US2234995A - Utility headlight - Google Patents

Description

March 18, 1941. H p WAECHTER 2,234,995

UTILITY HEADLIGHT Filed` April. 7, 1959 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. '18, l94l UNITED 155i" rms een Tt AL ATENT OFFICE Application .april '7,

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric utility headlights, and, more particularly, to a utility headlight adapted to be worn attached to a persons head.

As those skilled in the art know, conventional iiashlights had serious disadvantages. Thus, prior flashlights had to be carried in the hand of the person using the same and prevented using the hand for some other purpose. For certain applications, particularly for miners, it has been already suggested to provide a lamp for attachment to the cap of the person using the same and to provide a separate battery attached to a belt and connected by means of an electric cord to the lamp. Although these miners lamps have been used to a substantial extent, they had the disadvantage of being relatively bulky, heavy and cumbersome due to the substantial weight of the battery. Morever, inconvenience was caused by the cord connecting the battery with the lamp proper as time was wasted in connecting and disconnecting the battery from the lamp and the cord would become entangled with the wearing apparel or would interfere in some other way with the freedom of movement and of action of the person using the same. JAlthough also various other suggestions and proposals were made to provide a portable lamp for attachment to the body of a person and to free his hands for unrestricted actvity, none, as far as I am aware, of these prior suggestions and proposals was completely satisfactory and successful on a practical scale.

Itis an object of the present invention to provide a iiashlight of novel character adapted to eliminate these disadvantages of conventional flashlights.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ilashlight or headlight of general utility and of a sell-contained character adapted to be attached to the head of a person using the same, with thef light in the center of his forehead.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a utility headlight ier attachment to a persons head, which is forming a self-contained and independent unit and which can be used without any external cord or battery.

The invention also contemplates a utility headlight adapted to be attached to the forehead by means of a band, which is simple in construction and to operate, which employs conventional and inexpensive flashlight batteries of standard size, and which may be manufactured and sold on a practical and commercial scale at a low price.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 illustrates a flashlight or headlight em- 5 bodying the principles of the present invention in its operative position as it is worn by the user;

Fig. 2 depicts a top elevational View oi the headlight embodying the present invention, with some 10 of the internal elements indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional View taken on line 3-3 oi Fig- 2 looking in the direction of arrows A;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View depicting the pre- 15 ferred assembly of the interior parts of the headlight removed from the case;

Fig. 5 illustrates a front elevational view of the headlight as it appears looking in the direction oi arrow B in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 depicts a sectional View taken 0n line ii-t in Fig. 3 showing the preferred construction of the switch associated with the headlight; and

Fig. l is a similar sectional View somewhat fragmentary in character illustrating a modified switch for use with the headlight having a nonmetallic case.

Broadlyfstated, according to the invention a flashlight or headlight in the form of a casing is provided having a reflector, an electric bulb, one or more batteries and switching means associated therewith. I also provide a head band for this casing by means of which it may be attached to the head of the user with the light in the center oi his forehead. Thus, the user has both hands free and the light projected by the reiiector moves with his head, so that anything he may be looking at will be illuminated. l. preier to use a battery of the conventional flashlight type and of such dimensions which can be inserted into a casing of moderate size and which can be readily replaced with a new battery, when necessary. I prefer to make the casing in two parts of which the first serves as a removable back While the other forms a case having a reflector located in the center portion thereof. I attach a head band to two lateral extensions of the back to fasten the same in such a manner as to prevent contact of the face with the casing. The reflector has an electric bulb located therein and concentrates the light. I prefer to set the reflector at such an angle as to compensate for the slope of the forehead common to most people.

