US2100058A - Light support - Google Patents

Description

' Patented Nov. 23, 1 937 LIGHT SUPPORT Frank C. McGrady, Washington, 1].. O. 7

Application October 20, 1933, Serial No. 694,496

3' Claims.

This invention relates generally to improvements in supports, and more in particular to an improved means for supporting electric. flood lights, I V j 52' My invention is capable-of many uses-particularly where a relatively tallorlong support. is required. One. importantuse has been found. to be. in connection with electric flood lamps. Powerful electric lampsbetween 500 and 2000 10 watts are supportedat the topsor endsof supports ranging from: to 35. ieetlength. These lamps are usually provided withv reflectors/and are used to illuminateqgasolme stations, outdoor parking lots, athletic fields, exhibit houses, and 15 for numerous other purposes. I V

The sllpportsfor such lamps can be made of anysuitable materialbut are usually tubular pipes of steel. The bases of these pipes must be fairly large and strong, in order to not only support the lamp structure and reflector but to withstand additional strain when it is necessary to service the lamps. r

A reflector is provided at the top of these supports for the lamp. Y Unless the reflector is maintained bright and clean the efficiency of the lamp is greatlyimpairedand the'illumination desired is not had. It is necessary therefore to cleanand polish these reflectors at frequent intervals, Additionally, these lamps. require other service in the; formof new lamp bulbs, refinishing of the reflector, focusing of the reflector, checking ofthe Wires, etc. The supports are also painted at frequent intervals, which ordinarily requires the. services ofan expert steepl'ejack or painter.

'I'he cost of such supports is quite. appreciable,

and. the added expense. of having the lamps serviced by a skilled workman who must bewilling to take the dangerous. risks. incident to reach-' person. from the ground without danger,- and the need. of a serviceman trained in this particular field is no, longer required with my improved support. Moreover, my improvement; in lamp supports. readily adapts. itself to incorporation. with the old forms of supports enabling the lamps thereof to also be easily accessiblefor servicing, and so. dispensing with the need ofan' expertj serviceman and reducing. the cost of maintenance. 'B'riefly, my invention. generally consists of providing a supporting standard for electric lamps of the typehereinafter described made up as several longitudinal sections and joined by a special coupling member, wherein the support may be of smaller diameter, lighter and of less expensive materials than heretofore, and provides means for rendering the end or topof the support, including the lamp and reflector, ac eessible for-servicing from the ground and without need of a ladder. An inlet or junction box 7 is provided in combination with the support which can be used to splice the wires IGEtdiQgftG thB lamp, and also used as ajunction and splice box to carry the conduit and wirext'o other similar structures or electrical outlets In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a practical use'of invention, in which: Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view or a portion. of a lamp. support of the type under 'consideration and illustrates the upper and lower supports and hinge means for allowing the upper support to be rendered accessible;

Fig.2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken through 1lne.2'2. of Fig. 1 showing the hinge, and additionally shows: in dotted lines inlet and outlet conduits for the electric wires-"leading-to the lamp; 1

Fig. 3 is a segmental cross-sectional view taken on the vertical. line 3.3 and. the horizontal line 4-4 of. Fig; 2. and shows-one: of the electric wire conduits, namely the inlet; and, r r

Fig, 4. is a side view of. the entire lamp supporting structure, and in dotted l-inesis illustrated the upper support lowered for servicing the lamp. Alower support of any approved nature illustrated here as a tubular pipe I0 is securely anchored in the ground. The upper end of the pipe engages and fits into a blockB, which is the lower of two similarly formed block members which together constitute. a novel coupling member, the other being marked B. The lower block B is formed with a centralbore andhas. an. internal flange ll providedon its lowerside with a seat l2 for the upper end: oi pipe ill-. Theboreis-taperedas at lite assure a stable fitting with pipes or other types of base members of varying sizes. Depending from the lower side of the block is a skirt l4. spaced from the pipe, and through which screws l5-|5 pass to lock and retain the pipe in position. A packing weld, or braze, l6 between the skirt and pipe is provided if desired to keep out moisture. side of the block carries the apertured hinge lugs l'l--l1 50 positioned as to align with the apertured hinge lugs l8-l8 of the upper block B. A bolt l9 passes through the apertures in the aforementioned lugs to constitute a hinge connection between the two blocks. A tight fit should be effected between the abutting faces of these blocks to prevent the intervention of moisture, and to effect that end their faces may be machined as shown or provided with a gasket plate.

Upper block B likewise has a central bore and has an internal. annular flange 20 forming a ring seat 2| for the lower end 2 2 of the upper lamp support 23. The block further has a portion of its bore tapered as at .24 for the purpose above mentioned. Likewise an upstanding skirt 25 is integral withthe block and is provided with screws and a packing associated therewith in thesame manner and for the same purpose as in the construction of the lower block B.

' Bolt holes are drilled in vertical alignment through both upper and lower blocks to receive the several bolts as shown at 26, which constitute one means of locking the blocks together and maintaining the lamp support in a rigid and operative position.

The support-in the present instance being tubular forms a housing for the wires leading to the lamp. The lower block B includes vertical bores30 and 3| which connect with the horizontal channels 32 and 33 which are cut in the top surface of the block and lead to the interior of the support.

