US1991928A

US1991928A - Device for testing, adjusting and focusing headlights

Info

Publication number: US1991928A
Application number: US621713A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hill James
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-07-09
Filing date: 1932-07-09
Publication date: 1935-02-19
Anticipated expiration: 1952-02-19

Description

J. HILL Feb. 19, 1935. u

DEVICE FOR TESTING, ADJUSTING, AND FOCUSING HEADLIGHTS Filed July 9, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l l 1 I J I l I l l l r l i I l l l I l I l I l l I l I l INVENTOIZ'.

ATTORNEYfi Feb. 19, 1935.

DEVICE FOR TESTING, ADJUSTING, AND FOCUSING HEADLIGHTS Filed July 9, 1932 s she ets-sheet 2 T MES Hi" 6/ WP INVENTOR.

J. HILL Feb. 19, 1935.

DEVICE FOR TESTING, ADJUSTING, AND FOCU-SING HEADLIGHTS Filed July 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lNVENTORZ JAMES H \LL ATTO RNEY5.

; section,

Patented Feb. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR TESTING, ADJI I F STING AND FOCUSIN G HEADLIGHTS James Hill, Mitchell, Ontario, Canada Application July 9, 1932, Serial No. 621,713 3 Claims. (01. 88-14) This invention mates to devices for facilitating the testing, focusing and adjustment of motor vehicle headlights.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of simple and compact construction which is quickly and easily operated to test and ad just headlights in an accurate manner. J

The improved apparatus is small and easily portable and doesnot require a large space or level ground or any other special condition for its operation. 7

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended. claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way. of example, a convenient embodiment of the improved apparatus:

Figure 1 is a sectionalelevation of'the improved lamp focusing and adjusting device,

.l igure 2, is a front elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a plan of the device,

Fig,ures 4,v 5 -an d 6 are diagrammatic sectional elevations illustrating the operation of the dev1ce,

Figure 7,is, an elevation of asupport for still further facilitating the operation of the imp oved device,

Figures is a plan view of Figure? partially in Figure} is a diagrammatic side elevation illustrating the use of the device shownin Figures rand-8,

Figure is a perspective view of an attachment for use when the supporting member shown The improved apparatus comprises a rectangu lar container or box 1 having opaque side, front,

rear and bottom walls, which may conveniently be. made of sheet metal. 'I'hetop wall of the box, formed by a translucent screen ,or panel 2, preferably of ground glass. 1 The front wall of .thebox 1 is providedwith a pair of: parallel,

horizontal slits 3 ands and the panel 2 ,is pro vided-p with two setsof parallel index lines5, 5== and 6, 6 6 to cooperate with beams of light te n throu t e slits. Band here a te l des r bed A mirrorio equivalentr fl st n surface 7 is mounted in the box 1, preferably at an angle of 45 with respect to the front wall and to the glass 2.

A levelling device such as a spirit level 8 is mounted at any suitable location on the box, preferably on the glass 2, and the box walls may be extended upwardly beyond the glass 2 fora suitable distance as shown in Figure 1, to protect the level 8 andalso to shield the glass 2 tosome extent from the exterior light.

Anadjusting screw 9 is mounted in a lug 10 on the bottom of thebox for a purpose to be described later. i

The reflecting surface 7 and the ground glass 2 are held rigidly and accurately in position by any suitable means, for example, by angular bracket members 11. V

The operation of testing a headlight for correctfocus will now be described with reference to the diagrams shownin Figures 4, 5 and 6.

The front wall of the boxl is placed flat against thelens of the headlight which is indicated at 12, and the box is moved until the upper slit ,3 is attthe centre of the lens. The index lines 5 and are so positioned that a beam of light 13, directfrom the lamp bulb 14, isreflected by the mirror 7 to illuminate the space between the lines 5 and Bewhen the slit 3 is at the centre of the lens. -If the-lamp is in focus a beam of light 15, reflected by the lamp reflector and passing through the lower slit 4, willbe reflected bythe mirror 7 at such an angle as to illuminate the space between the index lines 6 and 6 as indicated ineFigure 4.; If the lamp 14-is too far from the reflector 12 the illumination from the beam 15 will appear on the glass2 at the right of the lines 6 as viewed in Figure 5. If the lamp is too close to the reflector the beam 15 will appear to the leftof the lines6, that is, nearer the headlight, as indicated in Figure 6. I

The lamp 14 is focused by themeans provided therefor .on the headlight, usually by turning a screw at the back of the headlight in the appropriate direction. This adjustment is continued untilthe-light from the beam 15 falls between the lines 6 and 6 Meanwhile the box is held stationary so that the light from the beam 13 remains between the lines 5 and 5, this condition being shown diagrammatically in Figure 12 in which the light from the

beams

13 and 15 is indicated by stippling.

