US2115695A - Vehicle lamp - Google Patents

Description

may 39 MEM.. c. W. ANKLAM VEHICLE LAMP Filed April 13, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 /NVENTo/e CHU-:s W. www

ATTORNEYS 1W @y 39 ,WE- c. W. ANKLAM Y 211,65

' VEHICLE LAMP Filed April 13, 1956 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 u.4 l.' G i L F l h P mi i; g 2- 4 N" e A 5 i# J I! A Ml .u1/ 3 M L K v 1 W j 'f 1 E I J3 E 1j /K' 7 s l Q l P ,f EQ i /H @L I L l l A A G F E l 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1938 PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE LAMP Charles W. Anklam, Detroit, Mich., assigner to C. M. Hall Lamp Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 13, 1936, Seria-l No. 74,213

7 Claims.

The invention relates to vehicle lamps and has more particular reference to constructions designed for use on auto rail busesV and similar vehicles. It is the primary object of the invention to obtain a construction in which the color of light displayed may be varied in accordance with requirements. It is a further object to obtain a simple construction of color changing means which is applicable to lamp casings of different constructions. With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings.:

Figure 1 is a vertical central longitudinal section through a lamp to which my improvements are applied;

Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan View' partly in horizontal section;

Figure 4 is a top plan View of `the rotatable frame;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5`5 of Figure 1; v Y

' Figure 6 is a front elevation of the rotatable frame;

Figure 7 is a sectional bottom plan View of the keeper;`

Figure 8 is a View similar to Figure 5 showing a modified construction. For use on buses and in particular auto rail buses, it has been customary to provide four lamps mounted respectively7 at the for corners of the vehicle. These lamps have also been constructed Ato display lights of different colors through a plurality of different window openings or lenses, together with provision for rotating the casing to different positions of adjustment. Thus, in one position a light of a given color, such as red, may be directed rear- '410 Wardly and in other positions forwardly or to theside. With my improved construction, I dispense with the necessity of adjusting the lamp casing, but provide for change in the color of the light displayed through each window.

As shown A is the lamp casing, preferably formed in half sections A', A2, which have a break joint meeting A3 substantially in a horizontal plane. At the front and rear of this casing are Window openings in which are located conical or streamlined lens members C and D, While at one side of the casing is a window closed by the lens E. These lenses may be secured by flanges thereon which engage channel-shaped annular gaskets F located in grooves G in the sections A', A2.

concentric with the axis of the socket and bulb 10` and having an open segment I for the passage of the light. Concentric with this screen and preferably arranged within the saine is a rotatable frame J having a top head J', longitudinally extending spaced bars J2 and a bottom ring J3. 15 Within this frame and between the spaced bars are glass segments K of different colors. These segments are secured in position by a snap split ring K' which engages a groove near the lower end of each segment in the inner face thereof. The frames J are rotatively adjusted by a shaft L which extends axially of the cylinder I and out- Ward, the casing I being provided at its outer end with a knurled head L' by which it may be revolved. The inner end of the shaft L has a square or polygonal portion L2 for engaging a correspondingly shaped aperture in the head J There is also a keeper M which is slotted to form oppositely inwardly extending tongues M having a snap engagement with the groove L3 in the shaft and bearing against the inner face of the head J'. A spring N, preferably of conical form, is arranged between the head J and the upper end of the cylinder I serving to force the frame downward, and notches on the lower face of the head 3 L' engageable with a V-lug L4 on the casing forms an index or latch mechanism for holding the different colored segments K in registration with the cut away portion I' of the shield. Thus, the construction is such that by turning the knob 40 L' .any one of the different colored segments K may be registered With the opening in the shield I so as to correspondingly color the light which is projected through the lens.

