US2051324A - Lamp - Google Patents

Description

LAMP

Aug. 18, 1936. i E. D. WILLIAMSON 5 ,32

Filed Dec. 8, 1934 v INVENTOR. EVQNDVV/ HIV/50M Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFiee LAMP Application December 8, 1934, Serial No. 756,614

3 Claims.

My invention relates to lamps, and it is among the objects of my invention to improve the visibility of lamps emitting colored light, such as red signal lights, tail lights and the red headlights used on police cars and motorcycles, ambulances,

Another important object of my invention is to provide a lamp construction which will operate to reduce glare in an ordinary headlight.

A further object of my invention is to embody the improvements in a lamp construction which is compact and of good mechanical design.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the fore- 15 going, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to this disclosure of species of my invention, as I may adopt variant embodiments thereof within the scope of the 20 claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing a preferred embodiment of my invention; and

25 Figure 2 is a similar view showing a modified form of construction.

Figure 3 is a front view of a lamp with its front lens removed, and illustrates another embodiment of my invention.

30 Figure 4 is a side view of a globe carrying a clip, and illustrates another form of my invention.

In terms of broad inclusion, the lamp embodying my invention comprises a source of light, and means sensitive to vibration for disturbing the 35 light beams from the source. When used as a vehicle lamp the light disturbing means is designed to vibrate in response to the vibrations set up in the vehicle.

In greater detail, and referring particularly to 40 Figure 1, a preferred form of my invention as embodied in a motorcycle headlight, comprises a housing 2 carried by a support 3 having a suitable clip 4 for mounting the lamp on the motorcycle. The front of the lamp housing is covered 45 by a lens 6 of red glass, held in place by a suitable ring clip I.

Within the rear of the lamp housing a supporting terminal block 8 is provided. This block is preferably fixedly mounted in the housing, such as by the screw 9. A socket I I is provided on the forward end of the supporting block 8 for receiving the globe I2 which provides the source of light for the lamp. A reflector I3 is also pro- 55 vided in the housing and is arranged about the globe I2 with its mounting on the supporting block 8.

Means, sensitive to the vibration of the motorcycle, are provided for disturbing the light beams from the light source I2 in order to improve the 5 visibility of the lamp. In order to accomplish this result means are preferably provided for mounting the light source I2 and reflector I3 for relative vibration. This is effected by resiliently mounting the reflector on the supporting block 8. 10 As clearly shown in Figure l, the reflector I3 is supported by arms I4 extending radially and forwardly from the block 8. These arms are of a suitable resilient material, such as spring metal. The rim of the reflector I3 is spaced from the housing 2 and the base of the reflector is pro- 7 vided with an aperture I6 so that the reflector is suspended in free spaced relation relative to the housing 2 and globe I2.

By this arrangement the reflector is free to vibrate without striking the adjacent rigid ele ments of the lamp. Under these conditions the reflector I3 will vibrate rapidly in response to the vibration set up in the frame of the motorcycle. This vibration of the reflector disturbs and breaks up the light beams from the light source I2, with the result that the visibility of the red light emitted by the lamp is materially improved.

Many motorcycle policemen are killed each year because of accidents. A large percentage of these accidents is attributable to the fact that the red headlights employed by trafiie patrolmen are not as visible as they should be, with the result that other motorists are not able to give the proper right of way to an oncoming and often fast traveling patrolman. I have found by actual tests that a red headlight embodying the improvements of my invention is clearly and distinctly visible from a much greater distance than the ordinary red headlight.

Another important application of my invention is in the red headlights or warning lights of motor cars, such as police cars, ambulances and fire trucks. In the case of automobiles I preferably make the spring arms I I of a lighter and more resilient material, since the vibration set up in a motor car is less than that existing in the ordinary motorcycle.

Another important application of my invention finds its embodiment in the ordinary tail light of an automobile. It is a well known fact to any motorist that the red tail light of a preceding automobile is not always easy to see. This difficulty is largely corrected by incorporating the improvements of my invention.

