotated in the same direction.

The follower 32 may be reciprocated in one direetion by depression of the cap and plunger 14 and 15 by the foot of the driver of the vehicle and upon release is automatically reciprocated in the opposite direction by the coil spring 47 which is jointly enclosed by the

hollow members

31 and 32 and presses these members apart. The spring 47' also maintains the wiper 29 in engagement with one or the other of the pairs of contacts 17-19 or 1820. Movement of the plunger 15 outwardly of the. turret 11 may be limited as in the present construction by engagement of the shoulder 48 on the plunger and an annular inwardly directed flange 49 on the end of the turret. The plunger 15 need have only reciprocatory motion, it desirably engages the follower 32 at but one point, to minimize friction between the two parts, for example, at the rivet 16 which is centrally located to bear against the closed end of the follower. The enlarged inner end 50 of the plunger slides along the inner walls of the cam cylinder 41, while the cap 14 slides along the outer walls of the turret 11, the walls of the turret and cam cylinders being thus between the plunger and cap, so that the parts are well stabilized and. the cap acts as a movable closure over all.

In the normal position of the cam follower 32 to which it is returned by the action of the spring 47, the wiper 29 is arranged to bridge one of the pairs of contacts 1'7-19 or 18-20 without engaging the other pair. If, as already described, the wiper bridges contacts 17 and 19, the normal driving lights of the car being then on, and the cap14 isdepressed by the foot of the driver, the

inclines 46 of the cam surface 39 will rotate the follower 32 through an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. Since the

contacts

19 and 17, for example, are ninety degrees apart, the wiper will then occupy a position midway between the

contacts

19 and 18 and midway between the

contacts

17 and 20. In this position of the wiper, both the normal driving lights and the intermediate driving lights of the car will be on, simultaneously, since the wiper electrically connects both pairs of contacts 17-19 and 18-20. When new the driver takes his foot oil the cap 14, the spring 47 retracts the plunger 15, causing the follower 32 to be further rotated by engagement of the fingers 34 with the inclines 46 of the opposed cam surface 40, another forty-five degrees, which places the wiper in electric bridging connection with the

contacts

18 and 20 only, so that the normal driving lights of the car are extinguished and the intermediate driving lights are on. When the driver wishes to change back again to the normal driving lights of the car, he repeats the operation just described. Thus by operation of the cap and plunger, the two circuits described may be successively opened and closed in uninterrupted se quences of cycles of operation by means of a member having uniform motion, and the bridge may remain in either operative position.

By means of a conductor 51, which is connected in parallel with the switch 8, a circuit may be established through the main switch 5 to the grounded filament, not shown, of the usual tail light 52. When the switch 5 is therefore in circuit closing position, the tail light is on regardless of which of the head lamp filaments are in circuit. When it is desired to extinguish all of the lights described, the switch 5 may be turned by hand to off position.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the details of construction described above for illustration.

Subject matter disclosed but not claimed in this application is claimed in my cope'nding application, Serial No. 568,669 filed October 14, 1931, in which I have broadly claimed the switch structure per se.

Having described one embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. In a lighting system for automotive vehicles, the combination of a. source of electricity and bright and dim head lamps with a one direction operator actuated reciprocable switching mechanism operating at each actuation to establish a circuit from the source through both bright and dim filaments and after each actuation to automatically complete the reciprocation and at the same time maintain the current through one filament and discontinue the current through the other filament, whereby at each successive cycle of reciprocation the bright and dim filaments are both energized and thereafter the respective filaments energized alternately.

2. In a lighting system for automotive vehicles, the combination of a plurality of pairs of lighting filaments, a source of current, switching mechanism for simultaneously establishing and maintaining circuits through both of said pairs of filaments, and unitary auxiliary switching mechanism having two alternative positions, one of said positions continuing the circuit through both pairs of filaments and the other position discontinuing the circuit through one pair of filaments and continuing a circuit through the other pair, operator controlled means moving the auxiliary switching mechanism into the first mentioned position to continue and maintain the circuit through both pairs of filaments, and means for automatically moving the auxiliary switching mechanism to the second mentioned position to continue the circuit through one pair of filaments but to discontinue the circuit through the other pair upon release of said operator control means.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.