When the lamp has "been focused the headlight is tested for correct alignment or faimiinthe following mannen The screw 9 is turned and its end bears against l the lens of l the headlight. and

thus forces the lower part of the box 1 away from the lens, the top of the box 1 being kept pressed against the lens. The light from the

reflected beams

13 and 15 will move towards the headlight, the movement of the beam 15 being greater than that of the beam 13 and this adjustment of the screw 9 is continued until the light from beam 15 is just past the centre index line 6 see Figure 13. The headlight is now correctly aimed if the levelling device 8 indicates that the box is level and assuming that the automobile is loaded at the time the adjustment is made. If the vehicle is unloaded, allowance is made for the load by continuing the adjustment of the screw 9 until the light from beam 15 is just past the line 6 as indicated in Figure 14. The spacing of the lines 6, 6 and 6 is so calculated that the adjustment described above complies with the ofiicial regulations at the place where the adjustment is made. For example, the space between the lines 6 and 6 may be such that with the adjustment indicated in Figure 14, the top of the beam will be five inches below the centre line of the lamp at twenty-five feet from the headlight.

If the box is found to be not level the mounting of the headlight is now loosened and the headlight is adjusted until the levelling device 8 indicates that the box is level. The headlight is then re-clamped in position and the aiming operation is complete.

The box 1 thus provides a very small and compact device by means of which focusing and aiming can be quickly and accurately effected under any conditions. The box may be 'made very small, for example, 3 x4x1 and it will be noticed that the size might if desired, be even further reduced by omitting that portion of the box which lies beneath the mirror 7. e

When the testing is done in a garage, the operation may be further simplified by means of the devices shown in Figures '7, 8 and 10. Figures 7 and 8 show a supporting member comprising a bar 16 having a longitudinal slot 17. Two clamping and self-centering

devices

18 and 19 are slidably mounted on the bar 16 and are formed with angularly disposed, integral walls 20. The member 18 has a projection 21 which fits slidably in the slot 17 to prevent rotation of the member 18 on the bar 16, and a clamping screw and nut 22 are provided to secure the member in-the desired position on the bar 16. The member 19 is provided with a clamping screw and nut 22, but may rotate as well as slide on the bar. Clamping screws 23 fitted with rubber caps 24 may also be mounted in bosses on the walls 20.

A detachable extension device comprising twoslidably connected bars is adapted to project into the end of the slot 17, the whole device being arranged to be extended to a suitable length and clamped in position by screws 26, the length of the bars being such that they can be extended to a total length about equal to the maximum distance between the outside edges of automobile headlights.

When the supporting device is to be used, the bars are assembled as indicated in Figures 7 and 8 and are held in a horizontal position in front of the headlights to be tested. The

screws

22 and 22 are loosened and the

members

18 and 19 separated. The

members

18 and 19 are then disposed on opposite sides of a headlight and are moved towards each other until the walls 20 engage the sides of the lamp. The parts'18 and 19, in this position, are separated by a distance in excess of the length of the

slots

3 and 4. When the four points of contact of the walls 20 are in engagement with the headlight the slot 17 in the bar 16 is in position across'the centre of the headlight. The nuts 22 and 22 are then tightened and in order to prevent anyslipping of the supporting device, the screws 23'are screwed in to bring the resilient heads 24 into engagement with the headlight. In placing the device in position the bars are kept horizontal so that outer extension bar 25 occupies the same position relative to one headlight as the upper part of bar 16 occupies with respect to the other headlight.