The two portions of the casing A', A2 are se- 45 cured to each other by screws O which are operable from the outside of the casing member A and engage threaded apertures in partitions P formed integral with the casing member A2.V These partitions also form additional shields for 50 preventing any dispersion of light from one of the bulbs to interfere with the light from another. However, these partitions are not absolutely necessary and if desired, the shields I alone may be relied upon to prevent light inter- 55 ference. Also, in place of forming the shields I of separate cylinders arranged within the casing, they may, if desired, be die cast integral with one of the sections, as shown at I2, Figure 8. The lamp sockets H, H', H2 are of any suitable construction and are provided with electrical conductors P which pass out through an opening Q in the rear of the casing. The casing may also be mounted in fixed position upon the vehicle by any suitable means (not shown).

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a casing having a plurality of diierently facing window openings therein, of a plurality of light bulbs respectively operatively associated with the different windows, means interposed between said bulbs for limiting the angle of light beam therefrom to a single window, a screen associated with each lamp bulb having segments of different colors, and means operable from outside said casing for adjusting each of said screens to selectively interpose said colored segments between the bulbs and the corresponding windows.

2. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a sectional casing having a plurality of diierently facing window openings therein, of lenses for the respective openings clamped between the sections of said casing, a lamp bulb operatively associated with each window and lens, a cylindrical opaque screen surrounding each bulb and having a cut away segment for permitting the projection of light through the corresponding window and lens and a translucent screen having segments of different colors, said screen being adjustable to selectively register the colors with the corresponding window opening.

3. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a casing having windows at its opposite ends and in one side, conical lenses mounted in the end windows, a lens mounted in the side window, a series of lamp bulbs Within said casing one for each window, shields surrounding said lamp bulbs with openings therein to limit the angle of beam from each bulb to its corresponding window, a screen associated with each lamp bulb and having a plurality of segments of diiTerent colors, and means operable from` outside said casing for adjusting said screens to selectively display the colors thereof through the corresponding windows.

4. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a casing having windows therein at each end and one side, lenses for said windows, a series of lamp bulbs within said casing one for each window, cylindrical shields surrounding the respective lamp bulbs and having open segments limiting the angle of the light beam passing therethrough to the corresponding window, a rotary screen surrounding each lamp bulb and having a plurality of segments of different colors, a shank for rotating said screen passing out through said casing, and means for rotating said shank and for holding the same in different positions of adjustment for the registration of the respective colored segments with the opening in said shield.

5. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with an elongated casing formed in upper and lower sections and provided with window openings at opposite ends and in one of the sides, lenses secured between said sections in the respective window openings, a series of lamp bulbs mounted in the lower section one for each window, shields surrounding said lamp bulbs and depending from the upper section, each shield having an opening segment for limiting the angle of light passing therethrough to the corresponding window, rotary screens surrounding the respective lamp bulbs each formed of a plurality of segments of different colors, a shank for each rotary screen passing upward through said casing, and means outside said casing for rotating said shank and for holding the same in different positions for the registration of the respective segments with the opening in the shield.

6. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a casing formed in upper and lower sections and provided with window openings therein, lenses secured between said sections in the respective window openings, lamp bulbs mounted on the lower section one for each window, means for shielding the respectivey lamp bulbs to limit the angle of light therefrom to the corresponding window, a screen surrounding each lamp bulb comprising a rotary skeleton frame and a series of segments of different colors secured therein, a shank attached to said frame and extending upward out through said casing, and means outside said casing for rotating said shank and for holding the same in different positions of adjustment for registering the respective colored segments with the corresponding window.

7. In a vehicle lamp, the combination with a casing formed of upper and lower sections and having a plurality of window openings, lenses secured between said casing sections in the respective window openings, a series of lamp bulbs mounted on the lower section of said casing and corresponding to the respective windows, means for shielding each lamp bulb` to limit the light therefrom to the corresponding window, and a rotary screen for each lamp bulb, `each screen comprising a skeleton frame having a head at its upper end, colored segments secured within said skeleton frame, a snap ring engaging grooves in the inner faces of said segments to hold the same within said frame, a shank concentric with said frame engaging the head thereof and passing outward through the upper section of said casing, a head for said shank outside said casing and having a notched shouldered engagement therewith, and a spring surrounding said shank with its opposite ends abutting against the head of said frame and the top of said casing to yieldably hold said notched head in different positions of adjustment.

CHARLES W. ANKLAM.

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