US2117884A - Bracket for electric lamps - Google Patents

Description

May 17, 1938. H. w. HAPMAN BRACKET FOR ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Nov. 3, 1936 Patented May 17, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFiCE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to brackets for electric lamps, and its principal object is to provide a portable bracket whereby an electric light bulb may be supported in various ways so as to be susceptible of a number of different uses.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bracket which is so constructed that breakage of the bulb due to falling is prevented without the use of a wire guard such as is usually employed for this purpose, such guards being expensive and diiiicult to install, and casting objectionable shadows.

A further object of my said invention is to provide a bracket of simple construction which may be used in conjunction with any of the commercial lamp sockets such as are sold with connecting cord and plug attached thereto, so that full advantage may be taken of the low price due to enormous production volume of these units.

With these and other objects in view, a preferred embodiment of my invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved bracket with bulb, socket, and connecting cord attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the bracket with bulb and socket removed.

Figure 3 is a section of the bracket taken on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a front elevation illustrating the possibility of adjusting my improved bracket at various angles, and

Figure 5 is a front elevation illustrating the protection from breakage of the bulb which my improved bracket afiords.

Like characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 is the light bulb and 2 is a standard socket provided with a switch button 3 of the usual construction. The bracket, made from sheet metal or other suitable material, consists of an upper circular portion 4 and a relatively narrow lower portion 5 connected by a back portion 6, the latter being bent outwardly into U-shape, as indicated at I, where it joins the portion 5. The member 4 is formed with a downwardly projecting stiffening rim 4| and is provided with a central opening 42 adapted to fit snugly around the upper marginal edge 2| of the socket 2, while the lower portion 5 is provided with an opening 52 which receives the lower extremity 22 of the said socket. Secured to the back portion 6 of the bracket is a pneumatic suction cup 8 having the usual central screw 8| which passes through an opening in the bracket and is secured in position by the nut 82. 9 is the connecting cord, whichis commonly furnished with the socket 2 and carries at its free end a standard connecting plug (not shown), and in the upper and lower portions 4 and 5, respectively, of the bracket I provide openings 43, 53 to receive this cord which extends outwards through the socket and is bent into a loop, as at 9!, before passing through the said openings. inserted into the openings 43, 53 without disconnecting it from the plug or the socket, I provide a slot 44 in the member 4 which connects the opening 43 with the central opening 42, and in the member 5 I provide a slot 54 which connects the openings 53 and 52 so that the cord may be first passed through the central openings and thence into the smaller openings and the socket then placed in position so as to form a unitary structure as shown in Figure 1. The slots 44, 54 are of a width less than the diameter of the openings 43, 53 and of such dimensions that the cord must be forced through the slots and will rest loosely in the circular openings.

In the principal application of my improved bracket, it is secured through the cup 8 to any flat surface such as indicated at I0 in Figure 1, the U-shaped portion 1 of the bracket serving to steady the lamp by resting lightly upon the supporting surface. This application is of particular utility when it is desired to apply the lamp to the surface of a mirror, thereby making it possible to obtain a very strong illumination of the face during various toilet operations such as shaving. When supported by this method the lamp may be 5 rotated about the screw 8!, as indicated in the diagram Figure 4, and set at various angles by which the utility of my device is further enhanced. The lamp may also be suspended from a nail or other projection through the loop 9] of the cord. v

The diagram Figure 5 is a front elevation of the lamp with socket and bulb attached, from which it will be seen that when the complete structure rests upon a surface such as indicated at l2, the bulb is prevented from touching the said surface and, since the combined Weight of the bracket and the socket greatly exceeds the weight of the bulb, it will be seen that the said structure may be dropped from a considerable distance without breakage of the bulb, so that protection is afforded to the latter without the use of the wire guards above referred to. The provision of the enlarged portion 4 of the bracket is also of great utility in cases Where the lamp is In order that the cord 9 may be 10'- suspended by the loop 9! of the cord, as in such cases the bulb is prevented from touching the adjacent wall or other surface, causing burning or other damage to the latter.

It will be observed from the foregoing description and by reference to the drawing that I have provided a device which is eminently adapted for the purpose set forth and which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture, and wln'le I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my said invention, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the same relates that various modifications in detail may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with a lamp socket having a cord attached thereto; of a bracket comprising a pair of members arranged in parallel spaced relation and having openings adapted to engage the large and small ends, respectively, of the socket and having smaller openings adapted to receive the cord, the openings in each of said members being connected by a slot, and a member arranged substantially at right angles to said members and connecting the same; and a suction cup mounted upon said connecting member.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with a lamp socket having a cord attached thereto; of a bracket comprising a pair of members arranged in parallel spaced relation and having openings adapted to engage the large and small ends, respectively, of the socket and having smaller openings adapted to receive the cord, the openings in each of said members being connected by a slot, and a member arranged substantially at right angles to said members and connecting the same; a suction cup mounted upon said connecting member; said connecting member having thereupon an outwardly projecting portion spaced apart from said suction cup and terminating substantially in alinement with the outer surface thereof.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with a lamp socket having a cord attached thereto; of a bracket comprising a pair of members arranged in parallel spaced rela tion and having openings adapted. to receive the large and small ends, respectively, of the socket and having smaller openings adapted to receive the cord, the openings in each of said members being connected by a slot; and a member arranged substantially at right angles to said members and connecting the same; the member engaging the large end being of larger diameter than the member engaging the small end, and the center of gravity of the apparatus as a whole being positioned intermediate of said respective members, whereby the lamp bulb is prevented from coming in contact with a supporting surface upon which the device rests.

HENRY W. HAPMAN.

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