The principal idea of my invention is to disf turb or'break up the light beams emitted by the lamp, so that'an ordinary red light is made more distinguishable or visible. The preferred form shown in Figure l is one means for accomplishing this result. There are many other means thatjrriay be employed for accomplishing the same purpose. Figure 2 shows'aconstruction in which thereflector. l1 isfixedly mounted in the housing ls, and the light source or globe V In this case the supporting block 2| carrying the globe socket 22" "I9 is mounted for vibration.

is resiliently mounted on the reflector 7- by suitl'l, so. that.

The Vibratlens whichcoversthefrontof the lamp housing '26. This lens is resilientlysuspended by aipluralityof springs, 25 connected betweenthe periphery of the lens 2,! andthe rim of; the re- ,beams emitted by thelamp.

V may be effectedflby providinga suitable .mountr .ingifor the lampsuchassecuring.the clamp' l.

Still another form that my'inventionmaytake l .S illustrated in Figure 4, and is adaptable for incorporation in any ordinary lamp, .111 this 7 case, a clip is provided Whichis mountedon the globe 29 and comprises afvane 3i supported'on theclamp portions 32 by thin flexible arms 33." .The vane 3| may be. of thin sheet, metal and is disposed in the path of the] light beams emitted bylthe light source 29: Under conditionsot yibra-.

tion, asin a vehicle, the vane 3! will vibrate across the. path 0mm, lightbeams, and this breaking up of the beams .o'peratesito enhance the'visibility of the lamp.

Instead ofvibrating an element. within the lamp, an ordinary lamp'may' be employed and the lamp as'aqwhole caused toVibrate; This shown in Figure, 1 about a thin rod connected across the handle-bars of amotorcycle. Anordinary lamp mounted'on such a thin rod will be caused to vibrate rapidly as .a whole. The resulting rapid vibration is such that the light beams are disturbed to a point where the visibility of the light emitted is materially improved.

The vibration of j this resiliently mounted lens. induced by the vibration of the vehicle, operates to disturb or breakup thelight It is understood of course that any other suitable means could be employed for mounting the lamp to effect its free and rapid vibration. connection it is to be understood that the ordinary vibration set up in a lamp by a vehicle is not suflicient to effect the visibility of a lamp. a

It is only When'a mounting means is provided for materially increasing the natural vibration ofv thelamp that the light beams are disturbed surficiently to improve the visibility. The improvements of my invention also find intersections. Trafiic conditions at street in tersections, especially in metropolitan districts, result in considerable vibration in the surround- For such installations I preferably employ resilient mounting elements, such as the spring arms l4 andf23 showninFigures 1 and 2,-Whi0h are of a very light spring material, so that the S1185 pended element is verysensitive to vibration.

Another'veryimportant ,use of the 'improve- Q ments embodying myinvention is in the ordi-j' nary headlight for the purpose of reducing glare.

A blinding headlight is the. source of; many ac-.

In this utility in signal lamps, such, as found at street .15 7 ing structural elements, such asv signal lamps.

cidents. With my improvements, however, the illuminating power'is -maintained,.,while at the same time the breaking up of the light beamsmaterially reduces the glare;

I claim: 1 1.,A lamp comprising a light globe, aisupportding block, a socket on the block for the globe, a

reflector separate from a'nd'spaced' freely from the d a plurality of substantially flat' springarms each connected at one end to the block and at the other endto the periphery of the reflector, said arms extending radially out wardly from said block and curving-forwardly.

, toward the reflector.

2. A lamp comprising alight globe, a fixed supporting block, a socket on' theblock for the 1 light globaavibratile reflector, and a plurality of substantially flat spring arms each connected at one end to the periphery of the, reflector, said arms extending radiallyoutwardly from said block and curving forwardly toward'the reflector.

3. A lamp com-prising alightglobe, a fixed to the blockand at the other end reflector, a vibratile supporting block, a Socket 1 on the block for the light" globe, and a plurality to the periphery of the reflector, said arms extending radially outwardly from said block and curving forwardly toward the reflector.

of substantially flat springv arms each 'connected at one end tothe blockand at the other'end EVAN D. WILLIAMSON.

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