US2013380A - Multiple bulb electric lantern - Google Patents

Description

Sept? 3, 1935. v .1. H. EASLEY I 2,013,380

MULTIPLE BULB ELECTRIC LANTERN Filed Aug. 18, 1934 16 13 JOHN H.EASLEY,

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Application August 18, 1934,"? no. 2405512? 1 Claim.

This invention relates to electric lanterns, and it has for its object to provide an improved article of this character employing a battery of one or more cells, a plurality, preferably two, of

5 light bulbs and means for connecting the battery in series through either of said bulbs separately and individually. By virtue of the arrangement hereinafter shown and described, I

am able to provide a two cell battery, flashlight type lantern, wherein the cells are used in series. I not only provide an article that is very light and convenient to carry, but one that is cheap to operate and one in which there is always one bulb in reserve, so that if a bulb should burn out the other may be immediately brought into action, even in the dark, and used until another bulb can be secured to replace the burned out one. It is a further object of the invention to provide an assembly of the character indicated, employing two battery cells and wherein one cell is upside down with respect to the other, with a resulting arrangement of parts that is exceedingly compact and economical of manufacture.

Further advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows:

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the lantern of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View upon line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating a fiber strip and an associated switch, hereinafter described. 35 Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

In the particular form of the invention which I have chosen for purposes of illustration, I dese ignates a case adapted to receive the two conventional battery cells 2 and 3, said casing being provided with a hinged cover 4 that is provided with a suitable snap fastener at 5. The pole B of the battery cell 2 makes contact with one end of a bowed spring contact strip I that is secured in the cap 4 and is suitably insulated by the insulating strips 8 and 9.

The opposite pole or bottom of the battery cell 6 makes contact with a metallic ground strip II], which has connection by means of the bolts II with the lower head I2 of the case I. This head carries a pair of incandescent light bulb sockets I3 adapted to'receive the incandescent light bulbs I4. When these bulbs are screwed into the sockets aforesaid, their inner ends may contact with the contact beads I5 that are car- I UK ried by a fiber insulating plate I6. .A switch lever I7, the outer portion of which projects through a suitable slot I8 of the casing, has its inner end pivotally mounted at I9. The pivot I 9 passes through the lower fiber insulating plate I6, through a contact strip I1, and through the upper fiber insulating strip I8. The free end of the spring strip I'I' passes upwardly through an opening I9 of the upper insulating strip I8, and is turned over to provide a spring contact end 20 which makes engagement with the center pole piece 2| of the battery cell 3. The upper end of the cell 3 is contacted by the end of the spring strip 1. For convenience in carrying, the battery is provided with a bail 22 which has pivotal engagement with the case I at 23 in a wellknown way.

The lower portion of the lantern is supported upon legs 24 from a base plate 25. This arrangement provides a lantern which may be placed upon a table or other flat surface, and will remain in an upright position, but one which permits the free passage of the light rays in all directions, so that the path of the user may be properly illuminated when the lantern is carried from place to place. The lantern may be turned to any desired position to direct the light in any desired direction.

When the switch lever occupies an intermediate position between the contact beads or studs I5 so that it makes contact with neither of them, neither of the bulbs will be lighted. If it be desired to light the left hand bulb in Fig. 1, the

switch lever I! is swung upon its pivot to cause it to make contact with the left hand contact stud I5. A circuit will then be completed from the pole 6 of the cell 2, through spring 1, cell 3, contact end 20 of contact strip II to switch lever Il, stud I5, bulb I4, socket I3, lamp base I2, bolt II and ground strip I I] back to cell 2. It is apparent that if the switch lever I! be swung in the opposite direction to contact the right hand stud I 5, the circuit from switch lever I! will then be through the right hand lamp bulb I4 and right hand socket I3 back to the head I2, and thence through bolt II and ground strip ID to cell 2. I

It is to be understood .that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown and described, because it is clear that changes in form, proportion, size and manner of supporting I A multiple cell; multiple bulb lantern of the character described, comprising in combination a metallic casing, a cover for the same, a pair of battery cells in said metallic casing, one of said cells being inverted with respect to the other, a contact strip carried by the cover and insulated therefrom and connecting the said battery cells at the upper end of the metallic casing, a metallic casing head at the lower portionof the metallic casing carrying a pair of lamp sockets,alower insulating strip within the metallic casing head,

and a pair of contact studs carried by said in,- sulating strip and lying in alignment with the" lamp sockets and close enough thereto 'so' that lamp bulbs screwed into the lamp sockets may v contact directly therewith, a-vsecond insulating strip within the metallic casing above the first insulating strip, means for holding said insulating v the, lamp sockets.

strips in spaced relation to each other, a switch lever pivoted to the under side of the uppermost insulating strip and adapted to be swung to make contact with either of said contact-studs, an

electrically conductive strip leading from the pivot pointof said switch lever upwardly through the upper insulating strip and being provided with a terminal contact portion with which the positivepole of the, inverted battery cell engages,

JOHN H.

EASLEY.

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