US2032595A - Mounting for reflector buttons - Google Patents

Description

M816}! 3, H R SCHUTZ MOUNTING FOR REFLECTOR BUTTONS Filed April 28, 1934 Patented Mar.- 3,1936

UNITED STATES 2,932,595 MOUNTING FOR REFLECTOR BUTTONS Harold R. Schutz, Ottawa Hills, Ohio, assignor to Libbey Cataphote Corporation, Toledo, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 28, 1934, Serial N0. 722,922

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in a mounting means for autocollimators or reflecting buttons of the lens mirror type in which an incident ray of light is refracted and reflected back to its source or substantially so. A plurality of such autocollimators are mounted on a panel to form a character or sign which is visible at night to automobile passengers, due to the rays of the automobile headlights being reflected back to the automobile. This invention is directed specifically to a mounting by which such buttons are held on the panel.

The primary object is to provide a mounting that will securely hold a button in position on a panel and will protect the button from unauthorized removal.

Another object is to provide such a mounting which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and which is easily applied to a panel.

Still a further object is to provide such a mounting which will insure a reflector button being mounted with its axis aligned with the housing and perpendicular to the panel.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of such a mounting mounted on a panel with a reflector button.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the outer shell of the mounting split in half longitudinally.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inner of the mounting.

In detail I is a cylindrical glass reflector button having an objective lens 2 and a reflecting rear surface 3 and provided with a circumferential shoulder 4 adjacent its objective lens 2. The button is further provided with an oppositely disposed circumferential shoulder 5 positioned slightly to the rear of a point midway between the objective lens 2 and the reflecting surface 3.

The mounting proper comprises an inner cylindrical shell 6 provided with threads 1 adjacent shell its closed rear end and has an outwardly projecting rim 8 that is folded back upon itself to form an inwardly projecting rim 9. Two outwardly bent prongs 10 are cut from the sides of the inner shell 6 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The outer shell II is of slightly larger diameter and is provided with threads l2 adapted to cooperate with the threads I of the inner shell. The sides of the outer shell I I at a point forward of the threads l2 are formed with an outward bend l3 and an upward bend 14 resulting in the upper diameter of the shell being greater than the base diameter. The edge I5 of the rim is turned outwardly at right angles to the plane of the side of the shell to form a flat bearing sur-- face Hi.

In operation the reflector' button of the shape described is placed within the inner shell 6 with a circular pliable gasket ll abutting the shoulder 5 and with its object lens 2 exposed, its central side portion abutting the side of the shell to insure correct alignment, and the rim of the shell is folded down over the shoulder as at 9, thus holding the button securely within the inner shell, the gasket I'l compressed between the shoulder 5 of the button and the reduced or threaded portion I of the shell. A circular hole is then provided in the desired position on the panel I8 having a diameter only slightly greater than that of the inner shell. The button mounted in the inner shell is then pushed through this hole until the inwardly projecting rim 9 rests against the outer surface of the panel l8. As this is done the prongs l0 bend inwardly as they are forced through the hole and then snap out to normal position as shown in Fig. 1. The outer shell H is then threaded onto shell 6 and tightened until bearing surface l6 contacts the inner surface of the panel which then becomes clamped between surface l6 and rim 9. It will be noted that the upper part of outer shell H is enlarged to provide clearance for the spring prongs III of the inner shell. It is customary to provide a backing panel which will enclose the rear portion of the assembly and it is therefore apparent that unauthorized removal from the front is not permitted by the prongs H) which act as barbs. The assembly can only be removed from the rear of the panel by unscrewing the outer shell and then compressing the prongs and pushing the inner shell out through the hole.

I claim:

1. A reflector button mounting comprising a button encasing member, outer threads formed at the lower end thereof, an outwardly extending shoulder at the upper end, upwardly directed compressible prongs extending outwardly from the side of said member above the threads adjacent and opposing said shoulder to form stop members, a hollow clamping member, inner threads formed at the lower end thereof, the wall of said casing member being formed outwardly and upwardly above said inner threads to provide a housing for said prongs when said two members are threaded together and a bearing sbeurface formed at the rim of said clamping mem- 2. A mounting assembly to be mounted within a. circular opening in a panel and adapted to hold a reflector button comprising a button encasing member, outer threads formed at the lower end thereof, an outwardly extending shoulder at the upper end, upwardly directed compressible prongs extending outwardly from the side of said member above the threads and adjacent said shoulder to oppose the rear of the panel, said encasing member adapted to be pcsitioned within the circular opening in the panel, the lower end extending rearwardly, the shoulder abutting the panel front, the prongs adjacent and opposing the rear of the panel to prevent removcontacts the rear of the panel to clamp the 10 panel between it and the shoulder of the encasing member thus securing the button in position andencasing the prongs.

HAROLD R. SCHUTZ.

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