When the supporting device is in position on the headlight the

bars

16 and 25 are separated a short distance from the headlight lenses, and suitable means are provided to attach the testing box 1 to the bars in an upright position with respect to the lens. A suitable device for this purpose is shown in Figure 10, and consists of a plate 27 having parallel lugs 28 on each side thereof, and an inverted channel or hook 29 at the top. The lugs 28 have aligned perforations arranged to register with similar perforations 31 provided in the side walls of the box 1. This device is placed on the front of the box 1 as indicated in Figure 9 and a pivot pin 32 is passed through the aligned holes and 31. The plate 27 is also provided with

openings

33 and 34 so disposed asto register with the

slits

3 and 4 respectively, and a projection 35 is furnished to engage the headlight lens and support the box 1 initially in upright position. I

The slits in the box 1 areso arranged that the upper slit 3 registers with the slot 1 7 in the bar 16 when the channel 29 is hooked on the bar. The operations of testing, focusing and aiming are now the same as those hereinbefore described except that the box is now centered on the lens by simply hooking the box 1 on the bar 16 and when the screw 9 is adjusted the box pivots on the pin 32. V

When one headlight has thus been focused,

aimed and levelled, the box 1 with its attach ment is removed from the bar 16 and hooked on the bar 25 in front of the other headlight. The same operations are repeated in the reverse order.

The box 1 is already adjusted and levelled, and.

account of lateral displacement-of the lamp, thiswill be indicated by the illumination on the glass 2, as the light images on the glass will taper laterally to one side or the other, instead of being rectangular.

The level 8 may be provided with an adjusting device if desired, for example, as shown in Figure 11. level is provided at one end with a pivot projection 36 which engages a depression in the box wall, and at the other end with a lug 37 having a screwthreaded hole engaged by a, screw 38 rotatably mounted in a U-shaped' bracket39 carried by the opposite wall of the box 1 The level may be adjusted by rotation of the screw 38'and the latter is then sealed against unauthorized tampering or accidental displacement by a sleeve 40. v

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings are given by way of example only and- According to this construction, the

modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, Weighted pointer or index arm 41 (see Figure 9) may be used if desired, instead of a spirit level, the arm being pivoted at its upper end and provided with a pointer at its lower end to cooperate with an arcuate series of graduations.

Instead of using the supporting devices shown in Figures '7 to 10, the device'shown in Figure 15 may be employed. This comprises a member 42 having vertical side walls or lugs 43 and an adjusting screw 44 corresponding to the screw 9 shown in Figure l. Aligned pins are provided at 45 whereby the box 1 can be pivotally mounted in a detachable manner between the lugs 43.

The member 42 carries a rearwardly projecting rod 46 which slidably extends through a bore in a block 47 mounted on top of a telescopic standard or post 48 arranged on a suitable base 49 adapted to stand on the ground. Clamping screws 50 and 51 are provided to secure the member 42 and post 48 in adjusted position. It is thought that the operation of this device will be clearly understood without further description as it does not affect the operation of the box 1.

What I claim is:-

1. A headlight testing device comprising a container, an index means on one wall of said container, a plurality of apertures in another wall of said container, a reflecting surface rigidly mounted in said container to reflect beams of light entering said apertures on to said index tachment for detachably supporting said container on said supporting means in a normally upright position and means for adjusting the angular position of the container in relation to said attachment.

2. A headlight testing device comprising a container movable in any direction and having apertures in one wall, a reflecting surface rigidly mounted in said box, an index mark on another wall of said box located to receive light reflected by said reflecting surface directly from the lamp of the headlight, another index mark located to receive light reflected by said surface from the reflector of the headlight when the lamp is in focus, means for angularly adjusting said container about a horizontal axis with respect to the headlight, and further index means located to receive light reflected by said reflecting surface from the headlight reflector when the necessary angular adjustment of the box is effected by said adjusting means, and levelling device on said container to indicate level when the reflected light appears against said further index means and the headlight is properly aimed.

3. A headlight testing device comprising a container movable in any direction and having apertures in one wall, a reflecting surface rigidly mounted in said box, an index mark on another wall of said box located to receive light reflected by said reflecting surface directly from the lamp of the headlight, another index mark located to receive light reflected by said surface from the reflector of the headlight when the lamp is in focus, a levelling device on the box and a levelling screw on the lower part of said box and arranged to project beyond the apertured wall of said box.

JAMES HILL.