US2082067A - Electric hand lantern - Google Patents

Description

June 1, 1937. c. H LARSON ELECRIC- HAND LANTERN Zia/amp C/CZ/QZELCIPSOTZ/ S; c ;.4

Filed Feb. 7, 1935 Patented June 1, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 2,082,067 ELECTRIC HAND LANTERN Application February 7, 1935, Serial No. 5,342

2 Claims.

The invention relates to electric hand lanterns especially intended for use of railway trainmen.

The object of the invention is to simplify,

lighten and generally improve lanterns of this type; and it consists in various details of construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of the lantern with bulbs;

Fig. 2 is a detail section on the line 2--2 of Fig, 1.;

Fig. 2 is a detail on the line 2 2 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line l4 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are views in perspective of certain parts of the lamp appearing in Figs. 2, 3 and 4-Fig. 5 being a view of the switch control element; Fig. 6 of the socket carrying plate, and

Fig. 7 of the reflector.

The lantern is of a type in common use, its body portion l5 being a casing for inclosing a dry cell. The lantern is preferably provided with a swinging handle it, and a wire standard IT.

The dry cell is conventionally shown at l8, being inclosed within the casing [5. An annular skirt l9 slidably fits upon the lower end of the casing l5, its upward movement thereon being limited by a beading 20. It is retained in place by means of screws, as 2|, 2|, setting through an inturned flange at its lower margin and the bottom 22 of the casing l5. A pair of lamp sockets 23, 24, are fitted within a metal supporting plate 25, and insulated therefrom, as shown at 26, 26. The plate 25 rests upon an inturned flange at the lower end of the skirt l9.

A contact element 21, in bowed form, engages the central contacts of a pair of bulbs 28, 29,

4Q fitted within the sockets 23, 24, and is secured centrally to the bottom 22 of the casing l9 by means of a rivet 30. The head of the rivet forms a contact for a connection 31, conventionally shown as being associated with one of 45 the terminals of the battery. The element 2'! and the rivet 30 are suitably insulated from the plate 22, as shown at 32, 33.

! A ring of insulating material 34 is set in the upper face of each of the socket blocks 23, 24,

50 to prevent electrical connection between the element 2'! and the socket block when the bulb is absent from the socket.

The controlling switch of the lantern comprises a helical spring 35, fixedly attached at one 5 end to an upstanding lug 36, adjacent a margin of the plate 25, and at its opposite end to a button 31, the shank of which projects outwardly through, and is movable within, a slot 38 in the skirt l9, and carries a slide plate 39 bearing against the inner face of the skirt and covering 5 the slot 38 for the purpose of excluding dust. A plate 40, secured midway of its ends to the shank of the button 31, has its ends bent inwardly and slidingly engaging upstanding detent flanges 4|, &2, formed on the plate 25. 10

As is clearly shown by Figs. 2 and 4, in the assembled lantern the lug 36 is positioned so closely to the adjacent part of the skirt l9 that the skirt prevents disengagement of the switch from the lug. In the illustrative embodiment 15 a machine screw passes through the lug and is threaded into the spring constituting switch 35, and the length of the screw is greater than the spacing between the skirt and the head of the screw.

The plate at is elastic and bears against the 20 flanges 4|, 42, with suflicient force to prevent its ends from sliding over shoulders formed on the plate except when subjected to pressure applied to the button 31. The shoulders of the flanges ll, 42, are adapted to hold the switch in extreme and intermediate positions. The spring 35 is put under slight tension when applied, and when in central position is midway between the two lamp sockets. Upon moving the button to either of its extreme positions this spring is brought in contact with one of the lamp sockets, thus closing the circuit from the rim through the socket, the plate 25, the skirt l9 and casing l5, and a connector 43, conventionally shown as being as- 35 sociated with the battery.

A reflector plate 44 is applied to the lower face of the plate 25, and has a flange 45 which rests upon the inturned flange at the bottom of the skirt l9 and is apertured to receive the screws 2|, 2|.

To prevent the turning of the contact element 2'! about the pin 30, the insulating element is lapped down on one or both sides of it, as shown in Fig. 2, and the bottom 22 of the casing I5 is punched down, as shown at 22*, 22 to engage the insulation.

Various changes in the details of the forms oi construction illustrated may be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In an electric lantern, in combination, a battery casing having battery connectors, a me tallic skirt depending from the casing, a metallic lamp supporting plate carried by the skirt and pair of rim contact lamp sockets carried by and insulated from the named plate, a contact element connected with one of the battery connectors for engaging the terminal contacts of bulbs carried by the sockets, an upstanding lug carried by the named plate, and'a switch element cooperating alternatively with the sockets and being attached to and electrically connected with saidlug.

2. In an electric lantern, in combination, a battery casing having battery connectors, a metallic skirt depending from the casing, a metallic lamp supporting plate-carried by the skirt and t 7 2,082,067 electrically connected with the battery casing, a

electrically connected with the battery casing, a pair of rim contact lamp sockets carried by and insulated from the named plate, a contact element connected with one of the battery connectors'for engaging the terminal contacts of bulbs carried by the'sockets, an upstanding lug carried by the named plate, and a switch element cooperating alternatively with the sockets and being attached to and electrically connected with said lug, the spacing between the lug and the plate being relatively close, whereby the skirt prevents accidental separation of the switch element from I the lug. V

CARL H. LARSON.

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