US2125635A - Illuminating device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 2, 1938. J;-P. HOBART ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi .4. Y

I INVENTOR. JOHN P floaAkvz ATTORNEYS 5 a a a Hai Aug. 2, 1938. J. P. HOBART ILLUMINATING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATING DEVICE John P. Hobart, Kalamazoo, Mich. Application January 14, 1935, Serial No. 1,609

4 4 Claims. (01. 240 s1) .My invention is addressed to the provision of also is true of the secondary location from which illuminating deVices having novel utility and caradiation is effective in my improved lamp. pable of producing new artistic and utilitarian An example of my invention may be underefiects. An object of my invention is the crea-- stood ina broad sense from Figs. 1 and 2, which tion of a lamp of better illuminating properties, are diagrams only. Vertical parallel lines in Fig. '5 giving uniform illumination over a desired area. 1 illustrate the direction of rays from the para- Another object ofmy invention is the provision of bolic reflector l, as derived from the light source a lamp of unique exterior appearance, by having 2. A dotted line representation at 3 illustrates the source of illuminationswitches, sockets, rehow such a reflector may be modified to form a flectors and the like-concealed as fully as possible. reflector suitable foruse in myinvention as seen in 10 Still another-object of my invention is to give to Fig. 2. This section .3 of the reflector is shown as illuminating devices new artistic and decorative t ted around a p nt O the 8 t n in forms. Still another object of my invention is the 2 a efl c o is Sh wn Whichay be thought of s provision of means for supplying energy to lamps a figure of revolution of the section 3. If this w t t t use of exposed onnecting d reflector be illuminated by'parallel rays of light 113 My lamps are useful as table lamps, reading from beneath, as shown by the arrows, the light lamps, fioor or standing lamps, sources of illumiwill be diverted sidewise and will be substantially nation for the dinner table, garden and outdoor o d at p t a k d 5 and 3- In a reflector furnishings, and for the creation of special efformed as described, these points will lie in an fects on a larger scale. The objects which I have an u a r el d u o the eflector- It 20 mentioned above, and others which will be ap- Willnow be appreciated that the en ire l mp may parent .to one skill d i th rt upon r di g be contained in a housing which is continuous these specifications, I accomplish by that certain ept at e annular focus, Where the p 7 7 construction and arrangement of .parts of which ng may be very smal It Will e130 be pp d I shall now describe certain specific embodiments, that this creates new opportunities for ar i i which will be understood as exemplary only and design in amp p u y in that the pp as not limiting. Reference is .made to the drawr fl does n n to be large in iz and ings wherein: the ordinary shade may be eliminated excepting Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of where desired for deco a i p po e It W l the action of an ordinaryparabolic reflector. f r h r be clear that I h v p vid d for h 30 Figure 2 is a diagrammatic representation of effective and eflicient concentration and direction the action of adiflerent reflector developed thereof illuminati n Wh r e i h is exemplary from, only of one type of reflector which I may employ. Figure 3 is an elevational view of a table lamp In the practice of my invention it is not neces- 3'5' embodying .my invention and having a novel sary that a reflector formed as a figure of revoluswitch. tion be used, nor a reflector developed from a Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of an illumiportion o pa a a. N r is t n s a y that nated garden fixture embodying my invention. the reflector have an annular focus. If illumina- Figure 5 is a sectional view of another table tion is desired at but one side of the lamp, for exlampembgdyjng my invention ample the reflector maybe a planar figure corre- 40 Figure 6 is a sectional view of transformer di g to the line 3 in Figure 1. Reflectors means f r Supplying energy to a table lamp. With may be made having lines of focus of other shapes out direct cord connection than annular. Appropriate changes in the hous- Figure 7 shows a further modified lamp. mg members may be madeygiving lamps of many Broadly stated my invention involves the renew shapes flection of light from a suitable source which is i i s g f 3:32 :2 g g isg fi g ig gs g concealed, in-a novel way, whereby highly ornay g b 9. fi I mental lamps having new-and increased utilities for a lamp bul A re ectol a asslsts m dlrect ing the light upwardly. The pedestal may be and :novel decorative effects may be produced as made f any material desired Such as metal, 50

will hereinafter be more fully set forth. It is,

vitreous Ware, pottery, etc. It will usually be of course, understood that with any light source, opaque but not necessarily The upper part such as an incandescent electric lamp, there is no of th housing is, in this instance, a round glass single point from which radiation occurs, but member ii. The upper surface of this member ratheran area, as the filament of the lamp. This is hollow ground or moulded to form a reflecting 55 surface l3 corresponding to the reflector 4 of Figure 2. The surface of this portion will preferably be silvered as in forming a mirror, and the metal film may be protected in any way desired. Points in the annular focus of this reflector are indicated at l3 and M. The lower edges of the glass member are rounded as at [5 and 16 to avoid refraction, and are substantially the sole places where light is emitted. Very little if any light comes through the side edges of the glass member. The extent of the illumination is indicated by the dotted lines.

In Figure 3 I also show a novel switch, comprising a casing So next to the bottom .of the socket 8 of the lamp 9, and an operating element 8?) for this switch projecting downward through a support fixed in the base la. It will be understood that the terminals of this switch are connected to the respective terminals of the lamp and to the source of current, so that the switch controls the supply of current to the lamp. Also it will be understood that the switch is of such a type, that, with the element 81) movable up and down, the switch will be opened by one up and down movement of the element 8?) and will be closed by the next up and down movement thereof and so on. With this provision the lamp may be lighted by lifting or tilting it on the table or other surface, and then bringing it to normal position; and it may be turned oif by a repetition of such movements.