Fig. 3 shows one of such vertical bores, namely the inlet bore 30, and its connecting horizontal channel 32. The internal edges of the two blocks adjacent the bores and channels are rounded as at 34 to prevent cutting of the electric wires.

The lower end of the bores 30 and 3| are preferably screw threaded to receive the electric wire conduits 35 and 36 which are likewise preferably screw threaded at their upper ends to effect a convenient fitting therebetween.

Fig. 4 shows use and adaptation of the invention in its assembled form with the lower pipe l0 anchored in the ground and supporting the block B, with block B hingedly mounted thereon and supporting the upper support 23 which carries the lamp and reflector. If for any of several reasons it is desired to service the lamp, as 'by polishing the reflector, replacing a lamp bulb, or checking the wiring, it is only necessary in this instance to remove the several bolts 26 from the two blocks and lower the upper support 23 until the top rests upon the ground, which position is partially shown in dotted lines by Fig. 4. This will enable the workman to have full access to the lamp reflector and all wiring in a safe manner without any of the dangerous risks of climbing a ladder as has been heretofore necessary. When the operation is complete the upper support and the lamp can again be raised tothe position shown in full lines, and the, bolts 26 replaced to securely lock the structure in po sition. p I

To assist in lowering the upper supporting One 7 structure it may be desired to secure a chain or cable to the top of the support as shown at 40 and. when not in use it could hang by the side of the support, or be anchored to a ring 41 in the ground.

In a support of this type it will be readily appreciated that the entire supporting structure can be of much lighter material, thus reducing the cost, as the strength formerly necessarily inherent tosuch structures is no longer needed due to the improved manner of rendering the lamp and reflector accessible.

" The improved means above described for en- .abling the lamp to be serviced may also be read- -ily incorporated in a lamp support ofgthe old type; wherein the base of the support is relatively thick for the reasons explained. It is only necessary to cut the support through on a horizontal plane a few feet above the surface of the ground, and attach a block of the type described asB .to

the top of the lower support portion, and a block such as B to the lower end of the upper supporting portion, insert a bolt of the type described at l9, hoist the support into position and lock in place by the bolts 26. p

Thus it will be appreciated that I have invented a new and improved support means for electric lamps of the type under consideration, wherein the cost of production and upkeep of the lamp and support is greatly reduced, and which adapts itself to the old type of lamps to lessen the upkeep thereof;

While I have shownand described my invention v as being particularly adapted for use in conjunction with flood lamps, it is to be understood that the same is not so limited as it is adapted for use in all instances wherein a relatively tall vertical support is desired, and wherein it is necessary from time to time to lower said support for the purpose of servicing.

While in the drawing and description of the invention I have illustrated my improved support as used in a vertical position, it should be understood that the support readily adapts itself for use in any other angular position. For instance, the base could equally as well be anchored to a vertical wall with the support extending outwardly therefroin in a horizontal plane. Such a position would be most desirable for use in connection with illuminating large signs on the sides of buildings, etc. In such a use the hinge construction would be accessible from a window in the building, and by means of the cable attached to the outer end of the support, the lamp and reflector could be drawn up to assume a horizontal position at right anglesto the base support and parallel to the building wall, in which position the lamp and reflector would be most accessible from an upper window for servicing, and the junction box open for inspecting the wiring.

I claim:

1. A support for a flood lamp of the type described comprising a base member and a top member, a pair of complementary hingedly connected blocks mounted upon the base member for support of the top member, tubular skirts fixedto said blocks and positioned on opposite sides thereof for the reception of said base and top members, and a bore extending centrally through said blocks having a flange thereinfor supporting on opposite sides thereof said base and top members, said bore and flange cooperating to support said base and top members in spaced rela- CPI tion with respect to said skirts, and means to secure said base and top members in position.

2. A support for a flood lamp of the type described, comprising a pair of complementary hingedly connected blocks, skirts fixed thereto, bores formed centrally of said blocks and having a shoulder therein, a base member extending into the skirt and bore of one of said blocks andabutting the under side of the shoulder thereof to support the same, a lamp supporting top member extending into the skirt and bore of the other of said blocks and supported by the shoulder formed therein, and means to lock said blocks in position to cause'the same together with said base and top members to assume a lamp supporting position. 7

3. 'A support for-an electric flood lamp of the type described comprising a base member and a top lamp supporting member, and the combination therewith of a hinged connection between said members including a junction box for said lamp, the same comprising a block having .a skirt fixed to the block on one face thereof concentrically disposed about an end of said base member, a central bore in said block and a shoulder formed therein for supporting said block upon said base member, a second block member hingedly connected to said first block and formed with a skirt portion on one face thereof concentrically disposed about an end of said top member, and provided with a bore formed centrally thereof and for alignment with the bore of said first block, a shoulder in said bore for supporting the ,end of said lamp supporting member, means for looking said blocks in place, and a channel formed in one of said blocks opening into the bores thereof for accommodating the wires of said lamp and constituting with said blocks a junction box;

FRANK c. MCGRADY. 20

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