The case may be made of a cast, pressed or molded material, such as a die-cast metal of light weight, a suitable plastic, or it may be made of rubber or of a composition similar to rubber. course, it is also possible to employ light-gauge sheet metal, or combinations of these materials. All edges and corners should be rounded in order to avoid injury to the person wearing the same polished portion of the metal surface. casing is of a non-metallic character, a separate provided with slots 'l for sertion of an elastic band 3, the length of which buckle (not shown). slide on two ilanges To bottom piece I3 is secured a strip of metal I4 which provides the series connection for the two batteries I I. Metal strip I4 is fastened to bottom piece I 3 by one or more tubular rivets I5, or by some other appropriate fastening element. To top piece I2 is secured by similar small tubular rivets I5 a second metal strip I6 having one of its ends extending towards the top contact of one of the batteries and having the object of conducting the current from one battery terminal to one terminal of the switch, This switch is constituted of an elongated piece of metal Il and has its center portion secured to top piece I 2 by means of a rivet I8 providing a pivoting point therefor. Switch lever I1 is electrically connected with reflector 2. If casing is of metal, this connection may be directly made by rivet I 8 serving as pivoting point for the switch lever pressing against the inner wall of the casing thereby electrically connecting the switch lever to the metallic casing and to the metallic reector integrally formed therewith, as this will to prevent accidental closing of the circuit. This spring clip 20 is secured to top piece I2 by one or more tubular rivets I5. Top piece I2 and bottom piece I3 are secured by similar rivets to an upright metallic member 2| which serves a double purpose in that it provides lateral support for batelectric cir- At the top of this vertical projecting strip 23 is provided and bent over in such a manner that contact is made with the center of one of the batteries. A rivet I5 is also provided through this strip for securing the and the top piece of gether. of switch lever I 'I protrudes through a slot 25 provided in the front portion of the casing so that it may be readily actuated by the user in the operative position of the headlamp.

All rivet heads I5 must be insulated from casing I when the casing is of a metallic character to avoid short circuits. This insulation can be accomplished by placing a strip of adhesive tape or similar insulating material over the rivets.

As will be readily observed in Fig. 4, the internal assembly of my contact of the bulb. metallic member 2l, a

sary to get at any of the internal parts for adjustment, regulation or replacement of parts. The batteries may be replaced with new ones, when necessary, by slipping back the back cover of the casing without requiring removal of any of the internal parts.

Reflector 2 may be integrally formed with the casing as is shown in Fig. 3, or it may be provided as a separate part secured to the Casing, as shown in Fig. 7. Likewise, screw socket 3 may be a separate element, secured to reector 2 by brazing, soldering or other operations, or it may be made as an integral part of the reflector.

From the foregoing description, the operation of my improved headlight will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. When it is desired to use the headlight, the back of the head- It will be noted that the headlight embodying the invention provides a number of important advantages. Thus, rst of all, a simple, foolproof and easily operable headlight is provided which is readily attached to the head of the user and which may be easily removed after it has served its purpose.

It is also to be observed that my improved headlight comprises a single and self-contained other bulky or cumbersome element connected therewith so that it will never interfere with ment of the person using the same.

Moreover, the headlight of the invention is extremely simple in construction and operation, requires very small space when not used, and may be manufactured and sold at a very low price, so that it is available for practical use by automobilists, mechanics, engineers, in the household and for other similar applications where a simple, inexpensive and instantaneously available head# light is desired.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodi, ment thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art Without departing from the principles of the present invention. I consider all of these variations and modifications as within the true spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the appended claims. v

I claim:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a self-contained utility headlight comprising in combination a casing, a removable back cover for said casing adapted to conform to a persons forehead, a headband connected to said casing for holding the same in operative position against a persons forehead, reflecting means mounted in the front surface of sa1d casing, an incandescent lamp operatively associated with said reflecting means to emit a beam of light in the normal direction of vision, means including a top and bottom piece of an insulating material and a vertical metallic member forming a readily removable internal unit snugly fitting in said casing and adapted to hold a battery in fixed position, contact means associated with said insulating pieces and with said metallic member for electrically connecting said battery with said lamp, and switching means on said removable unit intermediate to said lamp and said battery.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a self-contained utility headlight comprising in combination a casing, a removable back cover for said casing adapted to conform to a persons forehead, a headband connected to said casing for holding the same in operative position against a persons forehead, reflecting means mounted in the front surface of said casing, an incandescent lamp operatively associated with said reflecting means to emit a beam of light in the normal direction of vision, means including a top and bottom piece of an insulating material and a vertical metallic member forming a readily removable internal unit snugly fitting said casing and adapted to hold a pair of cells in fixed position, a

pair of contact springs on said top piece for making contact with said cells and to form the stationary contact of a switch, a switching lever pivotally mounted on said top piece adapted to cooperate with said stationary contact, a resilient member integrally formed with said metallic member adapted toengage the center contact of said lamp, and a connecting strip on said bottom piece for connecting said cells in series, said switching lever protruding through a slot in said casing into a readily accessible operative position.

HERMAN P. WAECHTER.

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