Figure 4 shows a garden fixture comprising a vase-shaped housing in two parts, I1 and I8. These parts are held slightly interspaced by bracket members 19. A socket, lamp and reflector are contained in the lower housing member and are indicated generally at 20. The upper housing member may be surmounted by a bowl 2! for a bird bath, for example. This bowl is carried upwardly at its center and is perforated as at 22. The diverting reflector is shown at 23 and may be made of stainless steel or plated metal. It is also perforated as at 24. A portion of the light from the source passes through the perforations 22 and 24 and may be used to illuminate a glass or other translucent ornament 25. The annular focus of the reflector 23 is substantially at the interspace between the housing portions IT and 18. This interspace may either be left free or filled with sectional glass rim members 26. The extent of the illumination is again indicated by dotted lines. Obviously other types and designs of ornamental and/or utilitarian housing members may be employed.

In Figure 5 I have shown lamp comprising a base 291) and pedestal 28 containing lamp 29 and its mounting. A reflector 30 is held above the pedestal by interspaced supports 3!. A dummy shade 32 surmounts the reflector. This form of lamp is shown to indicate a different design of housing structure and also the use of a type of reflector which need not have a relatively sharp annular focus. It will be noted, however, that equivalent effects are obtained, namely, concealment of the light source,conservation and more effective distribution of the light, a relatively small opening for the passage of light, and novel design effects. The lamp here shown has the transparent ornament 33 passing vertically through openings in the dummy shade 32 and in the reflector 30 so that it will be illuminated by the lamp 29. Also, as here shown, the lamp 29 is mounted on a stem 29a projecting up from the base 2%; and the latter is provided with ventilating openings 29c, and has feet 29d. Afree circulation of air is thus afforded up through the interior of the lamp, to keep it cool. It will be understood that such ventilating means may be provided in any of the other examples.

In Figure 6 I have shown means for supplying energy to a lamp, such for example as a lamp upon a dinner table, without carrying a cord across the table. A table top is indicated at 33. Beneath this I fasten a transformer portion comprising an E-shaped or cup-shaped core 34 and a primary winding 35. The transformer portion may be held in place by means of a strap 36 and screws as shown. In the pedestal 31 of the table lamp I locate a corresponding core section 38 having a secondary winding 39 which will be understood as connected to the light source in the lamp. If the lamp is positioned on the table top so that the transformer sections match, energy will be transferred from the primary section to the secondary section. The lines of flux are indicated by dotted lines. It will be understood that this type of transformer is not highly efficient; but in accordance with known principles of design may be constructed to deliver the required amount of energy in spite of the relatively large dielectric gap in the core.

In Figure '7 is a modification in which the lamp 34 and dome-shaped reflector 35 are so arranged that the light rays, as indicated by the dotted lines, leave the lamp from the left side to travel to the reflector, and are reflected to the right where they converge to form part of an annular focus. In this example any focal point is at the opposite side of the lamp from the portion of the reflector surface which converges the rays to the said focal point. Such a reflector may be formed as a figure of revolution of the section 3 of Figure 1 when tilted in the opposite direction; but again the reflector section need not be a section of a parabola.

When using my types of reflector, they may be shaped to give any degree of illumination where ever desired. For instance, if it is desired to have the surface illuminated more brightly farther away from the lamp than near its base, it is only necessary to reflect a. larger percentage of light to the farther area than is reflected to the base area. This may be done by appropriate change in the reflector contour. This is impossible to obtain with any direct light, as with such light the brightest intensity is always closest to the lamp.

Modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof. It will be understood that my lamps may be made with longer or shorter pedestals, or even without pedestals in the sense of means which support the lamp from beneath; and it will further be understood that my lamps may be made in a wide variety of shapes and configurations and with any type of external decoration desired. The reflector may have sharp or diffused lines of focus, annular or not, as desired. It will be understood that my invention is not limited otherwise than as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a lighting fixture, a hollow pedestal, a source of light in said pedestal, a reflector thereabove receiving light from said source and diverting said light outwardly and downwardly and c0nfining said light to a relatively narrow band slightly above the upper edge of said pedestal, and housing means covering said reflector and interspaced from said pedestal top substantially only sufliciently to let the reflected light through at said band only, said housing means comprising a covered bowl-shaped member, said reflector being fastened to the underside of said cover.

2. In a lighting fixture, a hollow pedestal, a source of light in said pedestal, a reflector thereabove receiving light from said source and diverting said light outwardly and downwardly and confining said light to a relatively narrow band slightly above the upper edge of said pedestal, and housing means covering said reflector and spaced from said pedestal top substantially only sufliciently to let the reflected light through at said band, a continuous perforation through said reflector and said housing centrally and a translucent ornamental member in optical connection with said perforation.

3. In a lighting fixture, a hollow pedestal, a source of light in said pedestal, a reflector thereabove receiving light from said source and diverting said light outwardly and downwardly and confining said light to a relatively narrow band slightly above the upper edge of said pedestal, and housing means covering said reflector and interspaced from said pedestal top substantially only sufliciently to let the reflected light through at said band only.

4. A stand lamp comprising a hollow pedestal, a light source and a concentrating reflector in the lower portion of said pedestal for projecting a substantially parallel beam upwardly, a second reflector supported above the top thereof and shaped to receive said concentrate-d light and converge it to an annular focus near the upper periphery of said pedestal and housing means supported from said pedestal and covering the second reflector and having its lower edge spaced from the periphery of the pedestal to provide a narrow gap to allow light at said annular focus to pass through.

JOHN P. HOBART.

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