US2197330A - Combined multilight incandescent lamp and switch - Google Patents

Description

A. F. BAHLKE April 16, 1940.

\ COMBINED IULTILIGHT INCANDESCENT LAMP AND SWITCH 2 Sheets-She t Filed Oct. 24, 1938 April 1940- A.'F. BAHLKE' 2.197.330

' COIBINED MULTILIGHT INCANDESCENT LAMP AND SWITCH Filed Oct. 24, 19258 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I A I I I ,ENT 1 1% Wf% M1T0NEY Patented Apr. 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE COMBINED MULTILIGHT INOANDESCENT LAMP AND SWITCH Alfred P. Bahlke, Scotch Plains, N. J.. assignor to Utility Electric Corp., Newark, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationOctober 24, 1938, Serial No. 286,813

1 Claim.

Many incandescent electric lamps today are manufactured with a plurality of filaments of different wattages related and combined with each other so that they may be placed in the electric circuit either separately or all together so as to secure at will illumination of varying degrees of intensity. The invention relates particularly to multilight lamps wherein each filament has the same characteristics as that of an ordinary one filament lamp of the same wattage, as distinguished from the old so-called turndown lamps having two filaments so related that when they are connected in series one will glow while when one is short-circuited the other will glow.

A prime object of my invention is to produce such a combined multilight incandescent electric lamp and switch that shall embody novel and improved features of construction, whereby the combination shall be simple and inexpensive and reliable and durable.

Another object is to provide a combination of the character described wherein all of the switch parts shall be mounted on the exterior of the lamp for easy assembly and for easy access for operation.

Other objects are to provide a combined electric incandescent lamp and switch wherein the switch shall include an operating ring rotatable coaxially with the lamp so that the switch can be easily reached and operated; and to obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combined eletric incandescent lamp and switch.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, the lamp bulb or envelope being shown in side elevation.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the connection of one of the switch contacts to the shell terminal of the lamp base.

Figure 6 is a, similar view showing the connection to the shell terminal of one of the switch contacts for the lamp filaments.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view on the line 1-1 of Figure 3 with the lamp bulb and base shown in side elevation.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line two filaments B and C are of different wattage,

and in accordance with'the invention are energized either individually or together as may be desired.

The lamp also includes a base G which is of generally known construction including an outer screw threaded conducting shell terminal I to be screwed into 'an electric lamp socket, and a central terminal 2. the filaments B and C is permanently connected to one of the terminals of the base, in the present instance the terminal 2. In accordance with the invention, a switch for controlling the circuits through the filaments B and C is mounted on the base G, preferably exteriorly thereof.

As shown, a switch contact is provided for the respective terminals E and F of the filaments B and C, and for convenience these switch contacts are designated 3 and 4., The contacts are identical and each comprises a spring strip 5 one end of which has an opening 6 through which passes a hollow rivet or other suitable fastening means I for connecting the contact to The common terminal D of go the base shell terminal I adjacent the bulb A. 35

Each of the contacts 3 and 4 is insulated from the shell terminal I by fiber or other suitable bushings 8. Preferably the contacts 3 and 4 are spaced circumferentially of the shell terminal as clearly shown in Figure 3.

Other similar contacts 9 and III are electrically connected to the shell terminal I by rivets ii, there being no insulating bushings between the rivets II and the shell terminal and contacts. These contacts 9 and III are also preferably spaced circumferentially of the shell terminal and in approximately the same plane with the contacts 3 and 4 that is normal to the axis of the shell terminal.

The various contacts 3, 4, 3 and I0 cooperate with a switch operating member that is shown in the form of a sectional ring 1-! of insulating material which is rotatably mounted on the base G. Preferably the ring is mounted to rotate coaxially with the base in overlying relation to the contacts 9, it, 9 and It and the ring is formed of two approximately semi-circular or sectorshaped complemental sections that are applied to the base in the general plane normal to the axis of the base. The sections are separably connected together by any suitable means such as a metal split spring ring i2 seated in an exterior circumferential groove ii in the ring The interior surface oi. the ring H has a groove H which is of a width and depth to freely receive the riveted ends of the contacts as shown in Figures 3 and 8, and in the base of the groove i l is a second groove I5 of a width to freely slidably receive the reduced contacting ends 01 the contacts 3, 4, 9 and it. With this construction, the contacts are entirely housed and concealed within the ring, and hold the ring against axial movement longitudinally of the base.

In the groove 85 of the operating ring 1-! is a segmentalconductor it which as shown is substantially equal in length to one of the sections of the ring, said conductor serving to electrically connect the filament contacts 3 and It with the shell 8 through the contacts 9 and i0, upon rotation of the ring H. The contact strips are of resilient nature so as to constantly maintain spring frictional contact with the base or the groove 85 or the conductor it.

The contacts 3, t, 9 and it are so spaced and the length of the conductor is so related to the spacing of th contacts as to insure that at least one of the contacts 9 or it and either one or both of the contacts 3 and it may at the same time engage the conductor it, whereby the filaments B and Cmay be energized either indi-.

vidually or together, or both filaments may be completely deenergized. In operation, referring to Figure 9, the ring 1-! is so positioned that the conductor it engages only the contacts 9 and ill so that both filaments B and C are deenergized. In Figure 10, the'conductor IS engages the contact l0 and the contact 3 whereby only the filament B is energized, while in Figure 11 the conductor i6 engages both of the contacts 3 and 4 and the contact 9 so that both filaments B and C are energized. Figure 12 shows the conductor i6 engaging the contact 9 and the contact l so that only the filament C is energized.

It will be observed that the switch can be easily operated by simply gripping the ring H between the thumb and index finger of one hand and rotating the ring coaxially with the base.

To facilitate this action, the ring may have serrated or roughened surfaces l1, and the outer periphery of the ring may be polygonal. Preterably the ring H is rotatable in the same direction that the lamp is screwed into a socket, so that rotation 01' the switch ring will not loosen or unscrew the lamp in the socket. If desired, suitable means may be provided for positively preventing rotation of the ring in the opposite I direction.

Obviously the details of structure of the lamp and switch, the number of filaments, and the number and arrangement of the switch contacts, may be widely modified and changed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A combined multi-filament electric incandescent lamp and switch, com rising a base having a shell terminal and a central terminal, a bulb, a plurality of filaments in said bulb, and means for energizing said filaments selectively, individually and together, including a direct common electrical connection between one terminal of each of said filaments and said central terminal of the base, a plurality of contacts mounted exteriorly on said shell terminal in spaced relation circumierentially thereof, certain of said contacts being electrically insulated from said shell terminal with one thereof electrically connected to the other terminal of each filament, and at least one other of said contacts being directly electrically connected to said shell terminal, and a switch operating-ring rotatable coaidally on said base exteriorly thereof and having a conduct-or to electrically connect selectively individually and together the first mentioned contacts to the secondmentioned contact upon rotation of said switch operating ring in one direction.

ALFRED F. BAHLKE.

Images